The Curious Habit of Book Lovers I am a bibliophile.In simple language, a bibliophile is someone who loves books and finds dopamine in buying new ones. Oh yes, I know there are people who love buying clothes and jewellery and are called shopaholics—in that case, you can call me a bookaholic. However, there are two types of books for me: ones I read immediately, diving into the pages the very same day; and others that I place carefully on my bookshelf, waiting for the moment when the same curiosity that inspired the purchase returns. Recently, while organizing the bookshelf in my office, I noticed something interesting. There were more unread books on the shelf than read ones. Some I had picked up, read a few pages, and left. Several had been sitting there for months, untouched since the day I bought them. Some hadn’t even been opened once. Naturally, I began wondering: why do people who love books so much often end up not reading many of the books they buy? Later, when I checked my bookshelf at home, the situation was even more dramatic. The number of unread books was almost double. That moment led me to realize that many book lovers live somewhere between two fascinating psychological habits: the Tsundoku effect and the collector’s mindset. But are there only two layers, or is there more to it? Let me tell you a behind-the-scenes story. The Moment We Decide to Buy a Book Honestly, whenever I visit a book exhibition or bookstore, the first thing on my mind is what I am going to get—a thriller, a romantic novel, or a philosophical take. It is never a random selection; it takes long hours. So, what usually sparks the curiosity? It might be: A powerful title An intriguing concept A recommendation from a friend A thought-provoking summary Or simply the feeling that the book contains content or context we want to explore At that moment, the book represents an opportunity to learn, grow, or escape into a story. The excitement is real, and it feels completely justified to bring the book home. However, curiosity and time do not always move at the same pace. Life gets busy. Work demands attention. New interests appear. And the book that once seemed urgent quietly finds its place on the shelf. The Tsundoku Effect Interestingly, this behaviour has a name. Tsundoku is a Japanese word that describes the habit of buying books and letting them pile up unread. Many thinks of it as money wastage or a negative habit at first, but it is actually a common trait among passionate readers. In filmmaker John Waters’ words, “Nothing is more important than an unread library. Only landscapes that don’t exist and books I’ll never read aren’t tedious. Life, for me, is a drowsiness that never reaches the brain.” At its core, Tsundoku represents a continuous desire to learn and explore ideas, even if we cannot immediately act on it. Those unread books on the shelf symbolize a future moment of curiosity. So, in my opinion, Tsundoku is not about neglecting books, but about collecting intellectual possibilities. The Collector’s Mindset Once, I asked someone why they were interested in books. The reply was—maybe it makes you “insta-perfect intellectual.” Yes, in some cases, people collect books to show others that they have literary taste. But it is more than that for those who accumulate unread books with a collector’s mindset. Collectors are often fascinated by objects that carry meaning or significance. For the bibliophile, the book is not just something that holds information for the reader; it is a vessel for ideas, creativity, and knowledge. The bookshelf full of books represents a personal collection of curiosity. What might the books offer to the reader: Something we wanted to understand Something we wanted to acquire Something we wanted to experience Something we wanted to explore. The idea is that the book, although perhaps not read, represents something of great importance. Bibliophiles are not just readers; they are collectors. When the Bookshelf Becomes a Reflection of the Mind If you look closely at your bookshelf, it often tells a story about you. I have every damn genre in my collection: fiction, non-fiction, spiritual, self-help, and many more. I would like to add that a shelf of books becomes a map of intellectual curiosity. So, it shows what fascinates you, what inspires you, and sometimes even what you aspire to become. The unread books, in particular, represent possibilities that are still waiting for their moment. The Right Book at the Right Time Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of books is the way they are influenced by time. There may be a book that does not interest the reader currently but may suddenly become extremely relatable and relevant after a year. Many people have had the experience of taking an old unread book and suddenly realizing that it has the answers to the questions they are currently facing, like the universe planned this long back winking. At such moments, it becomes apparent that the book was not neglected; it was simply waiting for the reader. That is why unread books should not always be considered as something that needs to be completed. Why Unread Books Are Not a Failure There is often a sense of guilt associated with unread books. People feel they should only buy what they can immediately read. But perhaps the purpose of a book is not always immediate consumption. It is not a perishable item but a treasure, always hold some deep value. Sometimes, the act of buying a book is an investment in future learning. It means you believe that knowledge matters. It means you value ideas. It means you are open to discovering something new. Even if you read the book years later, its value remains intact. Conclusion: A Shelf Full of Possibilities After considering my own bookshelves, both at the office and at home, I realized something comforting. Those unread books on my