Too much to read

I have known for a long time I have a problem. It is one I've had for a long time, ever since I was a child. Through the decades, I've exacerbated the problem; discovering the internet and sites where you can download movies and tv shows and programs made the problem that much worse.

My problem is...I have too many books to read. Right now, I have a stand not quite three feet long with three shelves full of books. On top of that stand are eight-one foot high piles of books. I also have a tall wooden case with five shelves maybe a foot wide full of books, some shelves double deep. All the shelves are full of books. The bedroom dresser contains five piles over a foot tall of hardback books. The other dresser has two piles about a foot tall of more books. Finally, the computer has one folder about 522 mb in size of files of downloaded books. All of the shelved books and most of the computer files are yet to be read. This does not include the audio folder with over 7100 items of audio books, old radio shows, sermons, and the like waiting to be listened to. I always have at least four books in the car and comic books in the bathroom.

I can't resist the yearly October AAUW book sale up at the mall. Half of center court is full of used books. They even provide empty boxes for the patrons to haul away the books. Saturday after three pm - the books are free. I have yet to get up to the twice a year book sale at the fairgrounds in Des Moines, but I keep planning on it. The 1/2 Price Books store is moving to a larger space so you can imagine my giddiness over that. Over the previous two days I stopped at two thrift stores and found more books and only bought one...the other eight were free.

I have a small notebook I need to update where I list books I've run across I would like to read. In a small stand is a folder of cut out pages from book club circulars of more books I'd like to read. I need to transfer the folder contents to the notebook and one source of desired books.

For years, when I bought books, I always chose the best quality books. The ones with no mars or scratches or tears on the covers or spines. Today, I still read books with them half closed so as not to break the spine. I have lowered my standards on the outside quality else I'd never buy anything, let alone used.

I sometimes think what would happen if I had a job where I hadn't the time to read books (Uh, I'd like to have one of those jobs, by the way; talk to me if you know of something). My piles would be larger than they are.

My dream is to someday have a library to display all of them. I'd love to spend hours opening my boxed books and arranging them on shelves.

Yes, I can admit I have a problem. I may have gone overboard on the amount of books I own. My problem is...I don't have enough time to read them. I imagine in the year 2100 I'll be on my deathbed (yes, I'll be 134, science surely will have extended the lifespan by then, right?) trying to finish the last chapter of a book I bought fifty years previously, then waving to the nurse to hand me the next title.

Excuse me, I have a couple of hours before work; I have to find a book around here to read.