Tsundoku: The Japanese Word for Buying Books You Don’t Read

🚀 Subscribe to the newsletter: https://sketchplanations.substack.com... 📚 Buy the book: https://sketchplanations.com/big-idea... 🖼️ Get a print: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/680... How big is that pile of unread books next to your bed? Tsundoku is a Japanese word for buying books and letting them pile up unread. In this episode, we explore why book lovers buy books they do not read, whether having unread books is something to feel guilty about, and what this habit says about curiosity, identity, and our relationship with books and reading. All three of us admit to practising tsundoku, though in slightly different ways. We talk about buying too many books, collecting books with the best intentions, and how tsundoku can extend beyond physical books into audiobooks, reading lists, and even hobbies. Along the way, the conversation turns into a bit of a love letter to books themselves, and to the quiet optimism behind buying a book for your future self. If you have ever wondered why we buy books we do not read, or felt conflicted about that growing pile of unread books, this episode is for you. Links to items (mainly books) that we discussed: This sketch is in Big Ideas Little Pictures by Jono Hey—why not add it to your Tsundoku pile? https://sketchplanations.com/big-idea... Tsundoku sketch prints: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/680... Jono recommends cartoons about books and reading by Tom Gauld:   / tomgauld   00:00 Introduction to Tsundoku: Buying Books You Don’t Read 02:52 Personal Stories and Different Ways of Practising Tsundoku 05:20 Why We Buy Books: Intentions, Identity, and Optimism 07:49 Books as Gifts and Their Lasting Value 10:03 The Joy and Guilt of Collecting Unread Books 17:14 Final Reflections on Tsundoku and Book Loving 19:34 Conclusion and Farewell Enjoyed it? Please like and subscribe to help us reach more people. All music on this podcast series is by the very talented Franc Cinelli: https://www.franccinelli.com/