Reading as an Obsessive Binge

Hubby and I had a heated argument the other day. He said I read too much and that I'm abandoning the family when I do.

I, of course, was incensed. How can reading be a bad thing?

But when I thought about it, I realized that in the last couple of weeks I've read 9 or 10 books. Though they weren't necessarily long, 200-400 pages each, I had to admit that I was spending every free waking minute reading. Sometimes even taking books with me into the bathroom because I just didn't want to put them down.

I realized that perhaps I was being a little overzealous, but in my defense I told Hubby that he and the children all behave exactly the same way when they go on video game jags. Sometimes they'll disappear into the basement gaming room for hours on end, only coming up to eat and use the bathroom, then going back to feed the obsession.

I don't go on reading binges as often as I used to, but when I do apparently I take them very seriously. I wasn't even aware that I was hiding in plain sight. So, after I finished the most recent book, I've forced myself to put on the brakes for a while and come up for air, as it were.

It's turned out to be a good thing, too, because I managed to write about 3000 words on my work in progress today. That's a very good thing.

So even though I'd love to pick up yet another book and get lost in it, I'm going to take a breather. I still don't think reading is a bad thing, but I guess doing it in gigantic binge-tastic quantities is probably one of the few vices I have. When the family accuses you of abandoning them for books, it's time to slow it down just a little!