Felt so connected to this as a student in NYC who literally cannot afford to buy books but keeps doing it anyway??!??! I get that same panicky feeling too and will probably come back to this video when I'm feeling it again to know I'm not alone. And yes to the central/eastern Europe version too! Also, the Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas is SO GOOD
I concluded a 40 yr. long bookselling career two years ago. Now, on Social Security and with a house overflowing with books I must for sanity's' sake restrict my book purchases. I've grudgingly made peace with it and use a rewards credit card to earn gift cards from Barnes & Noble to add to my meager book buying bankroll. I'm going to read until I die. Keep turning the pages.
irish person here, it's pronounced "ee-van boland" so you weren't that for off! i studied boland's poetry in school and it was by far my favourite, especially for the discussion womanhood and catholic institutionalism
also a lot of the books you mentioned are on my "books i want but i cannot justify buying right now" list too, including women talking and the posthumous memoirs
I have been listing what I've been buying this year, and suspect the total will be concerning. However, how much do I spend on alcohol/wine for instance in comparison? I also do want to support independent bookshops where I can. I recognise that I can have a big spending month in response to emotional issues so need to keep an eye on that too. Though I usually do read what I buy reasonably quickly. The bigger issue for me is also where do I put all these books?
This was me for a number of years! I lived and breathed that kindle life. When I left it on a train once it felt like my whole life came to a halt until I could replace it
This was really thought provoking for me. I absolutely do buy a way too many books, but cheaply second hand, however I tend to do that in rare spurts. I'm not much of a "consumer" in general, so I think library fulfills my consumer emotional rush, as I used to go browse 2-3 times a week pretty regularly. Then everything shut down, including the library, I think I did very much the same thing you talk about with filling and emptying carts, except with overdrive. A couple times a week I would go through new additions, sometimes I would browse the whole catalog in chunks, or work through authors by letters of the alphabet. You've made me realize that was definitely a sort of self soothing activity I was doing.
I also felt this little jolt when I realized how many of my 2020/2021 activities amounted to half-hearted self-soothing. I was never much of a consumer of anything but books before, and it's been a real adjustment to realize that I've fallen into some unsustainable habits in other buying categories. So I think you're in a great place overall if you're getting that emotional rush from your library!
I vacillate wildly among "extreme minimalist," "person who wants a curated collection of things," and "person who wants many many things, more things please." It's a nightmare
I love Hannah’s channel too. Her no buy/budget year videos were so insightful and thought provoking. I don’t have any desire to have a zero TBR, but I do understand how physical objects (including books) can really weigh you down emotionally. I’d encourage you to reconsider buying used books. There are absolutely beautiful editions in lovely condition out there! It’s such a thrilling hunt and you can scratch the itch for cheap.
I love this idea as a series of videos. I need to hold myself accountable more for buying books. Especially when I’m feeling low or flat. So I empathise, I’m amazed the last year hasn’t bankrupt from books, ha. I’m going to follow your lead and start listing books and then letting them sit with me more. All power to you… especially with all those fabulous bookshops around you. I would fall into Three Lives and/or Strand Books everyday.
Thank you, Simon! I know it's compounded for you (in a mostly lovely way, but still) by being sent so many books. It can be hard to find the perfect balance of it all :)
If you're genuinely miserable [and already have a cat], possibly trading some of your reading time for trips to the museum may help. Personally, I prefer the MOMA, with its disciplined focus on hard lines and balanced colors, tho you may like the Guggenheim more, since it's much heavier on message. Walking round and round that helix can be invigorating. My only point is that when we read a lot we do tend to create echo chambers, which obviously is not healthy for someone suffering in misery.
Strange, whenever I see brand new copies of classics I’m like …… same thing with brand new vinyl… feels redundant, in most cases but then I love reviving old things and restoring / redeeming their value.. but not in all caces but definitely when it comes to older art. I have not had a bookshelf in a decade…I know I will have made it when I finally have a book rack.
I really wish we would stop saying it's 'shallow' to like pretty covers and want them on our shelves. I do that too, I always justify that desire and I don't want to do that anymore. I think we're just 'visual' people who appreciate beauty and art, and books on our shelves are just a part of this beauty. So I'd never think of youas a less serious reader after that confession :)
I think one thing that is slightly uncomfortable to look at is the idea that shopping addiction is not just present when you go in debt over it. I've had times in my life when I really overspent on books and other hobbies thinking about how I'm a collector, how it's art I'm supporting, how I'm going to get to all those things eventually etc. but I ended up feeling very guilty when the initial burst passed and yeah I didn't buncrupt myself but was it a smart financial decision? hell, no What is one more book when I could be buying five? And suddenly that one book is justified to bring home even if you could potentially have not bought it at all. And then we enter book bans and other stuff which can feel very punishing "you were stupid with your money and space do now so more nice things for you". Achieving a healthy balance can be challenging and I personally feel like I find it and lose it all the time
Rationalizing...the most dangerous activity a human brain can engage in. For years I've been able to at least sort of justify any book purchase I've made, but I look back at a lot of them now like - no, sweetie. No. That was a bad call!
I'm a little late commenting on this video ;) It was on my watch later for a long time... I really relate to all these impediments: money, space, time. The love for buying and owning books does not make much sense, since in the past years I realized I enjoy a lot more to read on my kindle than in paper, and yet! I want to buy physicals. I have contained myself really well and bought very little last year, and I liked listening to your experience as well as other shoppers who try to buy less. I love borrowing ebooks from the library and with my favorites I like to buy them to have on my shelves-after reading the ebook... This really takes down my stress of a large TBR but I keep the joy of buying
I make exceptions, but my general rule is that I cannot buy books until I have read all the books from the library I want to read (which is of course an endless list)
I definitely hear you, I've had similar conversations with myself so many times. But...I feel like it's such a justifiable expense. Life can be so hard, and those sparks of excitement, getting a box in the mail, browsing local bookstores, cracking a spine, smelling the new book glue...! Such simple, wholesome pleasures. To survive all the cr** of day to day, people have to find these little ways of treating themselves. Some people spend $4 every day on coffee, you know? And books last. (Not just physically.) Even the long-unread books I've bought are exciting, every time I look at my shelf of TBR's, I feel happy because worlds are waiting. On top of that, we're supporting authors so they can keep writing treasures, and publishers so they can keep going in this world that's turned away from books. And signaling to publishers that there is still a market for literary fiction so that they don't focus all their effort and money on procuring more Danielle Steeles and James Pattersons. I'm sorry, I know I'm not helping you! I'm really just talking to myself, to make myself feel better about that TBR shelf and the early Christmas present I currently have en route from Labrynth Books. All this to say, moderation is definitely important, as of course is budget. But when you do indulge, don't feel guilty, just let yourself enjoy. It's a good thing.
