About this quote

Collecting books tends to move from casual interest into something that shapes daily choices. It affects where you spend money, what you keep in your living space, and how you arrange your time. Ask yourself: do you want rules to keep it manageable, or are you willing to let it take more room in your life? Pick one practical step to test your answer, like a monthly purchase limit or a shelf rotation rule.

When to use it

• Packing up my apartment to move, I told my friend, "I keep trying to cull, but Winterson was right — this isn't a hobby for me, it's a fate."
• During a library inventory meeting I said to a volunteer, "If you collect like that, don't call it a hobby; you'll understand what Winterson means."
• After overdrawing our account on another rare purchase, my partner pointed to the receipt and said, "I guess those who do it must do it."
• At the book fair a dealer laughed and said, "I can't stop — it's an obsession," then reached for another first edition.