Bookdragons and Book Reserves
In celebration of all the unread books at your fingertips …NOT “bookshelf wealth”
Let me know what you think with the ♥ button. ♥️♥️♥️
The New York Times published an article about a trending aesthetic named bookshelf wealth. This caused a mini controversy. Is bookshelf wealth less about reading and more about regular old wealth?
♥️It might be, but I’d like to offer another idea that does not connote wealth.
The Japanese word Tsundoku (積ん読) and is more about collections on your bookshelf. It connotes acquiring new books, and letting them pile up without reading them. It’s not pejorative. It’s more like the word bookworm…not a bad thing.1
I recently purchased this super cute bookshelf for the sole purpose of housing my unread books in my bedroom so that they are near me. I’ve got:
books about which I’ve heard podcasts,
fictional recommendations given to me by friends,
free books left out by neighbors, and
thrifted books with interesting descriptions.
While I have set an intention of evolving into the kind of person who finishes books before I acquire new ones, I am not there.
And so, today I am reframing my self judgment with a new concept.
And even though in English we have no direct translation2 for tsundoku (積ん読), the fact that this word exists has completely changed my mindset when it comes to unread books.
The big idea
Some call it an anti-library. The idea is you surround yourself with reminders of all that you do not know. It’s like surrounding yourself with wrapped presents to build your curiosity.
But I love libraries. And I don’t want to express anything “anti” about them. I am not even sure if books that are unread ARE an “anti” library. Libraries generally have a lot of books we have not read. That’s kind of their thing.
It seems that having a library of books that contain stories or information that you do not know is a reminder to stay humble. It’s new knowledge to dive into to expand your mind. As long as you do not just buy them for show.
I am working to embrace tsundoku. In doing so, I suggest we revisit the judgey vocabulary. I offer some new words, some collection strategies, and some book reserve recommendations.