The past few weeks I’ve pretty much dedicated every evening – and every lunch hour I got to myself – to reading… and what do I have to show for it?  More library books checked out than when I started, and three more on hold.  What can you do?  (Not go crazy putting books on hold.  That’s what you can do.)  Anyway.

Current Status

• Returned: My Life in Middlemarch, by Rebecca Meade; The Girl With All the Gifts, by M.R. Carey; I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You, by Courtney Maum; To Rise Again at a Decent Hour, by Joshua Ferris; Delancey: A Man, A Woman, A Restaurant, A Marriage, by Molly Wizenberg.
• Due Back 7/21: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin; The Queen of the Tearling, by Erika Johansen; That Summer, by Lauren Willig; God is an Astronaut, by Alyson Foster; The Care and Management of Lies, by Jacqueline Winspear
• Due Back 7/28: The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker
• Due Back 8/6:Misery Loves Company, by Rene Gutteridge; Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom, by Deborah Yaffe
• Due Back 8/7: The Cloister Walk, by Kathleen Norris; Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting, by Laura Markham
• On Hold, Awaiting Pickup: The Book of Life, by Deborah Harkness (!!!!!!!!!!); The Visitors, by Sally Beauman; Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo

Progress Thus Far

• Finished and Returned: My Life in Middlemarch; The Girl With All the Gifts; I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You; To Rise Again at a Decent Hour; Delancey
• Finished, Not Yet Returned: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry; The Queen of the Tearling; That Summer
• In Progress: The Cloister Walk (almost done, but set aside for more urgent matters); The Care and Management of Lies (just started)
• Not Yet Started: EVERYTHING ELSE

The Plan

• First things first: top priority went to the books due back on July 21st, especially the ones that I am fairly sure can’t be renewed.  That Summer, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, and The Queen of the Tearling all had “waiting pool” stickers on them, so I tackled those first.
• I’ve renewed God is an Astronaut so the pressure’s off there for a few days at least.  I’ve started The Care and Management of Lies, which has holds and can’t be renewed – if I power through it today, I might be able to avoid an overdue fine.
• After I dispatch with those two, I WILL finish The Cloister Walk.  I WILL.
• Then probably Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, because along with The Cloister Walk, it’s maxed out on renewals.  It’s not due back for awhile, but the rest can all be renewed.
• At some point, I also have to pick up the three books I have on hold: The Visitors; The Book of Life; and Shadow and Bone.  I’ll have to slot in The Book of Life, at least, here – or earlier – because there’s no way I’m going to be able to renew it.
• Once I’ve taken care of all of the urgent non-renewable items, I’m just planning to work my way through the rest of the books in order of their deadline: The Golem and the Jinni first (and I wish it wasn’t constantly getting pushed back, because I’m itching to get into that one); then probably Among the Janeites (another one I’m really excited about) and Misery Loves Company (about a book blogger who is taken hostage by an author after a bad review – how can I resist?).

At some point, I might actually get to read something off my own shelves again, but that probably won’t be until September.  Hence my decision to embrace it and fully get into the Library Summer spirit.  Although the very thought is exhausting.  How much would a nap set me behind?