Get thee a library card!

I have a confession. I commited a mortal Mommy sin this week by indulging in a purely selfish act. I could have been cleaning a bathroom, or teaching my daughter to tie her shoes, but instead I took some time -- indeed, a great deal of time as it turned out -- for me. What's worst of all is that I should feel guilty. But I do not. For this week I allowed myself to get lost, at times completely and mentally MIA, in a book.

There, I said it. I offer a number of excuses: I had a 525-page novel to finish for my book club tonight and only three days to make it through the last half; it's been stressful at our house lately and without the time or the means by which to make a physical escape, a fleeing in my mind was the only available option, and; American Idol and Dancing with the Stars are over for the season, so there's nothing good on TIVO.

But I was raised by a woman who did not pick up a book for over twenty years because she "felt guilty" if she read anything longer than a Betty Crocker recipe. (My mother is now making up for lost time, digesting more books in one week than a college English professor does in one semester). Reading is something I do every day, but usually when the children are asleep, my husband is otherwise engaged, and the dog has been walked. Staying current in three book clubs requires a great deal of logistical expertise, and a sizable lack of shut eye.

But this week, rather than rush to the end of a novel to prepare myself for the meeting, I enjoyed the book. I stole away at odd moments to read. I could have been writing, but instead, I read. I could have been shopping, but I didn't. I could have been preparing homemade meals for my family, but I, well, you get the idea.

I took my book with me everywhere. I read on line at carpool, in ten minute increments on the back porch, at 4:30 this morning when an ailing back interrupted my rest...again. And it felt...wonderful. It was a reminder that it is truly a joy -- indeed, a priviledge -- to read. It's a trip worth taking, yet fewer and fewer take the time to leave. If you don't believe me, believe the Associated Press.

A recent AP poll found that 27 percent of people surveyed have not read a single book in the past year. I nearly gagged on the headline. Not one book? In twelve months? They should have their licenses revoked for that, (or at the very least their library cards!) When asked why the lack of interest, one man said, "I just get sleepy when I read." He said he'd rather spend time beside his backyard pool. Because, you know, nothing gives you energy like lying in the hot sun next to a body of chlorinated water. When I hear pool I think, "Better take a paperback."

The poll showed a lot of things you would probably guess: people with college degrees and those over 50 tended to read more; those with lower incomes, less education and a George Bush for President bumper sticker read less.

Book sales have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way indefinitely (apparently my family's most recent Scholastic book order was omitted from that calculation). I realize that all forms of leisure pursuits are trending lower, in part, because with easily accessible DVDs, CDs, Bluerays, On Demand, cable channels, satellite radios, etc., there are simply more leisure pursuits from which to chose. But I can't give up on books. And I hope you won't either.

Need a break from the daily slog? Jump into a good mystery. Kids driving you crazy? Escape with an intriguing memoir. Bored by the summer's reruns? Try a lighter, breezier beach read. If you need a break from the heat this summer, nowhere on earth has better air conditioning than your local library. If you're in the mood for a latte, why not check out the coffee shop that seems endemic with every book seller on planet earth. There are probably genres you've never even heard of: chick lit, graphic novels, vampire romance (I'm not kidding). There is a book for every taste.

So people! Do yourself, our nation, and your brains some good this summer. Put down the Big Gulp, turn off the Nascar, and crack the spine on something other than your Lazy-Boy. Take a trip alone, by yourself, with new friends. Get lost in a good book.