I can't complain. I love my books, but I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment. I have only read forty-five books this year, some of which were books that I have read before. And I have bought one hundred thirty-two books.
Uh, yeah. This is not getting me ahead in the battle I am waging with my TBR pile.
Here's my delima. There are so many great new books being released and I want to read them all. I am still catching up on backlists from authors I have just found. And did I mention that I have no self control? I don't have any self control.
I love to read. I enjoy my books. And thank God I have a wonderful husband who understands my need to feed my addiction. But honestly, I've got to slow down the buying or speed up the reading.
I do have some lovely bookshelves that are nicely organized. Granted, this isn't all my books, but these are almost all of my romance novels and a few other odds and ends. The rest are still stored in totes.
So I have decided to set myself a limit. Starting July first I am only going to buy the amount of books I have read in a month minus two. So if I read ten books this month I will only buy eight. Or at least that's my plan. LOL Until I find a really good deal and crack. I mentioned the no self control right?
Here are the shelves on my side of the bed in our room. All of these are TBR minus the row and a half of Lori Fosters.
And here's the shelf next to the others, closest to the foot of the bed. The bottom two rows belong to Steve. Again, these are TBR.
Here's my keeper shelf minus my Lori Foster books.
Re: Feeling Overwhelmed
On the bright side: At least you're organized.
I'm afraid I can't say the same for myself.
The great gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap [Hah! It most certainly is not!], it consoles, it distracts, it excites. It gives knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is moral illumination. ~ Elizabeth Hardwick
Oh god! I'm jealous.
Oh god! I'm jealous. Your books look so PRETTY! It's like a mini bookstore. I'd compare it to a candy store, everything looks so colourful and new and I just want to get grabby.
And your organization.... wow you put my cardboard boxes to SHAME.
I know what you mean about buying more than you plan, I always do that myself. Can't help it. But yeah, you'll feel better about buying so many books if you get down to the business of reading more of 'em! Good luck finding and making time for that. Enjoy 'em!
I have to agree with Jo and Janet....
You are one super-organized reader. You go girl!
As for me, I've got people fooled when they come to my house. Downstairs, one wall is comprised of tidy bookshelves full of the leatherbound-preppy-type of books. However, upstairs are boxes of books tucked away under my bed, under my highboy, and even in my bathroom cabinets. Are they organized? I should say not.
Yes, I am so totally out of control in the land of Bookdom. And loving it. So cheer up, Jillyan! You could have too many cats, TVs, or newspapers laying around, instead. But too many books? Is there a such thing? Never! LOL
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
I wish I was that organized,
I wish I was that organized, when it came to my books. I have books everywhere. I have them in my closet, next to by bed, on my shelf, and under my bed. Don't worry you are not alone when it comes to buying new books
Sometimes I have no self control 
Tiffany
BJBC
My Shelfari Page
Hi Jillyan
Nice collection of books. It does look like a great place to shop. Good luck on your plan. That will be a tough one.
Margie :)
Well, at least they are tidy!
I've got bookcases- but they are pretty messy right now. The TBR's aren't bad because I recently logged them on a database, but my keepers.... yikes! It looks like a bomb went off in my office. I'm a great one to pull books off the shelves when reading other blogs - then I don't re-shelve them! Well, I'm getting a housekeeper at the end of July and I won't let her in my place looking like this! This Saturday is the start of my 4 week vacation - I'm not going anywhere as we are moving my mom into assisted living. (Hence, the housekeeper - I'm taking hers, since she won't need her.) The first 4 days are all mine so I will be attacking a few rooms starting Saturday morning. I should unplug the computer - it's nearing month-end and I know I will be tempted to blog a bunch of books!
Good luck with your plan, Jillyan!
~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!
Steve's shelves look
Steve's shelves look interesting!
"Perhaps what the average member of a group is capable of doesn't limit what a given individual can accomplish." -- Boston Globe, letter to the editor
March's Member of the Month!
I know, Fake Frenchie....
...I think so too. And what's funny is they're probably books my DH would like, also. He's as much of a reader as I am. Not all the books piled up at my house are mine alone!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Thanks ladies, I really like my shelves.
Jo – For so long my books lived in boxes and totes, having the novels out in the open to browse over makes me so happy that it was easy to organize them.
Janet – It is like having a mini bookstore, and yet I still go out and buy buy buy. LOL
Amanda – What constitutes too many cats? Is six too many? I have six. And three dogs.
