Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Top Ten Rewind - Bookish Bad Habits

I just love Top Ten Tuesday. Our friends at Broke and Bookish have been keeping things fresh for a while and now its time to REWIND! I'm especially excited about this because I've only been participating for a few months so this gives me an opportunity to pick a topic I missed out on before. Yay!

This week I chose:

Top Ten Bookish Bad Habits

I personally think that I have an unhealthy obsession with books and reading. It can only be considered healthy up to a point, but when you read a physical TBR list of over 50+ books, its bordering on unhealthy.

10. I buy too many books. Sometimes they are books that I'm not even entirely sure I'll read in the near future, but in my head, if I don't buy the book RIGHT NOW, it will be gone and I will never get to read it. Ugh, and therein lies the problem of my 50+ physical TBR shelf.

9. I don't give myself enough time after one book before starting the other. There have been times where I finish a book and then literally start a new one five minutes later. That cant be good right? However, in my defense, if I don't start a new book, my head is still in the old one and then I feel as though I cant be objective in writing my review.

8. I can never decide what to read next. Well, with a TBR shelf the size of mine, how could I? But here is the problem: I literally take all of my TBR books, lay them out in piles on the floor and do one giant "eenie meenie miney moe" to decide what to read next. But I'm not even kidding, because otherwise I cant decide. I actually did this yesterday and this is how I ended up with Poison by the late Bridget Zinn as my next read. You can imagine my panic when I thought my eenie meenie was going to land on The Casual Vacancy.

7. I generally don't stop reading books even if I hate them. This actually isn't as true as it used to be since in the beginning of the year, I made a bookish resolution to remember that I don't have to read something I don't like. I recently put down Insurgent by Veronica Roth, and though I do intend to read it, I just decided I didn't have to suffer through it right now (I'm sorry to those of you who loved this - I just had a hard time getting into it).

6. There are books on my TBR shelf from up to two years ago. Lately I've been buying so many books and reading the ones I have recently bought and all the other ones I've bought just get pushed to the side, unread, waiting for the day they will be chosen.

5. I am extremely easy on my books, and though I've gotten better, if a friend borrowed a book or would be looking at the book I'm reading, there would be times that I would say to them "easy with that" or "look at how you're holding it". Needless to say for a while, people didn't want to borrow books from me. That in turn made me sad because I wanted to share the books I loved. So I've calmed down a bit with borrowers, though I am still extremely easy on the books I read.

4. There was a time when I was a book hoarder and could not get rid of anything I had even if I hated it. I am still pretty bad, with four book shelves plus the need for another, BUT just last month I gave about 60 books away that I knew I'd never read again to two good friends of mine. They were thrilled, obviously!

3. I cannot and will not like to borrow books or read on e-readers. I have an e-reader to play games on and to read the e-book exclusive short stories that go with books, and I will occasionally borrow a book (from the library or a friend) if I'm really not sure of it, but I cant stand the thought of not having a book to read in my hand then adding it to my illustrious read shelf when I am done.

2. I refuse to read any book that becomes wildly popular (e.g. Twilight, Hunger Games, etc.) until one of two things happens: someone I know and am CLOSE with (just a passing acquaintance wont do it) and who I have respect for in their bookish opinions (I have many friends who read smut or aren't literary freaks like myself, or who just arent into the same genres as me so I tend not to go for their opinions) reads it and recommends it, or its being turned into a movie. I hate jumping on band wagons unless I know it is well written, unique and worth my TIME!! Remember that time I took one crazy friend's advice and read Fifty Shades. Yeah, uh, never again! Also, if it is going to become a movie, it is going to be much more widely know amongst the friends who don't read and I'd like to be able to discuss it and possibly force them to read the book!!!

1. I cant get past the end of Harry Potter. If Jo Rowling would just write a damn spin-off series, the world would be right again! There are times that I will just hang out in my head in Harry Potter world because everything else sucks. Feeling depressed? Watch/read HP (watching is just a quicker fix). I compare everything to HP and nothing is ever good enough. I think every TTT list I have ever written has HP on it somehow.

Now I don't know necessarily that all of my habits are bad ones. I think what is bad is that when I try to stray from those "norms", it gives me anxiety and I go crawlin' right back. My books are my salvation and when I try to pull myself away from what makes me sane, I just end up doing everything worse than before.

What REWIND did you choose this week? Do you have any bad bookish habits to share?

A.

11 comments:

  1. I have so many of these same habits! My TBR shelf is massive as well and I am trying to weed through it this year...though not being too successful at the moment. Like you, I am hesitant about trying books just because they are "popular" like Twilight. Thankfully, I read The Hunger Games shortly after its release so I was actually ahead of the curve on that one...which never happens. Great list!

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  2. I've just gotten better about letting a book go when I don't like it, unless I trick myself into thinking that it's going to get better. Also, I'm getting better at getting rid of books as well! I totally agree with your list!

    My TTT

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  3. Heehee, I think HP is on every list I've made, too. But how can you not get past the ending? I think it is the most satisfying ending I've ever read! And I'd hardly count being careful with your books a bad habit, even if I love seeing a nice worn out book, myself. Btw, do you have twitter? I feel like we'd have much to discuss Hp-wise!
    -Esty
    My TTT

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    Replies
    1. haha Esty I just mean I cant get over the fact that it has ended! Haha, poor choice of words on my part! I do have twitter, however. I shall follow you!! :)

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  4. I have soooo many of the same bad habits but I am so in denial and won't admit to them being bad so I just keep going on my merry way. Although I will say that I think it can be silly sometimes not read a book just because it is popular. I think if any book is intriguing to you, even if it is wildly popular, it should be worthy of a chance. Just because it is popular doesn't mean it is bad necessarily. And usually if it is popular, it is for a reason (Other than Twilight and Fifty Shades, bleh)

    Great list though!

    I chose my favourite book covers this week,

    My Top Ten

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  5. For number 8 I just might have to do that, because I also can never decide what to read next. SO, that might help me.
    And #6 that is also so me. I have a book on my self that's been there UN-read for three years.
    Old follower
    my TTT
    http://kimberlysnovelnotes.blogspot.com/2013/04/top-ten-tuesday-17.html

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  6. I think as book bloggers and lovers, we all possess some of these habits.
    I personally couldn't imagine getting rid of any of my books, my collection is a mere nothing next to what you described yours to be. Haha. But I couldn't part all the same.

    My TTT: Bookish Pet Peeves

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  7. I agree with pretty much every single one of these! Such bad habits, but I can't seem to break them...! :/

    My Top Ten.

    ~Lynette @ Escaping Reality – One Book at a Time

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  8. I do so many of these, it's not even funny. Love this list! And thanks for stopping by my blog!

    Denise

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  9. I love reading people's bookish bad habits - they make me feel better about my own. Like having hundreds of books I'm yet to read but just HAD to buy them... and then going out and buying a new book because I didn't feel like reading any of the books I had... it's insane. And I know I'm ridiculous but still... I doubt I'm going to change.

    I really love your list.

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I love hearing from readers and fellow bloggers! Make sure you leave a link to your blog and let me know if you're following, and I'll pay you a visit and follow back! :)

A.