I think this is all really fair! Income/spending choices are so personal that what's a reasonable indulgence for one person can be a really unwise, anxiety-inducing purchasing decision for someone else, depending on the situation. I think for me personally, I wasn't recognizing when my circumstances pushed me from the first category into the second. But in my heart I still agree with all your reasoning :)
hard relate to this! i was on a super strict no-buy when i first moved to canada four years ago (as an immigrant with no work permit for four months and lawyers fees, it was tight). i used my library religiously, reading new releases only from the library and picking up lots of books secondhand. i just recently went shopping and bought a lot of books. and about a week later, i was like, why did i do that? when am i going to read them? i am depressed and my word processing ability is SLOW. so they are going to languish on my shelves, which is so sad. so my aim is to go back onto my shelves and see if i can pick away at my current shelves. i love books and when i read books, it inspires me to buy more (of cOURSE). but in so many cases, i haven't caught up to myself yet. i'm buying That Book Which was Inspired By These Four Other Books, but I've only read 2 of those earlier books??? All this to say, I think a no-buy is in order. TY for the inspiration
I have a skincare addiction I need to get under control. I want the laziness book because after graduating I went through a quarter life crisis...was depressed like hell and thought I wanted to spend my life in bed....then I got diagnosed with ADHD at the age of twenty three. Now I have one name to give to all of my strange behaviour which I was explaining away as laziness.
I also had a skincare addiction for a large portion of this year! That's calmed down a lot (I'm much happier with a very streamlined, drugstore routine now) but the makeup addiction still rages for me. I think even with a small collection, there can be this instinct to obsessively curate, or to pointlessly wonder if there's something out there that's somehow "better" than the things I already own and love
Thanks for your honesty and comments! I've found that I need/want less as I've aged. A dire financial situation also has changed my habits. Now I would probably turn down the opportunity for a bookstore spree. I only buy used through library book sales now. This year I've brought home about 75 books, and spent less than $20. I read from my library, and free ebooks and audio from their online resources. I feel much better now in terms of the environmental impact too. Use your change in circumstances for the better. It's a great opportunity!😊
Library book sales are the best!!! My library book sales do a "Pay What You Want" so my husband & I will go and donate $10 per bag. We mainly go for children's books for our boys but I always find great ones for myself as well.
I adore Hannah Louise Poston!!!!!! I read one of her poems on my channel. Gosh, I had no idea other booktubers watched her. Her channel has been really amazing over the years.
I was in the midst of making a dream Blackwells order that I then emptied before I watched this video. 😂 I have a rule for myself that I can’t buy a book I haven’t read if it’s available either at the physical library or via Libby. Yes to the Central Eastern Europe video - I have a specific wishlist for that, with To the Lake by Kapka Kassabova being at the top of my list.
I've implemented the same rule for about 2 years now, and it's really working great for me. It also makes me that much more excited for the few books I do buy.
I think booktubers & booktube should start a book exchange . It would even be a video series. It would also be a good excuse for booktubers to meet up and exchange books.
My local library has an excellent selection of books so I always try to only buy books that I can’t get from the library or after I’ve read them and it’s a new favorite I’ll buy myself a physical copy. It’s hard at times especially when I’m in a book shopping mood to resist coming home when an armful. I try and stick with my self imposed rules.
This is where I've arrived too - who knows how long I'll live in NYC, so while I'm here with such an excellent library system, I may as well take full advantage
As a grad student who used to live at home with a larger income (that mostly went into savings or was spent on books), this really resonated with me! I will say for me personally, I have been able to rewire my brain somewhat to really get excited about reading the books I already own/tag books on my Libby app instead of buying new ones, simply because the thought of buying a new book means sacrificing some other crucial aspect of my limited budget. I also find that going into my local indie bookstore and just browsing and then leaving also satisfies that craving from time to time. Finally, I wanted to mention that Crooked Hallelujah may be better suited as a library pick anyway, as I found it to be fairly disjointed and didn’t love it for that reason.
This is super useful to hear about Crooked Hallelujah, thank you. I've done a lot of work to rewire my brain when it comes to buying books, but a crop of completely new problem categories for me sprang up during the pandemic (skincare, makeup) that set me back on my book brain progress too. But I'm hoping to get back to loving my existing TBR shelves in the new year!
Would love to see a follow-up video of central/eastern European books! As for me, I made a goal this year to read every book I purchased, and so far, I've done that (though a few books recently ordered from my favorite bookstore have yet to arrive). I hope to continue with this goal in 2022. I've also been buying books only from local shops at full price, which has helped keep the number of books I buy low, thereby making my goal of reading all purchased books for the year far more manageable. As expected, I've found that reading recently purchased books (while I'm still excited about them) is far more enjoyable than reading books that have sat on my shelves for years and no longer call to me as they did when I first purchased them.
Eavan is jush pronounced like Evan :) Irish pronunciations are must be so unusual for non-Irish speakers - so many vowels and none of the vowels are pronounced like Latin/English, and don't even get started on the bh sound - or any constant followed by a h, really!
