This morning I rearranged my reading table and surrounding book piles. Today's rearranging was needed to weed out those books due back at the library tomorrow, many of which will be returned partially or wholly unread. Sitting in the midst of book chaos, I realized that a sort of reading frenzy had overtaken me.
Overjoyed with the hours of reading spread out before me as I entered the retired phase of my life a couple of months ago, I went crazy on inter-library loan filling up my request list with all of the books due to come out in May, June, and July. With the proper nod to Murphy's Law, they have all be arriving in large clumps of four's and five's. So I've blown through many of them with the goal of finishing so I could get to the next one. This morning, the backlog burst through the dam. In the resulting flood, I realized that enjoying a book should be my goal, not finishing it on deadline. After all, the day I declared for Social Security, I left 45+ years of deadlines behind me!
So the list of books that tickle my fancy will continue to grow and change, but I will rely more on the serendipity of the books that reach out and grab me as I peruse the library shelves. Add to these unexpected gems my loaded Kindle and Nook together with the piles of books on my reading room floor that have been patiently awaiting my attention for some time, and I'm fixed for book elation until...well, until....
