Too many books!

Ugh! I really hate working at the library and being such an avid reader. It means my bedroom floor is always stacked with books 'I just need to read'. It's not often that a day goes by when a library member won't suggest a great read, which means that my book reserve list is also as long as my arm. It’s such a drag and can sometimes be really frustrating as the larger the pile gets, the less likely I actually feel like reading.
A few years ago I read a great book (yes another!) by the famous Seattle Librarian Nancy Pearl (the book is called Book Lust and is available at the library in case you would like to add one to your pile!). In the first few pages Nancy writes....

'One of my strongest-held beliefs is that no one should ever finish a book that they're not enjoying, no matter how popular or well reviewed the book is. .... I live by what I call "the rule of fifty", which acknowledges that time is short and the world of books immense. If you're fifty years old or younger, give every book about fifty pages before you decide to commit yourself to reading it, or give up. If you're over fifty, which is when time gets even shorter, subtract your age from 100 - the result is the number of pages you should read before deciding.' (Book Lust pgs. xi - xii)

With this is mind, I think we should always take the time to try a new book, BUT if you don't like it, than just bring it back! I’m lucky for a few more years yet I can give the book fifty pages, for those of you a little older, let’s hope the author is really good at setting the scene quickly, hehe.
Don’t forget that the benefits of being a member of a public library often means you can afford to not read everything you take home, its free so you're not wasting money on what we in the industry like to call 'trash' or ‘fluffy time wasters’.
So here goes, I'm off to clean my bedroom floor....


Amanda
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