Irish is deeefinitely a struggle pronunciation-wise (I remember seeing the name "Sorcha" in a book as a child and having my mind blown when I finally heard it spoken years later). But then again, as someone who taught English to foreign speakers, I'm not really in a position to complain about any other language's pronunciation! My students would look at me like I had three heads when I explained to them that English speakers couldn't be 100% sure how to pronounce certain words just by reading them if we'd never actually heard them spoken
Wildhood is great! Very enjoyable especially if you’re a fan of David Attenborough and I loved their other book zoobiquity. Isn’t the thing about serfs though that yes, farming is very intense over certain periods ie planting/harvest but otherwise serfs had basically all winter off not to mention ye old Catholicism had soooo many feast days. And when you only had candlelight I suppose you physically couldn’t do a lot of work? Eavan is pronounced ee-van, but don’t put too much stress on the van part! Boland is a huuuge poet in Ireland, so many of us study her works in school so great to see some love from abroad! 🇮🇪❤️
So much to say ! You made me add 3 books to my cart. Wasn’t the point of your video! 😂 also our tastes are so similar. I want Kate Atkinson’s book because I loved so much Life after life. Men we reaped is my favorite memoir so I am glad you are planning to reading it one day. I just read Brother I’m dying by Edwige Danticat and loved it so much (a memoir) so I bought her short stories ! As for the addiction, we have the same and I do keep adding books to my cart and then I empty it because I feel guilty. But I don’t go to Starbucks and I am not a clothes or a makeup addict and life is short. I used to own old and really used books but now the cover does matter too so I got rid of them and buy new books or “like new” and today I actually received a secondhand book which looks totally new but half-priced. So you should check it up ! Lots of new books given as gifts are sold right after Christmas 😂 I have an endless wish list and like you it takes me sometimes a year or two before I buy it. Just like the one I got today it came out in 2019. So don’t feel guilty !
I like to say that books just keep happening to me, even if I'm not buying them, so I admire your accountability! I've recently been culling the collection of the library I work for, and when I was told I could take home any book I wanted from what was being weeded, I definitely took that to heart. We don't have room for more book storage. I want to move more than anything and having books will only make that more difficult, but The Sads have me in a stranglehold and I want new books to fix all my problems for me.
I enjoyed this video and feel your pain. I have a giant list in my for later file on my local library file have about fifty on read on my self and have a delivery expected. I saw a video and the name escapes me, but it basic premise was. If you are about 30 years year plan to live another 50 years and only read 6 books a year. How many wonderful books will you miss. With the virus it’s what I spend my time and money now. I don’t feel the need save my books so space isn’t a real issue and I try to pass the gems on. Lastly as my mother would say. It’s better then sitting in a bar
I needed this video!! i cant tell you how much ive been putting things in my cart recently "just for fun" but then a few times i actually ended up purchasing them !! it gives me like a thrill and i get excited to see new things arriving but its definitely a slightly addicting and sinister capitalist obsession. I recently discovered a local second-hand bookstore and have been going there way too often bc my mind says its just a few dollars anyway (like the cost of a cup of coffee) but then.. those purchases add up! also i literally dont have the space anymore! ah, all that to say i relate to this video and its probably something that should be talked about more on booktube/bookstagram! i also feel that those aesthetic set-ups/photos of peoples giant bookshelves filled with colorful books... idk they enable me somehow as if i need a large collection or something? but its not something thats in my budget, nor is it practical!
I've also been influenced over the years by the sight of Booktubers' perfect, aesthetic, crammed bookshelves! Especially since I lived abroad for the first year of my channel and could only get English-language books on my Kindle...I went on a buying RAMPAGE when I came back to the US and have been recovering ever since ;)
For my senior seminar in English lit in college, I had to read Life After Life, and I remember just not being able to believe that something as fun as reading that book could be my homework.
Having a very long physical TBR gives me anxiety. I currently have 4 and next year want to bring it down to 2. I’m a big slow and mood reader, so it just doesn’t make sense to me. I became more careful about the books I keep after immigrating. I completely agree with you about the moving part, the less heavy boxes the better.
I was SO practical about book buying when I lived abroad for a few years, but then when I came back to the US I was gripped by all the huge hauls I saw on BookTube and started buying like crazy. It took me a while to realize that wasn't actually how I enjoyed buying books or living with them
I love Not Just Bikes, I started watching because I saw my (Amsterdam) neighbourhood for the past two years in thumbnails about walkability etc. in NL. We moved here from car-centric Cape Town and found a lot of parallels between our change in lifestyle and NJB's. In our recent move to a new apartment I sold and donated about 200 books, the vast majority of them accumulated during 2017/2018 when I was going through some deep shit I did not have the resources or knowledge to get adequate help for. I would buy so many books at discount/overstock book stores. Many of them were not really my jam but if I'd heard of a book I couldn't leave it. Certainly "not at that price". It was one of few things that felt fun and it was definitely an addiction. Someone commented here that we only treat shopping addiction as valid if you go into debt for it. That's so true. I never went into debt but I sure as hell wasted a lot of money on books I then carted across the ocean and still didn't read half of. I still have work to do with this kind of thing, but at least it's much better where books are concerned. My kindle has helped with that, it helps me feel that I can never miss out on a book, if I can't find it in print, it will probably still be available as an ebook. I still love physical books but only buy about ten a year. I want MANY more but the drive isn't anything like it used to be.
Buying 10 books a year sounds like an amazing result, especially after having a slightly rocky relationship with book buying! I totally agree with both of you about the "okay I'm not technically in debt but this purchase still feels pretty dumb in hindsight" mentality
I FELT this video deeply. I love my library and this year has been entirely focused on putting a halt to adding books. Not minimizing yet, just stopping the buying. It was rough. I really like the idea of listing books you'd like to purchase, and just purging it instead...it looked therapeutic. I hope this catches on! Moving....is a pain.
This was a great discussion. Lots of it is relatable. I also tend to only want books I find good looking but find it does get burdensome with both costs and the weight of it all. Not just bikes is a fascinating RUclips channel I've also been following. Lots of interesting wants in your list. Thanks for sharing! Always love a good book list that is so eclectic that I can go research.
Books are criminally overpriced in my opinion. I also love a sexy, brand new hardcover or paperback but it’s so frustrating how I can never justify buying them. Great video and great list.
I loved this video! I'm so curious to know, how do you make the decision when you DO decide to buy a book? What makes the cut? Also, I also love the channel Not Just Bikes, I also love City Beautiful which talks about similar things
Thank you, Harriet! That's a good question. I'm not sure exactly what pushes a book over the edge to make me actually buy it - will have to think that over
i have an extra copy of housekeeping i've been wanting to pass on to someone who would love it. bought the second copy a couple years ago to send to a stranger in a book exchange but never ended up doing that, so it's just been sitting around. feels so useless having two copies. if you'd like it i could send it to you (free!). it has some underlines from the first time i read it but if you don't mind then it's all yours
I moved countries, and had to leave my books behind, and now I have to stop myself from buying everything I want due to money reasons... but I feel sad about now having books around me. Also, I love when my youtube circles overlap, I also love Hannah's chanel!
