STBC Blog

Submitted by Tami Cleckley

 

Books…let me explain to you what they do. Provide me with enormous pleasure, keep me up late at night reading when I don’t have a man around, stop me from cooking, cleaning, washing dishes, doing laundry. When I start reading, I can’t quit! Especially if it’s a good novel. Literally, I have to pull myself away from a book. Luckily, I live alone.

I am a book addict. I have all the signs of a person with a substance problem: I can’t stop what I’m reading on the drop of a dime or else I get withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety. There are times when I would rather be with a book than with people!

Classic signs of drug addiction:

• You need more & more of a substance to get the same effects (my drug of choice is a book)
• You look in other peoples’ medicine cabinets for drugs to take (I look on their book shelves)
• You spend a lot of time thinking about drugs, how to get more (when I finish 1 book, I need to start reading another immediately)

I’ve been searching the internet for a cure for this ailment. What I have discovered in my exploration, however, is other people who love the written word! My current book club, Shared Thoughts (get it, we share our thoughts) come together every month to discuss a book. It’s a joyous time…We eat, drink & talk about books! It’s a party every third Friday of the month that I look forward to.…It’s kind of like therapy.

In the group, I met another like-minded soul (her name shall remain anonymous) who reads more than I do! I didn’t think anyone could read more than me! She has a family, works two jobs and has a social life, yet she manages to read 2-3 books a week & I am talking about books with 250-400 pages. She once told me that she pulled out a book at a cook-out! Any spare moment, she has, she reads. I am not alone in my addiction, which makes me feel good. The only sad part about our group is that we meet only once a month…L…I know I should get help for my reading addiction. One day I will. But right now I am just going to enjoy the next book club pick of next month.