I am such a wuss..

Okay..I am such a wuss. My willpower for resisting impulse buys and stupid gadgets is practically nill. I am also, more importantly, an avid reader. I love books. Books books books. Mira will probably throw my sorry bum out if I buy another book to cram into our already heavily ladened bookshelves. I am one of those people who will read a 400 page book in a day and have to go back to the bookstore to buy another one so I stop whining that I have nothing to read on the train to work or before nitey-nite time. Our bookshelves are so crowded that I have begun to stack them on the stool in the living room, I keep them in my night stand, I hide them in my work satchel, I constantly have to have a book to read. We even had to buy an additional bookshelf unit to accomodate our increasing library. It also doesn't help that Mira is an avid reader too! In 2 languages no less!!! AND her wonderful Mom (Moikka Mutsi!!)works for a publishing house!! Our Christmas (Jouluu) presents are always WONDERFUL books! Books books books books! We have copies of the same book in Finnish AND in English. My Finnish skills are good, but not at the level where I can read a well written novel in the Finnish language in under 4 months. I still have (thank you JT), my birthday present - Tom Jones' Biography in Finnish to slog thru!

Now, I suppose I should thank my Papa for encouraging my love of reading and not giving me a brain draining TV obsession. Although, I have one of those too. I am famous for "Fusche Face" - the slack jawed idiot expression I get when I watch, encounter, or stumble past the window of YLE and am captured by the moving pictures on the TV - which promptly disables any ability I have to listen to anyone asking me anything or the ability of stringing more than monosylablic words together (some of them sound suspiciously like grunts).

As a result of my dear old Dad encouraging reading (he is a book addict too), I find it impossible NOT to buy a new book. I think it is an illness. There is probably a support group out there for this issue as well. Right now I am struggling to contain my desire to run out to Suomalainen Kirjakauppa or Akateeminen and purchase another book to read. Oh, and did I mention that when I go to a book store it is NEVER just 1 book. If I make it out of the store without spending at least 35 to 40 freakin euro, it is a good day. Honestly, you know how some women have the monthly Salon expense (hair cut, color, nails, yadda yadda)? I have the monthly book expense. The only saving grace to my obsession with books is that I really only read certain genres - Crime Novels, Thrillers, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, History, Theology,...wait.that list is getting way too long! Okay..rethink this....RIGHT! The only saving grace is that living in Finland makes the publishing of new novels that I want to read take longer! Yes that is it. For example, there is a Steven Erikson book I really want to read - part of a series. And it isn't here yet in paperback or hardcover. OH..I also hardly ever buy hard covers unless absolutely necessary. So I have saved myself from that expense.

Now, I know you are all thinking.."Dude..Amazon it you freak!" Well, nice try there buddy..I would except the shipping and taxes would make my book obsession even MORE expensive!!! However, the point of this whole rant..is that the new Harry Potter book is coming out on Saturday..and I may just have to spend that money...

GOD I AM A WUSS!!!