I know I must be an adult now, because I can no longer go to the library, check out 14 books due in 14 days, and read them all without renewing. This makes me sad.

The library was this wondrous place when I was growing up. I could check out all the books I wanted and just read. But now there are things like work and sleep that conspire to keep me from reading all that I want to. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve read 90 books this year (yes, some of them are short, or graphic novels, but they’re still books) and I’ll try to read many more before December 31, but I could be reading so much more. I once estimated that I read 600 books in five years. I’m below that estimate now, but this year I seem to be reading faster, so go fig.

Of course, part of the problem is that I also do other things with my free time, like, say, eat, or play softball, or, you know, write…and obviously I can’t do all of them at the same time. I can read and have dinner all at once, and I’ve even been known to read while knitting, though that’s rare.

What’s the point of all this? Well, I restrained myself and only checked out two books at the library on Tuesday. See, I’m growing up.