Feeding an Addiction

You may as well know now, before you get any further into these adventures, I am a serious bibliophile.  At last count, I have 929 books and am always on the search for more.  In case you were wondering, of those 929 books, only 165 are unread (that's 17.76% unread if you are keeping count).  In preparation for a major change coming in my life, I had decided that I was not going to buy any more books.  The idea of leaving any behind is so heart-wrenching I cannot bear to think of it; and the shipping costs for nearly 1,000 books are astronomical.  It has been giving me panic attacks every time I even begin to consider it.  So I had put a moratorium on book-buying.

This past weekend, my weekend errands brought me to Barnes & Noble.  I was in need of letter writing paper.  Yes! as amazing as it is, I still write actual letters on occasion, and having only note cards, it is quite difficult to send out a nice, newsy, handwritten letter.  But, as happens, while I was there I was tempted by the shelves and tables displaying shiny new books.  What could it hurt to go in search of books whose release I am awaiting?  Turns out it was a mistake… a big one!  In addition to the pretty letter writing paper, (and a lemonade iced tea -- Curse You Starbucks!) I left the store with:

• Finished Off
• Eggsecutive Orders
• The Diamond Secret:  A Retelling of "Anastasia"
• Black Ship
• The Last Days of the Romanovs:  Tragedy at Ekaterinburg

But I was not finished.  I saw a book on display and I was not sure if I had it already, so I came home and checked my library.  Lo and behold, I did not already have it.  That had to be rectified or it would haunt me.  So I popped online to Barnes & Noble's website, where I found they were running a sale and offering free shipping on all orders, no minimum purchase (ending Sunday).  I had to find the remaining the books I could not find in the store, didn't I?   That was my second (big) mistake of Saturday afternoon.  I came away from the website expecting, in 3-5 business days, the following goodies:

• Face Down O'er the Border: A Lady Appleton Mystery
• Tug of War
• The Bee's Kiss
• The Temptation of the Night Jasmine
• Dying by the Sword
• The Alpine Traitor: An Emma Lord Mystery
• Dragon's Lair

I was very pleased with my purchases.  I really enjoy getting new books -- I like the way they feel in my hands; I like the way they smell; I like the way they look lined up on my shelves or tucked into my bag (yes I am almost never without a book); but most of all I like the potential adventures hidden between their covers.

I feel positively decadent looking at that purchase list.  All but one are next-in-series, most are mysteries, which makes me quite happy because it means that I get more adventures with old friends.  The last book is a new look at that murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family -- a different view of an event I have read of many times, and I am excited to see this new take on it.

Then I went to catalogue the books and all the giddy excitement came crashing to earth with the realization that my indulgence had broken my self-imposed moratorium not once, but a dozen times over.  How am I ever going to cull my books for packing and shipping?  Which will I leave behind?  It truly hurts to even think about leaving any behind, even for a while if I decide to ship in bunches.  I resolved then and there to cull.  A thorough and heartless cull is the only solution -- looking at each book with a critical eye and not being sentimental about any of them.  Yes.  That's just what I need.  I prepared myself to begin that cull the very next day.

and then...

Then I came home from work today and found a surprise waiting for me in my mailbox.  My dearest’s mother had sent me a package.  And what was in the package? a brand new, shiny book, just waiting for someone to read.  She had previously introduced me to Minette Walters, and the package held The Dark Room.  I cannot cull that one!  I cannot cull gifts.  I cannot cull old friends.  I cannot cull books from the to-be-read pile.  I simply cannot cull books.  What am I going to do?

Yep, it's official.
I'm addicted.
Hello, my name is Lynn and I'm a book-a-holic.