Patricia Stoltey

Author

The Book Addiction

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I’m addicted to things I don’t want to give up:

1. Books
2. Coffee
3. Chocolate

Luckily, these addictions are not terribly harmful, unless I indulge too frequently. I’m doing okay on the coffee and chocolate, but the book collection is growing out of control (again).

I’ll take this weekend as an example. In addition to the three bookscases stuffed full of books I haven’t read, and two stacks on top of one bookcase, and the writing books I have upstairs in my office (many unread), I also have 22 TBR books stacked on the table by my favorite reading chair.

So what did I do Friday night at the Northern Colorado Writers Wine and Words fundraiser? I bought two more books:

1. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
2. The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman

And Saturday? I attended Cricket McRae‘s book signing and cheese tasting and bought her new release, Something Borrowed, Something Bleu.

And Sunday? I returned The Man in the High Castle to the library, then checked out:

1. Thrillers: 100 Must Reads edited by David Morrell & Hank Wagner
2. Exile by Richard North Patterson

even though I already have a library book in my stack: The Book of Spies by Gayle Lynds.

See what I mean? I must regain control…soon.

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Comments

  2. I have the same addictions. I gave up my library of books in the UK when I move to Cyprus. My daughter has them (and the same addiction). She set up a facebook book readers club for family and friends, so now I can indulge in book buying again. We have two new shops in Cyprus that sell English books, plus I use Book Depository (free delivery), so DH is trying to hide the credit card. LOL

    There is nothing better than a good cup of coffee, a smooth bar of dark chocolate and a ‘I can’t put you down book’. Bliss.

  5. Books, Coffee, Chocolate- is that you, or me?

    I have had to give up Coffee, but that only means more spills over to Chocolate and Books.

    And ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’ is a keeper.

  6. It’s just not fair that there are so many books and so little time to read. I enjoyed “Reading Lolita in Tehran.” A couple of others you mentioned are on my want to read list. I have the same problem about buying books when I haven’t read all the ones I own already.

  7. Oh! I know exactly what you mean…and then when I find some time to start reading I can’t decide which book to read first! I like (some) recorded books too (if they have a good narrator). I love to pop a book cd into the player as I’m driving. Alas, your post now has me thinking about chocolate…must go search.
    Nancy, from Realms of Thought…

  8. Pat-I would so be in your position is we were better off. I LOVE books. As it is, I have a large library stack waiting, but those get returned after i read them.

  9. Have some chocolate. You’ll forget about the pile of books to be read. If your memory begins to come back, have more chocolate.

    Be careful turning pages on the library book, though. They frown on pages chocolated together.

  11. I’m loving those clickable links. Gotta tell you, I’m returning those visits faster than the ones where I have to go to the profile or my blogroll first.

    LOL Eric. You obviously have my number, since it doesn’t take much more than that to talk me into a purchase (although a great book cover doesn’t hurt).

  13. I have books stacked everywhere. The purchased to read book pile spreads throughout the house. My must read book list grows and grows. I lose the run of my self in shoe shops and bookshops.
    Inkpots n’ Quills
    I did it!

  14. Good morning, everyone. I see I’ve found another topic that hits home for a lot of you. I guess it’s only logical that a lot of bookworms would hang around my place, since I do seem to talk about books and their authors quite a lot.

    Reading is my all-time favorite pastime and has been since I was a kid. I try to read at least 30 minutes in the morning (while I’m still working on my coffee quota for the day), and another 30+ minutes before I go to bed. Occasionally, I shrug off the To Do List (she’s such a nag), take a day off, and just read. Pure joy.

  15. Substitue tea for coffee and that’s me too. I’ve resorted to putting my latest books in an empty drawer in our spare room – there’s no more space!

  16. I consider book-buying my one luxury, and found that trading books I felt lukewarm about helps tame the piles.

    The Friends of the Library are my “book control” of last resort.

  19. Hello, my name is Karen and I’m a bookaholic. I won’t be joining any 12-step program to rid myself of my addiction because it serves me.
    Karen

  20. I’ve done something recently that I’ve not done before. I’ve boxed up my books to take to a used book store. I hate parting with my books, I feel as if I’m leaving old friends for good but I know that I have lack of space and to justify piling more books into my collection, I have to give some away. That’s why I’m loving Kindle. No guilt.
    CD

  21. Same addictions. And today I’m starting to move all my stuff out of my office which is becoming our international student’s bedroom. And guess what I have piles of and piles of and no place to put them? Not choclate that’s for sure.
    Jan Morrison – Hey note handy linkable signature. I learned how to do it from Patricia and you can do it too – it is EASY thanks to her great instructions.

  23. I was always reading as a child, loved it but as when the children came along so reading was pushed to the background. I do read occasionally but find I find I prefer listening to music.

    Loved your post.
    Yvonne.

  24. I am so glad to know someone else who has the same addictions I have. No matter how many books I have, I can’t seem to keep from purchasing another one when I get near them. I think I need all the coffee and chocolate to keep me going so I can one day say I’ve read at least part of my collection. LOL

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress