Breaking the Book Buying Ban.

Well, I lasted a month, which is better than I thought I would do. I was doing SO WELL in avoiding the bookstores nearby until Matt asked if I wanted to go to Barnes and Noble with him while he looked for some manual he needed. It wasn't as if I could say no....

So we went. And we started walking around and I was being really good until I saw a display with books by John Flanagan. He ended his "Ranger's Apprentice" series earlier this year, and I have been a little heartbroken about it. They were such lively, fun books! I have read them since the first one came out, so seeing the series come to an end was tough. But, then I saw it sitting on the table. In addition to the last book (I already have it), there was another title with "Ranger's Apprentice" on the cover! I grabbed it immediately to read the blurb. Matt just sighed and asked what it was. I explained the whole thing to him, jumped up and down, and hugged it tight before moving to place it back on the display. He just looked at me and said, "oh just hold it."

:)

There I was clutching my little lovely in my arms when we stumbled into the fiction section. There was a big ol' sign saying "Barnes and Noble Classics: buy two get one free!" Matt looked at me and said, "Do you want any?"

He should know better.

I ended up finding another 6 classics to add to my collection. And it is all Matt's fault. The ban is also still in place. Matt knows I have had a horrible couple of weeks, so this is probably his way of making me feel better. He knows me well. :)

Here is what I got:



From top to bottom:

• Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: I am done reading work by the Brontes for my list, but I am going to make it a goal to read all of their work at some point!
  
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Writings by Washington Irving: This is actually a title I need to read for my list, so now I have it. :) I might even get to it this month (if a miracle happens)
  
• Daniel Deronda by George Eliot: This is the only big Eliot title I haven't read, and I have been meaning to get a copy for ages. This was the last copy at the store, so I told Matt it was fate.
  
• Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum: Not for my list...it just looked interesting. I also have this things for books about the sea, so this will be a great read at some point.
  
• The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: This is actually a replacement copy. I read this one in the first year of my project, and my copy self-destructed while I was reading it. I had bought it for 25 cents at a library sale, and apparently it was on its last leg (the cover fell off completely, pages fell out as I was turning them...it was a mess). And since I loved it, I knew I needed a new copy.
  
• Billy Budd and the Piazza Tales by Herman Melville: Billy Budd is on my list, but I didn't have a copy yet! I also have grand plans to read a lot more Melville in the future, so the second title is a definite bonus!
  
• Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories by John Flanagan: This is the one I clutched like a little kid. I don't know what it is about this series, but I just love it. It is FUN. It doesn't make me think too hard. And it is FUN. I cannot wait to read it to my kids one day (the series is a fantasy/adventure type and PERFECT for boys. I recommended this one a lot when I was student teaching in middle school and the boys LOVED IT).

There you have it. The evidence of my failure. I'm okay with it. Had Matt turned me loose in the store, I probably would have gone crazy. There are a ton of titles coming out in the next few months that my fingers are getting itchy over (like the new Riordan release-I didn't see it, which was probably a good thing). I need to learn some self control, don't you think? :)

I'm going to try and be good until January. Hold me to it!