So Many Books, So Little Time

It’s been a fun month, but I bought too many books.  Is there such a thing as too many books? Not really.  I visited some friends on the west side of the State over the last month.  I bought some books and was given some books.  I bought some books from a woman selling at a festival, because I was curious how the selling was going, and if I might want to do something like that in the future.  After querying her in great detail, I thought I should buy a book, then she gave me another. I hope her books are good; I haven’t cracked them yet.  Most recently, I bought even more books at Spokane’s Get Lit festival, a celebration of writers and readers. 

My “To Be Read” (TBR) pile is large now.  It is larger than my bedside table.  This doesn’t even include the books already in my collection that I haven’t gotten to yet.  I’m going to need a whole TBR shelf in my library.  If I’m not careful, I might need to buy a whole new bookshelf.  Possibly a bigger house with a larger library. Because you can never have too many books.

I’ve been reading more non-fiction lately.  But one always needs a murder mystery on standby.  And I attended readings of several local writers at Get Lit, and one should always support local writers by buying their books.  Sometimes I want to read some poetry, and I found some amazing new poets (that even my non-poetry-loving friends might like, especially Ada Limon, the U.S. Poet Laureate; and Laura Read, a local Spokane poet.  Ha, I just noticed “Read” is her last name.  I must read some Read!).  I didn’t actually buy a book from every author I listened to at Get Lit, there is only so much room in my shopping bag.  But I definitely tested the weight limits of my cloth bag. 

Of course, I tend to read several books at a time.  Especially non-fiction and poetry, I pick those up, read a bit, and put them back down.  For fiction, especially good fiction, I will read for hours at a stretch.  But then what happens to my books after they’re read, since my house is small and my library is smaller?  Some I share and want back so I can admire them on my bookshelf, or, more rarely, so I can read them again.  Some I share and ask folks to pass them on to the next person.  Some end up in our Little Library in front of my mom’s house.  Eventually, when the Little Library gets stagnant, they may go on to a new life in someone else’s Little Library, or in a thrift store. 

I now must keep a list of books I’ve read and books I want to read, because my brain is full (not because I’m old and forgetful, mind you, it’s just full of knowledge). I have learned that if I keep my book list on google docs, I can access it from my computer, and also from my phone.  This is super handy in a bookstore!  Especially since there are so many other potential good books to tempt me—much like a bakery, or a candy store, but the temptations aren’t so sugary.  They are, however, more expensive.  

Because I like books, a few of my friends will ask me for book recommendations.  This can get awkward because I can never remember author names or book titles.  I have to be standing in front of my bookshelves to jog my memory.  Other friends give me recommendations on their favorite books; some might be fantasy, not my usual genre.  But I will try them just in case my tastes have changed.  Books are like friends; we need all kinds.  And friends are like librarians.