Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Looking ahead

This weekend I plucked one of my favorite books off the shelf and sat down to read it when Torsten noticed what I was doing and pointed out that he's seen me read that same book a million times. This is a concept that is totally foreign to him, because he has huge piles of books that he's been meaning to read for ages but never gotten around to. He would never read the same book twice when he has so much new material waiting for him.

I, on the other hand, read very fast. I finish books in one or two days. But I love to read the same book over again. That might be part of why I'm a good editor--because I can read the same thing over and over again and still absorb every word and still discover new things and new meanings in the text.

Still, though. He definitely had a point, and in a sudden rush of desire to read new things, lots of new things, every new thing I could get my hands on right then, I went on Amazon and bought 14 used books from their marketplace. The next day when we took our Sunday constitutional up to the local bookstore, I discovered the sale section in the basement and came away with five more cheap books.

And I am thrilled. I have stacked them up in a separate place so that I don't miss one, and I am working my way through the first one already. Although I have to admit, the first one that I picked up is neither used nor a sale book. I paid full price. Because I really wanted to have it.

It's The Complete Book of International Adoption. And no, we don't plan on adopting or conceiving a child anytime soon. But I am so, so interested in the topic. And the book isn't just a step-by-step guide on the adoption process, although it does have that and I'm interested in that too. It also has lots of information about adoption in general, and factors to consider, and whether or not it's right for you. I'm not there yet, but it has a whole chapter on transracial adoption, which some of you might remember is an issue that I've discussed before. It talks about domestic adoption too and some of the differences. It has so much information. And I am devouring it.

Interestingly, it noted that in most families that adopt, there's one partner who drives the adoption more than the other. Not that the other partner is necessarily opposed or even reluctant. But that usually there is one person who has a stronger interest in adoption, and that is the person who usually drives the effort and does the research, at least in the beginning.

That is definitely the case with us. We are both interested in adopting and I don't even remember which of us brought it up first. But it's something that I've thought about for year, whereas the concept is relatively new to Torsten. And it's something that I already want to learn about, whereas Torsten would never have thought to buy a book about adoption now, given that if we do decide to adopt one day, it won't be for several years at the very least.

But what can I say? I like to plan ahead, apparently. Because I also bought a book about raising your children bilingual. And no, I am NOT pregnant.

35 comments:

  1. I've read 4 books in the last month. I couldn't even tell you when the last book I read before that was. I've got the reading bug back. I read so much as a child, and I used to read my books over and over again, too.

    At least even when I'm not reading for myself, I AM reading at least a half dozen children's books per day. :)

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  2. I read books about pregnancy all the time. I am so NOT pregnant nor am I planning on it anytime soon :)

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  3. Babies on the brain! Well, I won't start worrying about you until you start squirreling away clandestinely bought baby booties!

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  4. Whenever I get an idea in my head I go out and get a book about it. Like when I was very pregnant and started reading about doing marathons - not something that was going to do right away, but it interested me at the time.

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  5. I have a few books I've read over and over, but Aaron can't stand that either. We are both quick readers, and it is an expensive habit.

    As far as the baby books go, it's kind of like buying a wedding magazine before you are engaged. No harm done!

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  6. i'm more like torsten. i'd rather read something new and can never seem to find the time to read everything i want to.

    but then again i'm with you on the planning ahead thing. nothing wrong with that.

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  7. *sigh* books.....I remember those...

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  8. I love to re-read books too! Chris thinks it's crazy since it takes him months to finish one book.

    Funny, I was just talking to someone the other day about international adoption because there are a lot of people in my school district adopting from Asia. You're right, the process is totally fascinating!

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  9. I really think that the smartest people are not necessarily the most educated but the people who always desire more knowledge. You're wicked smart, guy. (I'm not calling you uneducated, I just think education is often misperceived as intelligence.)

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  10. I'm a super fast reader too, and I love to reread books. I always read "Of Human Bondage" by W. Somerset Maugham at least once a year.

    And Half Price Books is my friend because I hate paying full price for something that I'll finish in less than a day or two.

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  11. The only book I've ever been able to reread is Little House in the Big Woods. I'm an emotional reader though and I have to be able to feeeeeeel the story. Right now I'm reading Tolstoy Lied and I'm not feeling it and it's annoying me and therefore I'm watching TV instead of reading.

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  12. I am so in awe you can read quickly. Me? I read 10 pages and am ready to take a nap. So, I leave reading for at night before bed. And am OK with taking books slowly.

    There's nothing wrong with taking an interest in adoptions. It's a complex subject that's gotten a lot of press lately (Madonna? Angelina?)

    You sure you're not pregnant? Are you nesting, too? hahaha.

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  13. same.

    on all acounts,

    have a stack of new ones ready and waiting, borrowed and bought.

    but you betcha i pick up an old favourite like a freind every now and again...

