When I was younger, it was always kind of a joke, saying that I had more books than I would ever read in my lifetime. I never really believed it. But as I’ve gotten older, that possibility has become more likely; especially with all of the new books published every year that I’ve added.

Now, I look at my shelves and know that it’s possible that I won’t finish them all, and I definitely won’t finish everything on my “want to read” list that I don’t already own. So do I stop buying new books? Do I stop adding things to my list? Do I stop re-reading old favorites? No, no and no.

There will always be new books that I want to read, and there will be older books on my shelves that I will never get to. And that’s really ok. Books bring me joy. They bring me joy when I read them, when I buy them, when I see them on my shelves, when I reorganize them from time to time. Knowing that the stories are there for me to escape into whenever I need them helps me to survive this world.

So, will I finish all of the books currently on my shelves? Maybe. It’s certainly possible. Will I finish all of the books I want to read, and will want to read in the future? No. But that’s perfectly fine. It means I’ll never run out of stories to escape to.