In Which I Admit To Enjoying Romantic Spy Mysteries

This book, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily comes out on Tuesday, January 12th.

(Picture of book for good measure)



And I want to read it. Even though its silly, unsubstantial fluff, set centuries ago with dashing spies and courageous women and corset busting...I want to read it. Mostly because I've read all the other ones and they are so delectable.

But: this means that it is coming out in the store. The DC library, which doesn't get books in a timely manner, probably will not own this selection for months. And months. This has been a problem. As I get more and more connected to book blogging, I want more and more new releases. But to get new releases, you have to buy them. Or wait four months while the DC library system gets their act together to send me hot tickets like The Lost Symbol.

So what is a girl to do? I recently read a new release series book while sitting in a Borders during my lunch, which seems kind of like stealing:



I no longer have as big of a soapbox to stand on when recommending books, so reading everything for free seems like I'm mooching off the system. But how different is it to read a book in the store versus check a book out of a library that dozens of people also used to read a story?

Books are expensive, especially when you're paying for them twice

Get Rich Slowly makes the point that if you're trying to save money, why buy books when you can get them from the library? True that. You're paying for the library with your taxes, so why pay more for books you can have for free?

Problems:
1. I read books over and over and over again. I think I have read the first Harry Potter book over 30 times. When I was a kid, I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books over 50 times.
2. I totally work in a bookstore.

I do read books from the library. But now I do something that I didn't do seven or eight years ago; I've started checking out books that I've read before from the library, really enjoyed, rather than getting new books. It would be more convenient to just have the book within reach, rather than walk three blocks to get it, and have a time frame in which to read it.

Plus, our local library sucks. But I have not bought a new book since being in D.C., and did not bring any books with me.

In other news, I totally found two dollars in front of my apartment building. It'll go towards library late fines!