which raises us above the beasts that perish

The buying of more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching toward infinity - and it is this which raises us above the beasts that perish. - A. E. Newton

This is my favorite quote. It assures me of two things: one, that my inordinate book buying is actually a virtue; and two, at least according to whoever A. E. Newton is, that I will never die.

So, having neatly solved the problem of my personal mortality, I have decided to dust off some of those shelves and get reading. I am, in fact, not only an inordinate book-buyer, but the same kind of reader. And yet, over the last year in particular, I simply have not read nearly as many books as I used to. I'll chalk this up to a year of constant transition, moving, change, etc. - and the fact that, for about six months, I lived apart from my books and could only check out two at a time with my temporary library card. (This was, by the way, the only truly horrifying result of moving. Fortunately temporary.)

Having kicked off the year with a good stretch of vacation, I've finished one book already, one I had read years ago but wanted to read again. The Cider House Rules, being primarily about an abortionist, is perhaps an odd choice for someone facing fertility challenges to read. On the other hand, I think it's a remarkable book. Not quite as fantastic as my personal Irving favorite, A Prayer for Owen Meany, but still great.

So I'm off to a roaring start. Next up: I'm halfway through Breaking Clean, by Judy Blunt. Amazing. I am SO not a Montana farm girl.

Happy reading.