Standing in Fiction Stretched High on Bare Feet

Anyone who even remotely knows me, knows that I am rarely without a book to read. Clearly if you have been reading this blog, and have cast your eyes to the right, you would have noticed I list the books that I read over the year. It is indeed an aim to read 50 books in a year, but so far I have fallen short - but I will get there. Further, I will admit to having a few issues with purchasing books in the past. I seem unable to say no to certain things when shopping. Shoes, handbags, DVDs, CDs and, last but certainly not least, books.

In an effort to staunch the constant flow of finances from my wallet, I have been cutting back on my shoe purchases. I have only bought one handbag in the past 6 months. DVD purchases have virtually gone to a standstill, and CDs have slowed significantly, somewhat related to a massive lack of storage. But, until now, books have been my source of solace. Caressing their new pages, hearing the crack of the spine when you open it for the first time, smelling the inky newness from the page. All these things make it hard for me to say no to a book, or ten, when I enter a bookstore. My last trip to the USA found me scrambling in the airport to fit as many books I could into my on-board luggage (it was a combination of a fantastic AU Dollar and the ridiculously cheap prices for paperbacks in the USA that was to blame!).

So it has as a huge surprise to me of late, that I am not aching to spend money on books like I used to. In fact, I was in a multinational bookstore on the weekend, with a collection of books that I was eager to buy, and walked out purchasing none of them. Of course, the piles of books that litter my bedside tables, floor, corridors, double stacked on the bookshelves, etc, do give one a sense of pause when about to buy more. But nay, the main culprit that has halted my incessant book purchasing need is a new discovery I have made. Apparently, there are locations, all around this fine city where they will let you take perfectly good books, and read them for free. FOR FREE! Why I never! I can even put an order in, online, and then go and get the book at a later date. And when I have finished reading it, I can take it back for someone else to enjoy (what ho, is this recycling?) and not have it cluttering up my house. I know, seems to good to be true. But yes, such a thing exists. Apparently I am a bit slow to jump on this latest trend, but look about you and look for these strange places called "Libraries". It may just change your reading, and spending, habits!