The Book Addict's Life

[thisnewday]

The first thing I've done, every time I've sat down at my computer the past two days, is check my AOL account to see if my book has been shipped.

But if the compulsion to do this, mornings, afternoons, nights, has been maddening, seeing that they hadn't even processed the order yet has been infinitely more so.

I NEED that stream of words running past my eyes. I need the thoughts, feelings, actions, of someone else's imagined life, to take me somewhere far away from my own.

And so, as I was wandering through Walmart this afternoon, I made my way to the back of the store where their three or four rows of books, mostly children's and YA, is located.

And there, on a lower shelf, I found a single paperback copy of Kristin Hannah's 1999 novel On Mystic Lake. The book I'd ordered online, two days ago, from B&N.

I picked it up, read the back cover, hesitated, and then put it back on the shelf.

At first, I was able to rationalize my decision financially. The Walmart book was $14 and change, before taxes. The B&N copy would be delivered to my door for less than $10, shipping and taxes included.

That got me to my car and West Genesee Street got me home. With a little help from the nice folks at Subaru. Because, you know, love is what makes a Subaru a Subaru.

However, when I walked into my house, the urge hit me again. I went upstairs and checked my AOL account. The message from B&N now said delivery by Monday. Which didn't help. As anyone who's ever been addicted to anything knows, four days is four lifetimes.

After a bit more searching, I determined that, once it arrived, my B&N copy could be returned, without prejudice, to the nearest Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Economics be damned, I jumped in my car and drove back to Walmart hoping that "my" book had not been sold in the meantime. And it hadn't.

It's now Thursday evening and I'm 150 pages into it, a blistering pace for one who took 3 months to read a Steinbeck biography.

But every so often, when I look up, a panicked thought crosses my mind. Where am I gonna get my next fix?

If I were living at home, I'd be plotting to steal my parents' TV. To, you know, pay for the next one...

LPK
Dreamwidth
9.19.2019 

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

Damn! I just finished Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy—partly in print and partly in audiobook—which I wouldn't recommend to anyone though I found it rather amusing and even edifying in parts.

Now I'm reading Updike's Rabbit books. Mostly for the prose style: They're horribly dated and Updike, despite his crystalline style, is kind of a putz. So again—can't recommend.

Hmmmmm. Maybe you would like The Goldfinch. Or The Secret History, Donna Tartt's first book, which no one has made a movie out of recently, and so, is more likely to be in the library.

[thisnewday]

Thanks, Patrizia! I have, in fact, read The Goldfinch, so maybe I'll look at her Secret History. And I totally relate to your comments about Crazy Rich Asians.

I've felt exactly that about most of the books I've been reading lately, but knew I would and mostly didn't care. Because it was all about tamping down the anxiety and very little about edification.

But, of course, the longing for that in what I read is really still there--although relegated, for the moment, to a secondary concern.

Because edification requires, I think, a certain strength which I clearly don't have right now. I'd like to read, for instance, about Martha Gellhorn but don't think I could handle the intensity of her character--even though I'm disappointed not to find that in the fictional women I'm currently reading about.

Which, I know, is kind of pathetic. But it is where I seem to be right now. And I'm probably lucky to even realize that...

[mallorys_camera]

I totally get it. The alteration of body image—a quaint nursing euphemism for disfigurement—must be immense for something like dental extractions. I can imagine what you must be going through. Like if only you'd been a better human being, your teeth wouldn't have gotten into such baaaaad shape.

But I know lots and lots and lots of people with dentures. And nobody knows they're wearing dentures. Maybe other people knew once, but in this age of veneers, everyone will take one look at yr flawless choppers and just assume they're veneers. Once your gums heal, you'll be fine. In fact, you'll smile more.

And, yeah. Check out The Secret History. 😀 Though male protagonist. And no really sympathetic female characters. 😀

[thisnewday]

Thanks, Patrizia. I do think this is gonna be OK. By Monday, I'll have had 3 follow-ups for adjustments and the comfort level has gotten better with each one. And even though functionality has always been my primary concern, they do look good. If I do say so, lol.

On the other hand, if surviving this ordeal had been based on merit, I'm pretty sure I'd have croaked by this time.

I did finish Mystic Lake this morning and, although well-written for the most part, it still left me a bit, I dunno, dissatisfied. I think part of it is a deeply-felt preference for non-fiction--despite my recent admissions to reading purely for the escape it provides...

[bluecatartist]

The book addicts life, oh yeah. "I NEED that stream of words running past my eyes. I need the thoughts, feelings, actions, of someone else's imagined life, to take me somewhere far away from my own."

Yes, this. When I was reading the Sookie Stackhouse books TRUE BLOOD was based on I would finish one and immediately start the next one w. barely a breath in between. I'd found all the books at the used book store in paperback and bought the 8 or 9 books while they were available. It was obsessive but I know it was a need to lose myself in the story and characters. (same as some TV shows I watch where I'm invested in the characters enough that the plot each wk is secondary bc I'm going to watch it anyway.)

