Thursday, September 17, 2009

On getting out of hand

I’ve got to confess my To Be Read (TBR) pile is teetering out of control. I’m not exaggerating when I say my life might be in danger: it would only take an arm flung carelessly while I slumber and the whole lot could come toppling down on my head.

A little while back I bought some TBR shelves (that isn’t to say you can read the shelves… rather that all my TBR books could live on the new sarcophagus shaped shelf. You can see here how they looked when the bookshelves were new.) It would make life easier, I thought; I wouldn’t have to trawl through all my books to see what I wanted to read. It doesn’t look all neat and tidy any more. It was stupid. Promise me you won’t ever do it? See, Husband has watched the pile grow, from fitting neatly onto the shelves to getting double stacked and now piling on the top and being placed on the floor in front and at the sides of the shelves. It was so much better when I could just mush them all together in with the ‘read’ books. Even more unwisely, I started keeping account on my blog of the books I am reading. Husband has been making arithmetical calculations about the speed at which I read against the speed at which I buy books. Sometimes Husband* unwisely says things out loud regarding my book habit…

Anyway this week I started to think about the next book for book club, even though I’m still reading and studying Rebecca. It’s The Little Stranger and it was okay because I’d seen it in Kinokuniya and told everyone it was available but it was a bit on the pricey side. Then I got an email from someone who couldn’t find it in Bangkok. I offered to lend her my copy before I read it.

She declined, but still I needed to think about reading it so I thought I ought to find it. I searched through all the double stacked books including the ones on the top and the double stacked pile next to my side of the bed and then I went over to my desk to make sure it wasn’t there and when I thought more about it I realised that I couldn’t remember actually buying it. *Draws breath.* I really thought I’d bought it. I think things have got a bit out of hand.

*Note to Husband: It'll still be really unwise to make any 'I told you so' noises.

12 comments:

BEAST said...

But, I did tell you so!

Jenny Beattie said...

*SHARP intake of breath*

Rebecca said...

I think it wise and necessary to have an enormous TBR pile. Otherwise you could end up in the alarming position of having nothing on hand that you 'feel' like reading. The bigger the pile the less likely this is!

Queenie said...

Ooh, Beast, you ARE brave!! Or, possibly, foolish.

Don't worry, JJ, it's entirely normal to have too many books for your shelves, and to buy books faster than you can read them.

Isn't it?

sheepish said...

Well I think you should be spending far more time reading through your tbr pile than "any other" activity. You owe it to your long suffering other half. How can you justify writing when you have such a pressing pile!!!!!!!

And absolutely no ulterior motive to this comment. Now back to my wip. Woops didn't mean to say that.

Chris Stovell said...

Oh dear, there may be trouble ahead judging by the first couple of comments - at least you'll have plenty of ammo to hand.

Anonymous said...

My own TBR piles are probably quite modest in comparison.

Jenny Beattie said...

Rebecca, and that would mean making Husband's life much more difficult, wouldn't it? If I were unhappy with my books...

Queenie, shall we go with 'foolish?' Yes, I am sure it's normal.

Sheepish!*SHARP intake of breath* You are very naughty!

Chris, they are just a bit dim sometimes, aren't they?

Kev, yeah no, those aren't really piles...

Flowerpot said...

Can't compete with your TBR pile but hope you're still enjoyng Rebecca, JJ. MY TBR pile is a mere 4 books high. Oh, but I'd forgotten about th eone next door....

Rose Red Art said...

"I’ve got to confess my To Be Read (TBR) pile is teetering out of control."

Umm.... do you remember my revelation about my tbr pile? It's now standing at 119 books in my TBR pile.... Now THATS beyond teetering.... I'm not sure what that is infact!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

My tbr pile(s) were recently rearranged by my daughter when she happened to walk passed and the entire lot crashed down around her.

Actually, that was a few months ago and I think they getting out of control all over again.

HelenMWalters said...

Oh dear. I think you are even worse than me!