National Post books editor Mark Medley (pictured, via) labeled himself a “book hoarder” in a new essay.
Here’s an excerpt: “I am unable to get rid of any of them. I own some terrible, terrible books — you wouldn’t believe how many crap books get published in this country — but cannot, for the life of me, part with a single one. I am a book hoarder, which, in my line of work, is a troublesome problem to have … Just now, I walked over to the part of the office where mail to me is delivered and counted 15 large containers filled with packages; these have come in the past three or four days. My first impression, upon seeing so many new books in one place, is to dive into them headfirst, like Scrooge McDuck into his vault of gold bullions.”
Do you share his affliction? Twitter research revealed that Medley is not alone. Author Robert Wiersema admitted that he rented a basement suite to use as a study and it now contains “piles of books on the floor and every horizontal surface.” Freehand Books editor Robyn Read regularly shops at garage sales to add to her collection.