Sunday Salon: My piles runneth over (and other good things)

Don't you just love the promise of an unread book? It is this hopeful reverence in which I hold the masses of the unread that plays into my compulsive collecting of books. Make no mistake: when I add a book to my collection, I have every intention in the world of reading it someday. (And if you peruse my collection, you'll see just what an optimistic person I can be.) I'd say I generally add to my collection steadily, like whenever I go past a bookstore or daily when the mail person delivers me a review book or two, but lately I have been adding to my collection at a staggering rate. You see, I have been a reader on the National Reading Group Month Great Group Reads committee since 2009. I absolutely love doing it and over the years it has exposed me to wonderful books I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own. This year though, I am more than just a reader, I am the new Co-Manager, which means I see everything from the ground up. I knew there was administrative stuff behind the scenes but the amount of it is pretty impressive (and cuts into my reading time, I might add). Also impressive is the almost overwhelming amount of wonderful submissions for consideration from across the publishing world. Books I've never heard of, books I already own, books that promise to stretch me as a reader, books that hit the bullseye of my interests, physical books, e-books, fiction, non-fiction. And all of them worth eyeball time from me. I am in hog heaven and I want more time in the day to sit and savor these lovelies. My piles certainly runneth over. And that's without admitting I went to the bookstore yesterday and got myself six other beauties (but since I chatted with the owner about participating in National Reading Group Month in October, I consider the visit an extension of this new position--publicity and all, right?!).

The sheer promise of the unread stories just waiting for me, especially now, is probably threatening to collapse my house. In fact, one of the built-in bookshelves is cracking under the weight of my books but I am confident it can't split completely as the shelves below it are chock full too and won't let it cave completely. Or maybe it's the weight of the fake plant that's stressed it past its breaking point and not the gajillion pounds of books on it. The Great Group Reads submitted books aren't even on this shelf. They are threatening to overwhelm my computer at the kitchen table. But even if I am overbooked in the extreme, I look at all those potentially wonderful, unexpected, and unique stories crowding around me and smile. There's nothing else for it and no other way I'd rather have it.

In other great news this week here at the K. house, R., who is still undecided about where she's going to go to college next year, had a dance competition this weekend and her large group tap won all sorts of awards, including an Outstanding Performance Award. This means that they will be in the running to go to Hollywood and dance Pots and Pans Rhythm Band at the Dance Industry Awards. I'll post a link to vote whenever it all goes live. As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, T. performed in a play for his middle school at the NCTC (North Carolina Theater Conference) Middle School Festival. The play received a Superior rating, won an award for its set, and T. was one of just five boys awarded an Excellence in Acting Award. This was a statewide competition and there were tons of plays so this is quite an honor. I love to see my kids recognized for the things they are passionate about. As for W., the oldest child, I don't know if he had an exceptional day or not although I'm guessing no since several of his brackets are busted. ;-) (Yes, this is the extent of the intimate knowledge you have of kids once they fly the nest for college.) And finally, for the last bit of positivity today, while I was at the dance competition, reading in the dark, my lovely husband took my ancient Nook to the bookstore and got it fixed so that I can actually synch it to my computer again, enabling me to read the e-copies that have been submitted for the Great Group Reads list without being chained to my computer. I appreciate this more than I can possibly express, especially as I head back to the dance competition for another 8 hours in a darkened auditorium.

This past week I have been dipping in and out of many diverse reads, only one of which I can disclose. One of my bookclubs took me to a small town in France during World War II alongside a woman who joined the Resistance early on and her sister who came to her own form of disobedience towards Hitler's regime later. Where have your bookish travels taken you this past week?