Buying Books as a Hobby vs Reading as a Hobby

Buying books and reading books are two very different hobbies!

Twitter: @MikeG_315

[suruyt]

For me, buying the entire series before reading the first book is an hobby

[misasawashiro]

I, too, am guilty of committing ‘tsundoku’ … a lovely Japanese term referring to the practise of purchasing books and letting them pile up unread. We bibliophiles must be careful to not start decorating our houses with books but to actually use them for their intended purpose: reading.

[Frostything]

I am a mix of both these people. I don't buy a ton of books at once, but I do gain a good bit of pleasure from having a nice collection on my shelf, and I love going to the bookstore with my partner often. I justify it by reminding myself I never know what book I'll be in the mood to read next, so it's good to have a variety to choose from. The end result is that I always end up with about half my shelf being read, half unread. As my collection grows, that proportion seems to always stay about the same, which is odd because it's not like I systematically go buy a book each time I finish one. It just always.. ends up.. that way.

[zackiz]

The first part is so...painfully true. From now, I'm only buying a new book when I have read all books on my shelves. I promise...

[thanks]

Meanwhile, reading-me looks like a person on their phone because I refuse to buy books and instead loan ebooks from the library...

[blacksky]

I've been a "movie guy" my whole adult life, and I can relate soooo much to the first part. I used to buy tons of dvds and blurays and they ended up on my shelf only to collect dust....

During the pandemic I turned back to my old books and reading became my new hobby. Since then, I'm trying to read every book I buy in order to avoid mistakes from the past.

[ADHDlanguages]

There's nothing wrong with either one, but it's very useful to understand that they are two separate hobbies. If I just want to read something, I'm fine with ebooks and library books, and if I just want to get a book to look cool on the shelf, then I feel no obligation to read it. Like I said, nothing wrong with either one, but it's important to know what you're doing.

[mertala]

SERİOUSLY, I bought 11 books at the start of this month, but I didn't read them (yet). I ALWAYS read the books I bought, just not right now, it's not like drinking water or something

[KillerFaceification]

I'm just a reader. The only time I've really bought books that I haven't read was when I started collecting free books on Kindle. I do have over 100 free books that I will never read on kindle, but I don't actually buy a new book until I get done reading the book I'm reading.

[ArtJohn-qpkn]

I know how it feels going to a used bookstore and seeing all those books, having the excitement of not knowing what you may find. Having that dopamine hit when finding a couple of books and then buying them. Go back home read the first chapters or so than get the urge of doing it all over again. Honestly I don't regret it one bit. I'm a researcher for life

[bodine]

I grew up without a lot if disposable income, so buying books was a HUGE treat, one I reserved exclusively for things I had already read. See, there was this really fun place called a library…
I’m a writer now and I do sometimes buy books I haven’t read, but they go on a small tbr shelf and if I don’t like them I get rid of them.
Ebooks though…so cheap…so tempting…so lacking in that magical inky smell and special paper texture

[cmonroyabal]

I have already stopped buying books so often, you spend a lot of money and sometimes you lose interest in reading some books that you longed for before. I prefer to read in PDF, borrow books from the library or buy second-hand. I only buy new books that I have already read and loved. it's much more satisfying to have a library where I like everything I have.

[yuckal]

I just recently bought that really cool Barnes and Noble Edgar Allen Poe book, yep still haven't read any of it, it's ok i'll get around to it just like the 40 other books i bought in the last two years. (Me: "I want to read." Also Me: "Maybe i'll read after watching youtube, plus I'm up to season five of Star Trek Voyager, so maybe i'll read tomorrow... yeah definitely tomorrow.")

[khapangdebbarma]

now we all know buying books and reading books are two different hobbies .

[rosie_gamgee]

The last time I tried to buy a book my card was declined- my bank thought it was suspicious activity 😭

[writer_surabhi_singh]

People talking about how they loved the first part of this video, but I honestly love how relatable the second part is. Non-readers can never understand the pleasure of just sitting down and reading a book, they'll always consider it to be something "boring". :D

[NiallMc]

The old me can relate to buying books as a hobby and being overwhelmed by the amount I have to read and not getting near any of them 😂.. so I took the decision to give away my unread books to a charity shop and only start searching for my next one when I'm nearly finished the one I'm reading. It's working a charm... for now😊

[SuperHappyNotMerry]

I'm both of these and I find that often they are mutually exclusive, i.e. it's only when I no longer am able to buy new books that I finally start reading them

[erikaeriksson]

I read, lots and lots. I also collect beautiful leatherbound books. Those I don't read, they just bring me joy standing there all guilded and fancy. Two different hobbies.

[PowerRangerfan]

For me, I do both of these. I buy a good amount of books, but I also read them.