Basically I have two hobbies. I am both addicted to reading & buying gorgeous books. I want to have a nice library with classics to pass on to my future children. It just makes me happy seeing all those shelves.
So I prefer buying books in English since it’s the most spoken language but I prefer reading in my own language (Dutch). Is it weird to buy them in English but to borrow them from the library to read in dutch?
I just feel like I’m wasting my money because I don’t even read the specific books I bought and have them in case I want to re-read. But then I think spending money on books is never wasted.
Basically I want confirmation that I’m not wasting my money and maybe to know others do the same so I don’t feel bad lol
In computer science, we call something like that RAID 1.
You could also snag a free e-copy of most older classics here: Project Gutenberg
You could store them on Kindle Scribe or other e-reader. Or just a regular PC or hard drive.
Happy collecting!
Not really, since OP is not reading the English books.
It is your money and joy, so you can do whatever you want.
Buying books to put on a shelf is just as wasteful as any other home decor item that just sits on a shelf without a use. And I want to ask follow up questions. Do you feel like you need them for aesthetic purposes, because social media has told us our bookshelves should look a certain way? Have you actually gone back and read any of them in English after reading them in Dutch, or are they purely decor? Would you consider buying the books in Dutch or do you only borrow them from the library? Would you be more inclined to re-read them in they were in Dutch?
In my opinion - yeah it’s pretty wasteful. It wastes your money, it wastes that space on your shelf. It wastes resources producing and shipping to you.
Do you enjoy it? Is it harming you or others? Are you spending what you can afford and not more than that? Ok fuck it sounds good to me.
Buying books for me is like that one joke with the prisoners having numbered jokes. I rarely reread, but when I see them on the shelf I remember reading them and it gives me a good feeling. The English versions of books you read in Dutch should be be able to do the same :)
True! Just always makes me feel good and some type of way 🥰 It’s like the harry potter books I have with the beautiful hard covers that I’ve read over a 1000 times in Dutch but just want to have on the shelf in the beautiful covers
All hobbies are ridiculous in one way or another but if it fits in your budget and it makes you happy, do it.
Signed, the person who gets her favorite books in fancy hardback editions and then reads the ebook version on her Kindle instead
Hahaha that makes me feel better. Because I indeed only buy the fancy hardback editions with beautiful covers 😂
Buying books and reading books are separate hobbies.
Re wasting money, you should budget for some fun expenditures if you can afford it.
I mean objectively speaking it’s a waste of money.
But so are most luxury items, so there’s not really a problem with that if you can afford it and get some fun out of it. Books as decorations are definitely a thing too, so you could even think of it like that.
As a fellow Dutch speaker though, I would recommend reading some in English, does wonders for making you feel more comfortable in the language and I personally feel that untranslated books tend to be better, to read in the original language whenever possible.
As a wise man once said: Reading books and collecting books are two entirely different hobbies!
For the first 19 years of my life, I had a home library that consisted mostly of books translated into my native language. Then, I started my degree in English Language and Literature. Naturally, I bought all of my essential reading in English, but for some I also bought the translated version, so I could better comprehend the story (especially when it comes to books written in archaic English). So that is how I started my English book collection.
However, starting college in a big city also meant better access to books. I am now in my third year and I have accumulated a significant number of books in English, not just for my degree, but also for casual reading. So now my book buying politics looks something like this:
If the book was written in English and I can buy it in that language, I will do so.
If the book was written in a language close to my native language, I will buy a translated copy.
If the book was written in a language that is neither English, nor anything close to my mother tongue, I will buy whichever copy is more affordable.
Now, this practice has proven to be quite good so far. However, there will always be books that I’ll read in one language and love them so much that I absolutely need to own a copy in the other language. Luckily, there are not too many of those, so I can just ask people to get them for me for Christmas or my birthday.
That is also one reason why I am terrified of libraries - I’ll want to own each and every book that I like, so I might as well just purchase them in the first place.
All of that being said, everyone’s book buying habits are different, and I advise you to follow your heart regarding this issue. If you can afford the English editions, I encourage you to go on with your practice! And, in the end, at least you are not purchasing the same book twice, so you still have some financial balance. (And even if you did buy double copies, no one has the right to judge you for it.)
Happy reading!
Having hobbies isn’t a waste, provided it’s not hurting you/others in the broader context of your life. Collecting isn’t a hobby I can relate to, but if it’s not getting in the way of other financial goals/obligations, it’s probably at an ok level.
All I’ll say is don’t be hurt if no one wants to take a massive collection of books down the line, even if they enjoy reading.
A large physical collection of anything can become like an albatross for those who inherent it. Not saying that will happen, just that it can.
You do you but yes, I think it is a waste of money to buy books you don’t read. Most of us are ‘wasting’ our money.
Buying books is never a waste of money. If you don’t read them it’s called a COLLECTION 😉