Why Being an Obsessive Book Buyer is a Great Thing

Book addict, book hoarder, book acquirer... I'm never sure what to call it, but for a lot of years I've sort of felt like it's something I should be ashamed of, or should have 'under control' - like buying a lot of books is some reckless thing that I do that must be curbed at all costs. The most freeing thing that's happened to me over the past couple of years is realising that this is a lie. Just because not everyone in my life understands why I have hundreds of unread books, that doesn't mean it's wrong, and it doesn't mean I 'need to get my book buying under control'. The fact is, I can afford the books I buy, and (at some point in the timescale of 2 days - 6 years of owning) I do read the books I buy, or pass them on to fellow booklovers to enjoy. They are stories I want to read, points of view I want to understand, periods of history I want to know more about, and books have taught me a huge amount of what I know about the world.

Honestly, being a person who can't stop buying books is a great thing, and should be celebrated! We're going into the first 5 Day Bookshelf Cleanse on June 30th and I think I need to be really clear that this challenge is 100% about celebrating, organising and enjoying our book collections, and in absolutely no way designed to make you feel like you need to own fewer books. With that said, I have discovered over the years that I often feel more inspired by my books if I go through and weed out all the titles that don't appeal to me anymore. Just because I wanted to read a book desperately at one point five years ago, doesn't mean that I still want to read it today, in a very different situation. It's fine to pass those books on to new homes, and make room for more that you can't wait to read! My advice is just don't think about how much you spent on the books you didn't read...

Here are the best things (in my opinion) about being an unstoppable book buyer:

1. You get to feel the full joy of indie bookshops (online and IRL) because you're allowing yourself to accept the likelihood that you are going to buy books and so you're walking around looking for the books that look interesting, and not thinking 'oh I mustn't buy anything today', which in my opinion sort of gets in the way of enjoying a bookshop the way it should be enjoyed.

2. You always have something you want to read! Having a big collection of unread books means I have a huge variety of genres and something for most moods and situations. It also means I can pick two or three books to take out with me if I'm near the end of my current read, just in case I don't feel like one of them when I'm done. It's not a problem, you see, it's options

3. You can lend people books! Look, I know this is controversial, and a lot of people absolutely do not lend their books out, but for me one of the huge joys of owning a lot of books is lending them out to my friends. So many conversations I have about books end with me lending someone something that's been sat on my shelf for a while, and even with some of my favourites I've bought a second copy to lend out.

4. Book post is the best post. Even if you ordered books for yourself and know what's coming, there's nothing quite like the joy of opening a book shaped parcel.

5. People will never feel bad about buying you books. You know how sometimes you buy someone chocolate and then feel bad because you know they're probably on a diet? If people know you've fully embraced your inner book addict, they'll never feel bad about giving you books, which honestly is just a great thing all round. Being able to give books and gifts is such a joy to me that I'd never want to deprive anyone else of the pleasure!

What are your favourite things about book buying? I'd love to hear!