Anonyma'am wrote:When I got my first Kindle, I downloaded dozens of books from Gutenberg and bought a very few (I'm poor, to be frank). Then I discovered sites like this one. Now I have more books than I could ever read! I can't even keep up loading them into Calibre (I insist on certain metadata). See, I have this "affliction". I call it "Costco syndrome", i.e. get it now before it's gone. I only download what I'm interested in (as opposed to grabbing *everything*). I'm also trying to replace as much of my printed library as possible. I *have* learned to avoid the huge collections that people post, unless there is a book in it that I really can't find elsewhere. But still, am I just being greedy?
Is anyone else like this?! Costco syndrome? How do you handle it? Does it even matter?
I began collecting (paper) books more than 50 years ago, and eventually amassed a great number (have never counted) which now partly live in storage in a spare room and in the upper part of my garage in plastic boxes. When I retired and moved a few years ago I never put enough shelves to display them all. I still remember the first book in my collection, which is now (I think) inhabiting my brother's collection.
More than two years ago I discovered eBooks and am now reading on my PC and a new Kindle Fire. Mobilism and other sites have meant that I can now find and 'keep' those books I always wanted but couldn't really afford. And Calibre has provided me with all the 'shelves' I'll ever need.
Some time ago I began to be more selective about those books I grab from Mobilism and so my collection is only just over the 12,000 mark at present. Of course, I still add a few new books every day, but try to be reasonable and spend more time reading . . .
Thanks to all who contributed to this interesting thread . . .