My quest to read as much as I like without spending money on a book for myself until Christmas continues…

Dear and lovely readers, this week was hard. Offspring found an unspent book token, so we headed off to Waterstones to spend it.

A will of iron

Now, that’s not the hard part. I’m – generally – pretty good at resisting temptation. While O browsed the books and read out amusing sentences to me I simply cast longing looks at the big pile of Crooked Kingdom paperbacks and stifled the occasional, wistful sigh.

Waiting to be spent

No, what’s difficult is that when Offspring found an unspent book token so did I! And I don’t mean a card with 57p on left over from Christmas. No – £40 no less! And even worse was, at the moment of discovery I completely forgot my free reading challenge.

I seized the card-sized envelope with a massive grin and said, “Oh, and I can get – ” then deflated with, “Oh, no I can’t.”

Denial is character-forming

So, don’t think this is an idle, intellectual exercise, readers. This free reading challenge is tough. I’m starting to think I should be sponsored – Stoptober for readers, maybe: Nobookvember, anyone?