I Have a Book Buying Problem (And I’m Mostly Okay With It)

About a year ago I finally created a Reading Room the way I had always wanted.

There are four Billy Bookcases filled with books, several comfy reading spots and lighting that’s good for getting lost in a story.

But here’s where I admit I’m a little weird.

The only books allowed on those shelves are the ones I’ve already read.

So…. what does that mean for the unread books?

My home office. Originally it started as one shelf that evolved to two.

Then they overflowed onto my desk.

And we’re not even going to discuss the digital TBR, because that’s none of your business. 😊

When my husband and I were still dating, he thought it would be a really good idea to start taking me to the bookstore twice a month.

Now, I already owned more books than any reasonable person needed. I’m fairly certain he didn’t realize the extent of the situation until we moved in together.

Of course, I wasn’t about to turn down more books.

Fast forward to today…

So many books. So little time.

I finally downloaded an app that lets me scan every book as soon as I buy it. It’s become a lifesaver because there’s nothing quite like picking up a book in the store, reading the back thinking, This sounds amazing! only to discover you bought it six months ago.

If I accidentally end up with duplicates, I usually gift one to someone else. Sharing feels better than returning anyway.

Most years I read around 100 books.

You’d think that would make a serious dent in my TBR.

But uh, see what had happened was….:)

I also read a lot of digital advance reader copies so I can review them before publication.

Those ARCs have a funny way of cutting in line, while my physical books patiently wait their turn.

To help myself make progress, I turned my TBR into a spreadsheet.

Now, whenever I’m ready for my next physical book, I ask ChatGPT to pick a random number.

Whatever number it gives me is the next book I read.

It’s basically a book lottery.

Surprisingly…

It works.

Now I’m curious….

How do you keep your TBR from multiplying faster than you can read it?