Cents & Nonsense:  Every one of them has a story to tell. Some are quiet and introspective, others brash. Even though they have loads of personality, without anyone to talk to, they are really very lonely. Many feel used. In most cases, it's been years since anyone touched them or put their hand on their spine and pulled them closer. They've been left on the shelf. Of course, it is entirely our fault, writes Margaret E. Ward.

Book addicts like us have trouble letting our paper friends make their way in the world. We like to surround ourselves with them. They make us happy.

Non-addicts might not understand that we do try to change our behaviour. Sometimes we give our books away to friends and family, but this is only bearable if we think of it as an adoption. Our compulsion means we might desire books before a round of golf, designer shoes, clothes, music or eating out.

Sadly, our pulp-based buddies are expensive. We probably only read them once and, on average, a new paperback costs €12 and a hardback €30. Regular readers breeze through five to 10 books a month, which can cost them more than €3,500 a year. Ouch.

Books are my ultimate comfort, indulgence and - I admit - my spending weakness. I have no control around books. Most of my disposable income goes directly into a bookseller's pockets. I don't discriminate in my drug of choice. Give me satire, literature, self-help, science fiction, finance, management, chick lit, cookery, historical fiction, creative non-fiction, biography or children's books, and I'm incredibly contented.

We are a nation of readers and many people share my plight. Unfortunately for us addicts, being a bibliophile - a lover and collector of books - has gained kudos thanks to the craze for book clubs and reading groups. Joining one or more of these groups is dangerous as it ensures an increase in our used-book collection.

Trying to quit is difficult when we are subjected to the intolerable cruelty of book pimps such as Oprah, Richard and Judy, and our own Ryan Tubridy. So many recommended reading lists, so little space on my shelves - and so little money in my pocket.

What's a fanatic to do? Libraries are heaven for bookworms but few have a good selection of recent books.

An internet trawl revealed a possible cure. In two weeks, a new website, www.bookswap.ie, will provide a safe forum for those who need to take the first steps in giving away some of their books.

The founder of Bookswap, Scotsman Martin Gormley, says the idea for the website came when he was moving to Cork.

"I was packing all of my stuff and packed a load of ever-growing old dusty books into boxes ready for the move. When I finally unpacked them, I decided that I would have a clear out, so I put most of them on eBay and (unsurprisingly) no one was interested in buying my old books. So I thought that I would try and swap them, and found that there were no book-swap sites in Ireland."

Gormley's website is likely to resemble Britain's best-known book-swap website, www.readitswapit.co.uk.

Read It Swap It boasts almost 150,000 books available for swap, which means you can get rid of your old books and welcome new ones to your shelves.

All you have to do is type in a list of the books you no longer want. When someone chooses one of your books, you simply pop it in an envelope, stick on the stamps and kiss it goodbye.

Postage won't break the bank either, as a 400-page paperback, for example, costs less than €4 to post. And it works both ways: you choose books from other enthusiasts' lists and receive a bundle of love in the mail.

The concept is gaining in popularity. Foodies in Limerick arranged a "cookbook swap shop" last week, for example. The Style Treaty lifestyle blog (www.styletreaty.com) floated the idea in early October, and the first event was hosted by Val's Kitchen (www.valskitchen.com) writer Valerie O'Connor.

For some of us, giving up our books is as traumatic as handing over a favourite childhood toy. So, take a deep breath. Exhale. It really is time to let them go.

Margaret E. Ward is a journalist specialising in personal finance and consumer issues. She is also a director of Clear Ink, the Clear English Specialists.