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Squirreling Away

Confession: I’ve never read Lisa Kleypas’ Dreaming of You. Oh, I know it’s fabulous. I know everyone loves it. Chances are I’ll love it, because I nearly always enjoy her books, and this seems to be everyone’s favorite. I have it, and periodically I’ll hold it and think, “Maybe I’ll read this next.” But I can’t quite bring myself to do it.

Why, you may ask? I know it sounds a little silly, but I like just knowing it’s out there waiting for me. I enjoy the idea of Dreaming of You. It feels like money in the bank, ready if I need it sometime, waiting for when I might be ready. I suppose there’s a chance I won’t love it; I am after all, the woman who traded the much loved Lord of Scoundrels back in to the used bookstore sometime in the nineties (speaking of which, I’ll probably reread that sometime to see if I still have the same impression. Can hundreds of Top 100 voters really be wrong?). But at this point, it will stay in my nightstand, waiting for the ideal moment – whenever that might be.

Of course, that’s not the only book I’m squirreling away. I bought many of the Georgette Heyer books when they were all being reissued, and I’ve read only two. Because, you know, the others are waiting for the right moment. Similarly, I once had Julia Justiss rave to me about Loretta Chase’s old regencies. So I snapped them up – and read none of them…yet. Since this conversation occurred (gulp) ten years ago, I guess it’s kind of a long wait.

Actually, I feel like the advance in technology is really my friend in this area. In the past, if I wanted to read a book someday, I had to buy it now and store it now, until I felt ready. Now with nearly every book released electronically as well as in print – and older print books rereleased as ebooks – I feel like I can even wait to buy until I’m ready to read. I keep far fewer books “just in case” – my husband is very happy about this.

How do you feel about saving special reads for the indefinite future? Is there something you’re squirreling away?

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Barbara
Barbara
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01/12/2012 10:44 am

Not a squirreler, but I have a TBR pile which has gotten very small. I guess I am becoming more discriminant in what I buy. A few years ago I would buy lots of books at once, but that resulted in books never getting read and going directly to the UBS. In the last year I find that I buy only one or two at a time for my nook. Exceptions are the latest pricing where pre-orders are less. One thing that is interesting; I had never read the Black Dagger Brotherhood books. I kept reading about them on blogs, etc. and finally, finally decided to read them after I enjoyed Colleen Gleason’s vampires so much. Oh boy! what I was missing. I have had to ration myself or I would have read them all in about 10 days. I didn’t want to read them all so fast, but rather decided to savor. I have two left and have already pre-ordered the next one. So in a way, I hang on to a book until the right time I guess.

lauren
lauren
Guest
01/12/2012 8:37 am

My TBR pile or stash is well over 100 books and growing. I am always looking for books to “”save”” I keep thinking that at some point I will exhaust the library and will have nothing to read…LOL!

Susan
Susan
Guest
01/12/2012 6:14 am

I do it, too. I have books by my favorite authors waiting on my Kindle. I haven’t read them. Saving them up.

I do the same with chocolate. I’ll take a little and save the rest for later.

willaful
willaful
Guest
01/12/2012 2:44 am

I have several old Mary Baloghs squirreled away for a rainy day.

Blythe
Blythe
Guest
01/11/2012 10:09 pm

I’m glad I am not the only “”squirreler”” (I think I have a new favorite word). It’s interesting that there are even different squirreling styles.

On the other hand, I am fascinated by the concept of a tbr pile with only four or five books in it. My pile hasn’t looked like that since college.

Victoria S
Victoria S
Guest
01/11/2012 7:53 pm

I do not possess the will power to squirrel away a book. The best I have ever been able to do is, if two or more books come out at the same time, I will read the one I am most excited about last, but delayed gratification is about as far as I can go.

Now, with the Kindle, I will sample a book, and may have to wait to buy it because of exhausting my book budget for the month, but as soon as I get a book, I am reading it, in print or e-reader.

Needless to say my TBR pile is pretty much a Not Read Yet Pile of about 4 (max) books.

