Books

This year, I've been reading a lot. In fact...I've read more this year than I think I have the first 16 years of my life combined. Maybe even the first 20 years.
As I've mentioned before, I'm also writing. However, the past few weeks/maybe months I took a break from writing while I went through the Harry Potter series. Mainly because I was frightened that one of my main characters Jean would suddenly become an elderly wizard and my main character Rina would find out she is attending a magical school for witchcraft. I'm now on the last Harry Potter book (4th of the way through...woot) and feel it is safe to start writing again. I mean, how much influence can I get from reading Harry Potter and writing at the same time? *innocent smile* Famous last words...
But seriously. I do feel much more focused on MY story as Harry Potter is coming to a close. But that doesn't stop me from staying up until 11:30pm (my version of a late night while John is home from deployment...as opposed to 3am) reading feverishly while John snoozes next to me.
One of my many flaws is I like to own books. I do not remember the last time I set foot in a library (besides possibly looking for my brother who can often be found at libraries) or the last time I had a library card. In fact, I believe the only time I really DID have a library card was in 2nd grade. And I did not take advantage of it then. I did not grow up with a library and I did not grow up liking to read...so...libraries hold little appeal for me when it comes to finding a book I want. I DO appreciate them though. Especially architecturally beautiful ones. Bookstores, on the other hand, are one of my many loves. In fact, I truly believe I could live at Barnes and Noble and not have a care in the world besides sleeping uncomfortably on those cushy chairs. Maybe I could line up some Starbucks tables and make it a sort of bed. Heck...they probably even have a Twilight blanket featuring Edward's giant glittery face in the Young Adult Fiction section. And then I would live off of the Starbucks goody case. So yeah. I've pretty much thought it through and I plan on retiring there if anything happens. There's just something entirely wonderful about a bookstore and about new books. Not just new though. I love old books too. And that's where I come to my bad habit/flaw of wanting to own books. I grew up with my parents having a nice collection of books that they lugged from Vermont to China to Washington. Even though I read very few of those books, I loved them. Books are like old friends and I adore them. So when I want to read a book, I buy it. I don't get it from the library. In fact, that has never even crossed my mind when wanting a book and when people suggest it, I subconsciously roll my eyes. I also rarely borrow books. The last time I borrowed a book was when I read the first two Twilight books. And before that I don't think I had borrowed a book for a good 4 to 5 years and before that...probably 12. Yeah.
Now you still may be stuck on the fact I love book STORES but not libraries. I think it comes to the borrowing factor. I don't like borrowing. Probably because I've lost too many things to people who borrowed and never gave them back. And books are special. Other things (depending on what it is) I could care less about. But books. I better see those books back to me if they are borrowed.
Sigh...so moral of the story: I should probably get over my library phobia and stop buying so many books. And while I'm at it, we need another bookshelf because the study floor is getting cluttered with the volumes I got since John left and came back.