Friday, July 6, 2012

My Problem With Library Books

So when it comes to books, my eyes are bigger than my, er, reading capacity.


So when I see a book that looks interesting, I usually put it on hold at my local library (unless it's a low priced indie book, or on sale, and then I buy it for my Kindle! I am a starving artist...). Unfortunately, I seem to be only drawn to books that have catastrophically huge waiting lists. 157 people are ahead of me, 266 people are ahead of me...a message informs me of my fate, and I resign myself to waiting another two months for the book. So I put more books on hold. I stagger the wait times. This book has 52 people waiting for it, that book has 75, and this other book has only 15. Should work out perfect, right?

But somehow, inevitably, they all become available AT THE SAME TIME.

Eek!

At first, it's kind of like Christmas. I ooh and ahh and stare and drool.

But then, I have to actually read all these books. I take them home and pile them beside my bed in my "reading basket."

And that's where it gets ugly.

You see, when I have a lot of books to read my ADD and procrastination skills and all sorts of other troublesome tendencies sort of kick in. I feel pressured. I feel anxious to finish them all. Somehow, this means I read slower. And then I get really busy. And then I get the urge to revisit my lonely current manuscript, because reading makes me feel like writing. And then, inevitably...

I log into my library account and see that I have fines. Massive fines, multiplying like rabbits!


My library actually now has a rule that you cannot check out more books if your fine is over $15, and I sometimes wonder if they made that rule because of me and my mom (I'm not the only one who suffers from this affliction of too many library books).

And it's a vicious cycle, because I have a reading addiction, ya'll.

The good news is that I am helping my local library stay in business...

* sigh *

2 comments:

  1. Lol! You crack me up, girl. :-)

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  2. Great post! You really made me laugh. I never go to the library, I'm not even a member, but that's because they only have Dutch books here, and I want to read everything in English! (well, besides the original Dutch books, but there aren't a lot of those I really really want to read;)

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