It's not that I buy too many books, it's that I read too slowly...

[mikekn]

I was looking over the stats on my book collection over the last year. Specifically how many books I own verses how many I've read (or not-read). For most of the year I've been right around the same percentage. Since I started the year with having read only half the books I own, that means that I'm buying them twice as fast as I'm reading them.

For the year I've got:
Read: 28
Bought: 62
Total: -34
(to steal a line from kbuxton's book log - Mike is lacking in willpower)

Currently I've got about 715 books I've not read yet. I'm going to set a goal for myself: by the end of 2005 to reduce that number down to 680 (about where it was at the beginning of 2004) or less. This means that over the next year I've got to read 35 books (easy if I set my mind to it), plus a book for every book I buy during the next year (much harder). It means only buying those books I know I'm going to read right away like Pratchett, Bujold, Brust, Fforde, etc. It may mean reading fewer comic titles - they take up time I could use to read books, besides it is time to trim some titles anyway. I could also get rid of some books that I think I'll never get around to reading, but I already did that once a few years ago so I don't know how many more I'll find.

Well, at least it's something to work towards :)

Comments

[kbuxton.livejournal.com]

There are definitely worse kinds of willpower not to have. My counter is out of date actually since I bought a book yesterday and haven't logged it. *sigh*

[kathy-the-geek.livejournal.com]

You could try getting books from the Library. :-) Much easier to discard if you hate it.

Sorry, I had to put a librarian quote down here.

[mikekn]

True. My main problem is that I don't usually hate them, and if I don't hate them, I want to keep them. The library usually frowns upon that.

I've spotted a few books I might get rid of (for example, some Piers Anthony I've had since middle school). And I might be able to quickly knock out a few books that are either very thin, or intended for younger readers :)

[kathy-the-geek.livejournal.com]

So, with this as a topic, do you want to go used book store shopping over the X-mas break?

Seriously, you should be kinder to yourself. You have SO much stuff going on that how are you going to read that much? I read constantly and I estimated last night that I read about 100 books last year (one book every three days= about a 100). If you have so much more going on and you read 50, you're doing well.

[mikekn]

Heh, I'd love to go book shopping. I just have to stick to non-fiction :)

I don't really mind how little reading I get done (although I'd love to read more). It's more a reaction to the growing number of books I have unread. If I continue at the rate I'm going I'll never get to read them all. If I'll never read them, why have them? (Apart from how cool they look on the living room wall :)

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

hrmm. We thinned our books when we moved. It was excruciating at the time, but I honestly dont miss the ones we sold.
I made a deal with the local "good" used book store, and traded him. It worked out to about 2 for 1, and I think we did OK.

I do have more books than I am likely to read, but with the goal of always having something on hand that will strike my mood, rather than just being unread as of yet.

Remember, there are always the retirement years to read through!

[mikekn]

I don't think I'm in any danger of running of books any time soon :) I just worried that by the time I hit retirement I'll have more books then I can read in my remaining life time. (That I and just want the feeling of making progress somewhere).