A Good Problem

I'm sitting here grinning to myself. I am a very happy girl today, and...I guess I just wanted to share my giddiness with you!

I woke up with a wonderful, delightful dilemma this morning, and I have yet to solve it. I've been working on the problem all morning. It's now noon here, and I have yet to make a decision,...but I have wallowed in the joy of the problem. 

I need a new book to read, and I can't decide what I want to read next.

You see, I just finished my book club's book choice yesterday afternoon, and we met last night to have dinner and discuss the book. I spent the evening talking about the book we read, but also talking about other books we're interested in or have heard about. I thought I knew what book I wanted to read next until I got up this morning with all those conversations floating in my head.

I've spent this entire morning looking over all the books on my bookshelves. I've read every title I own (except for picture books and young adult fiction - I keep those on separate shelves). In my search for something good to read, I have pulled some old friends from the shelves to remind myself how much I enjoyed reading them. I've smiled at some of them, run my hand over more than a few book jackets, and - yes - even kissed one (or two) and hugged it close to my heart. For a brief moment, I even considered what it would be like to spread out all my books on the floor of my library and just roll around in them, but...I would never risk damaging a book that way. Still, the thought did occur to me.

I love my books, and I have a fondness for them that I don't reserve for anything else. I'm not a materialistic person, I never have been, but...to me...books aren't things. Books are people's thoughts on paper, they contain the minds and emotions of others. I love words, and books contain words that are strung together in the most amazing ways (if they're not amazing, they don't stay in my home). I have to love a book to keep it.

In my treasure hunt this morning, I did find a couple of weeds among the roses, and I threw them away. Yes, threw away. No, I won't sell them to the second hand book store. I won't be responsible for passing on bad literature to others, even at a discount price. I did find a few other books that aren't quite me. They were gifts, once upon a time, but it's time to re-gift them. They weren't bad books, just...not my style. I also realized I have more than one copy of a couple of good books, so I'll be happy to give those away to someone I know would enjoy them.

Am I any closer to choosing my next book? Actually, I am. I've narrowed it down to three. One made me laugh out loud in the introduction (I'm leaning heavily towards that one), one is a beloved book I'd like to re-read (whose words are so beautiful I know I'll read much of it aloud), and the other is a random pick I bought from a bookstore some time ago (but I have a really good instinct for picking good ones). I can read more than one book at a time, and I do from time to time, but I prefer to give one book all of my attention. I feel I enjoy it more that way.

Hmmm,...which one shall it be? I don't know for sure, but it's a good problem to have.

Happy reading!