Like A Kid In A Candy Store

I love to read and now that we don't have TV that's my number one hobby. I read on the subway, I read during lunch, I read at the doctor's office, I read at night, I read when I have a spare moment at home. Bottom line, I read incessantly.

And I collect books incessantly. Whenever I spot something interesting, I usually place a request at the library, and if something especially catches my fancy, I like to buy it, but only if I can get a good deal. I walk into a bookstore and I browse for that something special.

Last October, I took my daughters to Barnes & Noble one Sunday and walked out with three paperbacks for the price of two: American Lion about Andrew Jackson, Satchel about Satchel Paige, and The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, the first book in a trilogy about our 26th President. I enjoyed it so much that I devoured the other two books in the trilogy: Theodore Rex, covering his time in office, and Colonel Roosevelt, about his post-Presidential years.

And just yesterday, I took advantage of a going out of business sale at the Borders Book store in Kips Bay in Manhattan, snagging five books - three non-fiction books and two thrillers - for $35. The score includes a biography on Thomas Jefferson that rings in at 1,009 pages - daunting, sure, but when you've read about 2,000 pages on Theodore Roosevelt, it's child's play - that I got at 90% off (list price of $55, cost me $11.70).

Books so enthrall me that I feel like a kid in a candy store whenever I'm in a book store or library or come across an interesting new title. So much so that when I put all the books in my queue in one spot the total came out to 19 titles - and that doesn't include The House of Morgan, which is on it's way as I type, or the four books on request at the library.

One can probably say that I'm obsessed with reading, which I'd agree with. So here's my resolution: methodically work my way through the books in my queue before tackling (or buying) anything new. Alas, there's a new John Sandford coming out next month. Sigh, the list grows ever longer and will never be winnowed to zero. However, I have been so spendthrift this week, I'll request it from the library - I canceled my order with Amazon - and restrain myself from other purchases in the future,

Now, on to Washington: A Life, by the same author as The House of Morgan (Ron Chernow). I'm enjoying it thoroughly - it's a great education on Washington and the American Revolution about which I aim to post more at another time.