Too many books?

A week or so ago, I paid my first visit to the Half-Price Books outlet store that opened recently in town. I stepped inside, and it was like the local library book sale, except bigger -- lots bigger. A table of $1 books! Tables of $1.99 books -- fiction and non-fiction! And thousands more on the shelves.

 My mind fairly reeled. And as I started browsing -- picking up, for example a copy of "On Liberty," by J.S. Mill, a book I had just read about somewhere else -- I was suddenly struck with a truly blasphemous thought: There are too many books. I mean, it's really overwhelming, and daunting: I know I will never be able to read all the books I yearn to read. I'll be lucky to read all the books I own already. A store like this is almost cruel.

 As a liberal Democrat, I thought initially that what we needed was a government program to eliminate unnecessary books -- I'd start with all titles that begin with "Windows Programming for..." -- but as a student of J.S. Mill, I banished that thought. Nor did I flee from the store: I walked out with "Encounters with the Archdruid," by John McPhee, because I am a big McPhee fan; a trade paperback of "Moby Dick" to replace the pocket-book edition I had at home, figuring it would be easier to read when I get to reading it (again); and a Spanish-English dictionary, because everyone should have a Spanish-English dictionary -- all for four bucks and change.

 But later, I started to realize that things are worse than I thought. Books are only part of the problem: What about all those articles on aldaily.com and nyrb.com? And lately, what about "House of Cards," "Homeland," "Breaking Bad," "Game of Thrones" and all the other shows from what I recently saw described as the new golden age of television? Aargh!

 What's a fellow to do?

 P.S. I was right about the Spanish-English dictionary, which is why, when I got home, I discovered I already had one. So even though the new one was only a dollar, I decided to return it. Turns out they allow only exchanges. Naturally, I left with not just the one replacement, but two books. The first was a memoir about growing up Armenian-American that I intended as a gift to a friend who grew up Armenian-American (I have given it to him; he better read it!). And the second -- well, it's a biography of the legendary 19th-century British explorer and adventurer Richard Burton. I can't wait!