As a lover of books, I am familiar with the Japanese word “tsundoku”. It refers to letting books pile up on your bookshelf - unread. In fact, it even has its own Wikipedia entry: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsundoku#:~:text=Tsundoku%20(%E7%A9%8D%E3%82%93%E8%AA%AD)%20is%20the,they%20are%20on%20a%20bookshelf.&text=The%20term%20originated%20in%20the,%E2%80%931912)%20as%20Japanese%20slang.
I’m guilty of this phenomenon, especially when I travel overseas. I like to buy books by local authors. The thing is, when I return home, the enthusiasm I have for broadening my cultural versatility often dissipates into thin air. Hence, I’m a supporter of Tsundoku.
Recently, I read about this emerging trend among book connoisseurs: bookshelf wealth. It means to strategically cultivate a sophisticated image of yourself by displaying books in eye-catching Instagrammable ways. You know, so chic that it hurts (and makes your TikTok video go viral).
I guess it’s kinda sad that people buy books these days, not so much to read them, but to mould a particular image of themselves. But I guess it’s not my job to tell people how they should spend their money haha. I’m just amazed that this trend has taken root because I’m all about decluttering books to make space for the ones that I really, really love. Gathering books to spark joy sounds counter-intuitive to me.
Anyway, if you are into bookshelf wealth, flaunt your bookshelves below!
50% of the zaps go toward @siggy47 to partly fund the next writing contest!