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  14. I know what you mean about reading the same book over and over. I've read Summer Sisters by Judy Blume several times.

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  15. I have a special shelf for books I haven't read yet. I find this helps me mentally relax about when exactly I will read them, so that I don't feel stressed out if I want to re-read all my Maeve Binchys.

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  16. I have about 10 books that I reread once a year. Summer Sisters is actually one of them, incidentally enough. It would be my post-school release; summer starts, and the first book I'd pick up is Summer Sisters, then work my way through the rest.

    I'm like you. I love finding new meaning to an old text.

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  17. It's never too early to plan your life. That would be my manuscript if I was given eight words instead of six.

    I'm like Torsten, I don't like reading a book more than once, and I also don't want to watch a movie more than once.

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  18. I think I'm a mix between you and Torsten. I always need to have new books on my shelf. But, there are certain books that I'll re-read. I'll never read them from start to finish, but just open to my favourite pages.

    Is it weird that I want to read that raising a bilingual child book? So apparently, I like to plan ahead, waaaaaaay ahead, too. ;)

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  19. You seem to have a baby bug of some kind. Cute. :) I would also never think to read about something like adoption - I'm a trial by fire type person. Completely unrelated: Did I read somewhere that you have a March birthday? Are you an Aries, perhaps?

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  20. Adoption rocks. Raising bilingual kids also rocks. Sounds like you're getting things under control.

    Oh, parenthood...yeah, it rocks... most of the time.

    As for reading the same book more than once? Yeah, I do that a lot. I have my favorites (Glory Road being one of them, even though it makes me wistful at the end) and a few others.

    New books are good, but there's something comforting in a familiar book.

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  21. I love to plan ahead too...I love reading all kinds of books about children and pregnancy, and I'm not even engaged, but I definitely think about it, and I like to plan ahead.

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  22. I LOVE to read, but I haven't read a good book in awhile. *sigh* That should say I haven't read an ADULT book in awhile. I love Dr. Seuss, but sometimes it's just not enough.

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  23. I read really fast too. And when I'm into a book, I refuse to put it down, i.e. I'll brush my teeth and read, cook and read, and even eat and read. It's sick. I also can't read a book before bed because I'll keep telling myself only one more chapter, and all of a sudden it's 2 a.m.

    I'm reading Running with Scissors now, and it's pretty good so far.

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  24. Oh, I wanted to comment on the adoption thing. I admire you, and any person who can do it. I think it is so important to be prepared because it's a huge undertaking. Nothing wrong in reading up on it now and start watching countries that you might be interested in, and if you're looking to move out of state it's important to know how instate adoptions vary.

    So yeah, I think it's a good thing.

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  25. Oh, if you love used books, you have to go to the Wheaton Regional Library on Georgia Avenue (cross street: Arcola.) In the basement, they have a bookstore where you can get a TON of used books. Definitely worth wondering out of the city and checking out. We go there all the time and love it!

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  26. yay for reading! when i was younger, my mom would take me to the library at least once a week and i would get 10-15 books each time. the librarian thought i was crazy. i just liked to read :)

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  27. Hey planning ahead is good! Like you, I absolutely devour my books, usually in a day or two. When I've found a great book and finish it in a matter of hours I'm sad because the story ends so soon.

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  28. Reading about kids is fun. I think I did all my reading before I was pregnant. Once pregnant, you're too tired anyway.

    Also I can't stand to read a book twice. I think about all the other books out there I could read instead that I haven't yet.

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  29. I am ALL ABOUT planning ahead, so I would do what you're doing.

    You and Torsten are going to have the cutest little transracial bilingual kids I've ever seen!

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  30. I absolutely love reading but seem to go through phases where I read fast and often, followed by phases where I might as well be illiterate.

    I'm definitely in the illiterate phase and need to snap out of it. Oh, and the rereading? I definitely do that too.

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  31. When I was a kid I re-read books very often. Now I don't at all. I wish I had the time! But there are so many other books I need to read. I very much believe in re-reading though. How else can you keep things in mind?

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  32. I have a renewed interest in reading lately. I think it's because we're turning off the TV at night and encouraging the 5-year old to read.

    We've always been interested in adopting. We know several people who've gone through the process. It's good to do your research early!

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  33. oh good, can I borrow the book on raising a bilingual child when you're done? thanks!

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  34. I absolutely LOVE to read and I didn't find my passion until halfway through college.

    I think the best gift you can give your child is raising them bilingual. My grandma is from Spain and I wish everday I grew up with the language. I know a lot now from being friends with people from Spain but not as much as I should know.

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  35. Even if it is not in the near future, it is hardly the thing you want to jump into with little thought-- after all, there will be enough surprises when you get around to it!

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