The agony

I try not to think about it.

I did a quick calculation a week or so back and figured out that based on my normal book turnover, my current "to read" pile would last just over a year. That is just books I own and want to read, not books that I want to read and have not got around to buying yet.

And given my weakness in bookshops "ahhh... whats one or two more books going to matter" I suspect that this is going to be a ongoing situation.

I know! The one thing that gives me hope that I can change jobs/work less/ get everything done is the fact that I've stockpiled books for bear -- not intending to hoard, of course, just because I think "OH BOY I WANT THIS NOW!!!"

Of course, maybe I'll just spend my dwindling funds on more such compulsive purchases and wind up living in my parents' basement in a fort I made out of unread books.

A friend of mine calculated that he had time to read about 1600 more books in his lifetime if he kept up his (then) current rate. He didn't really think it was going to be enough.

Then he and his wife had a baby. I doubt that has increased his projected total. Ah well.

ten lifespans.

but then, new books that i would want to read would be coming out during those lifespans, so... i amend my answer to "infinite lifespans"

good think i got this well in my backyard that keeps me amazingly youthful.

Anything you could bottle and distrubute to the rest of us???You'll be a billionaire in no time!

read them in 'bits', you get to say you've read more books, which is really what it's about.

and read poetry too (see: above. and: me.)

This is sad, because I've actually thought about this one time during a plane ride to Mississippi. I had read my materials on hand and found that I had *insert curse word here* left my novels in my checked luggage.

Not only am I granted additional years, my body parts aren't deteriorating, right? It would be about 10-12 for all the books that have been written to date...

And I still get pissed that I don't know if I'll have the ability to read for whatever comes after I drop dead.

As I get older (I'm 49), I look to books less often for knowledge, still less for stylistic novelty, and more often for good company. Thankfully, there are many authors out there who are companionable - as storytellers, as wits, as sages, or as passionate lovers of their subject matter. No agony here, much as I love books. There will always be another book to read and for me that is enough joy.

I think Aimless sums it up nicely for me. It never bothers me that I won't be able to read everything I'm interested in. I rather feel joyful about the fact that there's always a large number of books that I'm looking forward to dip my toes in.

Of course, it has bothered me at some times, and I suspect it WILL bother me again later, so I guess I'm just in a fine little spot right now. There's nothing like going to the library and getting less books than you want to, just because you're slightly embarrassed about it.
A librarian gave me a stern talk-to when I was younger, because she felt I was taking far more books than I'd ever be able to read on time.

Obviously that sounded like a challenge to me, so I made sure to finish them well before time.
Admittedly I usually bring along a few books that I'm just sort of interested in, to see if they're worth reading or not, so she wasn't really WRONG... It just bothered me that she felt it was her business to complain about it in the first place.

Wow, who needs a blog!

When I lived in the UK I couldn't believe they had a checkout limit on books!? (interrobang, thank you ILX) Why do libraries discourage people from reading?

I think it has more to do with the amount of books available to its patrons, Jocelyn. At least, that's why my local library did that in the 1970's. Now, of course, you can check out as many as your little red wagon can haul :)

I read super-slow and not that often so at the current rate probably like fifty lifetimes.

More lives for the sake of reading books? I guess the time available will adjust the number of books I read instead of the other way round. I don't have any fixed number of books I would like to read. If I have enough time I guess I would read every book ever written.

A million.

Great question.
Right now my "to read"-list counts around 250 books and then I really enjoy reading the same books again and again and again. People often ask me; what is quality or what is art? I´ve got a really simple answer: If it continues to facinate you, then it´s art. If a good book turns out to be boring the second or the third time you read it, then it´s "just" entertainment. That way I have also personalized the definition of art, which I think is very importent.
I know that I´ll continue to add more books to the list all my life and I realise that I just can´t answer the question. AND IT DOESN´T MATTER. The point is, I often think, that because of this addiction, I´ll never grow tired of life, but always want more of it, just to be able to read.
And reading all your answers to the question, I gather that you all feel the same.
My greatest fear in life is fear of going blind when I get old. Seen from this distance it seems like living hell and I´m sure I would not like to live like that. Hope it never happens. Of course there´s audiotapes, but it´s just not the same, is it???
As long as I have my books and as long as I´m able to read them I´ll be happy.

You can find someone to read the books for you. Your wife? Or you can learn Braille.

Not good enough!!!!

But still "greatest fear in life"!!!

Yep, I love Books!!!
I love to read!!!
No, it would never be the same. And I don´t think anyone would dare read to me. I would probably correct them all the time. And why could I call in the middle of the night, when I suddenly wanted to "read" something???
Okay, okay, I might change my opinion if it really happend. People have a way of adapting.

I'd have to live to at least 200 just to finish the books I have stacked up waiting to be read. And I just ordered some more from Amazon. If only I could just "see the movie," like some people---

When I was a kid, our school library had a rule about only two books to be checked out at a time, but the librarian used to let me check out as many as I could carry. Until my mother called her and told her to limit me to four, since I never got outside to exercise.

Is anyone else concerned about their eyesight? Does anyone know any stats about how much reading is too much of eyestrain/dangerous?

Does reading in low light hurt your eyes? by howstuffworks.com