Books, Books, and More Books

I love books. Most people who know me actually tease me about my, ahem, "problem." I have tons of books, and because I pass on all but my absolute favorites, most I still haven't read. Yet I cannot help myself when it comes to getting more. The bookstore where I worked recently closed, so naturally I bought a couple, or 3 or 4 boxes of books. Last night my husband came upstairs from the basement, where most of my bookshelves are located, and he said "Do you know how many books you have?" With a smile on my face, I very cleverly replied "well... a lot!" He said "I think you have over 600 books down there!" Now that is an exaggeration, all be it a small one. This morning I counted my Christian fiction, and there were over 300 titles. I didn't count any non-Christian titles, non-fiction, or young adult titles. My amazon wishlist is 20 pages long or more, and I only included first in a series. Yesterday I ordered four books, and imagine my surprise when the mailman shows up today with a package that looks suspiciously like books. My eyebrows rose as I opened the package and found 4 different books that I received to judge for a contest (that I forgot I had signed up for). My day is made. Many women swoon over shoe sales, but give me a bargain book store or an Ollie's and I'll shop for hours, browsing titles, reading covers, double checking what I already having. With the good sales, I usually end up assigning priority levels. Must haves go in the cart, really wants in the seat of the cart, not necessary-but it looks pretty good on table in front of me, and I guess I could live without has to be returned to the shelf. Then I start over again, reading the synopsis, checking out the writing and switching piles until I've narrowed it down to a respectable pile of 5 or 6, sometimes 7 if the price is good. Do you think I have a problem yet? To be fair, I received many of my bonuses in books at the books store, so much of my pile was free. And I do look for sales and discuss my purchases with my husband first. He may shake his head and accuse "You are never going to read all those." I don't think the accusation is accurate, but if I don't...Books make great gifts, Right!?!