Take Me to a Bookstore NOW!

I’m in a low-buy year. I am budgeting strictly and reserving most of my earnings for long-term savings goals — including having a child and potentially buying a house.

One of the hardest sacrifices I’ve had to make is saying goodbye to my frequent trips to local bookshops. As much as I crave the feel of a new book in my hand, and my desire to support authors, I need to be more mindful of my spending.

I won’t lie and say I’ve fully committed to no book shopping, but on average, I was buying at least one or two new books each month. We are in March, and I’ve only bought two so far! And those books (The Witcher #1 and Braiding Sweetgrass if you’re curious) were purchased online for the cheapest option.

It’s been over two months since I’ve browsed a wide collection of new and used books. I haven’t been able to wrap myself in the peace and joy I so easily find in a bookstore. I am craving a book splurge, and the itch is only growing by the day.

Social media, TikTok in particular, highlights overconsumption. Any household product you can imagine gets shown off in outrageous numbers.

And books are no exception.

I am guilty of feeling jealous of the gorgeous, library-style bookshelves that line content creators’ walls. I envy their enormous book hauls where they unpack box after box of perfectly packaged books for the camera. I am impossibly jealous of the Barnes and Noble challenge, where couples give their partner 3 minutes to put as many books in their cart as possible. (That should be me! I scream into my phone.)

I find myself longing to be in their financial position and secretly wishing I were holding all those treasures in my hands.

Books are truly so precious to me. And authors deserve to be paid for their exquisite works. But unfortunately, now is not the time to be adding to my collection.

In order to help me kick my cravings for bookstores, I’ve been utilizing my audio/ebook reader app. I personally use Everand. I know Libby is a great option, too. But unfortunately, I don’t have access to an American library card since I live in South Korea. So I fork over my nine dollars a month, and in return, I can read/ listen to as many books as I want.

I’ve been able to look through books on my screen, which, of course, doesn’t come close to the calm of an actual bookstore, but still, it’s great fun to see all the unknown books just waiting to be explored. I’ve found some really wonderful poetry collections while browsing on the app.

I’ve also been keeping an analog list of all the books I want to eventually buy. I do this with clothes and hobby shopping as well. Writing it down momentarily scratches the itch of instant gratification.

I believe there is a strong psychological bond between a patron and a bookstore. It’s slightly different from the way in which a library feels. I think the possibility of ownership over the stories is what draws many of us in. It’s like browsing an art gallery, and you can take the prettiest picture home and treasure it for the remainder of your life if you so choose.

I also feel more connected to other authors when I directly support their work through my purchase. As a writer, there is nothing more exciting than when someone picks up your story and shares time with it. I like to be on both the receiving and giving end of that literary loop.

Giving up on bookstores has felt almost like I’m severing a bond to a community I care deeply about, and that’s been the most emotionally burdensome change in my life during my low-buy year.

I have to remind myself that I have books waiting to be read at home. And all the copies I find myself drawn to will still be around once all my goals are met.

But, still, I think I need to visit a bookstore before I go nuts!

I need to browse the curated tables while listening to the soft jazz playing over the speakers. I need to indulge in a quick sniff of the musky books in the vintage books section. I need to exist for a brief period in time alongside my favorite material goods: books. (I am just another cog in this capitalistic machine after all.)

I want to keep my budget, but sometimes I want to buy a new book even more. Instant gratification has me in a chokehold.

I know if I visit a bookstore, I’ll be tempted to shop. This is why I’ve been steering clear of them altogether.

But… a little treat never hurt anyone, right?