Well I didn't think that it would ever happen, but I seem to have been struck with a paralyzing case of literary attention deficit disorder. Blame it on the warmer weather, my erratic schedule, or a type-A personality, but nothing I've been reading lately can seem to hold my attention for more than 20 minutes. And it is driving me bonkers!
First it started with Anna Karenina, which I was happily enjoying. Then 87 pages in I got distracted and picked up The Persian Bride. 54 pages into that, and I wandered towards a tattered copy of Le Mariage that I picked up at my library's book sale 2 yrs. ago, and have not touched since I brought it home. Then halfway through Le Mariage I found myself in the car heading towards Barnes and Noble to purchase a copy of I Was Told There'd Be Cake. Somehow I managed to make it all the way through, though I have a sneaking suspicion that was entirely owing to the fact that I Was Told There'd Be Cake is a collection of quick-reading essays, and the entire book was only about 220 pages long. Now I am forcing myself to plow through the last 90 pages of Le Mariage, though I swear I'm this close to packing it in, and donating it to my local trade-a-book shop.
Did I also mention that I currently have about 13 requests/holds at my local library? Not to mention the 7 books I already have checked out.
So in the absence of any better term, I've diagnosed myself with Literary ADD/Overload. There are just too many books, and too little time! When perusing at B&N this morning, I felt my pulse quickening, and all of a sudden, my light sweater seemed just a bit too warm. Was it the grande cup of coffee I held in my left hand kicking in? After spending the past week wondering what in the world was wrong with me-why couldn't I just sit down, read, and make it through just one novel? The answer came to me in the Biography section, as I scanned the titles, and thought to myself "own it, own it, on request at the library, own it, on amazon wishlist, etc..."
The problem isn't that I can't find anything to read, it's that there are too many things that I'm desperately eager to read. And every day as I read more reviews, publishing news blogs, author interviews, etc...I keep finding even MORE books to read! So what happens is that after reading a raving review of the latest installment in Stephen Clarke's Merde series, my literary flavor of the week turns from its original Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide to Kroger brand Mint Chocolate Chip.
I don't see this as a problem of sorts, say on par with gainful, secure employment, or rising fuel costs, but it sure is bugging the crap out of me.
Now if you'll excuse me, I better get back to finding out whether or not Anne-Sophie and Tim will follow through with their wedding, and if Gabriel really stole the manuscript before I decide to donate the novel to the geese wandering just out my back door.
Happy reading!
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