Book Buying Habits

I am currently reading The Kite Runner. This book was given to me for Christmas last year but I've had so many books waiting to be read that I only got to it now. There's one other book/Christmas gift out there somewhere, still wrapped in plastic. I'll get to it before Christmas 2010 :)

How many books do you have on your to-be-read pile? I'm referring to books you already own, but have not gotten around to reading just yet. I've lost count. There's at least 10, probably even more than 15.

I went through this phase several months ago where I'd buy pretty much every book I fancied from my favorite second hand bookstores. I think I was a bit depressed at the time, and buying books was a means to escape - if I ever got around to actually reading them. Since getting the iPad though and pretty much depleting my savings (while suffering a severe cut in paycheck) I'd vowed to stay away from buying more books. At least until I clear out my stash.

I stumbled two weeks ago though. I hitched a ride to the mall with my parents so I could pay the water bill as well as my credit card bill. After payments were made, we strolled around and I saw the stall of second hand books right outside the department store. I was checking out baking books, and silently wishing there'd be a good copy of a Jamie Oliver cookbook or something, but what I found was a treasure trove of titles from the author of Scarlet Feather. Maeve Binchy books!

As I hadn't seen those other titles in the stores I frequent, I felt compelled to buy! I ended up purchasing four titles. There were two more that I wasn't sure I owned already so I left them behind. It broke my heart to do so. Haha. I haven't started on them yet. I have this feeling that I should read my books in the order that I got them. Haha. Weird, no?

It's amazing how I still have the time to read really, with everything else I've been wanting to do (and already do). I think that's probably why my photography has taken a back seat for the meantime.

Sometimes I wonder whether the people manning the book shops read those books too. If I had their job, I probably would read to my heart's content. Although knowing me, I'd probably be sleepy most of the time for the lack of activity. I guess that's how everyone is, thinking about what it would be like to have a different job. I mean, like in the height of the TV series ER's glory, didn't everyone want to have healthcare jobs? Then in the time of Ally McBeal, people wanted to be barristers!

So anyway, back to the question, how many books do you have waiting to be read? What are your book buying habits? Do you go to the bookstore looking to get specific books, or do you browse and see what appeals to you? I'm really interested to know :)