Bookworm Babblings
As a boy, I was a certified bookworm. I spent many hours in the children's fiction section at our local library, reading everything from the Hardy Boys (for manly sleuth inspiration) to the Babysitters Club (for insights into the confusing female mind). Once, my parents busted me for adding my own artwork in a Tin-Tin book and I had to confess to the librarian that I had defaced one of her books. My punishment was an afternoon washing the covers of the little kid books with a rag and soapy water.
As I got a little older I started moving over into the adults section, reading books about baseball, Jurassic Park, John Grisham, and Tom Clancy. I even started going to other library branches to find the books I wanted to read. I felt mature and smart, although the librarian smirked a little bit when I pronounced Michael Crichton's last name as "crick-tun."
After a while, I somehow got the idea that I need to start building my own library. I stopped using my library card and started buying my own books, mostly trade paperbacks from Costco and used bookstores. My literary tastes expanded to include poetry, theology, paperbacks that didn't get turned into movies, and biography, to name a few.
When I got married almost three years ago, I quickly learned that marriage cuts down on both the buying and reading of books. You can't blow your rent money on John Calvin and you can't take your wife on a date to the used bookstore. So my reading declined a bit and so did my book budget.
Well, last week I did something revolutionary. I got a new library card and took out four books, books that I had been wanting to read but didn't want to buy. I must say, I feel like I am pirating music- all these books to read and no cost!
To celebrate, I started an account at goodreads.com and added a lil' widget over on the side of the blog.
Nerds of the book world, rejoice. I'm back.
As I got a little older I started moving over into the adults section, reading books about baseball, Jurassic Park, John Grisham, and Tom Clancy. I even started going to other library branches to find the books I wanted to read. I felt mature and smart, although the librarian smirked a little bit when I pronounced Michael Crichton's last name as "crick-tun."
After a while, I somehow got the idea that I need to start building my own library. I stopped using my library card and started buying my own books, mostly trade paperbacks from Costco and used bookstores. My literary tastes expanded to include poetry, theology, paperbacks that didn't get turned into movies, and biography, to name a few.
When I got married almost three years ago, I quickly learned that marriage cuts down on both the buying and reading of books. You can't blow your rent money on John Calvin and you can't take your wife on a date to the used bookstore. So my reading declined a bit and so did my book budget.
Well, last week I did something revolutionary. I got a new library card and took out four books, books that I had been wanting to read but didn't want to buy. I must say, I feel like I am pirating music- all these books to read and no cost!
To celebrate, I started an account at goodreads.com and added a lil' widget over on the side of the blog.
Nerds of the book world, rejoice. I'm back.
Labels: pages and pages
posted by Nate at 1:34 PM
2 Comments:
yes, the library kicks a lot of butt. Music moguls need to take a page (or a disc?) from the library philosophy.
I am totally going to sign up with goodreads...
sarah
Your story sounds just like mine. I actually bought most of the Clancy stuff, and I'm quite sure my copy of Hunt for Red October finally got pitched because I'd worn the cover off.
I agree with pretty much everything else you said, though I'm happy to report that my wife enjoys going to the used book store on a date every once in a while. :-)
I'll add you as a friend on goodreads.
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