Ruby
Ruby
Guest
01/11/2012 4:45 pm

I’m a squirrely reader, too. I, however, am a strategic squirreler, lol — there are certain times of year that I like to read certain types of books, and I squirrel them away for those times. For instance, winter is when I love to read older Harlequins and Silhouettes, probably because a boring winter weekend was when I first discovered these, so I associate them with cold weather. In the spring and summer I prefer historicals. Evidently I’m too busy in the fall to worry about what I’m going to read, lol, because I’m open to suggestion in that season! I have a few Anne Stuart categories that I’ll get to this month and February/March.

In fact, I, too squirreled away “”Dreaming of You”” for a few years. I think I was almost afraid to read it, afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype. I can say it was a satisfying read, but not my favorite Lisa Kleypas — that’s “”Devil in Winter.””

I also second your opinion of “”Lord of Scoundrels,”” Blythe. I can see the book’s merits, but I was completely underwhelmed by it. It was a C read at best for me. I feel validated in my opinion now, lol.

wenmc
wenmc
Guest
01/11/2012 4:07 pm

I will squirrel away books that I know will be a trilogy. Then when the last book is published I will read them all at once. I do this with series as well, I have many series (not yet started) on my TBR pile. Then I immerse myself in that world for weeks.

RobinB
RobinB
Guest
01/11/2012 3:38 pm

I definitely am a “”squirreler””–which is probably why the TBR stack resembles the Rocky Mountains!

What’s interesting is that although my pile of hard copy books is starting to dwindle, the TBR on my NOOK is growing and growing and . . .!

PatH AAR
PatH AAR
Guest
01/11/2012 1:40 pm

Uh, isn’t that what e-readers are for?! While I have over 500 books on my Kindle, maybe a fourth of them are in a holding patterns waiting for…vacation…a long car trip…a plane trip…something that in preparation I’d pre-Kindle go to B&N or Borders (RIP!) and stock up.

This morning getting my hair cut, I purged the I-don’t-think-so samples on my Kindle. Now I only have viable samples and books I plan to read. Oh, yes, and those still in a waiting pattern. Sigh. (On the bright side, the books aren’t stacked up around the house!)

xina
xina
Guest
01/11/2012 1:08 pm

Oh…and, I posted another comment earlier this morning, but it didn’t show up. So, if it does show up sometime during the day, that is what happened. I haven’t gone posting-crazy…yet.

xina
xina
Guest
01/11/2012 1:06 pm

Absolutely! Doesn’t everyone? LOL! I squirrel away books for that rainy day, for the snowy day, for the perfectly perfect time to read THAT book. **sigh** I’m hoping that 2012 is the year I get to at least a few of those books I have safely stored away. A few in the romance genre that come to mind…a handful of older books by Mary Balogh, Fallen From Grace (Leone), The Windflower (London), Black Silk (Ivory). I hope that they are all perfect books and well worth the wait. I’m counting on that.

Thea
Thea
Guest
01/11/2012 12:18 pm

I completely identify with Lea’s comment about saving the books you know you’ll love for vacation reading. But my hoarding has gotten way out of hand. I buy the books of the authors I absolutely love and read all others through the library. I currently have about 60 library books sitting next to my bed which must be read timely to avoid fines, so the number in my “”favorites”” hoard grows every year.

Tee
Tee
Guest
01/11/2012 11:35 am

Nope, squirrelling books away for another era does not work for me. If and when I receive a few books at a time for reading, I’ll choose the one to read that I really think will bring me the most enjoyment—just in case something unforseen happens and then I won’t have the time for it. The time is now, carpe diem, seize the day, and all that…

Louise
Louise
Guest
01/11/2012 11:16 am

Opps! That was supposed to be Great blog… :)

Louise
Louise
Guest
01/11/2012 11:15 am

I totally do this! Sometimes I save things for when I know I am waiting for another book to come out and will want something to keep the anxiety down or sometimes it is because the book I have is a Regency and I am just not in the right mood for a Regency, but I know that it will be waiting there for me when I am! :)

Right now, I have the Fallen Angels books squirrelled away. As a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, I know that I would probably love the Angels, but I am just not ready to commit. So I am keeping them for when I am!

