I am new to PBS, having joined in January 2011.

I have always loved to read but when my first child was born, books took a back seat to the joys of being of a mom and wife who worked full-time teaching school and wanted to spend as much time as I could with my family. For the next  15 years, my reading consisted of picture books and chapter books as my daughters grew up, started school, and became independent readers. I didn't get back into reading until 5 years ago when my full-time aide's son was deployed in Iraq. She began reading to keep her mind off her son's deployment and got me back into reading by swapping books with me. I discovered the love of reading once again! 

A teacher's salary with 2 daughters in high school is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d to say the least so I started checking out books from the local library. My library card was always maxed up to the limit on check-outs, books-on-hold. and interlibrary loan-requests! I finally found some good buys on ebay and discovered a used book store almost 2 hours from where I live. My aide and I made a few trips a year to buy books there.

I started a book-of-books so I could keep up with my ever-growing collection of books/authors. It's a 5x7 3-ring binder with authors alphabetized and their books lists. [I made one for my friend, too.] We check off when we get books so we know what we have. We each key in our book-of-books what each other has. This has helped us as we now have some complete author series between the two of us. In some instances, we trade out permanently so we each can have a complete series.

Two years ago, my husband built me bookshelves for my birthday and Mother's Day (my birthday is May 10 which sometimes falls on Mother's Day). It is now full, full, full of books. There are books on my filing cabinet, on my desk, on my couch...you name it...there are books on it. I am hoping for another bookshelf this year. :) Or I would settle for more books. I can always find somewhere to put more books. My problem is I hate to part with books. I do re-read favorites from time-to-time. And look at covers again, and read the backs again!

 I retired in July 2010 after 33 years of  teaching school and now I am on a fixed income. Then, in January,  a wonderful thing happened! My daughter, Amy, discovered PBS and shared this discovery with me. I am thrilled! I have been able to complete some sets of books that I had been looking for 2 or 3 years.[ Last week, my friend mentioned she was having trouble finding a book by a new author she had discovered. She had book 2 and 3 in a series and couldn't find #1 anywhere and Books-a-Million told her they could not get it for her, nor could she get it in e-book form. Well...I found it for her on PBS! She was thrilled.]

 PBS has been a blessing. I have already received 101 books in my short time with PBS through credits and many more through gracious deals by wonderful new friends in this system.

Since I have retired I have been able to read more every day. Yea!! I am never without a book. I often think...I have two hands, two eyes, why can't I read two books!!! So many books, what's a reader to do?!?!?! Keep reading!!!

I read some posts-one of which had a prayer by someone named Karen, praying she lived long enough to read her TBR list. I didn't realize anyone else had that same prayer until I read that. Then I thought, of course, all bookaholics have that underlying thought! I also read that you know you are a bookaholic when you buy a purse with the thought, will it hold a book? or books?

Just thought I would ramble a bit before my book hollered at me again, like it is doing right now!