Do you buy too many books?

I thought I was the only one. Then I found this blog post, The Wonderful and Terrible Habit of Buying Too Many Books, by Gabe Habash that made me realize I am not as weird as I thought I was. I too have too many books on my shelves that I haven’t had time to read, but I still keep buying more. It’s an addiction, I think. You see, when I walk into a bookstore, my heart quickens and my pulse races. I almost salivate. You don’t need any more books, I tell myself. I justify that with, “I am just looking.” By the time I walk out, however, I have bought at least two or more books that will take up added space on my bookshelf. It’s the same at writers’ conferences. Except there’s a big difference. Those books I get autographed by some of my favorite authors. 

I am happy to report, however, that I do give out some of the books I’ve already read to students at the schools where I do visits. Not the autographed ones, of course. I give out numbers at the end of the presentation and then call them out. The students get to select a book from the box. In the meantime, I don’t think I’ll ever stop this strange quirk of mine. Are there any of you out there like me? 

“Surprise is what keeps readers turning the pages and writers filling them up.” – James Howe