I have a problem. Isn't admitting it the first step? Oh, wait, that's from Alcoholics Anonymous. But still. I do. Have a problem.

I'm beginning to suspect that I am a biblioholic. I am currently in various stages of reading five books.

"Class, A Guide Through the American Status System" by Paul Fussell. Which I bought because it looked funny and it is funny. (I am high prole with a dash of middle class.) But with about 20 pages left, I am bored with it, so I guess I can toss it on the 'read' pile.

"The United States of Wal-Mart" by John Dicker. Which I picked up when Jason brought it home for an assignment he was working on. It may be slightly schzoid of me, but I both hate and admire Wal-Mart. I mean, dang, they run that company tight. Of course, they treat their employees like crap, but dang, the innovations they've come up with. I still hate them though, do not fear my liberal friends, people are more important than procedures!!

"The Working Poor: Invisible in America" by David K. Shipler. Excellent, excellent book that looks at BOTH sides of the issue: society's responsibility to the poor and individual responsibility in one's life. I have long held that no social problem is black and white and American's current climate of extreme polarization of people and issues is doing nothing for US, only creating job security for politicians.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden. We rented the movie and I loved it. I lived in Japan for two years as a child and have the best memories of the people and places I knew there. Besides that, it was a beautifully written, acted and filmed movie. Loved it. Then Jason brought me the book as a present. Loving it. Some day I'll blog about our housekeeper/nanny Tamatsa-san.

Finally, one of those Jason-all-incredulous-moments: "You haven't read insert-title-here?" "No." Then he disappears into the room where he keeps all HIS books (because the rest of the house is filled with all MY books....hmmm). This time he came up with "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" by Anne Fadiman. The blurb on the front explains it all: A Hmong child. Her American Doctors. And the Collision of Two Cultures. I like it because I deal with this sometimes when we have non-English speaking patients. It's hard and you want to do right, but sometimes you don't know if your best efforts even come close.

Then, Jason comes home last night with three new books. And some publisher's PR machine now has his name (as a reviewer) on a list so books are just showing up at the house. I don't even have to go get them anymore.

I don't think this is a good thing.