New Year’s Resolution: Stop buying books. Read the ones I have.

I was catching up with a friend by phone, and she said one of her New Year’s Resolutions was to buy no more books. She needs to read the ones she has already purchased.

My book shelves

I can relate. Starting in 9th grade when my teacher Mrs. Neff suggested we buy books, I’ve been doing just that. I had good role models. My parents had bookshelves filled with books, fiction and history. My mother was a paperback reader. She even filled notebooks with lists of books she read. She told me she didn’t want to read a book she’d already read. My father read historical novels. And I loved to read. I went off to college and eventually changed my major to English because I loved to read and write.

Even my late husband “read” audiobooks. He had a subscription to Audible and always had a book started on his phone. Currently, I read Kindle books on my iPad. But like my friend with her paperbacks, I have a bunch of unread eBooks in my “to be read pile.”

Let’s face it. Buy now with 1-Click is too easy.

But why do we have his compulsion to buy books? I “googled” to look for the answer. I found an article on Hobbylark.com by Carter Lynne called Why We Can't Stop Buying Books: The Psychology Behind Book Hoarding.

In the article Lynne talks about Understanding the Allure of Books.

The love of books is not a new phenomenon. People have been collecting books for centuries, but in today's world, where minimalism and decluttering are trendy, the notion of having a personal library full of unread books seems paradoxical. Yet, book hoarding remains prevalent, and understanding its allure requires us to look at several psychological factors.

• The Comfort of Potential

• The Influence of Social Identity

• The Collector's Mindset

• The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

She also delves into The Emotional Attachment to Books.

Books hold a unique place in our hearts, often transcending their role as mere objects. They represent memories, aspirations, and milestones in our lives, contributing to the emotional attachment we feel toward them.

• Nostalgia and Sentimentality

• The Ritual of Reading

Finally, she explores Breaking the Cycle: How to Manage Book Hoarding (If you want to...).

• Embrace a One-In-One-Out Policy

• Set Reading Goals

• Explore Digital Alternatives

• Host a Book Exchange

Well, I already have “digital alternatives”, and that pile has grown. I’ve even donated physical books to Locust Grove, a local historical home that has used book sales to raise money. I saw on Facebook today I saw a post from someone who has a goal to read a certain number of books a year. Not me. I read what hits me at the time.

I don’t know the answer. I tell myself I’m going to read books I’ve already purchased. But I’m not good at following through. Maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I feel comfortable with a fiction book. When I read a novel, I visualize what I’m reading. I can “see” the action and a good writer will make me feel the emotion. Let’s face it, sometime the escape is something I want and need.

What about you? Are you going to restrict your book buying habits in 2025?

However, if you’re in the mood to buy a new book, I have a paperback, eBook box set, and audiobooks of my Western mystery/romance that may be just for you! https://books2read.com/GhostMountainRanch