Bibliomania vs. Bibliophilia

In 15 years of marriage I have never had to sneak a purchase into my home to keep my husband from seeing it.  And now because of this site I am smuggling books I buy at Goodwill or that come in the mail into my home.

This site and the members have awakened my love of books which I have suppressed for years.  I read on vacation and by the pool in the summer and except the occasional best seller recommendation from a friend  - but now my TBR shelf is huge - and I am so excited about books that people recommended to me!  I guess the best part about this site is that I do feel the need to pass along the books that I have already enjoyed, so hopefully that will keep me from ending up on an episode of A&E's HOARDERS!!

Margaret

I got on this site, thinking I'd clear my shelves.  Yes, I did.  But I also added over 100 books to my TBR pile.  I admit, I'm thrilled to have found those books new homes.  Many needed to leave, but I just could not let go because they were so hard to find. 

But the stacks!  And I keep getting more.  I'll never catch up.

Well Margaret  you would have my sympathy if I weren't in the same boat, lol. My DH doesn't really care too much, but when I explain that I sent 1 book out for 3.00 and got 4 or 5 in the the book bazaar in return, he just says yeah right. I do sneak 'em in on my days off so that he only sees the ones that come on the days I work. (we ride home from work together.)  He did say something to the effect that you're sending them and getting them in crates now!!!!  I've alway loved books but usually was at the mercy of the library or my DS (she passed a lot my way, but  they were too classy for me, lol  I like horror and Sci Fi ).

Hello my name is Denise and I am a Bookaholic!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm afraid I already qualify for the Hoarders show!   (I've not seen it, but I can guess...) 

I've always read whenever/whatever I could, would read cereal box ingredients when books weren't allowed at the morning breakfast table... would read dictionaries for fun...

Hello, my name is Sianeka and I am a Bookaholic.

Oh, you guys are too funny!!  LOL!! 

My name is Suester and I, too, am a bookaholic.

Thanks - at least I am not alone! 

I watched a little of Discovery Channels "Buried Alive" last night and it opened with the woman at Good Will - then when they showed all the books in her home - I had the turn it off!!!!!

MMMMMMMMMMM Goodwill.. I have an hour to kill before I pick up my DH. I have enough time to stop at goodwill before he's off work. I have my big bag with me (had to wrap some books to send out) so I can safely stash any I find. Thanks for the reminder Margaret!!!!!! lol

Denise

Welcome Margaret!  When I joined this site about a year ago, I thought it would be a great way to get rid of some books (I had close to a 1000).  Unfortunately, I have received just as many as I have sent out and have about 400 books on my to-be-read shelf!

My husband has gotten used to seeing all the packages arriving or leaving and he just shakes his head!  And after 30 years, he should be used to seeing me with a book in my hand at all times.

Tina

Hi Margaret-

You had me worried with your title, lol.

I have to admit I do the same thing.  Hubby keeps telling me I will never read all the book I have gotten since joining, and yes, I do buy some at FOL sales and goodwill....

Welcome to my (our) addiction!!

LOL.....I to have the same problem , I really need to stay away from the book bazaar.  I have a reminder list in one of the threads so I could scale down my RL..  Do you think I'd make a dent in it....? NO  , when people contact me about having a book I'm looking for  , I look at there shelf , and add more to my list...urrrr  So for every book I order , I put 1 or 2 in place of it... Its never going the end.

And then when I order , My husband says , " Why do you order more" ?  you have around 100 bks...on your book shelf you havent read.

I work with a lady who is as crazy about books as I am. She only likes new ones and keeps them all. I always tease that we don't need any more books. Her reply is.."But we WANT them"! lol

Denise

And there is a FOL sale next month in my town.  Temptation.

I'm one of the smugglers too...and I don't even have as many as you guys...but DH has been telling me that I should start a bookstore soon and he doesn't see even half the books I get.

