Please Bury Me in the Library

[Alternate Title: Humpty Dumpty as Film Noir]

Tragic reality: I don't have a lot of time to read. And that just kills me. I am an intrinsic reader. I read everything: bumper stickers, graffiti, product ingredients, the news, blogs, scriptures, comics, non-fiction, old fiction, history, poetry, license plates...I can't NOT read. I can't help it. But as far as being able to gnaw out a piece of free time to read good books that feed my soul? Well, I kind of binge and purge. Does that make me a bulimic reader?

If I find a good book, (or series), I will read and read and read. It's compulsive. The kids will starve - or subsist on PBJs and ramen - the house could burn down around me...I would never know. Could book ink count as substance abuse? And then, the book(s) end, and I come to myself. And even though I've enjoyed the journey immensely, I have HUGE guilt that - again - I abandoned my stewardship so willingly and completely. So I vow not to indulge until I can master balance and self restraint. So weeks go by without me picking up a book (still reading license plates and packaging and sky-writing, though; I was spelling words with chow mien noodles Sunday afternoon...). I have a stack of books I was given for my birthday six months ago. I allow myself to read one every now and then. I am only 1/4 the way through. I'm dying. But after staying up ALL NIGHT and not being able to function like a responsible, sober person the next day, I must again clamp down.

I have discovered, however, that good (read: carefully selected) youth fiction is both thoroughly enjoyable, and a good, quick, guilt-free read for me. I find myself sleuthing for a new youth fiction on a regular basis. I can get through one in a day (without going into the night, or allowing the children/house to slip into critical mass), and it fills the need without the guilt or "post-book crash". My husband does not have to come home from his work, do all of MY work, and then feed me and turn me towards the light like a house plant (library plant?).

An added bonus of this is that I often find excellent books to share with my little horde. We have a tradition of reading in the van on our way to-and-fro, or a few chapters of an evening, just before bed. I am always a better story-teller if it's a story I myself have read. We are currently re-reading The BFG by Roald Dahl, because the last time I read it aloud was four years ago, and most of the children weren't here/don't remember. The chapter on frobscottle and whizzpoppers? Was immensely popular. It's difficult to read out loud over all that laughter.

My recent favorites are A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, The Wheel on the School by Meindert Dejong, (both of which I highly recommend!) and the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull. And the next Fablehaven book is coming out in THREE WEEKS! *squeek of joy and excitement* Yes, I have already pre-ordered mine. Yes, I plan to watch the mailbox and snag it before Mark or Hyrum even know it has arrived, so I don't have to share until I'm done, because I read way faster than both of them. Yes, I plan on staying up all that night to finish it. No, I don't care. I'm stocking up on ramen and PBJ supplies as we speak.

Anyway, to assuage my can't-wait-till-it-gets-here fever, I have been stalking the Internet for any nuggets I can find regarding Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary and Brandon Mull. I found this delicious little tidbit on amazon.com, and thought I would share. You absolutely must sample, it will only take a minute.

Incidentally, this tidbit is a post written by the brilliant and talented Shannon Hale, who is another excellent youth fiction author. Her book, Princess Academy, is currently on my list of books-in-which-I-plan-to-indulge. Don't snear just because of the title. Check it out, you'll be glad you did.