Thoughts of a Bookworm #2: I am a book addict

Throughout my reading life, there has always been something that has made me happy beyond measure. It's the feeling which I get from buying and collecting and placing new books on my shelf. It is even that great excitement when I have gone into my favourite bookshop and be able to walk around to buying that book that I've been eying up after half an hour browsing.

But then the pandemic happened and my reading habits changed for the worst.

At first, when the lockdown was first announced, everything was fine. I still had my last year studies at university, which were coming to a close and I had my sister with me. So, I would say I was pretty lucky compared to some of the other people that were facing the same problem of the pandemic. It is only when I finished my degree and began looking for a new job it seems my life took a little spiral and I have only come to realise this in the last few months.

Then the book requests started to enter my inbox. The inbox that I haven't looked at in over a year due to being so busy. And it was amazing at first, I was back in my element among all the things that I truly love. I had this outlet to take away some of the troubles of the present and the future.

It is only then that I had discovered Netgalley. If you don't know what NetGalley is, it is this amazing platform that reviewers, booksellers etc. can use to get early eARCS of upcoming releases for a review. As you probably will have noticed this has become one of my go-to places to get upcoming releases for blog content. That was when my love became an obsession. It wasn't just about reading books to provide reviews but having one leg up in reading the newest releases before they even came out. But the difference is that it's digital and all backed up to my phone and ereader. The real problem was Twitter.

I love Book Twitter with all my heart. It is a great community and allows for you to jump in and out, as well as keeping up with the latest book content from the publishing world. I truly love some of the people with who I follow and interact. They are amazing people and I look up to them and admire what they have done for the community. The only problem is that they tend to showcase physical books. And if any true reader understands, once you have your heart set on it, that is all your money gone without a second thought. I think I might have spent hundreds of pounds since I first entered this book space. I know what you're thinking, ouch.

So, I bet you're starting to think what happens now? How should I go about recovering from this form of shopping addiction even though it is the only thing that is keeping me sane right now? For one, I need to think about what I already have. Currently, as it stands, I have counted 247 books on my TBR pile. Most of these have been bought in the last year as a way to curb my boredom. But things are changing in little ways and looking up and I've decided that instead of buying books I will be adding a pound to my savings for every book I have read off my TBR pile. I know that this is not a way of recovering the money that I have spent, but it is a motivation to use what is already in front of me.

Are you an addict? Do you love books so much that it has taken over your life like mine? You are not alone.

Comments

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

Mary Jane, is a novel that I have been keeping an eye on for quite a while now. It has always been a part of my reading list and only until now have I had possession of a copy. I just wish it didn’t take me so long to read it. Because without a doubt, I think it is probably the best book I’ve read this year. Set in the 1970’s it follows a fourteen-year-old girl who becomes a summer Nanny to the Cone Family. Even though the Cone Family seem to be a respectable bunch on the outside, they are quite the opposite with their messy family dynamics. However messy they are, Mary Jane becomes an important and well-loved member of their family. Drastically different from the home that she was bought up as a single child with parents who care about appearances in their community. Over the summer, Mary Jane’s world begins to open up as she begins to realise what her future would entail and what she wants from it. There isn’t much that I can fault in this book. The characters are not perfect, c...

Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann

SYNOPSIS As far as Phoebe is concerned, love is to be avoided at all costs. Why would you spend your life worrying about something that turns you into a complete moron? If her best friend Polly is anything to go by, the first sniff of a relationship makes you forget about your friends (like, hello?), get completely obsessed with sex (yawn) and bang on constantly about a person who definitely isn't as great as you think they are. So Phoebe isn't going to fall in love, ever. But then she meets Emma...

The Unbreakable Code

I found now with reading the second one-off thriller books, that they have very similar qualities. I know, they are done by the exact same author. But just think, why is there always a person in a certain role to take the antagonist side? Well, just a thought anyway. So i hope you have all been sound this last week, because this week i'm taking you back to Dan Brown with his book ' Digital Fortress '. Whoo hoo! All in a days work. Sorry about before, i think i was in a deep idea of thought- i sometimes do that, like most people. But never mind that, you didn't click on this page to hear me babble on about myself- oh no. It's time for the big judgement and whether your in the right mind to try it out afterwards! Genre: Conspiracy, Thriller Publisher: Corgi Year Of Publish: First published 1998 Pages: 512 Of course this would be the UK version. But would you be able to break the unbreakable code? So i bet you're wondering what is this all about? Well,...

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

SYNOPSIS Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it. The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other. Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta...

Blog Tour: Silver Linings by Jess Impiazzi

SYNOPSIS When one door closes, and another plan is derailed, it’s time to seek out the ‘Silver Linings’ and step up to the challenge. Jess Impiazzi’s journey of self-discovery, hard lessons, heart-breaking moments, self-care and openness to transformation make for a raw, authentic and inspiring story about how to follow dreams, overcome challenges and celebrate kindness in many forms.