Rainy Days are for Reading

I always fantasize about a rainy Saturday where everything gets canceled, and I cozy up on the couch and read for a bit.  We've had several soggy Saturdays this Fall and definitely some youth sports cancellations, but none of them have yielded much reading time.

Today was no exception.  I ended up driving my son to basketball, doing store returns in the rain, taking both boys to open skate to prep for hockey evaluations, and going to the library with my daughter.  Not a bad day by any stretch but not the stuff of fantasy.  Here's hoping for some evening reading time in front of the fire my husband just started.

Even if I haven't had much time to read today, I did manage to add to my reading pile.  I've written before about my obsession with our library's book sale room.  It is now a book sale corner but still a great place to find books for a suggested donation of $1 per book.  Today's finds are pictured above.  Something about the title of The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley did not appeal to me when the book first came out, but when I picked it up today and read the summary, I was intrigued.  The Girl Before and Every Last Lie should be good for when I'm in a suspenseful mood.  The Tumtum & Nutmeg one is the kind of book I hope my daughter will want to read one of these days.  I let her drive her own reading bus though.  She's on her second My Weirder School book of the evening with another on deck and that's a-ok.  Warms my heart to see her love books even if we don't always love the same books.

Okay, off to do my own rainy day reading ... finally. 

Tree of Treasures

I'll save my November NaBloPoMo wrap-up for another day.  Here's a sneak preview for December here at Books and Carbs.  I found Bonnie Mackay's Tree of Treasures on a new release kiosk at the library.  It's the perfect library book, not something I need to own, but something I am so glad to have read.  Mackay owns many, many ornaments and has been in the ornament business for much of her professional career.  

The book pairs photos of some of her favorite ornaments with stories about their origin and significance.  As her subtitle promises, it's "a life in ornaments."

I want to write about some of my favorite ornaments this month (not every day, I promise).  Mackay's book made me think of how cool it would be for adult children to photograph and write about some of their favorite ornaments for a family ornament book that could be given to parents as a keepsake gift.  Maybe I'll take some pics of my parents' tree when we're home for Christmas and recruit some writers of all ages.   

What if I could get my kids to write about one ornament each year starting NOW and collect the photos and write-ups in an album?  Am I getting carried away?  We'll see.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Those of you with young'uns probably already know about the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative.  I did not, another sign that I have passed into a new era of motherhood.  I was flipping through our library's winter magazine and saw the feature above.  The idea is that you read 1,000 books with your child before kindergarten to "Promote early literacy and encourage parent and child bonding through reading."  Who can argue with that?  Apparently, there's even an app for tracking the books.  I checked the App Store, and from the reviews it looks as if they're still working out the kinks, but still, great idea.  The Elmhurst Public Library is offering prizes for each 100-book milestone and some kind of graduation party.  I love it all!  Some of my happiest memories involve reading with my children.  Bedtime, the smell of baby lotion, footie pajamas, chubby fingers pointing, Ten Nine Eight, The Going to Bed Book, Goodnight Moon, Give Me Grace, Miss Spider's Tea Party, and every Little Critter title or any one of the many other books we enjoyed together ... I could cry right now. 

Having this app would have been fun, but I think I exceeded 1,000 books before kindergarten with each kiddo without the app.  No time spent reading with a child is wasted.  Not a second.  Except maybe with those Disney Look and Find books or the Dora or Barbie books -- kidding.  Seriously, just kidding -- reading together is everything, no matter if it's 1,000 different books or a few favorites on repeat.

In case you're not a fellow citizen of Pleasantville, here's the library magazine I referenced:  Elmhurst Public Library's Fine Print.  I am consistently impressed (and amazed, per the cover) by our friendly, professional, dedicated library staff and their ideas for programming, resources, and community outreach.

Girl Trouble

Kerry Cohen's Girl Trouble: An Illustrated Memoir caught my eye at the library last week.  Female friendship was an academic interest of mine and is, of course, a personal one as well.  Cohen tells her life story as she chronicles her various female friendships in (more or less) chronological order.  These reflections on friendship are honest and insightful and surprisingly specific.  Many of her female friendships have been troublesome, but she owns that.  This memoir is not fueled by a sense of victimhood or defensiveness.  

Here are two thought-provoking passages from Girl Trouble:

"I miss all of my ex-friends.  They are stamped onto my heart like old romances, lost loves.  They are part of me in ways no one warned me they would be.  Had I known, I would have chosen more carefully.  I would have better thought through what we did to one another, how we used each other, and how we split apart" (111).

"I have figured out that the formula is kindness.  Don't be an asshole.  Don't try to hurt people.  Try hard to have boundaries and limit expectations and take responsibility for your own heart.  Because you never know who will return in all their truth and beauty" (127).

