The Trouble with Books

Not too long ago, I was sitting and making fun of a friend who had told me he was reading two books at once. Tom Lamia is an emerging writer that writes adventure and thriller books for kids.

“Blasphemy!” I spoke aloud. “How could you treat the written word so unfairly? Every book ought to command the reader’s complete focus. I kept going till I saw a shroud of shame descend upon him. I decided to go on after feeling a little proud.

A few years later, having swallowed my own words, I sit here and write this. Looking around my room and receiving frequent cleaning requests from my wife made me realize that I currently have not one, not two, not three, but maybe four or more books that I have only half read. They were all left behind, scattered about in various crevices and living a life of solitary, although in a plush, dust-free, well-ventilated chamber.

I tried to recall the moment this addiction began by recalling what my friend had stated a few years prior and life in general. Since there is no stopping once you start, moving from one book to another without finishing the first, I refer to it as an addiction.

You gradually arrive at a point when it is OK to skip books, to put them off till later, and to promise yourself that you will ultimately finish them. Obviously, you’ll do it. To switch from one story to another, for the time being, is OK. Unexpectedly, there is always an excuse, whether it be related to time, interest, mood, or weather.

In the end, the world is to blame. It is the simplest method for eradicating guilt. I criticize authors for consistently producing outstanding stories. Or books that friends or publishers bring over with the note “I must read.” Even the bookseller is to blame; he is sly enough always to know which books to stack before me as soon as I walk into his store.

You can see how many books I currently have on hold by taking a quick peek at my Goodreads “Currently Reading” tab. There are others, though, that I neglected to post on the website. Why would I give my wife more justification to prevent me from purchasing additional books? That would be incredibly foolish of me!