Oh I definitely use retail theraphy when I'm annoyed and sometimes when is just feel like I need to. Books are certainly my target but I let handbags soothe me too . The thing about books is you can get lost and relax strolling down the bookstore ailses and I've gotten so good at it that it works for me on line. So I don't have to storm out as you did, I just go to any number of the book websites I have stored on my work PC, tune work out and start searching and shopping! In my opinion retail theraphy works, just be careful and do it with discretion and don't load up the credit cards too much.
If I find a "new to me" author that is excellent I have to read more than one book before I start the search. If at the end of that second or third book the writing is consistently good then look out! It becomes a major project for me to have every book she's written and like you if I don't finish them all at one time they're in the pile where I can get my fix when necessary.
Sandra Brown is an author where I've had her books from day one and the few that I missed have been reprinted and now I have all the ones I want. LaVryle Spencer like you I discovered later, but I didn't want her entire backlist since I was only interested in reading certain books by her.
Okay I have a 2009 New Year's resolution and so far so good! It's going to bring about boos from the writing community but I have to do this. I will not buy more than four books per month and I must read four that are in my TBR pile. So four in four out and more to be read monthly if I can get up to reading speed again. The other half of that same resolution is to hold on to nothing. Either they go to PBS or get passed on to reader friends. These days I have read very few that are truly keepers so there is no point in loading up my closet. As I read they go! Bottom line there will be some room on my book shelves at the end of the year.
I have one new author that really grabbed me this year. It's Silhouette Desire Author Emilie Rose and I'm managed to get copies of most of her back list and I'm gradually working my way through those books and so far absolutely no disappointments which solidifies her writing, imo.
Funny you should mention RUNNING SCARED by Cheryl Norman, its at the top of my pile for 2009 reading.
I'm ending the reading year the way I began it with rereads of books by my favorite author of all time, Betty Neels. But, I got lucky this time and picked up a reprint that was released last spring and I've never read it. Guess what else, the hero is not a doctor, the title is ALL ELSE CONFUSION.
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