Originating from Japanese, the word tsundoku is one of those words imported to English because we don’t have an equivalent. It basically means “book hoarding” but more specifically it is the habit of buying or collecting books and leaving them unread, often piled up in stacks on nightstands or other surfaces.
Ah yes. I am very familiar with that practice and it is a big part of my justification for taking on the 2015 Reading Challenge and cutting down some of my tsundoku-induced shame.
As part of “Operation CRAP” (Crud Reduction and Abatement Plan) — a plan that I set into motion in early December — I recently sorted out and interfiled a lot of my books back on to the bookshelves, but I was keenly aware of just how many I have accumulated in the last 5 or 6 years that I want to read “at some point” — at least 20 of those have made it into my reading challenge list.
It’s hard for me to consider books to be clutter; I’ve always had books around me. — when the FB meme of “grab the nearest book, turn to page X and post the Nth paragraph” circles around, there is always a book within arm’s reach. My parents are avid readers, I’ve always brought home more books from the library than I could read before the date due, and I tend to offer sanctuary to hurt or unwanted tomes. As a result, we have a LOT of books. Here’s some of our shelves, tucked away in the basement:
I will admit, some books are harder to part with than others. Text books for which I paid a fair bit or any book that was a gift is more likely to linger. On the other hand, I find fiction fairly easy to part with once I’ve read the book. Long ago, I embraced Bookcrossing (is that still active?) but now with the Blackwood Book Box, I am very happy to pass along my books that direction.
I do read a fair bit electronically and I go through phases of library-reads, but I will always be a book hoarder and tsundoku will always be part of my reality.