Looking at my packed bookshelves, I am overwhelmed by how many have yet to have their spines cracked. The pristine book jackets stare back at me. The shelves are drooping in the middle. I realize what is happening. I am guilty of "bestseller-itis" - the expensive habit of buying the latest bestseller without reading the previous bestseller I just had to have last week. I know I am not alone. There are many of us out there with this condition.
I have a whole section in my book journal filled with new book release dates even though shelves of books I have already purchased are waiting for me.
Why do I do this? It's not like the book is going to disappear if I don't buy it the day it is published. I believe I do this because of FOMO - the fear of missing out. I want to know what book they are talking about in Reese and Jenna's book club and on social media. I want to be on the "cutting edge" of the book world.
But I am missing out on some really good books by going for the shiny new releases. It doesn't take long for today's bestsellers to become a fixture at the local used book store. Just because something is old doesn't mean it's irrelevant.
So...I am going to bury myself in the backlist. I'm going to commit to reading books have been available for a year or more. Preferably more than a year. My hope is that you will also be moved to read some of the backlist books on your shelf...or read some of mine!
