You can never have too many

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Do you have a favorite book that you reread at least a few times a year, that you like to keep by your bedside at all times and which you force all of your friends to read (for which, of course, they are eventually grateful)?

I have two such books, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle and A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, and whenever I come across one of these books in a used bookstore I feel compelled to buy it, no matter how many copies I already have at home.

And so when I was in used bookshop a couple of weeks ago and saw A Year in Provence lying unnoticed in a box of books, I automatically reached for it excitedly, even though I already have two copies at home. I just couldn't help myself. It's like the pleasurable experience of running into your close friend unexpectedly.

But then I began to think 'do I really need another copy of A Year in Provence? Perhaps I should leave it for another deserving reader to discover and enjoy.' And while I do like to have extra copies of my favorite books to lend out (because sometimes you never get them back) and additional copies to perhaps give as gifts, my funds have been stretched a bit tight lately. Eventually I decided that perhaps I was being a little extravagant and I really don't need to own every copy of A Year in Provence that I come across. In the end I left the book in the bin in which I had found it, hoping that someone else would give it a good home.

But last week I was looking around for A Walk in the Woods, and I couldn't find it anywhere. After searching through all my bookshelves I came to the conclusion that I must have lent it to someone a while ago, and it had never been returned. And though I asked everyone who I usually lend books to if they might have it, no one had seen it. around to everyone who I usually lend books to, no one admitted to having it. I was beginning to despair, when I noticed a couple of days ago that some books had fallen behind my nightstand, and when I reached behind it, I came up with my beloved A Walk in the Woods, now torn and somewhat moldy. And although I was horrified at what had happened to my book, I was somewhat consoled by the fact that on my last visit to America I had purchased a copy of A Walk in the Woods at library book sale, which I had given to my father. And since my father never got around to reading it - I'm taking it back. So although my current copy of the book is in very poor condition, at least I know that I have a backup copy that I can get a hold of.

And so I learned an important lesson from this experience. You can never own too many copies of your favorite book because you just never know what might happen. And I think I'll be going back to that bookstore tomorrow to see if A Year in Provence is still there. Just in case.


P.S: If you have not read A Walk in the Woods or A Year in Provence, I insist that you do so immediately. Particularly A Walk in the Woods. There is not a single person that I have lent this book to who has not loved it- though I consider A Year in Provence to be just as good.