When you buy a book...then forget you have it

So I was checking out the publishing dates for George R R Martin, happened onto his website, then his FAQ, and his book recommendations. Saw one on mediaeval tournaments that looked interesting - I could do with more reading on that.

Went to Amazon.co.uk - and there's a message saying that I bought it in 2012!

Apparently, it was delivered - I'm sure I'd have noticed if I had a missing order. Yet I just can't find the book anywhere on my shelves! And there's no way I'd have dumped it.

Reminds me of when I saw an Osprey military history book on a certain type of knight I thought would be very useful for research. Ordered it, went to put it in my book shelf - only to find I'd already bought a copy a couple of years ago and hadn't realised.

I guess I used to buy too many books - if that's possible.

Yes. I have done this so many times in the past.

Snap, I picked up Esslelmont's Stonewielder in a charity shop last week, thought haven't got this started reading yes I have.

My husband is a book magpie who must be made to ditch duplicates on a regular basis.

I recently discovered I had three different copies of The Darkest Road by GGK.

Jo Zebedee said:

My husband is a book magpie who must be made to ditch duplicates on a regular basis.

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But what if they are different editions, each with an enticing cover? Or if one has a better cover, in keeping with others he may have in a series, but the other is in better condition? Surely duplication is acceptable? I hope so... I found I had two copies of a Jack L. Chalker novel the other day, and also two copies of Winter in Eden by Harry Harrison. In the latter example, I can't quite decide which is the better condition copy - one has a slight tear to the front, but it has the cleaner spine. I can't bring myself to chuck either!

Brian Turner said:

So I was checking out the publishing dates for George R R Martin, happened onto his website, then his FAQ, and his book recommendations. Saw one on mediaeval tournaments that looked interesting - I could do with more reading on that.

Went to Amazon.co.uk - and there's a message saying that I bought it in 2012!

Apparently, it was delivered - I'm sure I'd have noticed if I had a missing order. Yet I just can't find the book anywhere on my shelves! And there's no way I'd have dumped it.

Reminds me of when I saw an Osprey military history book on a certain type of knight I thought would be very useful for research. Ordered it, went to put it in my book shelf - only to find I'd already bought a copy a couple of years ago and hadn't realised.

I guess I used to buy too many books - if that's possible.

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Authors everywhere love you, Brian!

I had a clear out once and discovered I had nine copies of Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth. By their condition I must have picked them up at car boot sales and jumble sales, my wife reckons I must be part of some secret psy op like Mel Gibson and copies of Catcher in the rye. The thing is I don't remember buying most of them, I do remember buying the first copy along with Day of the Jackal and the Odessa File, all of which were neatly together on a book shelf, but these other tatty copies of Dogs of War were in boxes in the loft and at the back of a cupboard. Anyone want to organise the take over of a small African nation?

Bick said:

But what if they are different editions, each with an enticing cover? Or if one has a better cover, in keeping with others he may have in a series, but the other is in better condition? Surely duplication is acceptable? I hope so... I found I had two copies of a Jack L. Chalker novel the other day, and also two copies of Winter in Eden by Harry Harrison. In the latter example, I can't quite decide which is the better condition copy - one has a slight tear to the front, but it has the cleaner spine. I can't bring myself to chuck either!

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Well I know who is never going second hand book shopping with him....

Vladd67 said:

I had a clear out once and discovered I had nine copies of Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth. By their condition I must have picked them up at car boot sales and jumble sales, my wife reckons I must be part of some secret psy op like Mel Gibson and copies of Catcher in the rye. The thing is I don't remember buying most of them, I do remember buying the first copy along with Day of the Jackal and the Odessa File, all of which were neatly together on a book shelf, but these other tatty copies of Dogs of War were in boxes in the loft and at the back of a cupboard. Anyone want to organise the take over of a small African nation?

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I presume nine (9) copies of the same book, by accident, is a record. Any challengers? It suggests, if I may be bold, quite a staggering degree of absent mindedness - a trait that I cannot help but admire. It's not even one of his best books is it?

My solution will of course be to buy a third copy of Winter in Eden in due course with no tear AND a good spine... This is surely the only sensible approach.

