Books, book, Who Has the Book?

I sure wish I could understand what happens with books. I have an idea they multiply on the shelves, and while I have purged the shelves faithfully year after year, there always seems to be a few more books than I ever remember acquiring. There are always a few I am sure I had never seen before!

Don't get me wrong, I adore books and have never been able to own all of the books I want. Sometimes, fate surprises me, though.

When I was a junior in high school, my English teacher has us read Stephen Benet's John Brown's Body, a book-length novel in verse about the Civil War. So graphic were Benet's descriptions of the slave ship, the Southern plantation and the Northern girl's plight that I fell quite in love with poetry - something I could take or leave before that time. Perhaps it had something to do with the teacher's aide in the form of phonograph recordings of famous actors reading the various tales in the poem.

I guess you could say John Brown's Body marked me and I looked for a volume ever after - and recently found a copy on the 'free' shelf of books being given away at the Friends of the Library booksale. This was a clear case of the Universe giving me what I wanted - and taking its time with the project.

I have done my own level best to add to the number of volumes extant in the world, and I am sorry to say I purchase many of my current books in thrift shops because I can't really afford to purchase new books. I wish I could support all of the great writers I have discovered on the thrift shop shelves. Favorites are Ahab's Wife, Geek Love, Love Me, The Other Boylen Girl, and Pillars of the Earth (among othrs). I read and re-read these books over and over, they are so complicated and interesting I always find something new in their pages.

It looks like I am keeping too many of these books, but spring is coming. I will bag up some books for the library sale, and buy a few new ones to make sure I have something to read when I can't think of something better to do - a rare condition, to be sure. I just want to be prepared.

So, here's to books and owning books, they sure keep me on the sunny side. Terry


PS: Look for my books at www.writewordsinc.com, www.ebooksonthe.net, Kindle, Amazon.com, Booksurge, Fictionwise, All Romance E-books and more. Happy reading!

Terry L White -Author of the Chesapeake Heritage Series
"Travel Through Time With Terry"
http://www.terrylwhitesblog.blogspot.com/