I’ve an admission to make. I have too many books. The shelves in the study are bursting at the seams. Double-stacking is common. There are books under the bed, (cook) books in the kitchen, books in the spare bedroom, books in the loft. They’re everywhere. Things have gotten out of hand.

I know there’s not really any such thing as too many books, but the house is getting messy and then there’s the potential fire hazard. I’m not getting any younger, either, so will I really find time to read them all?

The situation has reached critical. Time to act. So, in a desperate effort to at least stop things from getting any worse, I have instigated (not for the first time) a one out for one in rule. It’s brutal, I know, but I must read and dispose* of a book before I can buy a new one.

The trouble is, that might help to stop things getting worse but it doesn’t actually improve the current situation. I mean, what are the chances of me finishing a book and then not taking the opportunity to buy a new one? Yep, zero.

Barring a very specifically targeted burglary, an ultimatum from my wife (won’t happen as she reads more than me) or what insurers like to call an act of God, things aren’t going to improve any time soon. So I’m stuck. Out of ideas. Getting desperate.

Got any suggestions? Anything legal and non-violent towards books considered. Should I read faster? Buy smaller books? Time to share your solutions.

* Don’t worry, when I say ‘dispose’ that means handing the book on to a friend/relative/stranger or else dropping it into a charity shop. No bins, burials or incinerations here.

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