I love to read...

...And I love books.

The first purchase Wonderful Guy and I made together when we joined households was 7 foot oak bookshelves, 1 double, 1 single. He didn’t have bookshelves, and mine were handmade by the X, mismatched at best. Wonderful Guy seemed skeptical that I could fill these bookshelves up, as his affection for books is not as passionate as mine.

Well, fill them I did. My books were the first items moved. I loaded up the back seat and trunk of my car (7 and 5 bxs, respectively) with copy paper boxes of them. I made 3 or 4 trips, unloading the boxes and loading the shelves, before he asked, ‘is this about all?’ ‘Just about!’ I said, only having my ‘basement books’ left, meaning college textbooks, school yearbooks, and a few Nancy Drew mysteries.

Yep, I pretty much saved them all. I believed for a long time if I ever got rid of a book, I would regret it. I have since moved slightly from that belief. I still keep books to reread, but am more realistic about what I expect to reread. On the other had, I still have my original paperbacks of Tolkein’s Hobbit & LOTR trilogy I bought in 9th grade (1969), all dog-eared and crumbly paged. I must have read those 8 or 9 times. I know I will read those again.

And I love to not spend lots of money on books. Whenever the X and I relocated, one of the first tasks was to get library cards. (I have had the distinct privilege of serving on a city library board for 4 years.) I have used local libraries vociferously! Where I live now, I have used the Friend’s of the Library book sales. Oh, be still my beating heart! What is not to love about table after table of books, hardly any of them more than $2 a piece! And in the afternoon of the last day of the sale….a whole bag for like $5. Excuse me a bit, I am woozy with the thought….

Now, when I am not going to re-read a book, I re-cycle it with the FOL (Friends of the Library). Win-win for everyone!

May I suggest for your reading enjoyment, a few of last year's reads...(in no particular order)

Streets of Laredo, by Larry McMurtry
Pope Joan, by Donna Woolfolk Cross
Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden
The Source, by James Michener (also Centennial)
Pillars of the Earth, by James Follett
Eventide, by James Harus
The Hundred Secret Senses, by Amy Tan
The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver (also Prodigal Summer)
The Birdcage, by Marsha Willett