Read 'Em and Weep

One of the things that thrilled me when I was finished my formal education was that I could read books at my leisure, read whatever took my considerable fancy, and I didn't have to analyse or remember one single thing about them. I still read an awful lot....it always amuses me at New Years, when I hear people say "one of my resolutions is to read more." Really? Because I always have to vow to read less...."Officer, I know I was supposed to renew my driver's licence, but you see, I got into a really good book, and there went that week."

I am fortunate that we are blessed with a phenomenal library system in my city. Seriously, my reading habit would seriously hamper our morgage payments if I had to actually buy all the books I read.

Our library system allows you to get on your home computer and access their system, to see if they have the book you want. You can then put that book on hold, they will bring it to the branch nearest to you, and then e-mail you when it gets there. You can keep the book for three weeks, and then they will e-mail you again to tell you that the book is due in a couple of days. If you are not ready to bring it back, you can re-new your book for another three weeks, as long as no one else is waiting for it. All for free. Is there a better deal anywhere?? I doubt it. PLUS, the librarians are delightful and friendly and they know me by name. They even know my dad. (They tell me I've missed him if I come in soon after he does, and they even ask if everything is okay if he doesn't come in for a while.)

I went to the library today after work, to find that there were no less than 7 books on hold for me. I took all of them out, and now feel a terrific pressure to read all of them in as short a time as possible, because the library system is so good to me, and I want to return the favor. I can "freeze" my holds, and allow other people to get my books before me, and the I jump back into the queue where I left it, but for some reason I misjudged how quickly I would get these particular books and I zoomed up the waiting list and ended up with about 90 kajillion pages to read by tomorrow.

Adding to my self-inflicted reading gauntlet, is that I took a gig reviewing books for a small, local magazine recently. (Usually I spew my opinions out to the world for free, I had no idea anyone would actually PAY me for them!) So, now I have to read two more books to review them.

I may have to take some time off work to get all my reading done. It would sort of be like being in university again.