Too Much of a Good Thing...

When Mae West proclaimed that, "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful" I'm not really sure if she had books in mind, but that's the mantra I'm officially adopting. Every so often I count how many unread books I have, just for curiosity's sake. Usually the number is in the high twenties, inflicting guilt, as if these inanimate objects are capable of feeling neglected.

Today I counted and the number has climbed to forty-six. Oops.

I'll sheepishly admit that my first reaction was visceral- my internal organs simultaneously tensed and shuddered, and I swear my heart rate jumped for a second. Some of the forty-six had been sitting for well over a year (or two... I'm so sorry The Crimson Petal and the White), not because they're bad, but because others have simply bumped them (for those who have a Netflix queue I'm sure you understand). My involvement in Amazon's Vine Program has also been a factor, although I have definitely slowed my participation down with them considerably. Not to mention how much money these forty-six books represent, although, in my defense, some have been gifts. And the space! Another reason to feel ashamed. We have three massive bookcases that are basically filled- with my birthday and Christmas coming some intense rearranging must be done pronto. Panic. Stress. Anxiety. Eye-rolling over-dramatization.

But then I realized it doesn't really matter. I'm a self-sufficient woman who is fiscally responsible, so if I want to have forty-six unread books on my shelves than that's my prerogative. In fact, maybe I'll go buy some more right now (okay, so I probably won't, but I could)!