Moving at all puts everything you own into perspective, but especially moving between countries! Hopefully you're able to slowly build a new collection of books you love owning while still making smart purchasing decisions overall :)
Thank you! I haven't stuck to my 2020 "3 TBR books read for every 1 new book I buy" rule, mostly because for the first few months of this year I was following that pattern naturally without trying. But now I'd like to get back to the mindset I had in 2020 - that reading TBR books is my usual, and that buying new books is rare
Can definitely relate! I've mostly stopped buying books lately unless I plan on reading them now or find them really cheap on ebook, also have been buying mostly second-hand books (I also like them pretty but used books are pretty enough imo), and I use my library/Libby plus apps for audiobooks so there's a lot already available to me :) Plus I already feel stressed by the amount of books I own and am actually interested in most of them so I should focus on them more! Then again I'm a huge mood reader (I feel like there's a right time for every book) and sometimes I really want to read a book I don't own so I still get it if I can't find it for free, it's a process x)
I'm in the same boat - for next year, I'd like to try a no-buy for at least a few months so I can rewire my brain and fall back in love with the books I already own!
I really needed to see this! I'm a stay-at-home homeschooling mom, my husband and I have things we need to get done around our home, we are trying to start a business etc. I really can't afford books right now but there's sooooo many that I want! I also am like you with wanting pretty editions of books that I want to own. Daniel Deronda is actually on my wish list, too! I am actually trying to achieve a small TBR in the new year. Everyone says that I feel but I really, really am trying. It's currently at around 65 which took some work because I did a massive purge. By the end of 2022 I'd like my TBR to be closer to 30, which is doable for the speed at which I read, and considering many of the books on my TBR are classics or big big books. I don't think I ever want it to be at 0 because I like to have a few options as a mood reader but under 10 would be amazing! I recently made a TBR cart so I can visually see all of my unread books. I still remember how I felt about each one when I bought them. I was so hyped up about them but because I kept buying and buying I forgot to read them. That make's me so sad! I want to be reading books as soon as I get them, or soon after, so that's really my main motivation to minimizing my TBR. And when I actually need books I can justifiably buy a few.
65 is a great starting TBR level for the new year! I know TBR goals don't always go to plan, but sometimes they do! And the motivation to work on them can feel really great. Wishing you the best of luck with your reading and teaching in 2022 :)
Well, being introduced in high-school by amazing teachers to Machado (I'm brazilian so I didn't have a choice ksksk but I'm glad it happened bc he's great and so damn sarcastic which I love, plus he's black and was whitewashed for so long I only learnt that a few years ago which says almost everything about things here) was great! And, although my favorite of his is Dom Casmurro I totally recommend you to go for it and read Bras Cubas when/if you can.
@Quênia Lalita oh, that's cool??? oh my, I know, right?? there's some recent books about it, I still couldn't afford any but they were highly recommeded, so...
The way I think about cost of books is what the alternative to spend the money for is - is it food, travel, other hobbies? $400 is two nice dinners for two where I live (which is ridiculous, I know), so spending the money on books instead is a no-brainer. The space issue is a whole other thing, which is one reason we need to step it up on libraries. Laziness Does Not Exist sounds interesting - I agree that we don't work as much as the serfs did, but should we? They did all die much earlier than they should have. I've read The Wallcreeper by Zink and I hated it - interested to see if you like her other book - or you can use this an excuse not to buy that one :)
So much of this is dependent on income in terms of framing, you know? I had exactly the same mindset as you before my career change; basically, "I don't spend on much else and I have some disposable income to spare, so I'll actively choose to spend it on books instead of other things." But now that my spending alternatives are actually basic food/insurance/rent, the book buying has a really different feeling to it ;) I'm hoping I'll get back to a place where I don't have to be so ruthlessly practical about it all
Super relate to this, especially the moving with books. I went through a divorce and moved from PA to FL in 2019, leaving a lot behind, but I still moved with a ton. It sucked. Looking to move somewhere North again in May, and I’ve been slowly chipping away at books I own, using audiobooks to get through some of them, or choosing some to get rid of but taking note to borrow an ebook in the future. I figure if I love a book that much after getting rid of it, it won’t be difficult to find a cheap copy somewhere, even years down the line. Trying to get to that 1 book at a time TBR/owning only books I’ve read and loved…. someday!
It sounds like you have a really healthy perspective on what needs to move north with you versus what you might *want* to take in a world where moving weren't such a huge hassle. I know for me, moving without a partner (and without friends who lived nearby) meant that every single item in every single box was both packed and unpacked by me, which made everything that much more daunting. I hope you have some help with your move, but solidarity if you don't!
Felt so connected to this as a student in NYC who literally cannot afford to buy books but keeps doing it anyway??!??! I get that same panicky feeling too and will probably come back to this video when I'm feeling it again to know I'm not alone. And yes to the central/eastern Europe version too! Also, the Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas is SO GOOD
I concluded a 40 yr. long bookselling career two years ago. Now, on Social Security and with a house overflowing with books I must for sanity's' sake restrict my book purchases. I've grudgingly made peace with it and use a rewards credit card to earn gift cards from Barnes & Noble to add to my meager book buying bankroll. I'm going to read until I die. Keep turning the pages.
irish person here, it's pronounced "ee-van boland" so you weren't that for off! i studied boland's poetry in school and it was by far my favourite, especially for the discussion womanhood and catholic institutionalism
also a lot of the books you mentioned are on my "books i want but i cannot justify buying right now" list too, including women talking and the posthumous memoirs
I have been listing what I've been buying this year, and suspect the total will be concerning. However, how much do I spend on alcohol/wine for instance in comparison? I also do want to support independent bookshops where I can. I recognise that I can have a big spending month in response to emotional issues so need to keep an eye on that too. Though I usually do read what I buy reasonably quickly. The bigger issue for me is also where do I put all these books?
That's the crux for me too - even if my money issues cleared up tomorrow, where would I even put all these books I want to buy?
i have neither libraries nor bookshops nearby, so i simply get ebooks for 90% of my reads!
