The new year has finally been rung in and while a plethora of book bloggers and youtubers go to stack their shelves for the new year, I can't help but try and clear mine out. As told through my dumb graphic t-shirts and glaring braces, I'm still in high school, yet soon to leave it. As I tried to think of countless book and reading goals I could have for the year, my mind kept feeling so crowded by the book I already owned. After watching a handful of videos on book consumerism, I decided it be best to follow what booktubers like Beyond the Pages are doing and not buy any books for the new year. I didn't want to leave behind crates of books for when I went off to school, it just didn't feel fair to my parents to have that mess. I've also just been trying to buy less of what I already own, in both the reading and studying communities, I have found that many people tend to buy plenty more of what they already have. Yet, Read with Cindy put it best when she said that "people shouldn't be shamed for owning too many books or too little books". Those people can do as they wish with their money, but I realized that I, personally, would benefit from only buying when necessary.
Therefore, for the rest of 2019, I have to say farewell to Barnes & Noble and hello to my own collection at home. If you go to my "2019 Goals" tab, you can see just which books I need to get through *cough* there's over 40 *cough*. While it may be a form of negative motivation, reading through books only in the hopes to buy more, I think it will be a healthy form of release to finally have a cleared coffee table and conscience. With that being said, what happens if I do finish all of the books before the end of the year? Will I rush to the nearest book store? Sell my soul to Jeff Bezos' two-day shipping? No. In reflecting on all of the books I've bought over the years, the amount that I've spent has totaled to an unhealthy loss of income. After coming across the wonders of Libby and Overdrive, after I finish the books I have at home, I'm going to try and get every book through either a free e-book edition as provided through local libraries and promotions, thrift stores, and the best ebay auctions I can find. I want to have a passion that doesn't make me fret over how much I spend on it. Finally, after I read each book from both this year and the future, I plan of giving it away to either thrift book stores for credit, the local book charities, or, if the book truly is a once-in-a-lifetime, keep it. I don't think it's wrong to own books, but if I plan on being in a dorm, the last thing I want is for my books to take up the bunk where my roommate should be.
2 Comments
Cole (Author)
1/18/2019 06:45:39 pm
It's honestly made me fallen in love with my school library. I walk in and I look to the shelves and I'm like 'WHAT??? THEY HAVE [insert book that probably every library in north america has]???'. You should totally check out the free e-books that libby and overdrive have, 10/10 collection of some really new arrivals. I have cheated a bit and got some books from a thrift store the other day, but it all totaled to under five dollars and I donated 5 bags of items lol. I really appreciate your comment and am glad to find someone else looking consciously at their spending and reading habits!
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