Library Chess

Any long-time user of Libby knows to use the "Available Now" filter when looking for their next read. I typically use my library holds for the buzzy new releases that sure, I want to read, but I don't need to read them right now. If I get them in two months, great. Where I do get into trouble is when I find a series that I absolutely must have the next book right now and it's already checked out. This requires some strategy. Before you say, "Kay, just buy the series if you are devouring it so quickly", my dear readers, this series is 15 books long plus a companion series. The Patron is very supportive of my book-hoarding tendencies, but to put it bluntly, that shit's expensive.

The current chess game consists of at least two other players: one person reading the books before me and one reading the books around the same speed I am. Once I realized that I wouldn't have the next book in my grubby little hands, I started placing strategic holds. I put a hold on the next four books so when they became available I could read them all at once without jockeying for position. But I miscalculated. Sometime during my reads of Books 3-5 the person I thought was behind me caught up by one book. So as the later books became available, I am still waiting for Book 6. Jokes on them, though, since I have Books 7-9 and they'll have to wait until I'm finished. If you need me, I'm on my way to place holds on the rest of the series.