This was me for a number of years! I lived and breathed that kindle life. When I left it on a train once it felt like my whole life came to a halt until I could replace it
This was really thought provoking for me. I absolutely do buy a way too many books, but cheaply second hand, however I tend to do that in rare spurts. I'm not much of a "consumer" in general, so I think library fulfills my consumer emotional rush, as I used to go browse 2-3 times a week pretty regularly. Then everything shut down, including the library, I think I did very much the same thing you talk about with filling and emptying carts, except with overdrive. A couple times a week I would go through new additions, sometimes I would browse the whole catalog in chunks, or work through authors by letters of the alphabet. You've made me realize that was definitely a sort of self soothing activity I was doing.
I also felt this little jolt when I realized how many of my 2020/2021 activities amounted to half-hearted self-soothing. I was never much of a consumer of anything but books before, and it's been a real adjustment to realize that I've fallen into some unsustainable habits in other buying categories. So I think you're in a great place overall if you're getting that emotional rush from your library!
I absolutely identify with the dilemma of wanting to own all the books but also want to be a minimalist and not own lots of stuff 😭
I vacillate wildly among "extreme minimalist," "person who wants a curated collection of things," and "person who wants many many things, more things please." It's a nightmare
Yeah. I find that with ADHD, audiobooks are easier to focus on than regular books. They're especially nice for gardening, which is grounding.
I love Hannah’s channel too. Her no buy/budget year videos were so insightful and thought provoking.
I don’t have any desire to have a zero TBR, but I do understand how physical objects (including books) can really weigh you down emotionally.
I’d encourage you to reconsider buying used books. There are absolutely beautiful editions in lovely condition out there! It’s such a thrilling hunt and you can scratch the itch for cheap.
I love this idea as a series of videos. I need to hold myself accountable more for buying books. Especially when I’m feeling low or flat. So I empathise, I’m amazed the last year hasn’t bankrupt from books, ha. I’m going to follow your lead and start listing books and then letting them sit with me more. All power to you… especially with all those fabulous bookshops around you. I would fall into Three Lives and/or Strand Books everyday.
Thank you, Simon! I know it's compounded for you (in a mostly lovely way, but still) by being sent so many books. It can be hard to find the perfect balance of it all :)
If you're genuinely miserable [and already have a cat], possibly trading some of your reading time for trips to the museum may help. Personally, I prefer the MOMA, with its disciplined focus on hard lines and balanced colors, tho you may like the Guggenheim more, since it's much heavier on message. Walking round and round that helix can be invigorating. My only point is that when we read a lot we do tend to create echo chambers, which obviously is not healthy for someone suffering in misery.
Do another video talking about Central and Eastern Europe! 🤩
Strange, whenever I see brand new copies of classics I’m like …… same thing with brand new vinyl… feels redundant, in most cases but then I love reviving old things and restoring / redeeming their value.. but not in all caces but definitely when it comes to older art. I have not had a bookshelf in a decade…I know I will have made it when I finally have a book rack.
I really wish we would stop saying it's 'shallow' to like pretty covers and want them on our shelves. I do that too, I always justify that desire and I don't want to do that anymore. I think we're just 'visual' people who appreciate beauty and art, and books on our shelves are just a part of this beauty. So I'd never think of youas a less serious reader after that confession :)
Please do part 2, my focus for 2022 will be Eastern Europe, so really interested 🤔
I think one thing that is slightly uncomfortable to look at is the idea that shopping addiction is not just present when you go in debt over it. I've had times in my life when I really overspent on books and other hobbies thinking about how I'm a collector, how it's art I'm supporting, how I'm going to get to all those things eventually etc. but I ended up feeling very guilty when the initial burst passed and yeah I didn't buncrupt myself but was it a smart financial decision? hell, no
What is one more book when I could be buying five? And suddenly that one book is justified to bring home even if you could potentially have not bought it at all.
And then we enter book bans and other stuff which can feel very punishing "you were stupid with your money and space do now so more nice things for you".
Achieving a healthy balance can be challenging and I personally feel like I find it and lose it all the time
Rationalizing...the most dangerous activity a human brain can engage in. For years I've been able to at least sort of justify any book purchase I've made, but I look back at a lot of them now like - no, sweetie. No. That was a bad call!
@@InsertLiteraryPunHere Let's all be irrational from now on! When we want books let's not get books xD
I'm a little late commenting on this video ;) It was on my watch later for a long time... I really relate to all these impediments: money, space, time. The love for buying and owning books does not make much sense, since in the past years I realized I enjoy a lot more to read on my kindle than in paper, and yet! I want to buy physicals. I have contained myself really well and bought very little last year, and I liked listening to your experience as well as other shoppers who try to buy less. I love borrowing ebooks from the library and with my favorites I like to buy them to have on my shelves-after reading the ebook... This really takes down my stress of a large TBR but I keep the joy of buying
I make exceptions, but my general rule is that I cannot buy books until I have read all the books from the library I want to read (which is of course an endless list)
I definitely hear you, I've had similar conversations with myself so many times. But...I feel like it's such a justifiable expense. Life can be so hard, and those sparks of excitement, getting a box in the mail, browsing local bookstores, cracking a spine, smelling the new book glue...! Such simple, wholesome pleasures. To survive all the cr** of day to day, people have to find these little ways of treating themselves. Some people spend $4 every day on coffee, you know? And books last. (Not just physically.) Even the long-unread books I've bought are exciting, every time I look at my shelf of TBR's, I feel happy because worlds are waiting.
On top of that, we're supporting authors so they can keep writing treasures, and publishers so they can keep going in this world that's turned away from books. And signaling to publishers that there is still a market for literary fiction so that they don't focus all their effort and money on procuring more Danielle Steeles and James Pattersons.
I'm sorry, I know I'm not helping you! I'm really just talking to myself, to make myself feel better about that TBR shelf and the early Christmas present I currently have en route from Labrynth Books. All this to say, moderation is definitely important, as of course is budget. But when you do indulge, don't feel guilty, just let yourself enjoy. It's a good thing.
