HELP! I’m backlogged. My shelf is overflowing. I never thought I’d say this, but I have too. Many. Books. To. Read. And not enough time to do it in. Sure, I could become a full-time reader, but I’m not sure how that would go over with the hubs and the family. Somehow it doesn’t play out when I say it out loud. Hungry? Sorry. Fend for yourselves. I’m too busy reading. Need help with your homework? Oh well. Maybe tomorrow after I finish this novel.
So with more books than time, how do I decide which one to read first? As I walk by my bookshelves and run my hand over their covers, they’re all so tempting in different ways. As I read the descriptions on the back, each novel tries to sway me by giving me her (call me sexist, but I believe most of my books are female) best pick up line.
“Pick me and you definitely won’t be disappointed.”
“I’ll keep you entertained all. Night. Long.” *Wink* *Wink*
“Don’t look at her. She’s slow. I’m a much faster read.”
But despite their seductive ploys, I want to choose the one I’m in the mood for. But then when I start to grab for the book I want, the other novels glare at me and accuse me of playing favorites. And I feel bad. Because they each deserve to be read.
There really is no good way to let the other books down easy. Even if I say, “Hey, I hear you’re a real page-turner,” or “I know you have a rave review in Publisher’s Weekly” or “I know you got three stars in People”, “BUT…I’m just not feelin’ you today.” I know that will not go over well. I’ll get the silent treatment because I’ve hurt her their feelings. And then I’ll feel guilty that I’m continuing to let them sit there stiffly, their pages unturned. Their covers unbent. Unread and rejected.
I could lie and say I have a headache and when they aren’t looking, I could slyly grab another off the shelf without being caught. But then how would I sleep at night? Cheating on them like that?
Luckily, there is one book that always stays out of the drama. She simply sits on the shelf, never calling out to me or flaunting her cover trying to get noticed. And her aloof behavior makes me want to read her even more because she’s playing hard to get. Because she can. She knows I need her more than she needs me. Because she’s an undisputed classic. She’s Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Even the other books know what’s up. That she’s in a league of her own. And when I grab Jane off the shelf, they don’t make catty remarks or give me a guilt trip. Because even they are in awe of her. Because she’s Jane Austen. And you just can’t compete with a classic!
What’s your favorite Jane Austen book?
Lisa Steinke, along with her best friend Liz Fenton, co-authored the chick lit novel I’ll Have Who She’s Having and co-created the popular Chick Lit blog, Chick Lit is Not Dead.
