Cliche but True: So Many Books! So Little Time!

Yes, the title for this post is cliche. But after all, sayings almost always become overused and cliched because they're true. And if you love books like me, you know as well as I do how true this particular axiom is.

One of my goals for 2012 is to watch less TV and to read more books. I own so many of them. Because I'm a book lover, as soon as I hear a trusted individual say he/she loved a particular book, I'm more than likely going to head over to Amazon to see if it is available for my Kindle. And if it is, there's a high probability that I'll order it. If it isn't available for the Kindle or if it appears to be the type of book I should own in a physical version (a book with lots of photographs, for instance), then I may have a debate with myself whether or not to order it that way.

So many books. So little time.

Let's ignore my bookshelves in my office, in the entry hall, in my exercise room, and in the bedroom for the purpose of this blog post. We'll just look at my Kindle for now.

I've been using the Kindle since April 16, 2008. That's almost four years. On my Kindle today, I have 638 books (fiction and non-fiction), 11 personal documents (manuscripts or galleys for endorsement or review, past and future), 1 audio book, and 89 samples of books that at one time or another I thought I might want to read. For a while, I downloaded lots of free books (every day there are many free books offered), but I've stopped doing that unless it is a book or an author I know/know about and truly want to read.

Here's the problem. Sometimes, when I'm ready to begin a new book, I have so many choices it almost paralyzes me. Am I the only one who is like that? I have all of my purchased books broken up into collections: Historical Research; Fiction; Writing Books; Books I've Read; Christian Living; Classic Fiction; How To Manuals; Cookbooks; Non-Fiction; Biographies/Memoirs; Bibles & Devotionals; and a few others. The two largest collections are fiction (254) and Christian living (99). FYI, once a book is read it is removed from the genre collection and placed in the Books I've Read collection.

So let's say I'm ready to read a new novel. I open that collection and start scrolling through the pages to see what entices me. Hmm. That one's supposed to be really good. Oh, I love her stuff. I'm not really in the mood for a (name genre here). Wow, haven't I read that one yet? It's four years old already.

The Christian living is as tough as fiction. I have yet to read some of the hottest CBA books of the last several years. I own them, just haven't found time to read them. Oh if only I could just put a book on my forehead as I drift off to sleep at night, and when I awaken in the morning, I would have absorbed it already. LOL!

Add to the above the goal I've set to read one writing craft book per month this year, plus the research reading I've got to do (beginning with a couple of biographies of Theodore Roosevelt and a book on the Rough Riders and then on to whatever I discover I don't know for the purpose of my WIP), and no wonder I feel like a puppy dog chasing her tail.

So many books! So little time!

~robin

P.S. In case you need to add a book to your collection (eBook or printed version), mark your calendar for my Facebook Launch Party of HEART OF GOLD. It's going to be on Thursday, February 9, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM MST. Prizes for participants include copies of my new book, some fun gifts related to Idaho and gold mining (sorry, no gold nuggets), and a Kindle Touch. You can find my Facebook Page here. The Launch Party info is on the Events tab.

P.P.S Over on Write Thinking, I blogged today about a fabulous journal that I've been keeping for the past 4+ years. It's different from what most people think of when they hear "journal" so make sure you check it out. I highly recommend it to everyone.