I think this is all really fair! Income/spending choices are so personal that what's a reasonable indulgence for one person can be a really unwise, anxiety-inducing purchasing decision for someone else, depending on the situation. I think for me personally, I wasn't recognizing when my circumstances pushed me from the first category into the second. But in my heart I still agree with all your reasoning :)
I only buy #usedbooks these days.
I also love Hannah Louise Poston. 🖤
Hahaha! I paused the video at 3:10 to say you made me laugh and I don't want to buy one that's not pretty either! 😂
OMG I need that laziness book. I almost named my channel Lazy Cow Reads 🤣 RECLAIM THE LAZY!!
hard relate to this! i was on a super strict no-buy when i first moved to canada four years ago (as an immigrant with no work permit for four months and lawyers fees, it was tight). i used my library religiously, reading new releases only from the library and picking up lots of books secondhand. i just recently went shopping and bought a lot of books. and about a week later, i was like, why did i do that? when am i going to read them? i am depressed and my word processing ability is SLOW. so they are going to languish on my shelves, which is so sad.
so my aim is to go back onto my shelves and see if i can pick away at my current shelves. i love books and when i read books, it inspires me to buy more (of cOURSE). but in so many cases, i haven't caught up to myself yet. i'm buying That Book Which was Inspired By These Four Other Books, but I've only read 2 of those earlier books???
All this to say, I think a no-buy is in order. TY for the inspiration
I think I'll also be doing a no-buy to start 2022! Time to "shop" my TBR shelves and my library :)
I have a skincare addiction I need to get under control. I want the laziness book because after graduating I went through a quarter life crisis...was depressed like hell and thought I wanted to spend my life in bed....then I got diagnosed with ADHD at the age of twenty three. Now I have one name to give to all of my strange behaviour which I was explaining away as laziness.
I also had a skincare addiction for a large portion of this year! That's calmed down a lot (I'm much happier with a very streamlined, drugstore routine now) but the makeup addiction still rages for me. I think even with a small collection, there can be this instinct to obsessively curate, or to pointlessly wonder if there's something out there that's somehow "better" than the things I already own and love
Thanks for your honesty and comments! I've found that I need/want less as I've aged. A dire financial situation also has changed my habits. Now I would probably turn down the opportunity for a bookstore spree. I only buy used through library book sales now. This year I've brought home about 75 books, and spent less than $20. I read from my library, and free ebooks and audio from their online resources. I feel much better now in terms of the environmental impact too. Use your change in circumstances for the better. It's a great opportunity!😊
Library book sales are the best!!! My library book sales do a "Pay What You Want" so my husband & I will go and donate $10 per bag. We mainly go for children's books for our boys but I always find great ones for myself as well.
I adore Hannah Louise Poston!!!!!! I read one of her poems on my channel. Gosh, I had no idea other booktubers watched her. Her channel has been really amazing over the years.
I was in the midst of making a dream Blackwells order that I then emptied before I watched this video. 😂 I have a rule for myself that I can’t buy a book I haven’t read if it’s available either at the physical library or via Libby. Yes to the Central Eastern Europe video - I have a specific wishlist for that, with To the Lake by Kapka Kassabova being at the top of my list.
I've implemented the same rule for about 2 years now, and it's really working great for me. It also makes me that much more excited for the few books I do buy.
I think booktubers & booktube should start a book exchange . It would even be a video series. It would also be a good excuse for booktubers to meet up and exchange books.
My local library has an excellent selection of books so I always try to only buy books that I can’t get from the library or after I’ve read them and it’s a new favorite I’ll buy myself a physical copy. It’s hard at times especially when I’m in a book shopping mood to resist coming home when an armful. I try and stick with my self imposed rules.
This is where I've arrived too - who knows how long I'll live in NYC, so while I'm here with such an excellent library system, I may as well take full advantage
@@InsertLiteraryPunHere I've never done the math for how much it's saved me each year reading from the library but it'd be interesting to see.
I always want to comment my enthusiasm before watching the video !
As a grad student who used to live at home with a larger income (that mostly went into savings or was spent on books), this really resonated with me! I will say for me personally, I have been able to rewire my brain somewhat to really get excited about reading the books I already own/tag books on my Libby app instead of buying new ones, simply because the thought of buying a new book means sacrificing some other crucial aspect of my limited budget. I also find that going into my local indie bookstore and just browsing and then leaving also satisfies that craving from time to time. Finally, I wanted to mention that Crooked Hallelujah may be better suited as a library pick anyway, as I found it to be fairly disjointed and didn’t love it for that reason.
This is super useful to hear about Crooked Hallelujah, thank you. I've done a lot of work to rewire my brain when it comes to buying books, but a crop of completely new problem categories for me sprang up during the pandemic (skincare, makeup) that set me back on my book brain progress too. But I'm hoping to get back to loving my existing TBR shelves in the new year!
Would love to see a follow-up video of central/eastern European books! As for me, I made a goal this year to read every book I purchased, and so far, I've done that (though a few books recently ordered from my favorite bookstore have yet to arrive). I hope to continue with this goal in 2022. I've also been buying books only from local shops at full price, which has helped keep the number of books I buy low, thereby making my goal of reading all purchased books for the year far more manageable. As expected, I've found that reading recently purchased books (while I'm still excited about them) is far more enjoyable than reading books that have sat on my shelves for years and no longer call to me as they did when I first purchased them.
Thank you, and congrats to you for reading all your 2021 purchases! Couldn't agree more about reading recently bought books as soon as possible
Eavan is jush pronounced like Evan :) Irish pronunciations are must be so unusual for non-Irish speakers - so many vowels and none of the vowels are pronounced like Latin/English, and don't even get started on the bh sound - or any constant followed by a h, really!
Irish is deeefinitely a struggle pronunciation-wise (I remember seeing the name "Sorcha" in a book as a child and having my mind blown when I finally heard it spoken years later). But then again, as someone who taught English to foreign speakers, I'm not really in a position to complain about any other language's pronunciation! My students would look at me like I had three heads when I explained to them that English speakers couldn't be 100% sure how to pronounce certain words just by reading them if we'd never actually heard them spoken
Oops, almost forgot. Women Talking...make space on your bookshelves, go buy it now! I’m in same place you are...trying not to buy books. 😓
Wildhood is great! Very enjoyable especially if you’re a fan of David Attenborough and I loved their other book zoobiquity.
