So many books...

[Luanne]

So littel time. Do you ever find yourself wanting to check out almost every book from the library? I do this almost every time I do to the library (which is at least once a week). My daughter is right there with me too. We almost always get all the books we can carry between us. Did you know our library has a limit of 100 books being checked out at one time? They said it is very rare to find someone who actually tried to exceed that limit (I didn't even know they had a limit).

[Canada_Mom]

I do that too. Drives dh crazy! He came with us last time and had to help me carry them out. He's very supportive of all I do usually but he grumbled the whole time about me signing out too many books between dd and myself.

"You're never going to read all of these in 3 weeks!" is all I heard all the way home! - That's why we can renew, isn't it? :rolleyes:

Our library has a 100 book limit too... I've actually reached the limit before and had to put stuff back... :(

My "problem" is that I search the online catalogue and put a bunch of books on hold. Then I have to go and pick them up and when I do... there's always this and that and the other thing that I pick up along the way. Instead of the just the 15 I put on hold, I have so much more.... same thing when I go to return my books... it's a vicious cycle really. ;):D

[Beth in Central TX]

Hi Luanne,

I'm right there with you. I even go so far as requesting a lot of books through ILL, having them all come in at the same time, and then go on a reading marathon trying to get through them before the due date.

I've always been an avid reader, but unfortunately I was not guided in my reading during my childhood years, so most of what I read was twaddle, absolutely twaddle. In college I was a business major, so what did I read on my free time? Yes, more twaddle.

Now that I've been homeschooling for awhile, I'm very aware of all of the books that I should have read. I'm part of a monthly book club to help me "catch up".

In order to watch the Jane Austen series on PBS, I made a commitment to myself to read the books before I watched the movie. So far, so good. I'm even ahead of schedule because I did read P&P in 2005. I'm currently reading through Sense & Sensibility, the last one of the PBS series.

So many books, so little time to read...That does say it all.

[Tracey in TX]

100 book limit? hmmm, I think we have a new family challenge :)
Let's see, 100 books divided by six people equals 16-17 books each. Think we'll try this next month!!!

[Luanne]

I'm also playing catch up from when I was a child and didn't really get to read much. My mother wouldn't take us to the library ... too much trouble. The only books I got to check out were when I was in school and then we were only allowed two a week. I just finished reading "The Indian in the Cupboard" and "Trouble's Daughter" which are technically children's books, but I found them very interesting. Now I am waiting for the people who have the sequel to "Indian in the Cupboard" checked out to return them so I can read it. *sigh*

[Eliana]

I make it worse for myself by reading other people's recommendations, and the book descriptions in catalogs... and then putting all of those on hold too!

Our family record for # of books out is about 900, I think - we have multiple cards at two different library systems. We are very well known at our branches... we do wonderful things for their circulation numbers!

It is almost intoxicating thinking of all these amazing books, all these things to learn about, to experience, to see, to feel... I go on binges - one year it was Burma and I read everything I could find about Burma, one year it was Russian history... one year it was mysteries (the year I was doing Organic Chemistry, and the only time in my life I've been able to tolerate mysteries other than Tey or Sayers), one year it was popular science works (not the year I was doing intensive science classes!)...

We buy an absurd number of books each year, but my husband always reassures me that no one can accuse us of underutilizing our library system!


Eliana

[BizyPenguin]

We have a 50 book limit and quite often I max my card out and ds has to use his card to check out more books. Dh gets tired of all of the books around the house, but we've got baskets to try to keep them contained. Some of the books do go unread, but I sure prefer borrowing rather than buying (even if I do have to pay an occasional fine). Is there a book hoarding anonymous group out there?:p

[Tracy in Ky]

Yep, we do the same thing. And I use libraries in two cities. From one library I had 81 checked out until dh returned 30 Sunday that we were finished with. From the other library we have a bunch checked out, but I haven't counted them.

We love to read--all four of us (Dh and dc). This winter we stumbled upon "Reading Night" in our family. We all pile up in the living room, preferably with a nice warm fire, popcorn, a couple of cats, and maybe a blanket or two, and read, read, read. The kids love it, and it has just about become our default evening activity. There are mounds of library books piled in the floor in front of the bookcase, and they beckon us to "Hurry and finish and read me!!" lol.

As much as I am looking forward to spring, I am also going to miss the long, dark evenings reading with my family. As the days get longer, we'll be busy with gardening and farm work--and that is fun as well. But I'll be looking forward to winter again, and many cozy reading nights!!

[WTMindy]

We always have tons of books checked out. My dd is the queen of huge stacks of books (as was I at that age).

[gandpsmommy]

Our library has a limit of 50 items per card. I have a card, dd6 has a card, and ds4 just got his card when he was able to write his name by himself (my guideline) a few months ago. Before ds got his card, we did have to be careful and one time had to put items back at the checkout because we were over the limit. Now that we can check out 150 at a time, we haven't had a problem. :)

My problem is lugging them all to the car and back to the library when it is time to return them. We use 3 to 5 large tote bags, depending on how many we are checking out, but I have to carry them all because they are too heavy for the kids. This is horrible for my back and shoulders. I wish I could think of a better way. :confused:

We have been like this since the children were toddlers and we first started checking out library books weekly. It has gotten a bit worse since dd learned to read, though. :)

[Tracy in Ky]

My problem is lugging them all to the car and back to the library when it is time to return them. We use 3 to 5 large tote bags, depending on how many we are checking out, but I have to carry them all because they are too heavy for the kids. This is horrible for my back and shoulders. I wish I could think of a better way. :confused:



We use a crate on wheels with a long handle. We fill it up, check out, run to the van and unload, then go back in for more!! :D

[Rachel]

I hate when all my book choices come in at the same time and I have to "choose" which one to read......

I try to pace them out so I'm constantly looking forward to something new......and I try to only check out what I know I can read in that time because so many times I"ve checked out or requested a book, not been able to read it, have to take it back to the library and then forget that I never had a chance to read it.......

[j.griff]

We have a 40 book limit at ours, :( But between my card and dd's card we get up to 80. I hate it when a book is due and I didn't have a chance to read it yet. But I don't have the money to buy them ALL, LOL.