Universe, O how I adore thee (Silvia)

“I, Silvia LastnamethatIshallnotreveal, solemnly swear that I as a student, who needs as many marks as she can scrape to pass university this year, will not buy any more books until the exam period is over.”

When I made that vow, I made it with honesty and integrity, with my best interests in mind. Ever since my Italian tutor warned us that the publishing industry is going to spiral into the abyss of book-death and be usurped by the phenomena known as e-books, I have been frantically dashing from bookshop to bookshop and clicking on online shopping baskets to buy all my favourite books before traditional publishing falls. As you can guess, I spend a lot of time reading and with an influx of books coming my way, I was reading far more than I was studying and at this time of the year, it’s a very bad thing.

So I promised myself that I would not let my bookishness devour me until exams are over. However, going cold turkey is hard and yesterday, I found myself with a little extra time on my hands and promptly headed to the closest Big W. Inside, I headed straight for the books and found myself staring at the wall of fiction. Ah, books. My goddess, my goddiva, my breath, my life, my world. I admit it. I’m hooked on books like drugs.
I picked up two Stephen King novels and held them reverently. I stared up at them with wonder in my bright eyes and hugging them to my chest, I told myself over and over: ‘Only six more weeks. Only six more weeks.’
The temptation was  strong and I could barely resist. But I did. I did! With wails in my broken heart and tears in my eyes, I placed the books back into the shelf and forced myself to walk away. Oh, the pain was terrible! I can’t possible describe what it was like.

With misery embedded deep into my soul, I scanned the rest of the bookshelf in desolation. There would be nothing for me, nothing! There were many wonderful books which I read before that I could not buy. There were Matthew Reilly’s ‘Jack West’ series, John Flanagan’s ‘Ranger’s Appentice’ series and Derek Landy’s ‘Skulduggery Pleasant’ series. I read them all a long time ago. I knew the books were good and I vowed to buy them when I had the time and money. I even vowed to buy Tess Gerritsen’s books. Recently, I bought ‘The Silent Girl’ at the university bookstore and it hooked me from the first page. It had crime, friendship, kung-fu, tattoos and the Monkey King, an old story from my childhood. It had been a fantastic read and with a chuckle, I thought that if I saw Tess Gerritsen’s books here then I’d be damned and buy them all.

And then it happened.

My eye roved down to the bottom of the shelf where a box had fallen and there, in huge, black letters were the words: TESS GERRITSEN.
My first thought was, ‘What?’
After that, ‘No way.’
Then, ‘OH MY SHIET IT’S A TESS GERRITSEN BOXED SET. THERE’S FOUR BOOKS IN THERE AND IT COSTS LESS THAN TWENTY BUCKS.  THAT’S LESS THAN FIVE BUCKS A BOOK. EFFING BARGAAAIN!’
Once the initial excitement bubbled away, my common sense reasserted itself and disappointment welled in my gut like a rock. I couldn’t buy these  books. I promised myself I wouldn’t.
Then my spiritual side kicked the shiet out of logic and common sense. She pounded it with imaginary fists, kicking and screaming and to me, she shouted, “SILVIA YOU IDIOT! You were thinking about Tess Gerritsen seconds before your eye fell on the boxed set. Obviously there’s a high power at work here. Why were you thinking about it? Why did your eye look down? Why is this boxed set on the ground when the rest of them are on top of the shelf? Huh? HUH?”

She was right. This could not have been a coincidence. There was definitely a higher power urging me towards the path that I should take. I clutched the boxed set tightly and my eyes darted around, wary of anyone who might snatch it from me. I would buy it. This was the universe’s way of telling me to break my promise. Seeing these books was fate and I’d be damned if I opposed it. Screw exam preparation! Screw exams!

I bought the boxed set. I’m on my third book.

You probably think it was a bad idea but good golly, I have permission from the universe itself to read! The universe got me into this and it will get me out. I will smoke my exams, muahaha!