Holly: It’s been 9 years since I originally posted this. I still glom authors, but now I do it digitally. I’ve culled my print collection down to just old favorites. What about you?
This post was originally published May 22, 2008
Work has been kicking my butt lately, so I haven’t had time to write up reviews or post witty, thoughtful topics, so instead I’m recycling an old one.
From dictionary.com:
glom·ming, noun Slang.
–verb (used with object)
1. to steal.
2. to catch or grab.
3. to look at.
–noun
4. a look or glimpse.
—Verb phrase
5. glom onto, to take hold or possession of
I admit I’m a glommer. When I find an author I enjoy, I immediately start working on collecting his/her backlist. I believe the first romance author I glommed was Judith McNaught, followed by Lisa Kleypas. From there it blew up into a crazy, scary, awful thing that has now overwhelmed my life. I’m currently in the process of glomming Karen Templeton.
I even glom authors I don’t read anymore. Like Jude Deveraux. I stopped reading her years ago, but I’m still compelled to buy each and every one of her new releases. And you know, I have her ENTIRE BACKLIST. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve told myself to sell the lot of them on eBay and be done with it? Too many to count. Do you know how many times I’ve actually done it? None. And still, I keep buying her books as they’re released, because I’m OCD and have to have them all on my shelf.
Probably I need help..but let’s move on to you…
Do you glom? What authors? Do you remember your first? Are you OCD like me and collect books long after you’ve stopped reading an author? Or do you not keep any?
My name is Marg, and I too am a glommer! I have glommed Liz Carlyle, Lisa Kleypas, Elizabeth Hoyt and I am currently working my way through several authors backlists including Elizabeth Peters, Sherrilyn Kenyon! The only thing that stops me from reading book after book from the same author one after the other is that I will have other books due back at the library first!
I do keep on reading an authors books if I have liked them in the past, or even if I think I should like them, just in case they suddenly get better again, or if I can suddenly see the appeal that everyone else sees in them!
One of the very first would have been Nora Roberts. Many of my favorites of hers are original editions so they are very precious to me….I will only keep books that I plan to re-read. And I love to re-read. These days I have trouble finding new reads that interest so luckily I can fall back on some re-reads!
So far I only have glommed two authors: Julia Quinn and Loretta Chase, the two queens of romance, for me.
Hi, my name is azteclady and I am a glommer–probably not as bad as you, Holly (I managed to quite the Christine Feehan’s Dark addiction, finally) but yes, I have it.
What is killing me now is the TBR mountain. Used to be a discrete pile, now it’s threatening to bury me alive…
Ah well, what a way to go 😉
You’re right, AL, not as bad as me..I’m still collecting CF. 😛
My TBR pile is killing me, too. It used to be that if I had 5+ I’d freak out. Now I’d sing praises if that’s all I had sitting around not read.
Ana,
I glom both of them, too.
Allison,
NR is one of the few I haven’t glommed. I do collect her JD Robb novels, however. Every.Single.One.
Marg,
I’m so glad I’m not the only one!
I admit it I am a glommer also. If it is an author I really enjoy I will hunt down every last book – it’s a sickness, I just can’t stop myself.
The first romance author I glommed was Stephanie Laurens. But she is by no means the only author I have gloammed.
I’m not really a glommer because I don’t hunt down every book. But if I found an author that I really like then I’ll look into getting their other books as well.
I’m a glommer too. Although I try very hard to break this habit, esp. for authors that i don’t read anymore… but seriously, it makes me keep a lot of books that perhaps I wouldn’t re-read 🙁
My first glom was Stephen King. I went year by year from his first book on and would read each year up to his present release. Oh yes I am a proud glommer! I still glom all the time 😀
I glom. So badly, in fact, that I’ve even glommed an author (or two) before I even read one book by them! Sheesh, that’s bad!!!! LOL
Back in February I bought a collection of 29 In Death books on ebay before I even read the first book. Yup. Its true.
That’s probably the most extreme example I have, but there are a few other authors whose entire series (3-5 books) I own but have not yet read ONE book. And I’m buying their new releases! How messed up is that? Oy. I need help. o_O
Yeah, I’m a glommer and proud of it!
Recent gloms include Erin McCarthy (including all her short stories), JR Ward (Including all Jessica Bird stuff), Nalini Singh, Kathleen O’Reilly, Meljean Brook, Marjorie M Lui, Sherrilyn Kenyon (and Kinley MacGregor) and a whole heap of sci-fi and fantasy authours whom I have drfited from since discovering PR and YF.
I’m so glad I’m not alone! My latest glom is P. F. Kozak. After reading her latest Take Me There I just had to have everything else she’s written.
I am so glad to now have a word for this! I stopped buying print editions long ago, but I always, always buy Eloisa James in print. I have a crate of every. single. one. of. her. books!
oh yes I am a glommer as well. I believe the first author was Karen Hawkins, Lorraine Heath and Johanna Lindsey and now its a huge list of authors. Lately its been Beverly Jenkins. Love her work.