Bookstores & Panic Attacks

I have panic attacks in bookstores. Ok, maybe not panic attacks, but I do freak out a bit. What happens is that I go in wanting to find a good book – and that’s where the problem begins. That little word – good – makes everything difficult.

I begin by going to the mythology section. I look for any new anthologies or criticism on fairy tales, folklore, mythology, etc. that I want and/or need. Then I browse the essay collections and literary criticism. Then I work through the literature and fiction, make my way to the mysteries, check out the fantasy/ sci-fi, and wander through the romance on the way to the children’s section. Then, I work my way through philosophy, cultural studies, women’s studies, reference, and which ever other non-fiction sections I’m currently interested. Then I go to the movies and music section, which involves picking up a copying of the BBC’s Pride & Prejudice, carrying it around for a while, and putting it back because $35 is too much for a DVD, particularly when it’s on sale. I end by going through the bargain and sale books.

As you might be able to tell, I look at almost every book in the store, which is no problem if I get coffee first. Husband can spend just as long in the bookstore as I can. In fact, I’m usually finished first despite looking at more sections. Husband is a reader, I’m a looker.

I usually go in with a goal – a particular book or genre – and a limit – one to three books. I went in a few weeks ago looking for good, fun books. I decided to get a romance, a fantasy, and a mystery. I came out with Northanger Abbey (Jane Austin), Not a Girl Detective (Susan Kandel), and The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales (Alison Lurie). Last week, I bought Sunshine (Robin McKinley) since I didn’t get a fantasy last time (Lurie’s would count, I guess, but a collection of fairy tales is not the same as a fantasy novel). I try to only buy books that I can’t check out at the library or books that I need to own for a reason (scholarly use or something I want to share and reread at a moment’s notice).

So the problem is how do you decide if a book is good. There are so many bad books in the bookstore – so much crap, but you can’t always tell that by just looking at a book. I tend to avoid books whose back covers contain a variation on the phrase “When Lola started her new job at American Savings and Loan, she had no idea that she was about to embark on a tumultuous adventure of espionage and intrigue.” Cookie cutter and clichéd summaries tend to denote cookie cutter and clichéd books. But really, how do you know if you don’t read the book first? This is such a problem for me. I get overwhelmed very quickly – too many books to choose from. I avoid bestseller lists because I’m usually disappointed by books on bestseller lists. So I go in knowing that “I want a good book” and maybe a genre – “I want a good mystery.”

So without reading the entire bookstore, I end up making arbitrary choices. That choice is where the pseudo panic attack comes in – making choices without reliable evidence, just instinct. I’m picky about books because every book that I do read automatically means that I can’t be reading other books, and I don’t want to waste my time reading bad books when I could be reading good books. My reading time is precious. There are more books than time, so there’s a bit of a time crunch here. Maybe that’s why I read so fast – approximately 100 pages per hour.

Sigh, what's a girl to do? Can anyone recommend a good book?