For the first time in months, I have no library books in my possession.
This isn’t because I’ve fallen out of love with the library or anything like that. No, no. It’s because I’ve been so caught up in the library and all of the reading treasures housed within that I’ve been neglecting all of the beautiful books awaiting my attention in my own library!
As some of you may know, I’m currently under a self-imposed (and flexible) book ban. It’s not a permanent thing. I haven’t lost my mind and decided not to buy books ever again. I haven’t decided to categorize books as clutter. Nothing like that; I have a wedding to pay for and books ain’t cheap. So I started going to the library to save money. And instead of exercising anything remotely resembling bookish self restraint, I started taking home 7 or 8 books every few weeks.
But they have to be back at the library in a few weeks. So even though I could renew them (and occasionally I have), more often than not I just neglect all other books and read the library books.
Result: my own books are screaming for my attention.
I’m taking a hiatus from the library until I make a dent in some of my own book piles.
So what is awaiting my attention? Read on!
For Christmas I got four beautiful books and I’ve only read one of them so far (Burial Rites). Night Film by Marisha Pessl, The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master and the Trial That Shocked A Country by Charlotte Gray and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt are all still waiting to be read (and hopefully loved). And yes, I realize that all the books I asked for for Christmas had to do with death. I’m probably less disturbed by that than I should be.
I buy classics because I love them and usually they are on some kind of sale. Mostly love but if I can get more books for the same amount of money, so much the better. But reading classics can be a commitment and I get distracted by shiny new reads a lot. War and Peace is still sitting on my shelf, waiting for round two. I’ve made an attempt at Nicholas Nickleby once as well (but as travel reading when it was so not appropriate travel reading) so that needs another go. And The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I loved The Age of Innocence and I know I will likely enjoy this one too but again – new and shiny.
Last year I read quite a lot of non-fiction. And yet? I didn’t get to all the non- fiction books that I bought. After I saw Lincoln last year, I meant to read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals but I have yet to do so. I also have a book about Amsterdam that I impulsively bought because I always buy books about Amsterdam or the Netherlands when I see them as they are so rare. I’m in the middle of The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel so that’s progress (so far it’s also insanely interesting and horrifying) but I have yet to crack From Splendor to Revolution, Julia P. Gelardi’s account of the Romanov women from 1847-1928. By all accounts, I will love this book. One of my very favourite biographies was Gelardi’s Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria.
So for now, although the library calls out to me with the promise of all kinds of undiscovered riches, I’m going to try and resist so that I can make my way through my own books.
But like I say, I’m pretty flexible with these things.
The Paperback Princess 
My problem is when “too many” of my library holds come in at once–I feel obligated to get through as many as possible as quickly as possible, because they often can’t be renewed since there are other patrons on the list behind me. Yet that causes me to neglect the books that I own but have yet to read. . . but when you really think about it, what a good problem to have!
Night Film and Goldfinch are also on my TBR list!
There are definitely worse problems to have! But I feel for you with those holds! You don’t want to be the reason someone else has to keep waiting! I am so looking forward to The Goldfinch- I’ve heard only great things! And Night Film looks so interesting, just even to look through!
Sounds like you have some good reading ahead of you even without the library. I am a big library user to, though i go in and out of phases with it. The Massey Murder was good and love anything that has to do with the social history of Toronto. I also read The Goldfinch and Night Film (didn’t live up to the hype).
I haven`t read very much about the social history of Toronto specifically, but I love any kind of social history. I`m really looking forward to that one.
Night Film looks like such an original book, based purely on having flipped through it. And The Goldfinch…well, I don`t think we need to say more about that.
I definitely have more than enough to get through without the library!
I am terrible at doing the library. I just live too far away from it. Sometimes when I visit friends in the city, I wish lived there too. I was lamenting today not having enough lives and not being able to live more than one…
Oh wow I loved The Age of Innocence. I was so disappointed when I read the beginning of Francesca Segal’s The Innocents, based on the Edith Wharton. It was a total copy, almost scene for scene but based in modern times and not as good!
I can’t imagine you won’t love The Goldfinch.
I didn`t start using the library as an adult until I lost my job the first time. And now I work around the corner from one, so it seems lazy not to. But I feel your pain. Now, I don`t know what I would do if I lived too far from a library. Start some sort of book lending circle probably.
I don`t like when books are such obvious copies of classics. Just read the classic!
I feel like The Goldfinch should be the next book I read.
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