When did reading become so competitive?

Ok, so I know that this post totally contradicts a previous post “do you reading challenge?” but in the last couple of weeks I have just felt totally blown away with the competitiveness and consumerist culture that has seeped into reading. Maybe it’s been there forever and I’ve only started to take notice. I know the rise of book accounts on Instagram and TikTok are inevitable in encouraging buying more reading more consuming more but I stumbled across multiple accounts of people who have hundreds of unread books on their bookshelves (gifted or bought), and they are still consuming more books whilst they challenge themselves to read their bookshelf. Becky who had 438 books unread in January has already read an astounding 145 books this year, but has unfortunately added 31 new books to her bookshelf, because you know, books books books.

I know I sound so old but it’s really been bothering me. All I can think of the anxiety that this would cause me. How this very act of having too much would take away the enjoyment of what I do have. The thought of needing to race through my books so I can tick them off then buy more, or, just keep accepting more books from publishers knowing that they will just sit on a bookshelf.

I have more books than ever sat on my kindle unread and a couple on my bookshelf that have been gifted to me which I am yet to read however the total sits around 8. How, I think, is it possible to reach over 100 unread books?

The big question is, why isn’t over consumption seen as an addiction. Having too many books is looked upon as if the keeper of said books are superior to someone who barely has a book on their bookshelf. If someone were to spend £100s a month on books it isn’t seen to be an issue, if they spent the same on clothing again it wouldn’t be questioned. However if they were to gamble the same amount they would most likely be judged, which is probably a whole other post to why reading at an obsessive level is seen to be acceptable?

I just needed the space for a little mind dump!