Isn’t the thing about serfs though that yes, farming is very intense over certain periods ie planting/harvest but otherwise serfs had basically all winter off not to mention ye old Catholicism had soooo many feast days. And when you only had candlelight I suppose you physically couldn’t do a lot of work?
Eavan is pronounced ee-van, but don’t put too much stress on the van part! Boland is a huuuge poet in Ireland, so many of us study her works in school so great to see some love from abroad! 🇮🇪❤️
So much to say ! You made me add 3 books to my cart. Wasn’t the point of your video! 😂 also our tastes are so similar. I want Kate Atkinson’s book because I loved so much Life after life. Men we reaped is my favorite memoir so I am glad you are planning to reading it one day. I just read Brother I’m dying by Edwige Danticat and loved it so much (a memoir) so I bought her short stories ! As for the addiction, we have the same and I do keep adding books to my cart and then I empty it because I feel guilty. But I don’t go to Starbucks and I am not a clothes or a makeup addict and life is short. I used to own old and really used books but now the cover does matter too so I got rid of them and buy new books or “like new” and today I actually received a secondhand book which looks totally new but half-priced. So you should check it up ! Lots of new books given as gifts are sold right after Christmas 😂 I have an endless wish list and like you it takes me sometimes a year or two before I buy it. Just like the one I got today it came out in 2019. So don’t feel guilty !
I like to say that books just keep happening to me, even if I'm not buying them, so I admire your accountability! I've recently been culling the collection of the library I work for, and when I was told I could take home any book I wanted from what was being weeded, I definitely took that to heart. We don't have room for more book storage. I want to move more than anything and having books will only make that more difficult, but The Sads have me in a stranglehold and I want new books to fix all my problems for me.
I enjoyed this video and feel your pain. I have a giant list in my for later file on my local library file have about fifty on read on my self and have a delivery expected. I saw a video and the name escapes me, but it basic premise was. If you are about 30 years year plan to live another 50 years and only read 6 books a year. How many wonderful books will you miss. With the virus it’s what I spend my time and money now. I don’t feel the need save my books so space isn’t a real issue and I try to pass the gems on. Lastly as my mother would say. It’s better then sitting in a bar
I needed this video!! i cant tell you how much ive been putting things in my cart recently "just for fun" but then a few times i actually ended up purchasing them !! it gives me like a thrill and i get excited to see new things arriving but its definitely a slightly addicting and sinister capitalist obsession. I recently discovered a local second-hand bookstore and have been going there way too often bc my mind says its just a few dollars anyway (like the cost of a cup of coffee) but then.. those purchases add up! also i literally dont have the space anymore! ah, all that to say i relate to this video and its probably something that should be talked about more on booktube/bookstagram! i also feel that those aesthetic set-ups/photos of peoples giant bookshelves filled with colorful books... idk they enable me somehow as if i need a large collection or something? but its not something thats in my budget, nor is it practical!
I've also been influenced over the years by the sight of Booktubers' perfect, aesthetic, crammed bookshelves! Especially since I lived abroad for the first year of my channel and could only get English-language books on my Kindle...I went on a buying RAMPAGE when I came back to the US and have been recovering ever since ;)
Golem Girl is so good! The audiobook is read by the author, which I always love.
For my senior seminar in English lit in college, I had to read Life After Life, and I remember just not being able to believe that something as fun as reading that book could be my homework.
It's SO fun (surprisingly so, considering how much childhood death there is in there)
Having a very long physical TBR gives me anxiety. I currently have 4 and next year want to bring it down to 2. I’m a big slow and mood reader, so it just doesn’t make sense to me.
I became more careful about the books I keep after immigrating.
I completely agree with you about the moving part, the less heavy boxes the better.
I was SO practical about book buying when I lived abroad for a few years, but then when I came back to the US I was gripped by all the huge hauls I saw on BookTube and started buying like crazy. It took me a while to realize that wasn't actually how I enjoyed buying books or living with them
This REALLY resonated with me.....THANK YOU !!! Love your vlogs !! x
I love Not Just Bikes, I started watching because I saw my (Amsterdam) neighbourhood for the past two years in thumbnails about walkability etc. in NL. We moved here from car-centric Cape Town and found a lot of parallels between our change in lifestyle and NJB's.
In our recent move to a new apartment I sold and donated about 200 books, the vast majority of them accumulated during 2017/2018 when I was going through some deep shit I did not have the resources or knowledge to get adequate help for. I would buy so many books at discount/overstock book stores. Many of them were not really my jam but if I'd heard of a book I couldn't leave it. Certainly "not at that price". It was one of few things that felt fun and it was definitely an addiction. Someone commented here that we only treat shopping addiction as valid if you go into debt for it. That's so true. I never went into debt but I sure as hell wasted a lot of money on books I then carted across the ocean and still didn't read half of. I still have work to do with this kind of thing, but at least it's much better where books are concerned. My kindle has helped with that, it helps me feel that I can never miss out on a book, if I can't find it in print, it will probably still be available as an ebook. I still love physical books but only buy about ten a year. I want MANY more but the drive isn't anything like it used to be.
Buying 10 books a year sounds like an amazing result, especially after having a slightly rocky relationship with book buying! I totally agree with both of you about the "okay I'm not technically in debt but this purchase still feels pretty dumb in hindsight" mentality
I FELT this video deeply. I love my library and this year has been entirely focused on putting a halt to adding books. Not minimizing yet, just stopping the buying. It was rough. I really like the idea of listing books you'd like to purchase, and just purging it instead...it looked therapeutic. I hope this catches on! Moving....is a pain.
It was therapeutic, surprisingly! Maybe because it's nice to get a rush of excitement without having to actually buy the book in question
This was a great discussion. Lots of it is relatable. I also tend to only want books I find good looking but find it does get burdensome with both costs and the weight of it all. Not just bikes is a fascinating RUclips channel I've also been following. Lots of interesting wants in your list. Thanks for sharing! Always love a good book list that is so eclectic that I can go research.
In 2022 I'm only going to buy books I will read in 2022 so that my previous tbr pile only goes down.
Great goal, you got this! I'd like to do the same but we'll see how much willpower I have
Books are criminally overpriced in my opinion. I also love a sexy, brand new hardcover or paperback but it’s so frustrating how I can never justify buying them. Great video and great list.