Tiffany – The books I have read but plan on giving away are still in the closet stored in shoeboxes. And I have totes of books in storage waiting for their own shelves too. And then there is hubby’s books that are in a footlocker, a tote and in his nightstand.
ElleJay – A housekeeper? I’m jealous. I’ve been thinking (dreaming) about getting someone to come in once a month to help with the big stuff.
FF – I felt guilty for having so many shelves and Steve having none. LOL So I gave him two, which is probably more pathetic than keeping them all to myself considering he has as many books as I do. His are stored mostly out of sight but he put his favorites out.
Good luck with your plan
I think at last count the bought books were over double the amount of read books(I stopped comparing the bought or gained/read books, was too depressing) I had a plan to curb the buying too(I say this as 10 books were delivered this morning, 14 sit in my cart here and I just got like 15 ebooks, no control here either) but hey at least they are organized.
BTW I think I have that one and that one and that one and....
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
Jillyan....
LOL! Actually I have cats myself, and love them to pieces, though I have allergies. So, are six cats too many? I don't think so. Now, on the other hand, if you had as many cats as you have books...well, then it might be tiny bit of a problem.
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
if you had as many cats as you have books…
then they would call you the crazy cat lady!
"Perhaps what the average member of a group is capable of doesn't limit what a given individual can accomplish." -- Boston Globe, letter to the editor
March's Member of the Month!
Tiffany - You sound like
Tiffany - You sound like me. Books are everywhere and running over.
Jillyann - I hope that system works for you. I tried limiting my book buying and it didn't work for me.
See what I read last year - Star's Reading Lounge
http://www.myspace.com/kimanipress
http://www.myspace.com/kimani_tru
Overwhelmed Jill? I think
Overwhelmed Jill? I think they look very exciting. Ok, i'll admit, i understand the overwhelmed feeling, i feel that alot here as well...but, would i part with my books to have that empty feeling? Not A Chance!
I just wish i knew how to curb the buying...but i have sooo many favorite authors these days, it's near impossible to keep up with all their books...and then there's the new ones i read those wonderfull awesome stupendous reviews for., that have "buy me" stamped on them in HUGE lettering....
The best way i console myself is, telling myself..." at least it's not drugs or alcohol" and won't make me sick, blind maybe, broke maybe, but not sick. So how can that be a bad thing, huh.
Kathy D
Yeah really
we could have these expensive, destructible habits.
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
So true...
Yep, drugs and alcohol can kill, as can several other habits, but so far I've never heard of anyone dying from too much reading! If that was the case Sadhbh would be a goner for sure!
So would some of our other power readers!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
Awesome Bookshelves....
I tried to limit myself to buying 10 books a month. Then I realised I could trade-in my non-keepers for books that technically are already paid for, read and being swapped; therefore they didn't count towards my purchase total..(That's my story I get to tell it the way I want).. I did pretty good for about three months. I would limit the amount of time I allowed myself to browse books and would go through my TBR pile before going to the store. Then it happened. That event we all fear.....
SOME GENIUS FIGURED OUT I WASN"T SHOPPING MY QUOTA! I was conspired against.
I got caught in one our famous Florida downpours and the only place I could go... you guessed it. B&N! I spent three hours in there waiting for the rain to relent. I ended up buying 47 books (And 3 DVDs). Talk about no control. (They actually had someone following me around to cart my book selections to the check-out.)
My beloved husband just shook his head and walked away mumbling when I got home. Something about he preferred when I brought them home a few at a time at least then it wasn't so obvious I had no self-control. Did I mention this is my BELOVED husband?
If you can't stop buying at least you keep them neat and organized. (We own a custom cabinetry shop and I have been working on a minimized storage system.)
It's all good. You could have worse vices. Oh, books and cats seem to go together. I have two babies that love to sit with me when I read. Six is definitely not too many.
Good Luck!
Environmentalist
My theory is that shelves full of books provide extra insulation which means you need to use less energy to heat or cool your home. So it's a GOOD thing to fill your shelves with books.
If anyone has any counter arguments, I'll be over here with my fingers in my ears. La La La La La.
Your books are so pretty! I'm glad you shared the photos.
