I think there should be a group for chronic book buyers. Don't laugh, but every time I'm at a bookstore (used or new books), garage sale, library (corner for used books for a dollar anyone?) and even doctors' offices, I peer around and look for books to add in my collection of an ever-growing mountain that barely gets read.
For example, I collected titles such as The Lazarus Project, a second hardback copy of Toni Morrison's Paradise, a second softback copy of Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies; a copy of Bolano's The Savage Detectives (yes, someone actually gave this up! And I picked it up like the giddy fool that I am...and I have no idea of when I'm ever going to read the damn thing) and am darn proud of this. But then the question is: When am I actually going to read the things?
Teaching has kept me busy, as well as grading the kids' papers, and reading material that they're going to be studying for the third and fourth quarter coming up soon. When can I ever find the time for all of this?
I also wonder what possesses people to give up good books like Madame Toni's Paradise? I'm betting you it was probably some housewife who couldn't get past its gorgeous but difficult prose; or couldn't deal with its violence, its non-linear structure. But one thing's for sure--its loss was definitely my gain!
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