15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 1 - Make 15 book related confessions

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 1 topic is: Make 15 book related confessions

It's actually surprisingly hard to come up with 15 different confessions but here we go:

1. I can't stop buying new books - I have five whole book cases of unread books in my house (and that's not even thinking about the number on my kindle!) yet I keep finding new books that I just HAVE to have!
2. I can't resist a pretty cover - if I see a cover I love then I'll often end up buying the book without even reading the blurb! On the other hand if a book's cover doesn't appeal to me then I don't even consider picking it up. I know I shouldn't put so much weight on what the cover looks like - I've been burnt by way too many books with amazing covers and a rubbish story and I'm sure I miss loads of great stories by being so selective but first impressions count people and I just can't help myself!
3. I always wanted to own a library - I actually turned my spare bedroom into a library and it's my favourite room in the house. My only disappointment is that the bookshelves aren't big enough to need one of those sliding ladders! In my dream house (when I've won the lottery) I'm going to have a huge multi-story library with ladders, balconies and huge big squishy sofas in front of an open fire. Yes, I know it will probably never happen but a girl can dream can't she?
4. I hate that books come in different sizes - come on publishers how difficult is it to have one size for paperbacks and one for hardbacks? Just looking at one shelf of books in my front room I can see 4 different sized paperbacks on there and it drives me crazy! What is even worse is when you end up with different sized books in the same series - I have actually been known to buy the same book more than once just so I can end up with a matching set.
5. I wish publishers wouldn't change the covers mid way through a series! - in a similar vein to confession number 4 I get so annoyed when the covers for books in a series don't match. I hate that I've spent money buying books and then the publisher decides to change the covers and I have to buy them for a second time. It actually makes me less likely to buy the rest of the series - if I can I'll borrow them from the library and I'll end up giving away the books I already owned. The only exception to that is books that are absolute favourites, for those I might end up re-buying the new covers but it doesn't happen often.
6. I have a spreadsheet where I list all the books I own - OK I'll admit it, I'm a bit OCD when it comes to my books! I have a spreadsheet that lists all of the books I own, what format they are in (paperback / hardback etc.), whether I've read them or not and their location in my house so that I can always find the book I'm looking for. I also use it to keep track of the books I have loaned out to friends. There are a few people who know they can always borrow any of my books they like but I've lost too many books over the years because I never got them back so now I'm more careful about it.
7. I grew up on horror stories but now I'm too scared to read them - I adored the point horror books when I was a teenager and was reading Dean Koontz and James Herbert by the age of 13 but now that I'm older I seem to have turned into a complete wimp! On the rare occasions I do read a scary book I have to read it in daylight and have to read something lighter before bed so I don't have nightmares!
8. I hate hardbacks - I will never, ever buy a hardback no matter how much I love the author or have been dying for the next instalment to a series. The only hardbacks I own are ones I have been sent for review or given as gifts. I just don't find them comfortable to sit down and read because they are so heavy and would much rather curl up with a paperback or my kindle.
9. I'm scared to start long series of books - There are some book series that I just know I'm going to love but I keep putting off starting them because there are so many books already published. I've heard so many amazing things about J.D. Robb's In Death series and I'm dying to try it so I can finally meet Eve and Roarke but even though I bought the first book over a year ago the fact that there are already 37 books (not including short stories / novellas!) in the series and no end in sight scares me too much. I have a similar problem with Rachel Caine's Morganville vampires series. I read and really enjoyed the first book but even though I already own the first 12 books I keep putting off reading them. I love her adult series and I know I'm going to enjoy these ones just as much so I just need to bite the bullet and read them!
10. I love my kindle but I still buy print copies of my favourites - I have to admit I wasn't sure about the idea of reading ebooks but now I have my kindle I can't imagine being without it. I don't buy a lot of ebooks though, there is something about spending money and not getting something physical to show for it that really annoys me. I wouldn't mind if ebooks were cheaper than print copies but when they cost as much (or more!) then I'm going to spend my money on the paperback. I mainly use my kindle to read books or ebooks I've bought when they've been reduced to a ridiculously low price (I can't resist a bargain!) but if I discover a book or series that I love then I often end up buying print copies too so I can see them sitting on my shelves.
11. I'm reading so many series that I find it hard to keep track of the details - This didn't used to be such a big problem before I started blogging because my to read pile was so much smaller and I would often re-read my favourite series in anticipation of the next instalment being released. I no longer have the time to re-read everything that I'd like to though and I find it really hard to keep up with all the series that I'm already part way through.
12. I'm sick of reading about love triangles - I know I'm not the only one to say this but I really am bored of authors using triangles as a way of creating conflict in a story. It's very rare that an author can pull it off in any kind of realistic way (the only one I can think of off the top of my head is Cynthia Hand and her Unearthly series) and most of the time they just make me want to scream & throw the book across the room! Does anyone actually like triangles? I'd love to know if there are people out there who actively go looking for stories containing them because I'm the complete opposite and will put aside books I've been dying to read because friends tell me there is a triangle in them!
13. I love romance - My reading goes in phases, over the years I've gone through cycles of devouring horror, crime, thrillers, fantasy, dystopian and many more. The longest running cycle has been paranormal romance / urban fantasy but I've recently been devouring contemporary romance. I think as I get older I like to pick up a book knowing I'm going to get a happy ending, I read for fun and as much as I sometimes really enjoy a heartbreaking book that will make me bawl my eyes out most of the time I want something that will make me smile. Give me a hot guy and a HEA and I'm 
14. I'm intimidated by large books - I used to love reading long books and getting completely lost in a complicated world where the author takes time to really develop the characters but now I find myself putting off reading them. Even books that I'm really excited about end up being put to one side because they have over 500 pages.
15. I'm almost as addicted to Goodreads as I am to books - I LOVE chatting about books and Goodreads is a great place to do that. It is also a great way of keeping track of the books I own and I use the app on my phone all the time when I'm in a bookshop to make sure I don't buy duplicates (I have to admit I used to buy books all the time and then get home only to realise I already owned them LOL). The only problem I find with Goodreads is that it adds so many new books to my wish list!

So what are your reading confessions? Do you share any of mine? If you're taking part in the challenge leave me a link to your day 1 post and I'll come and check it out!