Ahh Christmas I love it. I love the cold weather, the huge jumpers and ridiculous scarves, the fact that it’s acceptable to drink hot chocolate all day long, the snow, the music and the endless streams of tinsel.
And of course the presents.
For the last few years my letter to Santa has mostly been a list of books I want and I sent off my yearly wish list just last week to the relevant authority. And then disaster struck.
Yesterday I finished reading Tess of the D’Urbervilles, (if ever there has been a more put upon woman in the history of literature I have yet to hear of her; poor, poor Tess) and on arriving home to pick up my next book I realised…….
THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT ON MY SHELF!!
“It’s ok,” I said to myself, “Tomorrow’s Saturday and (because the stupid Northern line isn’t running again) you have to go into Wimbledon so you can visit all the charity shops and pick something up.” Calmed I went to bed and had sweet dreams of the new books about to fall into my hands.
So this morning I sprang out of bed at the break of day… Alright I clawed my way out from beneath the blankets an hour after my alarm went off and eventually hauled myself up into a position where I could throw some clothes on and emerge glaring at the sun and giving off waves of “Don’t talk to me or I might eat you” (I’m not a morning person)… And headed for the shops.
It was when I was standing in Oxfam with an armful of books that I realised: I couldn’t remember what I’d asked for. Last year I requested Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson which a lovely relative dutifully bought, wrapped and shipped up to Preston for me to open. Which I did. About a week after buying my own copy. That was an accident but I had the awkward feeling that if I did it two years running, questions may be asked.
So I stood there paralysed with indecision until ultimately I came to the realisation that the book in my hands was almost definitely not on the list I sent off. But Mum, if you’re reading this, don’t buy me Lisey’s Story, I’ve got that one covered 😉
Books on the Tube 
Ahahaaaa, that’s hilarious! I would have been horrified. Somehow I don’t think I will ever run into this problem as I still have nearly 200 books on my shelf to read and still counting. :S
I’ve never heard of Lisey’s Story, I hope you enjoy it.
You must have some impressive shelves! I’m not often short but this time it crept up on me and I just didn’t have time to get to the shops 😦
It’s one I’d been looking at for a while but not too vocally so it’s unlikely anyone would have considered buying it for me. So far it’s not been hugely exciting but it’s a fat one so there’s lots of possibility!
oh this made me laugh, but I don’t think I will ever get to the point of having no books to read. About a year ago i decided that I would start using the library agai in an effort to stop me buying so many books, but now I find I’m so busy with all the things on my reserve list, my bookshelf mostly gets forgotten about 😦
Trust me, it’s not a good place to be!
I keep meaning to use the library for the same reason but I never seem to have time to get there. And it’s so nice having all the pretty books on my shelf!
I can imagine!
I bet it is. My mum asked me to have a huge book clear out earlier in the year because I have a six-shelf bookshelf ad it was overflowing. I’ve had to fill the empty space with DVDs instead…
Haha that kind of backfired then! I have to keep trimming my collection down so that it fits on my shelves but it’s very hard to do. Because I live away from home I quite often move a load that I can’t bear to part with back home because there’s a ‘spare’ bookcase in my room there now 🙂
That is always a problem for me and it’s made worse by the fact that I give one list to my parents and one to my best friend so I have a lot of books to try and remember to stay away from!
It’s so difficult to keep track! I should have learned after last year and stocked up BEFORE writing my wishlist…