Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion

Anyone else ever run into the situation where one day you can't find anything you want to read and then the next day you have way more choices than you really want? Earlier this week I just didn't feel like reading anything, believe it or not, and now the week is over and six library books I placed holds on long ago all came in and seven books I preordered all were delivered to my doorstep the same day. That's a total of thirteen new books now! I don't know what to read first! lol

I sometimes have too many choices and I am unsure what I actually feel like reading, military history, general history (what a range of topics), a bio or a travel book...... so many books!

Oh yes, I think that's pretty common, and not just with books; it's certainly also true with dvds, music and tv programmes (and probably shoes and clothes if you're a bit of a clothes horse!). Inability to make a choice when presented with an excess is a classic first world over-indulgence problem - we have lots and our minds struggle to decide which is the most important in periods of glut. It also can result in not choosing anything as you become depressed by the inability to come to a satisfactory choice. I get this quite a bit and end up with a lot of half-started books on the shelf as a result. I don't know why I leave bookmarks in them though as I always go back and start afresh when I return to them!

It's better to have a limited range of options than a broad one - studies have shown that people have more satisfaction with decisions when they have a small range of options rather than a large one - possibly because you can better evaluate all the options. We are more attracted when there is a wider variety of options though - we like to have oodles of choices even though we are less happy with the outcome because of it. I have only skimmed a little of it but there's a paper on the subject here:

http://www.columbia.edu/~ss957/articles/Choice_is_Demotivating.pdf

I remember many times thinking that I wanted to watch a film and would spend 10 minutes looking amongst the shelves (I used to own a LOT of dvds… slightly less now) and then would be unable to come to a decision and would end up watching some rubbish tv programme whilst fuming and feeling totally dispirited. Fortunately I've not experienced that with books though!

I have that issue too. its a case that do I read a book that has been in my to be read pile for age or a brand spanking new book.
@Paulfozz I have a lot of dvds so I know how that feels when deciding a dvd to watch. and my dvd collection keeps expanding just like my to be read pile is. lol

I also collect a lot if DVDs with my husband and have the very same dilemma. Lol

Paulfozz wrote: "It also can result in not choosing anything as you become depressed by the inability to come to a satisfactory choice. I get this quite a bit and end up with a lot of half-started books on the shelf as a result. I don't know why I leave bookmarks in them though as I always go back and start afresh when I return to them!..."

Me too! In fact, of those 13 new books I've got, so far I've tried three of them and they are now just sitting with bookmarks in them even though I'm likely to just pull those bookmarks out and start over whenever I get back to them.

I had that going on a few months ago. I decided to go by how long they had been on my TBR list and just went in the order they were added to that list.

I try to occupy my time the best way I can with books. If it looks like I am not reading anything my husband gives me something. Sometimes I do feel like not reading anything, but I have a ton of books on my shelf.

I do run into this sometimes. For me the problem is a lot less the more books I get. Weird, huh? But I think it's because when I had a 1/4 of what I do now, they were mainly one genre or two, so if I wasn't in the mood for more of the same kind of book, I was a bit stuck.

yes- I have started a puzzle when I get into the nothing to read moods because I really do have plenty to read just as I have plenty to wear and nothing to wear at the same time.

Fiona, that is when I grab something from the public library

This seems like a fairly common problem with reading addicts. I, like the majority of you, sometimes have a problem settling on a book to read. I have literally hundred of unread books to choose from but I sometimes flutter like a honey bee tasting various flowers, I read a number of books before finally settling on the right one.

I think we're all in the same boat or similar when it comes to choosing what book to read next. It's rough being a book addict and reader.