Reading

For my first 25 Day Challenge I am reading 25 pages each day for 25 days. This to me was almost laughable. 25 pages a night is nothing. I have found that I might have been a little premature with my cockiness. The book I am reading right now is "Cambodian Witness: An Autobiography of Someth May". It is such a well written novel. I was sad to find that I haven't seen a lot of reviews about this book which leads me to believe that is it not a widely read book. It's such an important book about Cambodian history. I recommend this book and suggest everyone should read it.

The one problem I have found with this book it that it is very heart wrenching and knowing that it is just going to get worse isn't a great motivation for me to continue each night. For some reason it has taken me almost 45 minutes every night to read a mere 25 pages which seems insane to me. I blame this to reading way to late at nights and for the small font size. I have however read every night and although a couple of nights I have been close to collapsing on the book due to sheer exhaustion I have not cheated. Tonight I took a half a dose of NyQuil before reading which was not the smartest thing. I quickly read through it for fear of passing out.


I have one more thing to say and it is about library books. Please do not judge me in any way as what I am about to say is completely ignorant and snobby.

I am a borderline germ-a-phob. My dad loaned this book to me. It has been sitting in his man cave for many years. When he handed it over I started to panic as I saw that it was library book which had been well read. The Hill family does not have a great record for returning things on times, especially movie rentals. This book is far from home. It is from a library in Montana. Odd. The sleeve has sand (or maybe bread crumbs?) and other particles that have been snuggled against the book for years and some of the pages have markings on them as if it telling its own story of each meal and reader throughout the years. Hmm, this page has a yellow spot, I wonder if the last reader ate this on a hammock with a hot dog one fine summers day. Maybe I can find a politician who could campaign for a library book retire plan. After 5 meals defile a book then it has to be recycled, sold, or gone away with in some creative way which I cannot come up with right now.

Does anyone feel the same way I do about library books? I am going to argue against myself for a moment. Libraries are amazing! You get to read a book...for FREE! The risk of getting a crap book is non-existing because you don't have to worry about keeping it for a life time. They are amazing, magical places where you can roam around for hours searching for that next work of art to occupy your free time. I get it! It's a free resource, and think of all the trees you are saving by not buying a book every day.

But, (Big Fat BUT!) I get grossed out by library books. I want to let everyone know that I don't judge anyone who borrows from the library. This is my own opinion and my thought about ME going to the library. I hope I don't offend anyone in regards to this. If it does, please remember I am drugged with NyQuil. Blame the drugs. I have absolutely no idea where they have been. They are not a controlled item and that bothers me. I was dry heaving the first night I was reading when I accidentally tilted the book in an odd position which resulted in some unknown particles landing on my chest and sheets. Also, I have to wash my hands after reading each night. It is ridiculous but there ya have it. One more thought. There is something so magically delicious about coming home with a new book.

Crawling under a blanket and cracking the spine of a fresh book is one of life simple pleasures and I am truly fond of it. This is all I want to speak about the war that rages in my head while reading this book. All the germ a phob alarms are sounding but I press on.