I loved this video! I'm so curious to know, how do you make the decision when you DO decide to buy a book? What makes the cut?
Also, I also love the channel Not Just Bikes, I also love City Beautiful which talks about similar things
Thank you, Harriet! That's a good question. I'm not sure exactly what pushes a book over the edge to make me actually buy it - will have to think that over
i have an extra copy of housekeeping i've been wanting to pass on to someone who would love it. bought the second copy a couple years ago to send to a stranger in a book exchange but never ended up doing that, so it's just been sitting around. feels so useless having two copies. if you'd like it i could send it to you (free!). it has some underlines from the first time i read it but if you don't mind then it's all yours
I would love your copy, thank you! Could you DM me on Twitter to set up details? twitter.com/InsertLitPun (let me know if there are issues connecting)
I moved countries, and had to leave my books behind, and now I have to stop myself from buying everything I want due to money reasons... but I feel sad about now having books around me.
Also, I love when my youtube circles overlap, I also love Hannah's chanel!
Moving at all puts everything you own into perspective, but especially moving between countries! Hopefully you're able to slowly build a new collection of books you love owning while still making smart purchasing decisions overall :)
I love that you are doing a video on this really weirdly personal topic. Are you still following your TBR-rules?
Thank you! I haven't stuck to my 2020 "3 TBR books read for every 1 new book I buy" rule, mostly because for the first few months of this year I was following that pattern naturally without trying. But now I'd like to get back to the mindset I had in 2020 - that reading TBR books is my usual, and that buying new books is rare
Loved this video-do more! Housekeeping was one of my favorite reads ever.
Can definitely relate! I've mostly stopped buying books lately unless I plan on reading them now or find them really cheap on ebook, also have been buying mostly second-hand books (I also like them pretty but used books are pretty enough imo), and I use my library/Libby plus apps for audiobooks so there's a lot already available to me :)
Plus I already feel stressed by the amount of books I own and am actually interested in most of them so I should focus on them more!
Then again I'm a huge mood reader (I feel like there's a right time for every book) and sometimes I really want to read a book I don't own so I still get it if I can't find it for free, it's a process x)
I'm in the same boat - for next year, I'd like to try a no-buy for at least a few months so I can rewire my brain and fall back in love with the books I already own!
I really needed to see this! I'm a stay-at-home homeschooling mom, my husband and I have things we need to get done around our home, we are trying to start a business etc. I really can't afford books right now but there's sooooo many that I want! I also am like you with wanting pretty editions of books that I want to own. Daniel Deronda is actually on my wish list, too! I am actually trying to achieve a small TBR in the new year. Everyone says that I feel but I really, really am trying. It's currently at around 65 which took some work because I did a massive purge. By the end of 2022 I'd like my TBR to be closer to 30, which is doable for the speed at which I read, and considering many of the books on my TBR are classics or big big books. I don't think I ever want it to be at 0 because I like to have a few options as a mood reader but under 10 would be amazing! I recently made a TBR cart so I can visually see all of my unread books. I still remember how I felt about each one when I bought them. I was so hyped up about them but because I kept buying and buying I forgot to read them. That make's me so sad! I want to be reading books as soon as I get them, or soon after, so that's really my main motivation to minimizing my TBR. And when I actually need books I can justifiably buy a few.
65 is a great starting TBR level for the new year! I know TBR goals don't always go to plan, but sometimes they do! And the motivation to work on them can feel really great. Wishing you the best of luck with your reading and teaching in 2022 :)
@@InsertLiteraryPunHere Thank you!
Well, being introduced in high-school by amazing teachers to Machado (I'm brazilian so I didn't have a choice ksksk but I'm glad it happened bc he's great and so damn sarcastic which I love, plus he's black and was whitewashed for so long I only learnt that a few years ago which says almost everything about things here) was great! And, although my favorite of his is Dom Casmurro I totally recommend you to go for it and read Bras Cubas when/if you can.
@Quênia Lalita oh, that's cool??? oh my, I know, right?? there's some recent books about it, I still couldn't afford any but they were highly recommeded, so...
@Quênia Lalita ooounn, I'm glad I could help!
The way I think about cost of books is what the alternative to spend the money for is - is it food, travel, other hobbies? $400 is two nice dinners for two where I live (which is ridiculous, I know), so spending the money on books instead is a no-brainer. The space issue is a whole other thing, which is one reason we need to step it up on libraries. Laziness Does Not Exist sounds interesting - I agree that we don't work as much as the serfs did, but should we? They did all die much earlier than they should have. I've read The Wallcreeper by Zink and I hated it - interested to see if you like her other book - or you can use this an excuse not to buy that one :)
So much of this is dependent on income in terms of framing, you know? I had exactly the same mindset as you before my career change; basically, "I don't spend on much else and I have some disposable income to spare, so I'll actively choose to spend it on books instead of other things." But now that my spending alternatives are actually basic food/insurance/rent, the book buying has a really different feeling to it ;) I'm hoping I'll get back to a place where I don't have to be so ruthlessly practical about it all
A zero TBR is a pipe dream.
I'm not typically one for baseless optimism, but I guess my TBR goals are the exception ;)
Super relate to this, especially the moving with books. I went through a divorce and moved from PA to FL in 2019, leaving a lot behind, but I still moved with a ton. It sucked. Looking to move somewhere North again in May, and I’ve been slowly chipping away at books I own, using audiobooks to get through some of them, or choosing some to get rid of but taking note to borrow an ebook in the future. I figure if I love a book that much after getting rid of it, it won’t be difficult to find a cheap copy somewhere, even years down the line.
Trying to get to that 1 book at a time TBR/owning only books I’ve read and loved…. someday!
It sounds like you have a really healthy perspective on what needs to move north with you versus what you might *want* to take in a world where moving weren't such a huge hassle. I know for me, moving without a partner (and without friends who lived nearby) meant that every single item in every single box was both packed and unpacked by me, which made everything that much more daunting. I hope you have some help with your move, but solidarity if you don't!
@@InsertLiteraryPunHere Thank you! Depending where I go, I may not have help at my destination. I have a friend who lives with me at the moment.
SAME SAME SAME.