Life in America

A good book…

This year is going to be my reading year. I know I have said that a million times now. I am happy to tell you that so far, I am succeeding.

I have this annoying habit of being obsessive so much that it takes my mind off of other things… even if the “other things”are deemed more important. My first cousin even told me I don’t know how to prioritize, because what matters to me is that current obsession whatever that is. 

Hell, yeah. I couldn’t agree more.

Last weekend was stressful to me. If you are an immigrant like myself, I have to go through a lot of hoops so I can be allowed to stay here and live with my husband. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. It is normal for a country to do that especially the United States. But the stress is something that you have to deal with constantly.

If my emotions are like a dancing flame of a candle, uneasy, emotionally volatile… explosive. My husband on the other hand is like the lighthouse. Calm, proud (in a good way) strong and emotionally stable. We attract each other like a moth to a flame. A ship to a lighthouse… that’s more like it.

Anyway, I have realized that instead of worrying and constant panic attacks. Why not, I’ll just make use of the quirks of my personality. The peculiarities if you want to call it that.

I might not be always aware that I’m doing it. But the people around me have always mentioned how I can get so obsessive with things or activities. A seatmate once told me, she found it so amazing how I can put my mind into one thing and just make it my world.

So that’s what I did. I turn my mind into reading and do it obsessively…

I believe that a good book can make a person sane. It is not only taking our mind off as if in vacation, but it acts like our inner psychologist… the voice in the writing talking to us, easing our worries, relating to our struggles, giving us hope, courage even sense of adventure without leaving our homes or taking our money and especially giving us anti-depressants.

Our mind is a secret garden. Most of us our not minding it. We do not take time weeding out the worries.

Good thing, good books are here. We might not know it, but once you are done reading. You see the world a little differently, a little better, clearer… and you know one thing is for sure. That we are all in this together.

Books binds us, it has that power… whether our religion is different, race or skin color. No matter how rich or poor you are, it seems that if you two like the same book: it is as if you have found a long lost friend to each other.

Last weekend, my husband brought me in our city’s Public Library. It’s a huge building, five floors (rooftop on the fifth floor) with chandeliers welcoming you when you step inside. This is my new happy place.  You can borrow twenty books in a month. They also have digital library (ebooks and audiobooks) and you can borrow twenty titles in twenty-one days for FREE.

It is a bookworm paradise and the best thing about it is: it is only fifteen minutes drive from our house. 

They have Ipads in the vicinity for the Library card users who uses Hoola or Overdrive apps and likes to read ebooks or listen to Audiobooks. You can also charge your phone or laptop anywhere and again, it’s free.

This is me finishing the ebook “to kill a mockingbird” I borrowed from their digital library. Also, I can’t resist borrowing two books “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott and “Angela’s Ashes” by Frank McCourt.

The rooftop on the fifth floor. 

My obsession didn’t stop there. Me and my husband went to Goodwill yesterday and bought some used books for about a dollar each.

Also found our dog, Ranger sniffing at all of them. ^^

Can’t resist sharing this photo with all of you. Camera-shy Ranger. Lol. And oh, I know… I have found a copy of Little Women in Goodwill a day after I borrowed the title from the Library.

Again, my obsession is still not over. I went to Amazon and bought two books last night, that I am dying to read ASAP that I can’t find in the Library.

Good news though, for obsessive bookworms out there. You can find good deals in Amazon as well. There are third party sellers and sells used books for about a dollar each in most items. Shipping fee is usually as low as three dollars. So I bought two books from Amazon last night for eleven dollars. Not bad, eh. The other one is even shipped from UK.

If there is only a way for the Philippines to be more like the United States especially when it comes to having a lot of resources book-wise. I have been sending books to my cousin and best friend. But it is my wish that one day, a Public Library as big as the one we have here can be found in my home country as well. Maybe, I can even make it happen from my own wallet… who knows.

So if you ask me, a good book is life.

Seeing the Public Library of our city here makes me wants to live in the United States. To fight for it…

I am ready for their hoops now because there are more reasons I want to stay.

I want to stay.

-Anna

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8 Comments

  • Reply
    Marie
    March 12, 2017 at 7:13 pm

    Oh, all of these books <3 You're so right, reading does allow us to leave our troubles behind for a little while, to avoid the world and just be somewhere else, in our own imagination, and there is nothing more powerful than that.
    I am spotting some great books in these pictures, Divergent, Mockingjay, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! 😀 What are you currently reading? 🙂

    • Reply
      Anna
      March 12, 2017 at 8:18 pm

      I love Divergent series and Hunger Games. We bought them from Goodwill. Too good to pass lol. I strongly recommended them to my hubby for him to read. ? He still needs to get into the reading mode again. He is busy at work so he has an excuse.

      Anyway, this week: Wuthering Heights, Great Expectations and Heart of Darkness (books I borrowed from the library) then Life of Pi. I love YA so much. But have to expand and read other genres too lol. So this is a start. ?❤

  • Reply
    Maggie
    March 12, 2017 at 8:12 pm

    One of my goals this year is to read more, as well! I’m wanting to read all of the books that I own that I’ve yet to read once through, haha. What a beautiful library! ? I wish I had that library near me. Also, is that a boxed set of Lord of the Rings near your dog? If so, I need it hahah

    • Reply
      Anna
      March 12, 2017 at 8:26 pm

      Yes, we found them in Goodwill. ? Got so lucky. There are so many good books at that time in the store. Oh, and I made a reading checklist. I think it motivates me a lot to reach my reading goal this year. Seeing all the checks… do wonders lol. ?? We can do this Maggie… I’m with you.

      • Reply
        Maggie
        March 12, 2017 at 8:58 pm

        That’s a great find!! You should do a book haul and talk about each book that you got; I’d love to read that! I should make a reading checklist, as well…that would help me a lot. 🙂 Yes, we can do it!

        • Reply
          Anna
          March 12, 2017 at 9:53 pm

          That’s a great idea, Maggie! Thanks. ? I’ll work on it. Best of luck to you. ❤

  • Reply
    Remnants of Wit
    June 9, 2017 at 1:18 am

    This is a very insightful post! I agree that books are powerful, and that library is beautiful. 🙂 It’s awesome that you’re reading so many different genres! To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books.

    • Reply
      Anna
      June 9, 2017 at 1:42 am

      Thank you so much! 😊 It was my husband who inspired me to do so. To read different genres its like expanding your mind. Glad that you love that book too. Its very special esp. today the message is so powerful. ❤️

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