March Reads and the Sad Tale of My Check-Outs from the Library

I have to confess I didn't have a library card until about 6 years ago.  Never in my life did I have a library card, and I didn't go to public libraries.  Most of that reason lies in where I grew up, out in the country in Iowa.  We lived just over the county line, and that meant I couldn't have a library card for the city where my parents worked (plus it was 15 miles away).  My parents had a lot of kids, so random trips into town didn't happen very often. We were also about 20 miles away from the next biggest town, in the county where I lived.  We never went there, so that wasn't an option. I never asked to go to the library, and my parents never offered to take me.  None of my siblings seemed interested, either. 

I did live for library day at my elementary school, and when I went to high school, we had a decent library, but I don't remember checking too much out.  Mostly we sat there and giggled until the librarian told us to be quiet. So while I somehow developed a love for books that pretty much has eclipsed any other potential hobby or interest, I just didn't do libraries.  I spent most of my adult life working at a bookstore, and heck, I bought all my books. So the fact that I'm a librarian is not because of ever going to a library as a kid. I think it naturally developed from not only my love of reading and talking about books, but my retail years where I helped people find what they needed, and felt pretty good when I did and they returned for more recommendations.  I know the power books have to change lives, because they changed my life.  

All this long story is just to tell you that I'm a bit overzealous in my library checkouts.  I like to think I've got plenty of time to read them all--after all, I have them for three weeks. But no.  I've got Sing, Unburied, Sing sitting on my coffee table, and it's due in two days.  I've read approximately 45 pages, and darn it all, someone else is waiting for it.  Now I've got to return it and put myself back on the list. While I was shelving new fiction yesterday, I stumbled across a book and ohmygodIhavetocheckthisouttoday.  I've done that approximately 4 times in the past two weeks.  I'm in a bit of a pickle! I'm sure we all have this problem with library books, right?  I don't know how people function reading just one book at a time.  What discipline!

March is rapidly approaching, and while it's 70 in Iowa today, we'll be back down in the 30's in a few days. The usual weather pattern here.  But it reminds me that Spring is getting closer, and I'll have to spend time outside taking care of my yard.  That means less time to read. I'm in the minority when I say that Winter flew by.  

Here's what I've got planned for March.  I've got a few other titles that I'll be reading, and they'll show up in my reviews.  But in the meantime...

Time travel by a well known British historian.  I'm itching to read this!

Publisher review of a book I've been wanting to read for awhile. Now out in paperback.  Alternate realities and time machines.  

A memoir about a couple that goes bankrupt and starts over in a cabin in the backwoods of North Carolina.

An intriguing tale set in 1910 America.  Not sure what to expect. 

Here's to March, warmer weather, birds singing in the morning, and driving home from work with the sun still up.  

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March Reads and the Sad Tale of My Check-Outs from the Library