Confessions Of A Bookaholic

Friday Afternoon Confession: I'm not entirely sure if I'm more in love with buying books, or reading books! I like to think it's the latter, but.....

I have three major purchase addictions: 1. Buying Shoes 👠 2. Buying Flights ✈️ 3. Buying Books 📚 I'm the girl where every time it's a shopping day or I have to hit the mall, someone I'm with will hand-held drag me out of reach of a book store, shoe store or travel centre. Literally. The last time my spouse and I went to go exchange a pair of trousers at H&M, we passed an Indigo in the mall, and he held my hand (we're not ones for PDA - of any form, hand holding included), and started talking to me about something in a store window up ahead. His hopes were that I would not notice the Indigo, and that we would instead scurry ourselves right along past. Unfortunately for him, it didn't work.

"I just want to take a quick peak inside. See what the most recent Heather's Pick is. Don't actually want to buy anything. Promise!" Needless to say, I left Indigo that afternoon with 4 new titles and a very silent hubby. He's a pretty avid reader also, so that's truly saying something. From my partner, to my parents, even to my not-so-little-one, it's an unspoken rule that you just don't go anywhere near a bookstore with Kat. A fifteen minute trip will quickly turn into at least an hour and an additional X amount of dollars spent on something or other that wasn't originally on the shopping list. It's like going to Walmart, or Costco, or even Ikea - you know, those typical stores where you go in for a certain thing, and walk out 30 minutes later with half the store, looking at your receipt going "what in the actual hell just happened?"

Thankfully, I do have amazing girlfriends who understand my struggle - yes, they are my best friends, and fellow bookworms.

Karmen, Ana, Christina and the rest of you, cheers to you ladies for supporting my habits and joining in with me!

Here's the problem, and I'm hoping (actually, more like praying) that every person reading this has the same issue. While I fully intend to open and close every single one I buy, as soon as I buy them, it never actually ends up happening. I went on a purchasing hiatus at the beginning of the year. It did actually really help me get through a surprising amount of books sitting on my to-be-read shelves. However, March hit, and well....that hiatus took its own hiatus and I went on a book buying binge. When I say binge, I mean I think I bought somewhere around 30 new books. Thirty! Because I somehow imagined I'd be able to read them all in 31 days or something... on top of the ones already on the shelves, and the ones I was already reading with bookclubs, book buddies, and on my lonesome.

While I've been complaining for the last few months about how desperately I need a new bookshelf, because mine are all severely erupting, I finally got around to purchasing one over the last weekend. I literally had to because my living room floors were changing from hardwood to book covers after this months large book haul. Came Thursday, I finally got around to putting it together. And guys, it was the most magical feeling ever! So I got super excited about being able to reorganize my shelves - fix them all up, make them all pretty. In the process though, I noticed my 4 TBR shelves had 37 books still sitting, collecting dust, and waiting to be read. Throw in the most recent book haul, and that number sky rocketed up to something I'm ashamed to say... c'mon friends, let's do the estimated math in our heads so that number doesn't actually hit the inter-web. I'll give you guys a hint though...the number sits in the title of a show you may have heard about featuring some interesting characters such as Red, Eric, Kitty, Donna, Jackie, Hyde, Kelso and Fez...

Well, starting April, I'm back on hiatus and may need to join Book Buyers Anonymous. Anyone know if this even exists? If not, it's a million dollar idea - you're welcome! While back on booking buying pause, my Wishlist on Amazon and Indigo are sure to just continue growing, and I'll likely have another slip up in a few months time where I just make another huge purchase from my Wishlist. Until then though, I'll be trying my hardest to get through the stack of books staring me right in the face (purposely - thanks for the help, honey!) that still need opening. This of course, doesn't include the ones I know I've preordered or bid on through NetGallery that have yet to come in. Shh - what hubby doesn't know, can't hurt him! Looks like in addition to not purchasing more books for the time being, I also need to make sure I'm the one bringing the post in from here on out. They say thrill is exuberant! Here's hoping my little secret doesn't get made.

Fellow book addicts, I'm not the only one with this struggle, right?! HOW DO YOU CONTROL YOURSELVES? Asking for a friend... 👇🏼

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