Why We Hoarded Books in a Pandemic

I know it’s not just me.

A portion of my personal library at home.

The world shut down two years ago, and it took almost no time at all for me to develop an online shopping habit.

I didn’t get dozens of bottles of wine delivered, I didn’t overhaul my wardrobe, and I didn’t upgrade all of my electronics.

I grew my library.

Truth be told, there was always some part of me (quite a large part of me, in fact) that wished for an extensive home library — let’s blame too many childhood viewings of Beauty and the Beast. An avid reader all my life, I was the kid who got in trouble for hiding a novel behind my textbook in the back of the classroom, and I had more than one book taken away mid-read as punishment at home (an honest-to-God torture worse than grounding).

Adulthood has done little to curb this. I read constantly, and my regular advice to my husband (who knows, but needs reminding on occasion) is that if ever I am out of sorts, stick me in a cozy chair with a cup of tea (or something stronger as needs must) and a book. Give it a few hours, and I’ll be fine again.

Well, quelle surprise, COVID threw me out of all manner of sorts in a hurry. Quarantine will jostle anyone off balance, and doing so with a first-grader I was frantically teaching myself how to homeschool was far from easy…