Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Confessions of a book junkie


I have a secret compulsion - buying books. I love going online and throwing books into my cart (I read a lot of review journals which fuels the fires of my addiction), and it's so easy to push "proceed to checkout," adding a little more to get the free shipping. AND THEN, the total thrill of the plain, black lettered cardboard box with its nifty zipper strip awaiting me in the mailbox with the brand new books inside. All mine to hoard and fondle. Think Gollum and his precious. Add to this that I'm a librarian with unlimited access to shiny new books I can bring home FREE , and it's pretty obvious that I really need therapy. (the problem with library books is that you have to take them back) Now, here's the true confession: this buying frenzy wouldn't be classified as a compulsion if I actually found the time to read them all.
But I do have an excuse - my book clubs. It's both a curse and a blessing that I'm a member of two book clubs - they keep picking things not already in my bookcase. But that's one of the reasons you join a book club - to widen your literary horizons. (sometimes I wonder about the wisdom of this) So, every 6 to 8 weeks I must digest two books not on my shelves. (In all fairness, I've discovered some all-time favorites this way) In any event, last weekend, I put all my unread Amazon purchases into a bookcase and counted them. Oh, the shame and horror - 93 books I've purchased and haven't read! If I were to drop out of both book clubs and read one book per week, I could finish them all in one year . . . and 41 weeks. Maybe when I retire . . .

4 comments:

tinylittlelibrarian said...

But we love book club! Think of all the food - you should hear what Husband is planning to cook up for us in September at my place.

And let it be known that Infidel is not of *my* choosing! :) But it's on its way to me, so I'll have to read it so the next holder can have it.

Actually, I can relate to the 2-book club pain because I joined the PK one and we're reading some Cormac McCarthy thing that I haven't even started.

maggie moran said...

OT - Thanks for joining the Southern Reading Challenge. I look forward to your picks and and thoughts. :)

tinylittlelibrarian said...

Ooo, if you click on it you can actually read the titles. Let's see...

These are on my TBR list, too:
Bobbie Faye's Very...Bad Day
On Chesil Beach

Husband really enjoyed Guns, Germs and Steel

These are great!
You Suck (total hoot - but have you read the 1st one, Bloodsucking Fiends? I hadn't and I think it would've helped to read them in order.)

Good in Bed

I love Marian Keyes

Can't tell with Hiaasen one that is, but he's always great.

Not that my 2 cents matters, I just got excited when I could see the titles. :)

Katherine said...

Yikes! And I thoughr I was bad (I've got about 20 sitting on my nightstand as I write. Happy reading!