Pile up

Bookshelf space is at a pretty high premium in my apartment. The two very small bookcases I have can't keep up with my addictive book-hoarding tendencies, and what you see here is the result. One of the things I'm most hoping about whatever new apartment I move into is that I'll have enough space to bring my mondoginormous bookcase that currently resides in my room at my parents' house (this thing is like 8 feet tall, people).

But you know what I noticed about this here stack? Not a one of these books was purchased by me, new, in a bookstore. They are all either from the free book pile at work, swaptree, library sales, gifts, or The Strand. And one of them I think I stole from my mom. I think the only time I bought a new book this year--and it was actually a hardcover--was the new Audrey Niffenegger, and I can't even remember what was the last time before that. It takes a lot for me to plunk down fifteen or twenty bucks on a book when I know I could get five times as many for my money on Swaptree--but I'm glad not everyone is like that, or I'd be out of a job.