Yes, it's true. I'm a book-a-holic with a very serious problem. I cannot read all the books I want, so I think if I own them, it's almost like reading them. Only I'm seriously running out of space.
"So just quit getting books, Amy," you're thinking while rolling your eyes.
It's not that easy. For one thing, I love getting books. There is no sweeter feeling than the feeling of knowing you have acquired a book. Why? Because acquiring a book is like acquiring a possibility. It's a whole brand new fresh chance to have your life changed, turned upside down and all around by whatever is printed on that page! Or to be madly entertained and laugh like you've never laughed before. Or to find yourself, and see someone get you and express all those hidden thoughts and feelings like no one has ever managed to do before.
Okay I already want to run out and find a few more books so I better stop!
But even more than that, I consider book blogging a vocation. What that means is that I don't just read books and review them here, I am FULLY IMMERSED in the bookish community. I talk to book lovers, authors, publishers, publicists, and bloggers on a daily basis. I get, sometimes, upwards of 30 pitches a week for books that people want me to read. I'm in a book club. I subscribe to almost every publisher's newsletter, Shelf Awareness, Publisher Weekly, Publisher's Lunch, author newsletters, and all the major newspaper's book blogs. I read book blogs, fantastic book blogs that are amazingly well written and tempt me towards more books. When possible, I go to readings at my localish independent bookstore. I have other interests, but this interest interests me most.
Basically, I like books. And I have really easy access to books through bookstores, Amazon, and all the pitches that come flooding into my email inbox.
But lately, I've sort of been wanting to stop getting books and read what I have. Also, I need more space. But I need HELP. I am powerless over this addiction, and trust me, fellow book lovers are not much help. Luckily, I found a few willing to venture into this strange, scary unknown territory with me! We've set up a game, inspired by Game On! Diet. We have a point system. You get points for getting books and lose points for getting rid of books. At the end, the person with the fewest points win and the rest of us will treat that person to dinner when we're all together in New York for BEA. Also, we all have to donate a dollar to a charity of our choice for each point we have at the end of the month. Yes, that really is as sound as it sounds this is just a month long thing.
Here's the points system:
- Impulse buy: 10 points
- Coercing someone into buying you gift / buying book for someone else (not): 10 points
- Snagging a book on a swap site: 5 points
- Requesting a review copy (including Shelf Awareness): 5 points
- Considered buy: 5 points
- Saying yes to a review copy (pitched): 3 points
- Checking a book out from the library (any medium): 3 points
- Unsolicited review copy and genuine gift: 0 points
Andddd.....get rid of a book and you get -2 points.
My partners in crime?
Candace
Jen
Natasha
Nicole
Dawn
Wish me luck! And feel free to adapt our scoring system and find a small group of friends to play against yourself! (also we're calling this game BLOB, cause we're good at picking attractive appealing sounding names like that. BLOB=Biggest Loser of Books!)
