Gulp! What’s happening to me?

I adore bookstores. The brick-n-mortar kind. Just went into one yesterday, matter of fact. Loved being hit by the waft of “pages” in the air as soon as I was in the door. I don’t know if they pump that smell in or if I am just a junkie, but really, the scent of a bookstore is something I find soul-soothing.

Truly, I dig bookstores.

But yesterday, I didn’t buy anything. As it turns out, that’s exceptionally unusual.

Now, the people I was hanging out with bought some stuff but me, I didn’t lay down one red cent. I did sign 5 copies of one of my own books they had on the shelves (I still get a kick out of walking into bookstores, seeing my stuff on the shelves and signing the stock – that never gets old) but I didn’t grab one title and make a purchase.

It’s for not having seen anything I want to read. Matter of fact, there are a variety of things I want to read. However, the stack by my bed is tipping over right now so that played a role.

But that had never stopped me before. Ya know what stopped me this time?

eReading.

I am not sure if I should be buying my future books electronically so I can “always have them” in a digital way.

I mean when I look at my library of books now, my shelves are overflowing. There are books on the floor, books in the garage, books up the yin-yang back in my classroom and so on. And I am not one who does all that great a job of keeping track of my books. You want to borrow a title, here… please give it back.

But I rarely remember to ask for it. I guess I do that too often. I’ve given out, lost track of, let people borrow, and so on more books than I can remember.

Also, in addition to the books I buy, I get free books now and then from publishers so there’s the whole, “give a book and you shall get a book” karma thing going on for me, too. Kind of an ” industry perk” of being an author in a way. (BTW, my wife greatly regrets that I didn’t go into diamonds whenever she thinks too much about the perks that could have been instead of the perks that are. C’est la vie, right?)

But yesterday, for the first time, I just browsed the bookstore with an eye towards, “Well, maybe I’ll but that book for my iPad” mentality as opposed to “I’ll buy that book for my library” mentality.

It wasn’t conscious. I am not really thinking this out very much. Or, thinking it through. (I mean, what if the people who buy my books all felt the same way? Then there would be no brick-n-mortar stores that would carry my books. YIKES! I hate that thought.)

Now I do not know if this was a one-time thing or it’s a trend about to occur in my life or what or what. People who have owned a Kindle awhile might be better equipped to address that. However, I do see my life molding a bit into a “print book co-existing with eBook” world… but I gotta admit, I think print books hold the advantage.

Except when I travel, I can take 150 books with my in an eReader and only a few in dead tree format.

Clearly, the more books I have around me the more comfortable I feel but am I willing to sacrifice having more books for the ability to have printed books?

Nope. Or rather, maybe the answer is… not yet.

Gulp. What’s happening to me?