Book Manners

I am not exactly a fan of my brother’s ex-wife. But she did teach my nieces to have good “book manners.”

I learned today that I have terrible book manners.

On my lunch break yesterday, I picked up Caroline Graham’s The Killings at Badgers Drift. I am a huge fan of the BBC’s Midsomer Murders series, and I’ve been meaning to read the books for a long time.

When lunch was over, I had several options:

(1) I could return the book to the shelf. But that meant climbing a flight of stairs, and I was feeling lazy.

(2) I could check the book out. But that meant lugging it home and back to work again, and I was feeling really lazy.

(3) I could hide the book. Brilliant.

I honestly thought it was a great idea to mis-shelve the book. That way, it would be ready for me the next day.

Talk about bad book manners.

I started regretting the decision last night. I had a hankering to read the book—but it was all the way back at the library.

I really regretted the decision today. First, I couldn’t exactly remember which shelve I’d put the book on. I looked at all the shelves it could have been. No book.

Then I went upstairs, but the book had not been re-shelved into its proper spot.

So, I went back downstairs and looked again on the shelves I could have placed it. Nothing.

I was not able to read during lunch; and now, since I only crave forbidden fruit, all I want to do is read that very book. This is sore punishment for my bad book manners.