Living in a small town, one thing I don’t have to worry about very often is impulse buying, especially when it comes to books.

That’s because there are few books to be had—except used books, which aren’t my cup of tea, or supermarket and gas station selections, which generally don’t tempt me at all.

So when I’m reading book reviews that make me itch for the latest and greatest, how do I scratch? I can’t run out and buy them. I refuse to pay shipping charges when ordering online from Chapters, so can’t buy one book at a time. My visits to mortar-and-bricks bookstores are few and far between. My library only offers so much—and you can’t order in books from afar that were published within the last year.

This is where Goodreads has become my saviour. I want a book: I mark it down. Then I can sigh and let the I-WANT impulse fade away.

One day I might buy the book. Or may not. One day I may be lucky enough to find it in my library. But at least I was able to act—free of charge—on my desire.

I currently have 65 books on my Goodreads to-read list. The next time I’m in the bookstore, I’ll look some of them up. I may come home with a few—which will feel impulsive and crazy, but will actually be well thought out. And a few is a heck of a lot less than 65.

Do you run out and buy every book you want? How do you keep in control?

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