Ellen
Ellen's Blog --- Ellen's Website
The Boyfriend's Back Superromance May '09
His Secret Past Superromance May '08
I like your
I like your comment Ellen about extra insulation. I'm going to use that on my husband and the fingers in the ear thing when he comes back with something smarty. Jill I notice you have Melanie Rawn's as keepers, I love those books too. I saw some more that are on my shelves too. I have two walls in my living room that are full of my keepers. I have three bookshelves in my bedroom that is my TBR. So you're not alone except that until this month I was reading more than I was buying but this month is bad (good) so many books out that I had to have.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Oh My Jill
I totally understand where you are coming from. I have book shelves just like yours!! It will probably take me years to read what I have. But I just keep buying more and more.
The good thing about all of this is that I will NEVER EVER be without a book!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A soul suffocated by fear leaves too many joys unlived...Maria Housden.
MY BOOK REVIEWS
Jillyann,you started my day with a smile
Cheryl http://peacefulpond.blogspot.com/
I know the feeling....
i only have one bookshelf, and it is almost over flowing.
My rule right now is to just buy books that are the follow ups to series I am reading. if there is none in a particular month, then I just buy one or two.
I have enough books to get me through the next two challenges, I think.
Terri
Got Books?
If I had more room I'd squeeze in another shelf for the hubby.
Christa and Star – I am gonna need the luck. Already I am trying to wiggle my way around my own rules. Does it count when someone GIVES me a book? Cause a Lady that I talk with just offered to send me some books because she is moving. And I told her to please send them on. After all, they are free! And I know for a fact that I really wanna read one of them.
Amanda and FF – I’ve always told my husband that if he died before me I was going to turn in to the “crazy cat lady”. I can’t seem to turn them away. We have six cats and three dogs and only a two bedroom home. And the cats and one dog are house pets.
Kathleen – EXACTLY! I could have typed that exact paragraph.
Drkeel – Ten a month sounds reasonable, in theory. But God help me if I go to the bookstore after payday. Oooohhhhhh, a custom cabinetry shop? I would so have wall to wall, floor to ceiling bookshelves in every room in my house. LOL
Ellen – I said something similar the other day. I told a co-worker that I was just going to insulate the house with books. J And thanks about the pics. I was proud. Those shelves have been a work in progress for almost a year and it’s nice to have them, finally, in a way that I can see everything.
Deb – Melanie Rawn’s are part of hubby’s books. I have read them but technically they are his. And don’t let his two puny shelves fool you. Between the two of us we could probably stock the sci-fi/fantasy and also the romance section of any bookstore.
Shelley – It is nice to know I will always have something to read.
Cheryl – This is my downsized version. When I reorganized after the flooding I purged six books. It was painful. Get the kitty. All kitties deserve a good home with a mommy who will love them.
Terri – I don’t think I could show that type of restraint. You are a strong woman than I am, that’s for sure.
curbing book buying not working
so today I ordered 14 more books. Did I need them? No. I wanted them but they were on the really really want list. But the deal was too good to pass up and my self control took a swan dive off the balcony
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
Buying....
Yeah, I bought the Rescue Me anthology with Lora Leigh's story in it. It was on my HAVE to HAVE no matter what list.
<shrug> I had to get it.
I'm with you, Christa
I ordered 11 books today that I really didn't need - but the member's only deal was so goooood! Of course, I didn't want all the $1.99 books so to get the free shipping I had to pick out some others - I bought about $80 worth of books for $26! Great deal!
My 4-week vacation has started!! Yeah - Jill I'm hoping to have my keeper shelves looking as good as yours by the end of it. My problem is that I'll need a wide angle lens to fit all the bookcases in a picture! I'm lucky - I've got 5 floor-to-ceiling bookcases just for keepers and they are getting full! Time to cull soon!
Taking on the housekeeper is my way of trying to keep on top of the mess I make. I swear I can stand in the center of a room and still make a mess. I won't invite anyone over when my place is looking like this, so since the housekeeper will come in once every 2 weeks - I can't let the place get out of hand. A) I don't want her to see how messy I really am; B) she wouldn't be able to clean around all the stuff I have laying around and C) she comes on Wednesdays - I won't have alot of time Tuesday evening to pick up! I think this is what you call parenting myself! I have no discipline except when it comes to reading!
~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!
Yes, Ellijay....
You better believe I took advantage of that $1.99 special too! Hee hee... as though I really needed more books! Geesh! I have enough as it is. And the free book that we got, Cara Colter's The Playboy and the Plain Jane is one I already have, darn it! Just my luck. If you haven't read it yet, it's pretty funny. I loved both the h and the H. Not sure what I'll do with the extra copy when it arrives. Save it as a stocking stuffer? H'm.