AND I had missed you had the dental work and the upper plate done. It is a mouthful to begin w. and I know I've raged about how ppl do not talk about the difficulties that can occur. What I was sold on to go on and do dentures was a lot of lies and I'm still mad about it as I feel mislead and the Dental Hell. I'm too tired tonight to comment more but will return to the topic. Wishing you well as you adjust to the change, plus having a dentist who does adjustments and fitting makes a huge difference. W. my plates and the gums healing (23 teeth/caps removed at once - yeah, that was a mistake), I would use a tooth pain gel and run a line in the ridge of the plate.

[thisnewday]

You've been a lot smarter about your book addiction than I have, at least recently. There are a couple of pretty good used book stores, in my old neighborhood in the city, where I've gotten bargains in the past. But this time around I guess I was just too desperate and too exhausted to do that.

I feel really fortunate to have made the dental connection I have. It was through my daughter and he's really skilled, personable, compassionate, and ethical. I've been to a LOT of dentists over the years, and he's undoubtedly the best.

Another thing that's made a difference for me is that I had fewer teeth to be extracted because of prior extractions over a period of years. And the remainder were taken in two separate procedures based on location and an overall plan developed for my situation.

Even so, it hasn't been without discomfort and some risk, but at least I felt prepared for it and have felt supported by the doc and his excellent staff over the course of it.

I hope that things have gotten better for you and that, ultimately, we'll both end up better off for the discomfort we've endured...

[bluecatartist]

Oh, I am so proud of you to have a great dentist to help you through this. The dentist I used does good work but is ethically challenged. I was taken advantage of bc of broken caps on the 2 front teeth and mislead as to total cost, etc. And playing on my emotions and pain. No mention of having to learn to eat, to talk, etc...

The Southern Vampire series was the only one planned out - part way. There's actually 13 books in the first series, 2 of updates w. other stories. If I remember correctly I made a list of the titles in order and returned to the book store the same day ( we live a couple of miles away) and all the titles were available. This would've been post 2008 when True Blood began on HBO.

Sad to say but I don't go to the bookshop any longer bc the owner made a really rude and mean comment about Carrie Fisher being crazy and how he might be able to make some money off her since she had died recently. At the time of Carrie's death I had not been going as much anyway, a combo of too many books at our house plus using E-reader a lot more, and also bc the owner had crammed so many books into the shop it was visually overwhelming in some areas. He stacks books on the floor in front of the shelves, the area w. Terry Pratchett books I couldn't even read titles bc the amount of books was so oppressive.

[thisnewday]

Well, as I said, all credit for the choice of a great dentist goes to daughter #2. She's a smart kid and a savvy business woman, although she helped me decimate my retirement account to pay for the darn things, lol.

I am sorry to hear about your bookstore. The owner sounds like a d!ck with regard to poor Ms. Fisher and a sloppy one at that with respect to how he manages his inventory...

[bluecatartist]

I'm still glad you have a good dentist and kudo's to Daughter #2 for the assist. :)

My dentist came well recommended too but no one I personally knew had used her - she's always been this Aplusplus person for cosmetic dentistry and specializes in dentures. The ratings were all good, and they do pamper patients in the ofc appts. Their presentation of what I needed and the quote were misleading as to final cost, to what the quote covered, and then a surprise extra $3,000 to finish the plates. I told her it was like selling me a car w.out it having tires! Or shoes w.out laces! Their excuse is 'it was an emotional time and I misunderstood,' which I've since discovered is one of their tactics to pressure patients to take on more debt and w. the promise of Cadillac level dentures.

How is the adjustment going for you? I hope you're coping okay. The combo of appearance and function is worth a lot - I had about a year before the surprise part of it and it made a difference in how I felt when talking to ppl and the TMJ and pain easing, and the emotional toll of embarrassment.

Yeah, the guy is really a d!ck - I'm sure he thought he was being witty and would rationalize his insult. The used bookstore is the only shop in this side of the 'burb and does a decent business. The overflowing shelves and all had been his getting books out of storage and into the shop. He has expanded into a side shop but I don't know if he's dealt w. the piles of books in the aisles and all.

[thisnewday]

"Their presentation of what I needed and the quote were misleading as to final cost..." Yeah, that's really inexcusable. Sorry you had to deal with that on top of everything else that goes with this.

There's a lot of trauma, to mind and body, even with a lesser procedure like mine was. But so far--knock on wood--no surprises. I suppose I should do a follow-up in 6 months to confirm or not.

What I can say for sure is that, up to this point, I've known what to expect and have been coping fairly well with everything it's entailed. Until I get the lowers, I won't know how the chewing--kind of the point of the whole thing--is gonna go and, so far, speech remains the biggest challenge.

I'm actually glad to have done it this way because it's given me more time to get accustomed to the process.

Concerning the bookstore guy, that's really too bad. And I say that as one who's had to apologize for remarks that I thought were funny but which, upon reflection, were also rude and insensitive.

For some of us, that seems to be a difficult thing to learn. To, you know, engage brain before running mouth because it can be a destructive bit of machinery...