I've been in my flat just over 12 years now, and as a natural gatherer of stuff I feel in desperate need of more space. I only buy things I love, but I fall in love a lot. I've just taken a quarter of an hour out of writing this post to continue the search for a pitcher with a fox for a handle that I saw somewhere before Christmas - I'm not even in my kitchen and there are 5 jugs on the windowsill in front of me, all different, all delightful, and more or less all useful. The decluttering thing does not work for me - all of the things in my home fill me with delight (well, maybe not the hoover, and definitely not the ironing board, but neither are surplus to requirement).
To be fair (and hoping not to sound like a crazy hoarder) it's easy enough not to buy another jug, however charming it might be, just as it was a simple matter to curb a (very expensive) le creuset habit when it became clear I really didn't need another piece however pretty it might be. I miss the anticipation involved in saving and waiting for a discount to kick in, before I could finally get the coveted item, and given how prices continue to rise I'm glad I bought it when I did, but enough is enough.
Books are a different matter. I probably have as many, maybe more, books than I'll ever read, they're taking over every bit of space, but I still can't resist the lure of another (and another, and another). I've had a half hearted think about a bit of a cull over the last few weeks but I know it's not going anywhere. I had a big clear out a couple of years ago where I got rid of all the obvious things, and since then I've been quite good at passing on the occasional books I don't want to keep. They are becoming a problem though - I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed by the number I want to read Right Now, with the result that I've hit a total slump and am reading very little.
The other half of that is that books are my default comfort purchase, they have been since I could first get through a Famous Five on my own and dad would let me choose a new book each week when we went into town. That's a long time ago now, but the excitement of picking a book has never diminished, it's about more than reading because the library experience is totally different. I don't really think having more books than I might ever read is a problem either, at least it isn't normally, it's just good to know they're there to welcome me if I want them.
There's also a need to buy something nice with the money I earn to make it feel like the whole effort of making a living is worth it - that it's for more than paying bills and scraping by (which is often how it feels). Books, relativley inexpensive and full of promise, are not the worst way to go. It also feels like one pleasure to many to give up - even if I do feel a bit overwhelmed. At least it's a better sort of overwhelmed than the news currently leaves me feeling, and at least it's a luxury I can afford.
Nevertheless, any advice on how to deal with a towering to be read pile (which doesn't involve a cull) would be listened to.
To be fair (and hoping not to sound like a crazy hoarder) it's easy enough not to buy another jug, however charming it might be, just as it was a simple matter to curb a (very expensive) le creuset habit when it became clear I really didn't need another piece however pretty it might be. I miss the anticipation involved in saving and waiting for a discount to kick in, before I could finally get the coveted item, and given how prices continue to rise I'm glad I bought it when I did, but enough is enough.
Books are a different matter. I probably have as many, maybe more, books than I'll ever read, they're taking over every bit of space, but I still can't resist the lure of another (and another, and another). I've had a half hearted think about a bit of a cull over the last few weeks but I know it's not going anywhere. I had a big clear out a couple of years ago where I got rid of all the obvious things, and since then I've been quite good at passing on the occasional books I don't want to keep. They are becoming a problem though - I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed by the number I want to read Right Now, with the result that I've hit a total slump and am reading very little.
The other half of that is that books are my default comfort purchase, they have been since I could first get through a Famous Five on my own and dad would let me choose a new book each week when we went into town. That's a long time ago now, but the excitement of picking a book has never diminished, it's about more than reading because the library experience is totally different. I don't really think having more books than I might ever read is a problem either, at least it isn't normally, it's just good to know they're there to welcome me if I want them.
There's also a need to buy something nice with the money I earn to make it feel like the whole effort of making a living is worth it - that it's for more than paying bills and scraping by (which is often how it feels). Books, relativley inexpensive and full of promise, are not the worst way to go. It also feels like one pleasure to many to give up - even if I do feel a bit overwhelmed. At least it's a better sort of overwhelmed than the news currently leaves me feeling, and at least it's a luxury I can afford.
Nevertheless, any advice on how to deal with a towering to be read pile (which doesn't involve a cull) would be listened to.
I, too, have a book collection that I may never get through. I've been stockpiling books for years with the belief that I'd do nothing but read once I retired. I retired 7 years ago, I'm almost 70, and the pile has only got bigger! So this year I've decided to do something about it. This may not be at all helpful but here's what I've done. I've noted the title of every book on every bookshelf in the house, there's manyof them - in the living room, dining room, spare room, bedroom and studio. I've filled a notebook and the plan, which is working so far, is to simply read my way through the list in the order they are written down. It's working as I no longer have several books on the go - just the one. Once read, I give them away, either to a family member, a friend or to my favourite charity. It's a plan, whether it would suit you or not that's another question. Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteI like your plan, not least because it confirms all my fantasies about retirement. I think the first thing I need to do is spend less time reading about current affairs online and spend more time with actual books. Finding it far to easy fall down that rabbit hole at the moment.
Delete(I'm useless re the books, but do track down the fox jug - would love to see it accessorizing a future post!)
ReplyDeleteIt's far to expensive, I really don't need it, and it's out of stock on every uk website I've found (2, and just as well) but I think it's beautiful! https://www.vam.ac.uk/shop/fox-pitcher-jug-146397.html The pottery is Bordallo Pinheiro and looking at their website was probably a mistake!
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to say that if only she could break her leg and have an excuse to lie about for a few weeks, she could have a wonderful time of uninterrupted reading which would never otherwise come her way. I suppose one shouldn't wish for such things but I do understand what she meant!
ReplyDeleteSo do I- it's probably a sad state of affairs when you fantasise about breaking a limb to get yourself some reading time, but I regularly do it. The thing I most most miss from childhood are snow days, we don't really get snow where I am now, but winter would be so much better with a few unexpected holiday days thrown in.
