Everyone has their own hobbies. Their own vices. Their own addictions.

One of mine is books. Went to Half-Price Books tonight with the kids to look for some decent and interesting history books for my sister's birthday. (She ASKED for books, especially history books.)

I'm walking in and I see Seamus ?'s Beowulf translation, won awards and all. So I got that.

Then I found a great book on civilizations, an atlas of the ancient world so you can see where all these people were, a DK or Usborne book on history by date (lots of info, little depth), a book on the civilizations of all the continents in the year 1492 (significant for us and Spain and Islam), a wonderful history of America that is from first hand accounts (such as The Chicago Fire), etc.

My youngest also bought an RPG book.

We left the store over $100 poorer.

How can I spend that much money on books? I was shocked. I sat in the car on the way home trying to figure out which books to take back. As soon as I got home, I separated the books into three stacks: must keep for me, must keep for S-, must take back. I think the must take back has $45 worth of books in it.

I found some wonderful books, though. Two are for the boys' history class next year. And E- is already reading the one on the 100 most important inventions of all time. I already read two of the books, trying to decide if I should take them back or not. I can't bear to; they're just too much fun. Plus they are short bios of famous authors and artists my kids are going to be studying. I always loved bios and these are fun. They tell you interesting tidbits, not the typical bio fare.

So, I am taking back the atlas, because I don't think my sister much cares if she knows where these folks all were. And the Beowulf, because I know our library has two copies. And one children's book because it's too simplistic for my sister and too advanced for my nephew. And something else, though I can't remember what it is.

Guess I have to go back tomorrow and try not to find too many books I want.