Glad Blog! Thanks Blythe!

Christine
Christine
Guest
01/11/2012 10:59 am

I am definitely a “”save one for a rainy day”” kind of gal. I have heard Julie Ann Long is great so I have one of her books bought and stashed away on my Kindle for my next “”book slump.”” I loved Meljean Brooks’ Iron Seas books and short stories so I have Yasmeen’s story tucked away as my Ace in my back pocket for a sure fire great read. I always leave at least one Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters book unread so I always have one to look forward to. Ditto with the Eve Dallas/In Death series- I own the first two and one day it will be time to dig in.

Lea Hensley
Lea Hensley
Guest
01/11/2012 10:59 am

I definitely fall into the “”Squirreling Away”” category. I do it in the name of vacation reading. I save up the ones I think will be the absolute bests (such as a favorite author’s newest release) for traveling. I can calmly save up for months. I also find myself doing this for the second in a series if I have absolutely loved the first. Why not spread out the joy?

And, of course, since I listen to as many books as I read these days, I do the same with audiobooks although it may be the combination of an author and narrator that has me saving for those perfect few days with few interruptions.

dick
dick
Guest
01/11/2012 10:27 am

I let Harlequin Intrigues and SIM’s do it for me. Whenever I’m faced with a dearth of new or unread books, I scan the shelves of Intrigues and IM’s at the UBS for authors I’ve read and enjoyed who wrote for those lines at some time or another. They fill the gaps nicely.

Vol Fan
Vol Fan
Guest
01/11/2012 10:01 am

I do this too. I have no idea why. I’ve tried to figure it out, but can’t seem to come to any conclusion. At the top of my squirrelled away list are the Kaki Warner books of the Blood Rose Trilogy. I know I will like them. I just seem to be saving them for the “”right time””. I have many older & missed books too that I’ve discovered here & ordered immediately, only to have them sit on my “”saver”” shelf. I find myself doing this even more often if I get in on a late series. I don’t want to start a series until I have plenty of time to savor them. I always say to myself, Oh, I’ll just read this other one first & quickly before I start this series up. Then they are squirrelled away even longer. Again and again. But I do it with stand-alone books too.

I think I almost fear that I am going to be trapped somehow without books to read, so I hoard some as back up. Kinda weird I know, but I can’t seem to help it. I hoard some and read my kindle instead.

Eggletina
Eggletina
Guest
01/11/2012 9:59 am

I definitely squirrel away books for the just the right moment or mood, especially for authors that I love. My life is full of interruptions and distractions, so for books and authors I’m pretty certain I’m going to love, I definitely want to cultivate the right environment or mood before I read them. Sometimes it doesn’t take too long, sometimes it takes months or years. For authors that don’t write very fast, I also find comfort in knowing I have at least one or two books left to read for that rainy day when I really need something I know will be good. I have a few Kinsales left that I’m saving for just such an occasion.

As to the topic of buying, deals also move so fast these days, that I still feel the need to gobble up the bargain books when the bargain is being offered (esp for eBooks). Rights can change, too, so you never know when a book will be taken off the market. I’ve had a few slip through my fingers that way, thinking they will be available for a long time and I’ll get them later. But later turned out to be too late and I’ve had to hunt for those books in the used book market. You can’t rely on libraries to have some of the older books now, because if not enough patrons are reading them, they get rid of them.

Leigh
Leigh
Guest
01/11/2012 9:37 am

Ahhhhh – No. I read too many C books so when a book is getting raves on the boards or from a review then I immediately read it. And honestly I tend not to have a TBR pile.

I do now, because a friend sent me two big boxes of books. And I have had a lot going on, limiting my reading time.

But typically I only have four or five books waiting to be read. And if I don’t read a book without a certain time frame, then it usually doesn’t get read.