Over the weekend, I did something shocking. I took all of my books back to the library, dwindling my “Checked Out Items” to one CD set which I am listening to in the car. If you are a confirmed bookaholic like I am, you may check out a sizable number of books at one time. I just know I will get them all read in my spare time. My. Spare. Time. Laugh with me please. Ha-ha!

Also playing into my bookaphilia is the never-ending stream of new books flooding the interwebs every single day. Truly my mantra could be, “so many books, so little time.” I have often thought if I were starting over and looking for a career path, librarian would be at the top of my list, but I disgress. Almost daily when I am out on my Facebook adventures or reading my email, I find a book that grabs my attention. If it is reeeeeeally enticing, I will either check to see if it is available at our local library or through inter-library loan. Failing that, I pull out the debit card and make it my own. I have a pretty decent library, but there is always room on the shelf (or a shelf somewhere around the house) for just one more title. I love books!

Having taken my stack of books back to the library, when it was time for my bedtime story last night, I found a gaping hole inside my bookend, pictured above. I breathed a heavy sigh and moseyed down the hall toward the bedroom, sat down on the side of the bed, and moped for a minute. That’s when my eyes fell to that sacred cubby beneath my bedside table, and my heart quickened just a bit. There they were — some of my most treasured, favorite books. Living beneath my line of vision, they had been languishing there, lonely and in need of attention. I reached down, blew away the dust, and selected one of my all-time favorites, Marry Your Muse by Jan Phillips. What an adventure in creativity that book was!

As I whispered a silent “thank you”, I crawled into bed, slipped beneath my mound of snuggly blankets and opened to Introduction page xi. “This book is an exploration into possibility, an exercise in dissolving the line between the mundane and the mystical, the sacred and the secular.” Aaaaahhh, how those sweet words wrapped themselves around me, and I read until my chin nudged my chest.

If you are an avid reader or simply one who has collected just a few volumes, don’t neglect those books that have given you pleasure or helpful information down through the years. New books are grand and exciting and certainly inviting, but some of the best books are already living on a bookshelf near you. They would love to spend a little time in your company.

Read on!
Steph Marks
Writer

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I would love for you to leave a few words below about a favorite book of yours, and if you enjoyed this article, please share it with someone who might need a little reminder to ‘love the books you’re with’!