I’m an avid reader but a timid book buyer. These days I’m as likely to be reading a Kindle as a physical book. This is not because I’m digitally advanced. It’s because this practice holds down the accumulation of printed matter in my house.

Still, when the book piles on my floor reach tipping height, the time has come to invest in a new bookshelf. But what happens next? I’ve almost filled this new one, and wall space is limited.

I’m thinking that shelves are to books as roads are to cars. Just as additional highways worsen traffic, new bookshelves invite filling. Which is why, before I re-shelved books yesterday, I culled a few for resale and donation. Not even a shelf’s worth, but enough to leave a little wiggle room. Let’s see how long it takes me to fill it.