Done it several times.

Bick said:

I presume nine (9) copies of the same book, by accident, is a record. Any challengers? It suggests, if I may be bold, quite a staggering degree of absent mindedness - a trait that I cannot help but admire. It's not even one of his best books is it?

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Well in my defence it was over twenty years, and I did used to be a bit of a hoarder. I'm afraid that without my wife's intervention I may well have ended up one day being found dead, buried under a collapsed pile of books. Also at least one copy I bought for 'research' when preparing a war game involving mercenaries.

Bick said:

I presume nine (9) copies of the same book, by accident, is a record. Any challengers? It suggests, if I may be bold, quite a staggering degree of absent mindedness - a trait that I cannot help but admire. It's not even one of his best books is it?

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I doubt I could challenge that number, but I have quite a few titles of which I have more than a single copy (it perplexes my wife no end!).
It's not on account of forgetfulness, though (I think...maybe I've forgotten something...); it's because I keep finding myself, when away from home for one reason or another, browsing through used book stories and stumbling upon an old favorite book that I suddenly realize I need to read again... (It was particularly bad when a year in grad school, followed by four years in the Navy and then a few months back-packing around Europe, had me away from home for more than five years...so the books I'd had before, still in my parents' attic, were frequently being supplemented as I bought books, read them, and them mailed them home. (I have a lot of trouble getting rid of a book...)

Vladd67 said:

Well in my defence it was over twenty years, and I did used to be a bit of a hoarder. I'm afraid that without my wife's intervention I may well have ended up one day being found dead, buried under a collapsed pile of books. Also at least one copy I bought for 'research' when preparing a war game involving mercenaries.

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Ah, yes -- "research"! I use that one, mostly to myself, to ease my feelings of guilt...and boy! some of the titles in the "research" category are pretty esoteric, meaning that if I ever get around to using them in a book, it'll be dynamite!

I haven't done a lot of duplicate buying, but I'll check out something from the library I already have at home sometimes, and then slap my forehead for getting something I already had when I could have gotten something new...

I have several duplicates. Mostly from buying a book lot on ebay to get certain titles and thus I end up with 4 Enders Game copies.This works out if the titles are good as I keep a box of books that I recommend to friends and give away rather than loan out.

Some titles I routinely give away:

Enders Game- Card
Wizard of Earthsea- Le guin
Pride of Chanur- Cherryh
Player of Games-Banks
Nine Princes in Amber- Zelazny
Jack of Shadows- Zelazny
Beholder's Eye- Czerneda
Dying Earth-Vance
Dorsai- Dickson
Moon Called- Briggs
Storm Front- Butcher
Name of the Wind- Rothfuss

All given in the interest of getting people hooked on our shared addiction of SF+F

I bought 24 copies of skateboard annual 1979 once. However that wasn't absentmindedness, it was mischief. Spotted them in a shop in Blackpool at 5p each as it was 1983. Managed to talk bookshop owner into giving me all 24 for a pound.
I was down there on a one week course from work and there was two of us per room.
The other lad couldn't understand what was going on, he kept finding these annuals in his pillowcase and tucked up in his bed. He went to get a T-shirt out his drawers and found each one carefully folded around a skateboard annual.
Of course I made sure they appeared in mine also to avoid suspicion and acted as bewildered as he was. On final morning he lifted his suitcase down from atop the wardrobe and found four in it!
He'd left his car keys in the room all week. Opened his car boot to find three more annuals! Finally he got into his car (I was crouched behind another car watching this) and then leapt right back out, rummaged under his car seat cover and produced one final annual. He shook his head in bewilderment and looked all round but didn't spot me.
Our paths crossed a few times at work for several months afterwards, I typically gave him a solemn nod and then strode away while trying to keep a straight face.
Not really the same as buying the same book in error but hey ho.

I have done this one or twice, though in my case its more when I end up getting a physical copy and then a digital one (or vis versa) without realising that I already owned the book.


I've also had some books appear once or twice in boxes of books bought at market auctions. There are a LOT of Readers Digest Bird books out there- among a good few others.