Wednesday, June 30, 2010
So Many Books, So Little Time
Anyone who knows me realizes that I am a confirmed, steadfast, and lifelong bibliophile. I could go longer without eating than without a book. I blame my mother, who taught me to read before I went to school. We each had cards at three different libraries because she wasn't allowed to take out as many books as she could read for the allotted time frames. My reading was never censored, and I quickly moved out of the "Dick and Jane" stage. When we moved here, I made a list and realized I had over three thousand books to pack. Who knows how many are on the shelves, in stacks and bags, boxes, and falling-over piles now. Steve was not a reader, but he loved stories, and so our entertainment while camping or during power outages was me reading to him (sometimes by candlelight). Linda sends me care packages full of books from Seattle, and others, like Arden, give or loan me books...bless 'em all. I've been introduced to new authors that way whom I've either loved or hated. I'm eclectic and will read anything. If there's no book on the horizon, I'll settle for cereal boxes and toilet paper wrappers. I shrink from gift cards, because I can never bring myself to use them...what if I make the wrong choice and waste a gift. However, I once received a card for Barnes & Noble, and couldn't wait to pick and choose! This is the topic of the day because Deb loaned me a book this weekend, "The Other Boleyn Girl." Two days ago, while cooling down after my sojourn in the barn, I picked up the book just to glance at. Daily chores notwithstanding, I read until 11:30 that night...five hundred-some pages...deep in a great story. I swore yesterday I would not pick it up again because I had to go to town and I have company coming for dinner with a pretty complicated menu tonight. Yeah, how's that workin'? I finished the last couple of hundred pages with utmost satisfaction (and a little guilt), dashed down to the grocery store (always a three-hour trip), came home and started prep work for the dinner. When Gabriel sounds his horn, I won't go until I see "The End."
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7 comments:
Testify sister! Perhaps the reason ghosts are so cranky is that can’t find people to turn the right pages!
I've seen some of your collection which I could add to for you if I were to make the trip up! There is a book or magazine in every room of my house...just in case I sit down for a minute. While I don't collect, I do save books for barter and trade to other biblophiles like you. Now, go read a story to the goats!
I had never heard of "The Other Boleyn Girl" until less than a week ago when it was an answer on Jeopardy...and here is it again!! I'm thinkin' there won't be "The End" in your future for a long time!!
I had never heard of "The Other Boleyn Girl" until it was an answer on Jeopardy just last week, and here she is again! And I don't think you (Bo) will see "The End" for a long, long time!!
oops - the computer hiccupped and DIDN'T post the first one - and so I rewrote it after I had signed out and back in and the first was GONE - and now...what can I say - I don't think I know how to remove one - sorry.
I knew you had a lot of books but over three thousand? Once you start counting in the thousands, I don't think "a lot" even covers it! With so much book consumption, do you find that you prefer a certain kind of story, author, etc? I have hardly touched a page in comparison but I gravitate towards dystopic novels.
A woman after my own heart! When Gonzalo and I ran out of space for book shelves in the living and bedrooms, we converted the garage into a library (the books needed the space more than the cars did as the climate in San Diego is kind). Now that room is full. As there is no more space to put them, whenever we get a new book, one has to go. The local library is happy with our donations as the budget was cut for new acquisitions. The librarian told me a couple of months ago that many of the books I have given them are now on the shelves. We've also started using our library cards more. If we have to wait for a title, we have plenty of others with which to entertain ourselves.
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