I have a couple of problems with books. Now don't get me wrong, I love to read. I like fiction, historical fiction, biographys, mysteries, and chick books. But books, in general, have always been a source of problems for me.
My first problem is I am not one of those people who like to collect books, you know the kind that need a library in their house to shelve the thousands of books they feel then need to keep and reference. Therefore, I really hate buying books only to turn them into a 25 cent sale at my decade-ly garage sale. Since I will only have approximately five garage sale in my lifetime this means any book I buy has to have a place to be until said garage sale...and you know how I obsess about everything needing to have its place in my house. I also hate paying for something that I am only going to use once. I know there are some books that people should just own and keep forever, but I am just not one of those people. I have trouble keeping my kids school and art work for any legnth of time...again it goes back to my obsession with having an organized house. It is the same way I feel about buying movies.
I know, I know...crazy.
There are a couple of key movies and books that I do own and won't get rid of. I have all the Harry Potter books, and for some reason I keep every diet book I ever bought...talk about a shelf full.
I also own a few DVD's Airplane, Christmas Vacation, and Elf. You know...the classics.
but I digress...
The perfect solution to this first problem is to have good friend who buy books and are willing to loan them out and own a library card. These two solutions have given me a good deal of reading material over time, but it is a little inconvenient to have to wait for friends to offer up books and getting to the library seems like I am having to travel to the moon.
My second problem is really the greater issue. When I read a book...I can't put it down. All I want to do is read. I get so wrapped up in the book that I am drawn to it like a junkie to crack. I think about it when I am not reading it and I carry it with me at all times as to not waist one idle second. This means that I read when I am eating, when I should be doing housework, when I should be blogging, when I am cooking, and when I am supposed to be SLEEPING BECAUSE I GET UP SO DANG EARLY.
I am a hot mess when I am in the middle of a book...and to be quite honest it doesn't even have to be a GOOD book.
I was visiting my sister in Arkansas one summer and she had the Twilight series. I started reading the first one, the name of it eludes me at the moment (I know all you Twilight fans are screaming at your comupter right now...sorry)
Anyway she caught me reading it and told me that for my own good I should put it down and back away slowly...that I would forever regret getting sucked into this series. Well, I didn't listen and when I finished the first book and was craving the second it was time for me to leave. I asked her if she would loan me the rest and she told me that for my own good she would have to say no. And she didn't. I had to go find my
I did.
As I was in the middle of the last one...about 500 pages into it...(it was very long) I was cursing each and every page. I hated this book...but I couldn't stop thinking about it and reading it. I HAD TO FINISH IT. I thought it was so utterly riduculous...c'mon seriously. Bella a pregnant vampire whose baby inside her is killing her and her vampire husband is trying to save her while saving the baby and the warewolf who is also in love with her is also trying to save her AND when the baby is finally born the give it some ridiculous name and the warewolf figures out that the baby is his soulmate...while all the time waiting for the bad vampires to come kill them all.
AHHHHHHH I CANT TAKE ANOTHER SECOND PLEASE TAKE THIS BOOK FROM MY CLENCHED HANDS AND RELIEVE ME OF THIS LITERARY NIGHTMARE.
I'm sorry Kate...I should have listened to you.
I'm sorry Twilight fans...I tried.
I finished the book, threw it to the ground, and swore off books for a very long time.
I seriously can't remember the next book I read.
Until Tuesday when Rich and I went to the libaray. I got this book:
I really like this author. I have read two other books of hers and thought I would give it a go. However, I was a little worried because it was a new book and it only had a two week checkout period.
I must have briefly lost my mind.
I finished it by Wednesday afternoon.
Now if you will excuse me I need to go reconnect with the world, and burn my library card.
More Later
- A Ro
I was going to recommend a Nook or Kindle but they won't help with your bigger problem. I can't put books down either. My hubby gets up in the middle of the night and yells at me because the book will still be there tomorrow and I will be exhausted and cranky. He's really a very nice guy and probably not actually yelling but it is perceived as yelling in my cranky, book-focused brain! But I c-a-n-n-o-t put a book down in the middle of the story! Just can't!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like I am in good company. I ignore my entire family while reading!
ReplyDeleteKindle! It's the answer to the clutter, if not the answer to the buying (although most of the books are pretty cheap). But it also doesn't solve the problem of getting so involved in a book. I have that same problem, but only for select authors (Nora Roberts, JD Robb - I know I know, they're the same person). And I don't know what to tell you about that - if you figure it out let me know!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I couldn't stand Twilight! But I had to read it - I think there were subliminal messages in there. But I did enjoy it after she became a vampire because she seemed miraculously less whiny.
I work at our library book sale where hardbacks are only $1.50 and I still can't bring myself to buy them. There are very few books that I want to re-read, so I just check them out and return them.
ReplyDeleteExcept cookbooks and exercise books. Those I keep. And To Kill a Mockingbird. And atlases. And about six different translations of the Bible.
But that's all. Really. I think.
Oh, and I am usually in the middle of about 3 or 4 library books. heh heh NO laundry gets finished until I do.
I'll read a book, and, even if I'm not really "into" it, will insist on finishing it. I feel like such a failure if I don't.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the warning... so glad I never picked up a Twilight book. Watched the first movie, though. Spooky stuff. *shivers*
ReplyDeleteI have the best book for you!
ReplyDeleteI hated Twilight, too. However, I did put it down in the middle of book #3 when I just couldn't take it any longer. Stupid!
ReplyDeleteHave you read Pioneer Woman's new book? It's fun and quick! :-)