Addicted...

"Mummy, put them back, we can't read all of those!" Poppet tells me. We're in the library and I'm selecting stories to read her. This looks great. I love that one. Ooo. Another one to try.

"Are you sure?" I ask. She nods.

I bring the ones I've chosen over and, Littlest in her sling on my tummy, we squash into the armchair and begin reading.

Despite Poppet's doubts, we do get through them all, and each one is a treasure.

However, I suspect my other pile of library books might be more problematic. There they are above. I'm finding so many things of interest I'm thinking of putting interesting quotes on Facebook.

All those jokes about a bookworm working in a library being similar to an alcoholic working in a pub? Sadly true. (Although less damaging to ones health.)

And of course with all these books? The one I just stayed up most of a night reading was a completely different kind of book - a young adult fantasy book Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, the third in a series of six.  I've been waiting on it for months and it was every bit as good as I hoped it would be, which is to say brilliant. Now I am in deep, deep mourning that it will be months again until the next book in the series comes out….

What has everyone else been reading?

Book Bender

So I've been going on a book bender.
It's a bit like a beer bender, but you down books, not beer.
It has been an incredible, thrilling, heady, head-spinning few days and nights of 'more', 'more', 'more', I need 'more'. Just one more. Well, maybe two more. Sorry, sorry, I meant three. Or four. Or just more, more, more.
I'd forgotten what it was like to get so totally lost in someone else's world. To only submerge somewhat drunkenly, completely ecstatically, blearily look around, and then dive right back in.
I've missed it.
I probably won't do it again for another 6 months, because let's be clear, the house looks a bit (ahem) the worse for wear. And also my beloved goes back to uni in a couple of weeks so it becomes logistically harder... but o man, it was good.
I discovered two new favourite authors. Which is like having a delivery of priceless champagne arrive unexpectedly at my doorstep (to keep the alcohol analogy going) or a gift of diamonds and pearls. Seriously. The delight of stepping into elegant, engrossing, heart-wrenching, heart-affirming, gut- chuckling story is such a heady rush.

And now I'm deeply, deeply grateful.
I'm grateful for stories.
I'm grateful for kindle, and that amazing ability to press a button and have a new book arrive voila, just like magic. (And you know that thing when an author offers a new book for 99c to hook you in? It works. Believe me - it really, really works. Especially if it's the first book in a series.)
I'm grateful for discovering new authors and all the promise and magic that entails.
I'm grateful for my beloved, who, on rising from our bed in the small hours of the morning to find me curled on the couch, engrossed, just smiled and said 'I love you', rather than pointing out I needed to be up in three hours and would be in a filthy, sleep-deprived temper all day. (Except I wasn't, cos I was too busy reading...)
I'm grateful for my beloved, who did not say I should read less, but said I should read more, as he goes back to uni soon and I won't be able to indulge so decadently till the winter break. I'm also grateful for all the cups of tea and coffee that magically appeared in my hand.
So, I'm joining with Maxabella over at 52 Weeks of Grateful, so so thankful for books, for books and  reading, for discovering new authors, for my beloved and cups of tea and coffee, and for the chance to decadently indulge.