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Field Trip Becomes Field Day for Mini Maven

by Bethanne 06:15 PM
Categories: the readers' advocate

Earlier this week I took my daughter (known in many circlesas the Younger Mini Maven, since I am known in same circles as The Book Maven) to conduct her first author interview. (I already have her started on writing reviews, although she's way behind in her deadlines. That old saw "like mother, like daughter" is unfortunately on target for good and bad.)

 

I am proud to say that M2 (or "M-Squared," as I call her) not only came up with her own excellent questions based on her knowledge of the author's oeuvre (lucky for M2, that consists of just two books so far), but even insisted on writing them down in my Moleskine so that she wouldn't fumble during the interview.

 

When we finished M2's portion of the interview, I sent  to the bookstore stacks so I could zoom in for the heavy-hitting questions(those of you who have listened to any of my interviews are allowed to guffa wright now). Half an hour later, she returned with a pile of ten books.

 

That's my girl, I thought.

 

But the most interesting part was still to come. While the author and I continued to talk (and M2 asked a few more questions; she was not shy about jumping in - did I say "like mother, like daughter" already?), my daughter sorted her books into two piles. She looked carefully at each one, read its jacket copy, dipped into its pages, and made her selections.  The final count? Five books.

 

As we made our way to the cash register, she told me why she didn't want to get all of the books. "I want to make sure I only get the ones I really want to read," she said.

 

I try, readers, to aim for that wise-child logic, but I'll freely admit that I often buy more books than I can possibly read (even though I really do want to read the ones I choose!). My question for today is this: Do you over-buy or under-buy (or over-borrow/under-borrow) when it comes to books? I can't wait to hear your answers!

 

M2 would enjoy them, too, but well - she's got her nose in a book.

Message Edited by PaulH on 06-18-2009 09:36 PM
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by Twibabe on 06-18-2009 08:09 PM
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If I was let lose in a book store, I would probably buy the place. lol
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by Moderator Melissa_W on 06-19-2009 12:47 AM
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I over-buy to the point that it's ridiculous!  I just bought the new Zafon even though I won't get to it for weeks, maybe not even until it comes out in paperback, but I couldn't help myself.  I'm also a sucker for anything I "might" need to read if I go back to grad school so the pile of "literary" reading grows rapidly.
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by on 07-01-2009 03:41 AM
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Over buy by 20%. Sometimes my opinion(book flavor desire) shifts a few days later. So I try to plan ahead.
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