Lol Margret!  Didn't Patrick McManus write a short story about 'collections?' (IIRC his was a gun collection).  My book stash keeps a rather low profile.  But another good reason to uses book covers...nobody needs to know you're on your third or fourth book this week!  Cover it up and they will assume you've been putsing away on the same book for days or even weeks 

 LOL.  I think we should probably all go through a 12 step program except we're all enjoying our addiction.  (big grin)

My husband laughs & shakes his head when he sees the books arriving too... but I have scaled back my visits to Border's quite a bit! 

But lately, I find him standing in front of my huge TBR bookshelves deciding which one he'd like to read next (I've been ordering some I know he'll like too, like the Dresden series, etc...), and I find myself laughing and shaking my head!  (He's also asked, "Do you think they'd have this one on your site?")

I guess I'm not only a bookaholic, but I'm busily creating another one!  

There's a blog called The Book Smugglers. It seems to be a common problem.

MY aweome husband actually went and picked up four huge boxes of books another member had for me.  [preen] Of course, now I can never again criticize his massive guitar collection. ;-)

Margaret..Your post made me laugh..just like you I began "smuggling" books into the house. Then learned I could ordered used books online and I never missed a FOL sale. Now I am out I no longer smuggle them into the house..LOL!!! Thank God DH does not mind my addiction and hey it makes it easy for him to buy me gifts. A gift card to a book store and I am happy as a lark!!! I am gleefully planning my stop at the FOL sale this weekend Ahhh life is good!!!!!!

Oh so its OK to come out of the closet. The book closet I mean.  I use to have just a wardrobe filled with books now I have a book room.   I definately fit in the Hoarding Bookaholic catagory.  I wonder is there a book with that title.  Yes I also started with the idea of reducing my books preparing to down size.  (HAHAHA)  But who can resist the book bazaar deals and all the new author and titles I never heard before PBS.  Yes my TBR grows and grows and yet here still is another book I must read.  If anyone knows where I can get help please keep it to yourself.  LOL

You have found a home here! We can all relate...we know we're addicted but we don't want a 12-step program, we just want more books! One of my co-workers put an article on "bibliomania" that she printed off the 'net on my keyboard the other day. Hmpf!!

I wonder if Book Smuggling will ever be an Olympic event? :)

Cheryl

Me too!  I've always had lots of books, but since I've joined this site I end up buying loads more books than I used to at goodwill because now I'm not just looking for keepers, but picking up stuff I'll only read once and swap.

I was kind of smuggling, but the other day I walked in with another box of books and DH had got home before me.  I said, I know I don't really need more books, and he just said he was fine with it because it makes me happy.  I guess I don't have to worry about him having an intervention!

I'm happy to see I'm in such good company! I've always been a reader (and a keeper) and unfortunately, I had approximately 8000 books when I joined and thought I could reduce that number some. Ha! It's now it's upwards of 10K, with several hundred more on my RL!  Nonetheless, books are definitely one of the better "addictions" to have.    

I did manage to downsize my book collection quite a bit, but I still have more books than actual space to keep them in.  My DH is a good sport about it, but between the books & my crafting stuff he says he's going to get pushed out into the garage soon.  He said a few times, ages ago, that he was getting tired of looking at all my books sitting around & "gathering dust".  I just told him to dust more often:P

LMAO! Well, I'm right there with all of you. In fact, a couple of days ago (or yesterday, I dunno I'm here 24/7 now) I made a post in the Thoughts forum about book hoarding.

Oh yeah, and I also made a post in the Bazaar with my RL link to put a dent in that. Great idea, right? LOL Well, just like a pp said, I found a lot of them (and ordered them, hehe) but I've probably added at least as many as I've found. Gah!

I also found out I'm a glommer - defined in my Book hoarding post as one that must collect an entire collection or series before reading them. Yep, that's me. Soo, not only is my TBR shelf now two full shelves...but I have several books that are set aside as parts of series TBR. OY! :) It doesn't help that I have OCD (the actual diagnosed kind and not just the picky neat freak kind).

Hey, books are better than crack. Could be worse. ;)

I too should become a member of Book-hoarder's anonymous.  You all are not alone