Bogged down with books

Okay I have mentioned to many of you that I am part of the Amazon Vine program. I get to pick four free items a month off of a list targeted at me and review them. I read and review a lot of books; so I get targeted a lot for books. I also get targeted for snacks and baby products (cause I buy cereal bars and diapers on Amazon). Occasionally the cool electronic item is thrown into the mix. I got a wireless router once, a really high tech baby monitor, and most recently a wireless internet radio system. So it's been pretty cool...now what does this have to do with raising a toddler? Well not a ton except that the book situation is getting out of hand.

See I get to chose two Vine items the third Thursday of every month; usually these are not books but sometimes they are books. Then the week after I get to choose two more items that are "leftovers" these are almost always books. It is an awesome way to get a ton of books for free. But I do have to read them and review them or else no more free items. So add this to all of the series I am reading and it gets to be a boat load of reading.

How many series am I in the middle of reading? Okay brace yourselves...I have to keep a spreadsheet of them all to keep it all straight and keep track of which books are coming out for which series. At last count I was actively in the middle of 36 different series. This doesn't count ones I've given up on. This is the first time I've actually counted and that's kind of intimidating; how much of my brain is lent to remembering miscellaneous book facts?

Then there are all the new series I am interested in. And all the stand alone novels that sound cool. Pair this with the paperbackswap.com site and books being constantly at my beck and call for really, really cheap and you have a problem. About 100 problems sitting on the bookshelf staring at me all night begging for me to read them. So now my 8 book a month habit has turned into a 4 book a week habit...or at last count 19 books for March. Is this crazy?

Then I write reviews for all of the books I read. All of this really cuts into my blogging time; at least this blog. So if you wonder where I am and why noone is blogging, well I am involved with my books.

What did I do before I got so book involved? Well I played a lot more video games and watched more TV, oh and I was in school at night so there is that.

My book reading never cuts into my time with Keegan but it is affecting him. The kid knows that any package that arrives in the mail is most likely a book. He is also addicted to his books and drags them everywhere with him (just like mommy). I don't think this is a horrible thing. It's definitely not new to me; I have had leisure reading stuck on my person for many years either tucked in a coat pocket, in a purse, or a backpack. It's no surprise to my family. It's also kind of nice I am getting some additional reward for reading besides the joy it gives me.

I never get sick of reading. I get sick of playing video games and exercising and watching movies...but never reading.

Does book reading cut into my personal life? Probably, I would rather read than meet friends to do stuff sometimes. Sometimes I read and Lyle wonders if I have forgotten he exists. But other than that it works out okay.

So, if you wonder why the blogging on this site is down to a minimum well....here is something to read (although boring and about books). Oh yeah and I don't have blog access at work so that cuts down on things a bit too :-)