Wednesday, April 04, 2007

BOOKS: I Gush, Therefore I Am

Well, colour me embarrassed. We're halfway through Buy a Friend a Book Week, and I've been so busy kvetching about my little problems (and railing against extreme right-wing conservatives, because sometimes I enjoy exercises in futility) that I plum forgot all about it.

This is all the more shameful because I have, of late, been on the receiving end of an unexpected (and, it must be said, undeserved) parade of books from various friends, loved ones, and well-wishers. (What do you call such a collection of books? A bounty of books? A bumper crop of books? A gratitude of books?)

You know that feeling when the world seems full of amazing books you have yet to read? That feeling you get after an especially awesome birthday haul, or when all your special orders come in at the library at the same time? How is it that that feeling transmutes into a general sense that the world is a good and wise and generous place? And that you're as lucky as you've ever hoped to be, and far luckier than you deserve?

If you could bottle this feeling and administer it in pill form, it'd be an end to war and unhappiness. Better idea: Let's just slip it in the water supply.

I'm off. Gotta go buy a friend a book.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

At the BAFAB blog, there's also a list of book blogs and other blogs having BAFAB contests this week. Y'know, just 'cause I can't get enough of shameless self-promotion.

Tammy said...

Well, what do you know. Cap'n Ganch is having a BAFAB contest. And for that matter, so is Karen. Maybe I'll just have to mosey over there and take a look-see...

Anonymous said...

Re: what to name a bunch of books, some ideas here:
http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Pointless/AnimalGroups.html
Personally, I like a "wisdom" of books, like wombats.

Quillhill said...

Help! I want to participate, but what do I do if I don't have any friends? Will you be my friend, too, Doppelganger?

BabelBabe said...

oh god. i am having exactly the opposite - i have just finished a spectacularly good book, and now feel like nothing esle can ever measure up, why bother, etc.

and yet life goes on.
shocking. :)

Anonymous said...

re: books of collective.

Whether acquired by force or by favor, I vote for booty.

And god I hope someone reads that out of context.

Anonymous said...

A bequeathed bevy of books. And does it count if I pass one along instead of buy it? I'm almost done dragging myself through Dunnant's Mapping the Edge and want to torture my best friend with it now.

me said...

I find that if you just let each of your personalities read a really good book at a time, the imbrication causes near-prozac induced stages of euphoria if continued daily by, say, seven personalities, for, what, a month or so? Yeah - it would likely take a month to acrue enough fellow-feeling for humanity that you can (and do) walk out your front door into a world full of Icthus fishies and "W" crapola and just smile. :)

Jess said...

Yes, I know that feeling. Thank you for naming it.

OK, now I have to attack this pile of books that all came in from the library at once. Where to start?