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Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Power-Shopping


Well, I did my own variation of Dashing Through the Mall last week...I call it power-shopping. Now, truth be told, I hate to shop, but if I have to do it, I go in knowing what I need, get it, then escape as quickly as possible. My kids have all learned the fine art of power-shopping. Unfortunately, my husband has not. And to make matters worse, we were shopping for gifts that involved tools. Yes, I had to take my non-power-shopping husband into Sear's tool department, where row after row of Craftsman tools required that my he weigh their merit next to his own. So, power-shopping wasn't all that powerful. As a matter of fact, it pretty much came to a standstill in Sears. My daughter and I made short excursions into other departments, only to return to see if he was done...and find he wasn't. The good news is, the boy he was tool shopping for will have a very nice Christmas morning!

Okay, now that I've totally ratted out my husband's tool obsession, I have to confess, there is one store in the mall that is my downfall. A store I can't manage to power-shop through. The bookstore! Our is a Borders Express with some of the nicest employees ever! I always go into the store, smile at them and set off with the best of power-shopping intentions. I find the book I want, and feeling smug in my power-shopping abilities, head toward the cash register and...a book calls to me. It demands I pick it up and admire the cover, check out the back blurb, maybe skim a few pages. I swear, it's like a siren's song, befuddling me to the point I forget all about power-shopping and the fact I hate shopping as they weave a spell and make me not only pick them up, but by them...a quantity of them. I used to read a book a day easily. But now that I write, I don't have as much time, so my speed has slowed down, but that hasn't slowed my purchasing. I have a TBR (to be read) pile that's growing on its own! Last time I went in for a couple presents, and ended up buying myself Norah Ephron's, I Feel Bad About My Neck. What a riot! I couldn't put it down. Hope you all are making headway with your holiday preparations!

Holly

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey,

I hear you. Same here with me. I tried to spend as less time shopping as I can (well...most of the times).

There are times I cant wait to get done, but there are those times I take forever (browsing, weighing options, etc).

And when it comes to the book section of a store...lets just say it takes me quite a loooong while to get through it. I go in wanting to get my hands on one book and then end up looking at the books near the one I want, then read the back blurb and before I know it, there is more than 1 book I want to have in my TBR pile.

Well, hopefully you can get more books read from your TBR pile.

And I wish everyone Happy Holidays,

Liz

HollyJacobs said...

Liz,

Alas, I went with my daughters and SIL today for an after the holiday shopping trip. I spent the least and was feeling quite good about the turtleneck and boots I'd bought (both on sale)...and then we hit the bookstore and I totally went to town. LOL They are my downfall. Just finishing up A Prayer for Owen Meany and loving it...so I am making some progress with my TBR pile! Unfortunately, it would take me a couple months of nonstop reading to clear all of it! LOL

Hope you had a lovely holiday!

Holly

Unknown said...

Hey,

Hehe, I hear you...books and downfall...

And I commiserate with you on the months of non-stop reading that is needed to be able to finish the TBR pile.

I posted this on another post, but in case you dont see it. I mentioned audio books. I usually love to be able to touch a book, feel the pages, be able to take a peek backwards or ahead of the story sometimes.
Thats why I was apprehensive when I heard about audio books, but when I found out they had it for free download in my public library, I gave the audio books a tried and some of them are not that bad.
Now I can listen to them when I cant read (like when I am walking, in a car or bus, etc). It is a nice switch from time to time, and although it hasnt diminish my TBR pile much, it has helped a bit.

Liz

HollyJacobs said...

Liz, We're in love with all the Harry Potters on CD. The reader has the most amazing voice and my youngest has listened to all the books so often she can do huge sections along with him!

Holly

Unknown said...

Lol, I know what you mean. I am a Harry Potter fan as well.

I have heard a couple of different audio books, but havent heard any Potter ones.
For some crazy reason, I prefer to read the books in paper version (the thicker the Potter books, the better )
I will probably listen to the audio Potters after I have read all the paper version ones (hm...although I probably should get through most of my TBR pile before I re-read past books)

Still I cant wait for the 7th book to be out.

=) Liz

HollyJacobs said...

Liz, Well, your next long car trip, grab a couple to listen to. They do make the driving go faster! And I'm waiting until the last one's out and then going back and rereading the whole series. I know, I know, my TBR pile is huge as well, but I love reading series back-to-back. Just read Carey's Kushiel series that way and truly loved it.

Holly

Unknown said...

Hey,
Thanks for the advise. But I think before I re-read the Potter series (audio version), I will just wait also for the hardcopy of HP7 to come out 1st.
Have you seen the HP movies? What do you think?

Hm...Carey's Kushiel series? I don't think I have read it. What is it about? How many books are in there?

Liz

P.S. Happy New Year!

HollyJacobs said...

Liz,

There are three books in the original Kushiel series. Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen and Kushiel's Avatar. There's another series with a spin-off character, Kushiel's Scion. Loved them. And there are elements of the story I don't generally enjoy, but I bought it from Carey.

Holly