Do you ever feel overwhelmed by books? Almost to the point where you don’t even know what book to pick up? I feel like this a lot because of the amount of books that I purchase, books that are sent to me for review, books that are gifted to me, books that I check out of the library, etc. Sometimes it can feel like your whole entire world is surrounded by books and there is so much pressure to read them in an allotted amount of time.
Right now, I think I’m reading about three, maybe four, different books and I’m not even close to finishing any of them. And yet I find myself searching my libraries website for ebooks to check out. And I can’t seem to get off of Barnes & Noble’s website. Randomly, while I should be doing college classwork, I somehow end up browsing BookOutlet.com.
So, is there such a thing as being a book “addict?” I find myself wondering this quite often because my office/library seems to be proof of it. However, the mind works in mysterious ways. For instance, I look at my shelves and almost have a panic attack, but when I enter a bookstore, I can’t hesitate to buy a book despite the knowledge of my overflowing shelves and lack of shelf space, because there is just some satisfaction in purchasing a book and knowing that it’s mine. That I can read it, cherish it, and give it a good home (as if it were a living, breathing thing). But in all honesty, for book lovers, books are just that: living, breathing things. In our minds, these books offer us something that nothing else ever possibly could — an escape. Not just from society, but from ourselves. They give us a place to turn to when we don’t want to think about how bad our day was and how we walked around all day with toilet paper stuck to our shoe and no one told us (um, for example). They are outlets. Dreams that we can experience while we’re awake.
With that I say to you book lovers out there – don’t be discouraged! You WILL get those books read one day and even if you don’t, they’ll still get the love that they deserve from other book lovers like YOU. Don’t sweat it and just enjoy the books that you have the time to read. Soak them up and let them permeate your mind. Dive into their worlds and allow yourself the privilege to appreciate what the author created just for you. It’s an amazing feeling. One that can get you through just about anything.
Wonderland Books 