Friday, July 31, 2009

Of Books and Road Trips

Ah, books. The smell of new paper the first time they're opened, the crisp black ink that has yet to be smeared, and the call of an adventure that should occupy me for five hours or so (at the most).

I went book shopping not too long ago and came home with no less than four of these lovelies. Sure, they were old and the paper smelled like crap (have you ever smelled an old paperback?) and they were a bit roughly handled, but I still marched out of there with the look and feel of a kid who had just had his way with a candy store. 

The reason I went to the book store was none other than a road trip from South Carolina to Missouri. This is a 16 hour drive and entertainment is mandatory. Even knowing this, I couldn't help staring at the nice little pile of new reading material next to my bed as they sang their seductive little siren song.

"The Last Herald-Mage series! It's about Vanyel! You've been curious about Vanyel for years! You haven't had anything new to read for about as long! They're Mercedes Lackey books, she's your favorite author! You've got four of them. You're not gonna read four books in three days..."

I tried to fight it, I did, but I have no self control and the first two were devoured before I even started packing.

Well, the trip is over, I am in Missouri now. I have also finished The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, which means that I have one more book left by my second favorite author, Jennifer Roberson. But I must not read it! My uncle also has a library full of other things I haven't read yet. Don Quixote! Angels and Demons! Shelves and shelves of books...But I can't read them either because I have a different set of books to hit.

Schoolwork. 

I have essays to write, a blog entry to write (I'm actually looking forward to that one), naked people to draw, dresses to paint, and people to fend off while I'm doing it all. I know the models look weird, but drawing them shall be made ten times more awkward if people are making crude jokes about them.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go...