Is delaying Dhikr in order to ponder stories considered Shirk al-Mahabbah (the Shirk of Love)?

What the questioner mentioned is not from the shirk (polytheism) of love, but rather from preferring the permissible over the virtuous. The shirk of love is directing the love of servitude—which entails humility, submission, glorification, and obedience—to other than Allah. This is the love that is not permissible to be attached to other than Allah the Almighty. As for the love of permissible stories, it is a type of common love that is not considered shirk, but it should not hinder one from performing good deeds.