My eldest came to kiss me goodnight last night and looked at the tottering pile of books on the bedside table. Then he looked at the shelf of Books To Be Read.
“That’s a lot of books, Mum. How many books are you reading, anyway?”
“Don’t go there, son,” said his father.
Wise man.
“Actually, I am reading two books. This one and the one in my handbag.”
“And the one you’re reading to us.”
Yes, so just three.
And there are a mere 124 in the pile. Not including the (overdue) library book. Also not including the one that was on the shelf twice. But I’ve read more than that many books so far this year, so I’ll be through that lot by September.
Always thinking ahead.
Nathalie Foy 
I love it! I have a ton of books to read, too. I guess I should stop buying more than I can read, huh? Like they say, the eyes are always bigger than the stomach …
No, no, no. A healthy TBR shelf is a sign of a heathly mind. Say it with me: “At least it’s not shoes, at least it’s not shoes, at least it’s not shoes.”
love this post! especially the “don’t go there, son” comment!
Like I said, he’s a wise man, is my husband. Julia, I was in Book City, shopping for *other people*, and had another fondle of the Peter Sis book. Breathtaking. It’s sitting now on the top of my TBB (to be bought) list. Just want to say that I am excited for you to get yours!
I love that you had the courage to count them. My TBR books (nightstand pile excluded) are mixed in with the other books on my shelves–partially so I don’t have to think about exactly how many of them there are!
Mmmm. Is courage the right word? I think we need a word for “I’d like to know how many but then I’d like to forget that number quickly so I can keep adding more.”
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