4 Oct 2014

DISCUSSION: Libraries

As fellow book people, I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I saw that libraries are the worst. Not in the usual ‘they’re so boring, blah blah’ way but in the ‘I already have enough books to read. Why are you doing this to me? WHHHY?’ kind of way. 


Hi, I’m Ely and I have a library addiction. (Now you all reply ‘Hi Ely’ in your monotone voices. Okay, GO!) I haven’t been to the library in three days, but I was on the library website three minutes ago looking as to whether any of my books have come in yet, even though it’s a Saturday and books don’t come in on weekends. It’s starting to take over my life.

Until about two years ago, around the time Chami and I started this blog, I got a library card after ten or so years of not having one. I used to borrow books from school in that time, but you could only ever take three out at a time so it was never a big deal. Then came the library card. Suddenly, I could take out as many books as I wanted and I could order books in from other libraries. I’m sure you can all imagine how this went.


That was my second library haul. The first time I went with Chami, and I got about 15 books out. I couldn’t even carry them. 

See, the things is...I can’t resist my library. I own about 400 books already, most of which are unread but I keep going back to that library, most of the time for books I don’t actually need. Currently, I have seven books out from the library and another seventeen on hold. Yes, that’s the level of crazy that I am on. 

I thought I’d share the books I currently have from/are on hold at the library. Firstly, the ones I have – Dissonance by Erica O’Rourke (2014 release), Perfect by Ellen Hopkins (because I NEEDED it after Impulse), On the beach by Neal Shute, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour book store by Robin Sloan and After Darkness by Christine Piper (all of which were recommended to me by the wonderful Brit) and then Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini and Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood (both of which I have actually started). 

Now onto the ‘on hold’ ones. Capricornia by Xavier Herbert, Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O’Neill and Lyrebird Hill by Anna Romer (again, recommended to me by Brit), The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones, Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta, I know why the cadged bird sings by Maya Angelou, Dark Places and Sharp Objects by Gillan Flynn (for reasons I am not entirely sure of), Gone Girl also by Gillan Flynn (because of the movie), The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (because it’s on my Top 14 to read and so I can understand Belzhar), Watchmen by Alan Moore plus two volumes of Captain America (because GRAPHIC NOVELS), and finally Toxic Heart by Theo Lawrence, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure by James Dashner (because I want them, but I don’t want to pay for them). 

This is what happens when I put myself on a book buying ban. You see this? It’s baaaad. Anyway, now it’s time for us to go around in the circle and you can tell of your terrible library addiction.

16 comments:

  1. Ugh yes the never ending cycle of the library addiction. I discovered the public library when I was 12 years old, and then I was an obsessed child. I would rent out 20 books (that's our maximum here), and ALWAYS have 6 on hold (that used to be our hold maximum, but they increased it to 10 a little while back). FINALLY I wasn't begging Mum to buy me all the books I wanted. There they were FOR FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

    Although, to be honest, I must say that I go through library phases. Sometimes I'm like you, and I've always got a tonne of books out and on hold, but then at other times I don't use the library for months - because I have so many of my own books to read AND review books and uni is a douche and likes to suck up lots of my time.

    But I can totally see myself going back into heavy library mode once uni is finished and I have all the free time in the world. :D

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    1. I'm attempting to cut down on my library books once I read all the ones I've got on hold, but that probably won't happen! I'm so envious of your strength, Chiara!

      x Ely

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  2. Oh my goodness, yes, this is a marvelous post! I have the exact same problem! I currently have 8 books checked out from the library, with 5 more on hold (and of course, tons of book I own that are un-read). And my library has this super-problematic Books2Go shelf, with a mish-mash of books arranged by color...and I can't resist! I almost always pick up another book, even though I haven't read the ones I already have at home. I sometimes think I should just pitch a tent and live in the library. So, you are not alone. Hi, I'm Sarah, and I have an addiction... ;)

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    1. Oh my god, that sounds amazing!!! I'm also really thankful that my library isn't anywhere as awesome as yours because I would just never leave and that would be bad. *monotone voice* Hi Sarah.

      x Ely

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  3. This happened to me too! Magically, I managed to get over it but I know exactly how you feel. The power of the library card was too much to handle! I started borrowing like no tomorrow. I think one day, I just got bored. My library doesn't have the greatest selection of books and they only get new YA every now and then. :P

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    1. Hoooow? TEACH ME YOUR WAYS, LAURA! Yeah, my library has a really, really good selection of YA which is totally my downfall -.-

      x Ely

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  4. I recently found a library in the city where I study that holds a nice collection of English books. I've never had a problem with libraries, because I live in Belgium and I only read English books. Suffice it to say that I only need to go to the library if I want to read classics. But this one, this has YA and fantasy! I already feel the need to go there once a week and just get four books every time. Still, my wallet will thank me, because now I don't have to buy every single book I want to read. No guilt!

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    1. That's true, Inge- it does save a lot of money which is always good :) I don't usually borrow classics from my local library because there aren't many there, but my University library has ever classic imaginable- so I get a little crazy!

      x Ely

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  5. Hi Ely, I'm Val. I am also a library addict. But not as bad as you. HA

    I just recently moved out of my parent's house, and got a new library card in a new county! It has the same amount of YA books as back at home, and they have an amazing county system like at home. The only problem, is that you have to pay a $1 to put books on hold or request them. Like wut. I don't want to pay. DO YOU SEE MY PROBLEM. Libraries usually don't do this!!! I don't care for delivery costs!

    Ok but yeah, I do need to go back to the library today. I don't know how you read 15 books in 2 weeks, I usually just borrow 2 at a time. YOU ARE CRAZY.

    how's the weather btw

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    1. Hi Val. Oh my god, you're such a bully!

      I totally read 'county' as 'country' -.- You have to pay? WHAA? That makes no sense :( My library gives you a month to read the books and you can reborrow them for another month after that. That's how I manage it.

      The weather is crazy. It was really warm this morning and now it's thunderstorming...

      x Ely

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  6. Ah I'm so sorry (nope actually not sorry!) that I am partly to blame for the level of library books, me and all my recommendations! Haha.
    I, surprisingly, do not have a library problem because I MUST OWN ALL THE BOOKS. That is my problem!

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    1. You're evil, Brit (and wonderful). HA, as you would have seen in my bookshelf post- I have that problem too.

      x Ely

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  7. Yaaay, another library addict :D I go to my local library at least twice a week, but I do set a limit of 3 books per trip, to keep things semi-sane lol.

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    1. How do you do that? Seriously though, I can never limit myself (obviously)

      x Ely

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  8. Yes. This is perfect. I've always had a library card, but my use of the library has fluctuated. I haven't been using the library that much this year, but being on my book buying ban, I went a little crazy. I borrowed 24 books out of two different libraries within the last month, and I've only read 4 of them...the rest either have holds on them, or I just don't feel like reading them, so I'll be returning them unread very soon.

    I also put 27 books on hold, and they all bloody came in at once, pretty much. Because I was at dads, and these were at the library at mums, I had to cancel my holds on 12 of them because I wouldn't be able to pick them up in time....ugh. :(

    At the time of writing this, I have 7 books checked out from the library, and I'm returning them all today. I've only read 2 of them...I also have 17 books on hold and 5 waiting to be picked up.

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    1. We're pretty much twins with the library problem, aren't we? I think we should both have our library privileges taken away from us :D

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