Oh, and I always take advantage of the free shipping specials too!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
I missed the FBF by 2 minutes!
I'm on the Westcoast so FBF ends at 9 pm. I was late getting home and raced in to place my order - but too late it was 9:02 pm! The book wasn't a line I usually read so I wasn't terribly disappointed - I just like getting a free book! I like the fact that you can use more than one coupon - with the June coupon I paid about $1.35 each for the books! So I'm okay with forgoing the free book!
~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!
Too bad you missed the freebie, ElleJay....
But I think with your coupons you definitely got the better deal!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
ElleJay- Even 15
even 15 of the $1.99 books didn't add to the $25 for free shipping and then I wouldn't get the free bookso I had to remove some and add others. Luckily that day I was updating my TBR list and read list and I found I was gonna order a double.
I know I was looking and thought "hey these are less than $1.99" Yup my final tally was 14 books for $27
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
I bought the prequel ...
to Linda Lael Miller's Deadly Deceptions so that helped increase my total to $25. Then I picked up a few from the other bargain areas. It didn't take long!
~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!
I have...
....Linda Lael Miller's Deadly Deceptions, but it's in my TBR pile. I don't know why I keep adding and adding more to my collection ('collection' sounds better than 'piles of boxes'). I must be the biggest geek in the land of Bookdom! LOL
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
In the land of Bookdom.
I think there must be a special place for those of us with huge TBR's in the land of Bookdom. LOL I have Deadly Deception in my TBR also.
To prove my geekiness I am going to make a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference. Does anyone remember when Willow sucked all the words out of the acient magic books at the Magic Shop? I've decided I need that skill. If I could just place on my hands on a pile of books in my TBR and just absorb all of the wonderful stories. THAT would really help shrink the pile.
LOL, Jillyan....
Wouldn't it be nice!
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain
I finished logging my TBRs today and....
I have over 600 of them! But I still keep buying more. And the funny part - I'll stand in front of the bookcase and think, "there's nothing to read!"
~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!
ElleJay- same affliction
ElleJay- Even with 750+ on the TBR shelves I still can"t find anything to read
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
Girls! Girls! ***sigh*** - you're making life too difficult for
yourselves!
Just grab a handful out of a box or off a shelf and read them (this is where it becomes a good thing NOT to sort by line, because this gives you a better choice once you have the books in hand)
And yes if you've been waiting on a particular book and it arrives, feel free to slot it in, but otherwise you could waste the time you spend reading the book trying to decide what book to read!
Now I KNOW why we haven't made it to 20K yet
Hugs
Sadhbh
Dream Team 2008 Challenge blogs
No more excuses, just READ!
picking next read
I am actually working on another challenge and have my next 5 picked out, then my desires should get here so that six more nexts and the girl I IM with while reading the same book have already picked one out so my next 11 are picked out.
But it looks so nice all organized by line.
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
Thanks Christa...
I like them all pretty like that too.
If I were able to read as quickly as others (you know who you are, lol) I might be able to get away with just picking a random handful. But it takes me a few days to get through a book, which means I have be sure to squeeze in a bit of everything.
It depends on my mood
as to what book I choose. I've been much busier this year so I find Harlequins a quick and easy read. I hate having to stop in the middle of a good book to deal with other things, like work!
What I choose also depends what I need to do before I can start a book. Lynn Viehl's Evermore has been sitting on my TBR shelf for months - I love the Darkyn series, but I know I need to refresh my memory by re-reading the last one and I just haven't felt like it. Now I just bought her latest release - so I've got 2 to read now!
~ ElleJay - Team member of Novel Obsession
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the pleasure is having lots to do and not doing it!
MASS BOOKS!!
That is ridic! I love reading romance books like any other girl but whoa! I would hock some of those books and be hitting the libraries since books are free there. I would also try and get my money back thru ebay by getting rid of books that I already have read. What's the point of reading the same book over and over again when you can recall the experience in your head. Mad props to your hubby for putting up with you wasting money that you could have used to save up to go on vacation. Go to the self help section of Barnes and Noble and get some help on your addiction.
Sometimes there is no need to comment.
Moving right along....