DeleteVery seldom do I read a post, any post, that gives me an eerie feeling that I have written it myself. I had to check twice. Natural gatherer who only buys stuff I love but I fall in love a lot? Check. Decluttering does not work for me? Check. All the things in my home fill me with delight? Check. I could go on but you get the idea. Oh, and I'm 70 and been retired for a year and a half. BOY are the books climbing toward the ceiling like vines to the light! Overwhelmed by books I want to read so reading less? Check. Feel need to buy something nice with money, i.e. books? Check...And NO I can't cull. Let's face it, we're in the same boat. I'm just older! And no closer to a solution...
ReplyDeleteI so agree! I also am 70, retired six years ago and still have more books than necessary but would not want to get rid of many of them.
DeleteI have the same weakness for ceramics you have and think I'm fast catching up with you. At least I know it's a common problem and that I'm in the very best of company.
DeleteToffeeapple- and again - the company is excellent, which makes me feel a lot better about letting the books get out of control.
DeleteLove this post! My strategy is: in times of (a lot of) stress I allow myself to buy books freely and to just let them pile up. They hold a promise for the future and that's enough. In times of less stress, I try to read as many of the piled books as I can without buying more. In these periods I try to avoid reading book reviews etc so as not to get excited about new books. Also before buying new books I make myself wait for a while, just to see if the book sticks in my mind. If it does, I'll consider getting it. If I forget about it, well, that's one book less to worry about...
ReplyDeleteOn the whole this works reasonably well for me.
That's a great way to think about it. I don't think I buy a lot of books (but a lot of books have come home with me so I'm clearly mistaken about that) but shopping for them is so enjoyable and as I sit here looking out into a pitch black, rain lashed, night some enjoyment seems called for.
DeleteWell... if you consider 'looking out into a pitch black, rain lashed night' to be stressful, then – according to my system – you are perfectly allowed to shop for books. :-) And how about some books on wine? They fall in the category 'work'.
DeleteMonday was a filthy night, though I must admit looking out at it, with a cup of tea to hand and browsing knitting needles on Amazon (exciting life) was much less stressful than being actually out in it. The delivery charge for the knitting needles was so high that it then made perfect sense to order a book too so I got free delivery....
DeleteLike everyone else, I understand. What I've done this year is lined up 52 fiction, and 52 non-fiction books that I want to read this year (two per week), and said that I will buy only 24 books (two a month). It will never work 100%, but it gives me a small sense or order.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds so disciplined - which isn't always my strong suit - but I might try rounding up a dozen or so books at a time that I particularly want to read and see if making smaller piles helps.
DeleteHa, you've sent me off to look at fox-handled jugs. I think I have found the one you meant (V&A) and it is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I'm sorting through my books (on and off) at the moment, and I'm finding that just handling my books makes them immediately more tempting. So if I were you, I'd start rootling through your TBR and reading odd pages here and there. Also, try grouping them in themes, that seems to get the old reading juices flowing and helps remind me why I was excited about them in the first place.
Or do something completely different for a while, I think sometimes a reading break may be what you need.
Yep, that's the jug - far to expensive, but totally delightful. I think you're so right about the doing other things, I just can't seem to concentrate on a book at the moment, so instead of fretting about it I should probably seize the opportunity to have a thorough spring clean or something instead.
DeleteThis post struck so many chords with me! Reassuring to find I am not alone ... I went to an auction recently to buy a dinner service I didn't need and came home with it and two large boxes of Folio Society books. There must be a support group out there for china and book addicts ... or perhaps this is it. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteVery hard to resist either, I also love antique glass, silver on the rare occasions I'm feeling prosperous enough to buy it, ditto art ( which gives me the least complicated pleasure of the lot, maybe because all you have to do is look at it?). Thank you for the encouragement;)
DeleteI'm with you all the way. Other people go off to Thailand or Australia. I buy books. I love my books. I love reading them, looking at them on the shelves, anticipating reading them. One of the worst movies I ever saw was the Tom Hanks on an island one when all I could think about is what would I do without books. I had a couple times when I vowed to not buy one unless I had read one and given it away. Fiddlesticks! I buy them whenever I must have a book, must own it, must have it in my house.
ReplyDeleteThat's me exactly!
DeleteI too have more books in my TBR (probably multiple times) than I could ever read in my lifetime. I nearly always end up reading the shiny new ones and not tackling the ones waiting for their moment. I am actually culling my paperbacks quite a lot at the moment - however, lately several I've culled have ended up being book group choices, so I have to get another copy - but I go cheap then and whisk them straight off to the charity shop. Hardbacks are another matter - I adore hardbacks.
ReplyDeleteI'm the opposite - paperbacks all the way, to the point that I'll pass on a hardback I've had for review and buy the paper back later if I want to keep it. It's partly a space thing, but I also prefer the portability of a paperback, and their general cheap and cheerful feel.
DeleteOh, I know what you mean, so much stuff-but it's good stuff and I haven't a trace of minimalism. I've reached the point where I'm running out of room (not only books and pottery, but instruments, records,CDs and ...) I have more books than I can get through too, and lists of hundreds more, but there's no need to feel guilty about it, if they are ones you really like or love. A good library is a thing of joy, and so many people waste their money on fleeting and trivial things. The value of good books is priceless, and they are so comforting to have around. I do have a bedside table with various books to be read next, but sometimes an interest will derail the plans, though I'm usually in the midst of several books at once. I agree that it's good to have a cull, but there aren't too many I can let go of, the unwanted ones either are put online for a bit to sell, or traded in for credit at the secondhand bookshop (which usually means bringing back as many as were brought in!
ReplyDelete