Friday, March 25, 2011

The Next Book

Tonight I find myself with a familiar, frustrating, but somewhat welcome dilemma. I have finished the book I was reading. It's time to pick the next one.

It's agonizing, but I love it. I read a lot (sort of like people breath a lot). There have been times when I've finished a book and have stalked from room to room like an addict in desperate need of a fix and can't find anything to read that I haven't read before or that I'm ready to read again. I mutter incoherently, pull books from shelves, shove them back, and whine and snap at anyone who is unfortunate enough to come between me and a bookshelf. For me, that's truly hitting rock bottom. It isn't pretty and I'm not proud of it. It's just the way it is.

Thanks to my sister in law, I have occasional access to shelves and shelves of stock for a library book sale in her town. They have a tremendous amount of stock and a huge selection. They sell all the books for 50 cents per pound. For $5, I can buy 10 pounds of books, some well-loved and some brand new. Do you know what 10 pounds of books is? Heaven. I have 2 stacks of books that I have not read yet from my last trip to the book sale.

My mother and sisters and I trade books. I have a stack in my kitchen and another in my bedroom--more that I haven't read yet. My children got books for Christmas (of course) and for birthdays and because if we are near a bookstore on the weekend we go in. They have started piles they think I should read. My friends borrow my books and loan me theirs and I have a bag with some of their must-reads waiting.

As a voracious reader, an addict in need of her next hit, I am empowered by the possibilities and promise of so much unread material within easy reach. Yet I find myself bewildered and struck powerless by an overwhelming inability to choose. To choose one. The one. The next book.

4 comments:

  1. I'm glad you posted this! I'm reading the book that Alan recommended to me...The Belgariad (spelling?). I too have "stalked from room to room" in search of a book I haven't read! :) It was wonderful talking to you today!

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  2. It was a joy to hear your plight. I have a houseful of books, and read all kinds, including children's & young adults', but still, to choose the 'right' one is important too. Or, I guess I mean the 'right' one right now! I like that you describe 10 pounds of books as 'heaven'. How right you are!

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  3. Ruth,
    The agony! Not only do I have trouble choosing the next book, but I also suffer the loss of the last one. I almost feel bad that I have to leave those friends, begin a new adventure or discover a new place. Will the old book feel bad? But then I look around and I see all the unread books, and I know it is my duty to discover their treasures, too. I wish I could come over and visit to see all the books in your house. It's sounds like you almost have book plants, that grow over time.
    Happy Reading,
    Erin

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  4. I loved reading this slice. I too read a great deal. Every room of my home has books in it. My husband complains that I have stacks all over and still check out more from the library. Now I have a Kindle (a gift from him that I'm sure is intended to lessen the piles around here) and I've got over 100 free books downloaded on it. It's a great problem to have in life!

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