Death according to Lazarus...

I have been involved in a love affair since I was very young. Today, my conquests total in the thousands.

It all started when I was very young, before I could read. My dad would read to me before I went to sleep at night. Since 90% of my time was shared with an abusive, neglectful mother...this was sweet nurturing indeed. When I started school I asked almost everyday (for 180 days), "Is today the day we learn to read?" The teacher would then very politely reply everytime..."In Kindergarden you learn the letters and their sounds, but you won't actually learn to start reading until 1st grade."

I love the smell of books and libraries...old books and old libraries smell even better. I have an early printed edition of The Catcher in the Rye.

When I rented my first apartment my sister was complaining about all of the heavy boxes (containing books) she had to help me move. The apartment was a dump, but it had so much character...and built-in book shelves. She asked why I needed all those books. And I said, "Someday I'll have my perfect house with a room with tall built-in book shelves and the room will be filled with books, and I'll be able to say I have read all of those books"...she sighed and said "I'll never be able to say that."

In my current place...which is very small. It is not at all as I pictured it all those years ago. I don't have a room with ceiling to floor book shelves that is just for books...I have books on the shelf in the living room. I have books of all genres. I have books stacked in the hallway. I have books stacked near my bed. I have books in the living room. I even have books in the bathroom...I'm not in there long enough, so that is where all my quotes books are...This does not take into account all the books I have packed away in storage. And I never sold back any of the books I bought for school, so I have those. Then there are all the new books. And the books yet to be purchased and read.

I usually am in the process of reading about five different books at one time...I think I might have a problem, LOL!