neither a borrower

As reported in my last post, I am enduring a self-imposed book buying ban, while I take the opportunity to actually read some of the books I actually already own. It's been 38 days now since I last bought a book. It's been tough. I have been into a bookshop (looking for a calendar) and I've been into several charity shops (same) and I came out of all of them having not bought a book. Quite the victory for a book addict. But before you hand me a medal you should know that I have found a way to bend the rules of this challenge, my own rules.

I did create a couple of caveats to this 'not buying books at the moment' challenge. It was that or get arrested for shoplifting a book from Waterstones in a moment of madness. I am in possession of a couple of book tokens at the moment, gifted to me a while back, and I reasoned that it wouldn't be breaking any rules if I acquired books using these vouchers. After all, someone else had parted with the money to buy them, and so I wouldn't actually be exchanging cash for the books myself. And, besides, the vouchers may go off, or something, if I keep them unused for too long. I figured, 'Why take the risk?'

The other loophole I'm exploiting is that I'm visiting my local library. I don't borrow any books when I visit. But I do make full use of my time there. I make my way to the 'T' section of the fiction shelves, and I take down the single copy of Real Life by Brandon Taylor, and then I find a seat and read for awhile. And then, when I stop, I note the page number, return the book to the place that I found it, and leave the library to continue about my day. So far, I've read up to page 68, and I'm very much enjoying the story. Real Life had been at the top of my tbr list for a long while, and I was continually on the hunt for a copy in one of the local second-hand bookshops. But then my challenge started before I found a copy and I knew it would present a real quandary if I happened upon one while on my book buying ban, so I needed a simple and elegant solution to this problem. And I found it. I'm reading the book, but I haven't bought it, and I haven't borrowed it, so I have not added it to the sum total of books already in my home. Yes, I do feel smug that I figured out a way to do this. Also, fear not Library Warriors, I have been concerned that my visits to the library have not been registered as such and so I intend to check the book out onto my card when I finally finish it, so that it registers as a 'Borrow' in the catalogue - we have to ensure that the local council knows the library is being used, that it's a valuable resource, or they'll withdraw funding.

Being a blog reader of rare intelligence, you will have seen that there is, of course, a potential pitfall in my approach to consuming my book of choice. Someone else may choose it too. Next time I visit the library the book may have gone home with somebody, on a three week loan. If that happens, it'll be a sad moment obviously. But I am prepared for it. I have a Plan B in the shape of Zadie Smith, a writer I have long been meaning to read. She also has the advantage of being only two shelves to the left, and one shelf down from Taylor.

Anyway, so there you have my current progress in my Read What You Own Challenge. I have bought no books since early November, and have only slightly bent the rules. I have read eight titles from my own collection in that time. And have also read 68 pages of Real Life.