Book Addiction

I’ve acquired this ‘disease’ as early as I could borrow books from the school library. I bought books old and new, stamped it with my name and scribbled down the date I acquired each, with my young cursive writing. I built my little library from there. Yes, I had a stamp made especially for stamping my book. I was so much into the stamping that I stamped all three sides of each book. How silly. It was an embarrassment when I grew a little older. Haha. I couldn’t never lend my books (mostly classic books) because my name was all over it. There’s no way could you mistake it as someone else’s, and not in a good way.

When I got older, I didn’t even write my name on them. If I lose it, then hopefully it finds a good home. That was my philosophy for about two decades. Recently I began to write my name again on each book. And the date. It’s like my personal journey as you piece together each book I purchase. Each book represents where I was/am at. Thankfully, I don’t stamp my books anymore.

I buy books as I want them. I’ve never depended on the bestseller’s lists, or felt the need to. I don’t feel like I need to read what others are reading, although I certainly check out what my friends are reading to see if they interest me. I rarely borrow because books are so personal to me. I write on them. I highlight them. They’re my babies, as odd as that sounds. These days my books are a mishmash of spiritual, psychological, culinary, business, photography, design, and craft books.

Today I felt like getting some food writing books. When I searched the store’s online catalog, the only one I saw that was available was “Choice Cuts: A Savory Selection of Food Writing from Around the World and Throughout History” and it was in the Bargain Section. So off I went. I noticed another book as well, “How I Learned To Cook: Culinary Educations from the World’s Greatest Chefs“, which is a collection of essays from forty chefs.

I guess you can tell which one I’m reading (and thoroughly enjoying) right now.