The Daily Procrastinator

There is a used bookstore near my home, within walking distance. Today, while walking past it, I decided to backtrack and go in. Note that “walked” is the important word in this story.

Just outside the front door was a library cart full of books, the kind that looks like it’s on its way to a reshelving project. And on that cart was the most magical sign: $1 hardcover, $0.50 paperback.

Eleven books later, I had a stack that was a foot and a half tall, and I hadn’t even walked through the door. I had Barbara Kingsolver, Margaret Atwood, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Ernest Hemingway. I even found two book club selections, The Bookseller of Kabul and A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. The price: $9.33 including tax. I was giddy. This sort of thing is a bookworm’s dream come true.

Now, how was I going to get them home?

Fortunately for me, the owner was there and offered to let me stash the books in her bottom desk drawer until I returned with the car. Now they stand on my “To Read” shelf, beckoning me every time I pass. I’m only 30 pages from completing my current read, Swimming to Antarctica (a bargain books 2-for-1 steal from Borders), and then I have to make the tough decision about which book I should read next.

We’ve had another busy week at The Daily Procrastinator, and now is the time to make sure none of the articles escaped your notice!

The week began appropriately with a heart-related post on Valentine’s Day, when TallGirl offered her thoughts and reminders about congenital heart defects in babies, particularly the condition known as tetralogy of fallout.

The Procrastinator also served up a piping-hot plate of tasty tidbits for sports fans this week. BigRedPoet took a satirical look at the criminals of the NFL, while Juggernaut voiced his thoughts on A-Roid’s recent admissions.

FlashCap posted the second installment of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Zombies, in which the first Zombie rears his ugly, undead head. If you missed part one, check it out before reading this week’s installment!

TallGirl pondered many aspects of modern life this week, including her love of reading, an amazing website that offers aerial photographs from across the decades, and finding extra time in the day by watching less television.

Finally, BigRedPoet wrapped up the week with an announcement concerning National Margarita Day.

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The Daily Procrastinator: Contributing to the Dramatic Reduction of Your Personal Productivity

I read.  I’m not just talking about magazines or the daily paper.  I’m talking about books.  Fiction, nonfiction… it doesn’t matter, as long as there are words.  I love the feel of a book in my hand, the musty smell of libraries, the wonderful tactile experience of reading.  My dream vacations usually involve ample time to read.

While buying clearance-rack books at Borders ($3.99, buy one get one free!), I told the bookstore guy that I’ll read anything.  ”God, that’s sexy,” he replied, then blushed a deep shade of crimson and refused to make eye contact with me for the remainder of the transaction.

Sexy or not, it’s nonetheless true.  Looking at our overflowing bookshelves, there are clearly My Books and His Books, things that we’ve purchased for our own reading enjoyment.  The difference is that I will read all of the books, while he sticks to his nonfiction-only repertoire.

This means that in addition to my book club selections like The Time Traveler’s Wife, I’ve also read Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Rigged, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman”.  Not to mention my hardcover edition of Anna Karenina, purchased as a souvenir to remind me of my days studying Russian literature in college.  It’s an eclectic collection, to be sure, but that’s what makes it interesting.

I am always looking for suggestions, so feel free to comment and offer up your favorites to add to my nightstand.