I Got a Library Card!

I used to walk into book stores without an agenda, spend hours perusing bookshelves, and walking out happily with $70.00 worth of books. When I walk into book stores now, I am overcome with anxiety. It’s this weird pressure that developed once I entered the book blogosphere, and it makes book shopping an awful experience. Seriously. The new releases offend my pocketbook and I’m still waiting for the hype for last years books to fizzle out and how do I find a book that hasn’t made its rounds on blogs yet anyway? And when I’m spending money, I become reluctant to venture outside my comfort zone because what if I don’t like the book? Most of the time I walk out of the bookstore with empty hands and a heavy heart.

So on Saturday I decided to go to the library instead.

I had been meaning to for the past five months, but I kept coming up with excuses for why I couldn’t go. Mostly I was afraid to go there by myself, but this Saturday was perfect library-going weather– chilly and rainy. The library staff wasn’t nearly as warm and welcoming as I expected them to be, but the atmosphere was still delightful. My library is open and spacious, and large windows line the walls letting in plenty of natural light. Perhaps the shelves aren’t stocked to the brim, but there are more than enough books to choose from. The library also has a fireplace, so I already know I will want to spend cold, winter afternoons here. And perhaps, once I pluck up enough courage, I’ll attend the writers group that meets twice a month. We’ll see…

I spent two hours studying the stacks trying to decide which books to bring home with me. My goal was to bring home books I would never pick out at a book store, books I’ve never heard of, genres I’ve never read. I’d say I was pretty successful, too. I feel like this has rejuvenated my desire to read because as soon as I got home, I brewed myself a cup of coffee, I snuggled in to my armchair, I cracked open Sleight of Paw, and devoured the first half of the book in one sitting.

Have you experienced a reading slump recently? How did you reignite your passion for books?

10 responses to “I Got a Library Card!”

Julie S.

June 30, 2015 at 10:51 am

Hurray for checking out your local library and finding new books you’d never pick up otherwise!

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Mom

June 30, 2015 at 11:17 pm

You definitely need to join the writer’s group! Would really love to see you write something from start to finish!

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Inge @ Bookshelf Reflections

July 1, 2015 at 8:35 am

I remember when I got a library card in the city I was studying at the time — I went completely nuts, borrowing three books, reading them all in a week, and returning the next week to get a fresh batch! I’d never had access to so many English books I actually wanted to read (the English section in my hometown’s library consists mostly of classics, classics, and to shake it up, classics)! I’m sure you’ll have tons of fun with it, and I love the sound of that fireplace. 🙂

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Kaja

July 1, 2015 at 2:24 pm

I love libraries. I wish ours had a larger English section but it’s obvious that most of the books are in Slovenian 🙂 I’d also love to see a fireplace in our library! I never actually read books there – I study/work sometimes, but I don’t get that cozy vibe off the space. Eh.
By the way, you’re a writer? What are you writing? 🙂
Oh and is that your mum commenting? That’s beyond cool – mine knows I write a blog and I sometimes send her a link when I publish photos and such, but she doesn’t read every post or anything…

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1. Jackie G.
  
  July 11, 2015 at 9:53 am
  
  I don’t know if I would really consider myself a writer, but I’ve had these ideas floating around in my head for about 5 years now, and I feel like I’m starting to get the courage to finally put those ideas on to paper. Mostly they’re space opera stories or stories about air ship pirates though.
  
  That is my mom commenting! Both my parents scout out my blog from time to time, and they’re kind of my biggest fans 🙂
  
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Skye @ Planet Jinxatron

July 10, 2015 at 5:40 pm

Yay library card! It’s like no-risk free shopping.

I got into a slump with comics, somehow. Just looked at the big stack of them in my “inbox” (okay it’s a shelf) and did. not. care. Even though that’s my favorite medium and I had bought all those trades on purpose. And I felt too tired to read any of the nonfiction with no pictures that I’d been intending to dig into. So I spent a month ignoring all that and reading web comics instead. Same idea, different format, somehow the change of pace got me all excited about reading again.

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Skye @ Planet Jinxatron

July 10, 2015 at 5:42 pm

“Same idea” meaning that web comics are comics, just like the ones I had on my shelf. Typing too fast! 🙂

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1. Jackie G.
  
  July 11, 2015 at 9:48 am
  
  I understood what you meant 🙂
  
  It’s been aaaaaages since I’ve read a web comic. I feel like the last time I was really invested in one, I still had dial-up, which means it took forever for the images to load. But, not that you mention it, I kind of want to rediscover them. What web comics do you read?
  
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Topaz

July 11, 2015 at 1:18 am

My local library is my favourite place in the world – I’m so glad you’re discovering the magic of libraries as well! ❤ Honestly, it's the loveliest thing to spend hours and hours perusing the bookshelves and walking home with books you never would have read otherwise. Not to mention – I'm loving the sound of that fireplace. 😉

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1. Jackie G.
  
  July 11, 2015 at 9:49 am
  
  I know right! I feel like the worst saying this, but I WISH IT WERE WINTER RIGHT NOW JUST SO I COULD ENJOY THE FIRE PLACE. There. I said it.
  
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