ElleJay
I don't know how I've managed to NOT read them but I haven't read Lynn Viehl's series yet. I will, one day. I just have to get them first. LOL
I have an addiction
I have an addiction to books and absolutely do not want the cure. I love my books and if anyone else doesn't, they don't have to come to my house. My books make me feel better and if you knew me you wouldn't want me to be without my books. I cringe when one of my kids mentions downsizing then it's there turn but they usually don't say anything anymore.
The D2K Paranormal Junkies ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
Let's be more tolerant
Simpson Krissie, we have a long standing tradition of assuming good will here in our community. And as such, outright attacks and nasty comments are frowned upon. I won't delete your post, because I believe that as a newbie you might not be aware of the culture of acceptance we've established here in our community. But I would caution you that such types of behavior won't make you many friends here, and that under normal circumstances I would ask for an apology. We prefer to live and let live here, and if you want to ingratiate yourself into our community you're not exactly going about it in the most efficient manner
Jayne
Community Manager
"We cannot really love anyone with whom we never laugh." ~ Agnes Repplier
Hoo boy Jill... can I EVER relate!
My TBR continues to grow by leaps and bounds ~ doesn't help that there's a "buy three books, get one free" deal on at Coles / Chapters (the smaller Canadian version of B&N). Since it started I've been there twice and each time come home with four more books.
And, like you, a LOT Of them are continuation of series that I'm hooked on. I made a deal with myself... instead of trying to read books that I *should* because they've been lurking on my shelves (or in cases) for ages, I'm going to catch up on my series' reading. I'm mean, after all, so many of my favourite authors are writing series and these books are being published in clumps... if I don't read them now, I'm going to be even further behind!
And I do love your organization! Does Steve give lessons? Poor Joe really, REALLY doesn't get the book thing... *sigh*
But I do trade away the non-keepers... surely that counts for something..... right?
October's MEMBER OF THE MONTH
kalyko ~ Reading: One of life's little joys and a much needed reward!
Non keepers
I've been donating my books that I've read but don't want to keep to the Cancer Center in Columbus. They've got a library based on the "honor system". I'd say over half of the books that I don't keep go there now. Some of the racier books that I don't feel are appropriate I trade or give away.
Steve has been wonderful about the shelves and even built all but one of them for me. I even got one as a five year wedding anniversary present.
I can't wait until the day comes that we have a library in our home and I can line the walls from floor to ceiling.
I'm trying to do the same thing with the series. I have a lot of series that I am involved in right now and I have been making an effort to work those piles down. The problem is most of them are still ongoing.... Singh, Ward, Leigh, Adrian and Cole. On the other side of that I did just finish Carly Phillips' Sealed with a Kiss and that finished up the last of her two-parter.
Hey Jill - I bought 65 books in special offer sales on eharl
over the past ten days, but if it doesn't bother my Texas TBR keeper, why should it bother me?
She might even get around to sending me a bag with L En in it some time soon (where's the "ooh" smiley when I need it
?)
DH is busy building a garage so that we can convert part of the attic into a bedroom so that we can convert one of the existing bedrooms into a library - then I might actually build shelves for all those books that are currently in boxes
It would be nice for my eharl friends to have a library to sleep in when they come to visit, n'est-ce pas?
I've done my June reading summary with links, the Dream Team summary will be up sometime tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest
Hugs
Sadhbh
Dream Team 2008 Challenge blogs
No more excuses, just READ!
Now I know I'm not alone
My TBR pile is in plastic bags by my bed. Also in produce boxes under my bed. I shop at a bulk produce store and find the boxes that they ship tomatoes and strawberries in are ideal for books. I know I will never read all the books I have but I also know that I will never stop buying some of my favorite authors. My problem is I do take books out from the library and then find out that I like the author so off to the used book store I go. I have stopped attending the hugh used booksale they have every year as I just buy way too many books. I agree that the offers eHarlequin sends out are just too good to pass up sometimes.
When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
Kaelee... I love the way you think!
Even though you think that you'll never read all the books in your TBR, you still go for them. Doesn't that just say so much about the wonder of the written word? And even more about the person who is hooked? LOL
For me it's not the library so much that's the temptation and finding new authors, but Anthologies. Man, I cannot even begin to think of how many new authors I've found that way. That and the book challenge for the last two years... well, 2007 and 2008....
Dangerous place for a book-aholic ya know!
October's MEMBER OF THE MONTH
kalyko ~ Reading: One of life's little joys and a much needed reward!