Some people collect shoes, others gather souvenirs, and some find it impossible to pass a bookstore without picking up yet another title for their expanding stack. Shefali Shah seems firmly in the last group. On Book Lovers Day 2026, the actress candidly celebrated her tendency to keep buying books even though many remain unread at home, describing herself as a "book hoarder" and sharing why her collection represents more than just the act of reading.
Shefali Shah opens up about her 'book hoarding' habit
On August 9, 2026, Shefali observed Book Lovers Day with an unfiltered Instagram post showing her posing next to a stack of books. Instead of merely highlighting her passion for reading, the actress used the moment to admit to a habit that many fellow book enthusiasts are likely to recognize.
She acknowledged that she keeps buying books despite already having many unread titles at home. Describing herself as a "book hoarder," Shefali said, "I purchase books fully aware that I have plenty of unread ones waiting for me at home. And yes, I am guilty of this… but I believe I understand why I do it."
For her, this habit isn’t really about building an endlessly expanding bookshelf. In her post, she shared why it matters to her, writing, "Because life will have its slow patches. There will be days when emotions feel too heavy, feelings seem too loud, or everything just feels a bit… meh. And on those days, I know there’s a friend waiting for me. A story I haven’t discovered yet. A world I can slip away into for a while. Maybe that’s why I keep buying them. I’m not just collecting books. I’m gathering little things to look forward to!"
So, what does it actually mean?
A book hoarder is typically someone who amasses an extensive number of books, often purchasing them more quickly than they can be read. Over time, this habit can lead to crammed bookshelves, piles of volumes scattered throughout the home, and an ever-expanding backlog of unread works.
Still, owning dozens or even hundreds of unread books does not in itself indicate a psychological disorder. For many people, building a personal library is simply a pastime and a reassuring source of pleasure.
There's even a Japanese word for the habit: tsundoku. It describes buying or acquiring reading material and allowing it to pile up, often without getting around to reading everything.
If your nightstand has turned into a small library of books you keep telling yourself you’ll read "soon," you likely know the feeling.
Book hoarding vs bibliomania
A clear difference exists between casually gathering books and bibliomania, which denotes an intense and potentially troubling fixation on obtaining and hoarding books.
In contrast to typical book collecting or tsundoku, bibliomania may entail an uncontrollable urge to acquire books so intensely that it leads to serious clutter or harms a person’s everyday functioning, financial situation, physical well-being, or personal relationships.