Our friendships shape and define us.  Sometimes our friends teach and lift us.  Sometimes they limit and diminish us, though not necessarily on purpose.  Over 41 years, I've been blessed with many female friends of the best sort, but as with most women, I've lost friends along the way.  Not any dramatic break-ups that I can recall, but some slow, vague drifts toward silence, indifference, distance.  What I tell myself (and truly believe) is that even if a friendship does not last forever, that does not mean it was not true, real, or necessary during a particular time in my life.  

I think if I endeavored to reflect on and write about my female friendships over the years, I'd feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the lessons learned and laughter shared.  I think I'd also feel overwhelmed with regret and shame for the times I have failed my friends and for what those "failures" reveal about me.  I'm no monster, but we all have our flaws, quirks, and blind spots.  It might be more comfortable for me to reflect on friendships by asking myself what I learned from each, what better (or worse) version of myself I was able to access with each.  I doubt I'll turn my pen to this anytime soon, but I'm intrigued by the idea. 

In the spirit of the season, I am truly thankful for my female friends.  The ones I see each day.  The ones who knew me when.  The ones waiting in the wings.  

Audible Monthly Credit(s) Report -- November

I spent some time this morning deliberating on how best to spend my two audible.com credits for this month.  Drumroll please! 

 

Bold but unverified declaration:  No audible.com patron has ever purchased these two audiobooks in the same transaction.  

I just read a very positive review of Trevor Noah's Born a Crime in EW yesterday and am excited to listen to Noah narrate his memoir of growing up in South Africa as a mixed race child.  

With the holidays drawing near (and everything, joyous and exhausting, that comes with them), I'm looking for some "bubble-type" reading of the sort that will make me feel calm and peaceful.  D.E. Stevenson's novels are very relaxing to me, particularly because they are usually narrated by individuals with melodic Scottish accents.  I'll let you know how I like Young Mrs. Savage.  I have to say that cover's a bit more intense than the usual D.E. Stevenson cover.  

I was tempted to spend one of my credits on Anna Kendrick's Scrappy Little Nobody, but I've got a near-the-top spot in the library queue.  Ditto Lauren Graham's Talking As Fast as I Can.  I'm already in line at the library so will make the fiscally responsible choice to wait.

Winter Storms

Christmas started early this year or, rather, my Christmas reading did.  I always fantasize about relaxing while reading a Christmas book by the light of my Christmas tree.  Those cozy reading times are hard won in December so I may as well grab the moments when I can in this period of calm before the, ahem, winter storm(s).  Halloween is well over (thank the Lord) so I think it's okay to stroll toward Christmas.

I picked up Elin Hilderbrand's Winter Storms at the library on Saturday evening.  It was finished by Sunday morning and was another wonderful trip to Nantucket.  This final title in Hilderbrand's Christmas-themed trilogy was a satisfying end to the series and, turns out, it's not quite the end...

 What a tweet treat!  I will look forward to Winter Solstice! 

You may have noticed from the top o' post photo that I purchased copies of Winter Street and Winter Stroll, but borrowed Winter Storms from the library.  I did that because I know from past experience that come January, I will be able to buy Winter Storms for a dollar in my beloved library book sale room.

If you haven't read any of Hilderbrand books or any of her Winter series books, I envy you the hours of reading pleasure that await.

Non-Fiction Read Alouds

My kids are all independent readers now, but that doesn't mean I don't still want to read with them.  It also doesn't mean that they all love reading on their own.  I'm still on the lookout for books we can enjoy together, especially for my least motivated reader.

Our library had a special section reserved for children's books that have won the Monarch Award, which is an Illinois School Library Media Association Readers' Choice honor.

Many of the Monarch Award titles gathered were non-fiction, and those were the ones my eight year-old and I really enjoyed reading together.  It's kind of nice to read for ten minutes, learn a little something, and then be able to discuss it.  Here are a few of the non-fiction (or "based on a true story") read alouds we would recommend ...

 Trapped: A Whale's Rescue by Robert Burleigh.  Paintings by Wendell Minor.

 Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox.  Illustrated by Brian Floca.

 Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis.  Illustrated by Gilbert Ford.

We loved this because the Ferris Wheel was introduced in our town (Chicago!).

I neglected to snap a pic of our very favorite (and the saddest) of the non-fiction read alouds:  Ivan: The Remarkable Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.  

All of these books have background information and additional research at the end.  Reading and learning together never gets old.

Library Sale Room Finds ... with a sticky twist

One of my favorite rituals is buying books in our library's book sale room and then removing the plastic covers and stickers at home.

Here are my recent treasures from the library book sale room.  Suggested donation per book is $1 -- quite a bargain!

American Housewife -- love the cover, nice to mix things up with a story collection sometimes

The After Party -- 1950s Texas Socialities ... I'm intrigued.

A Country Road, A Tree -- adored Jo Baker's Longbourn, maybe this one will be as lovely

The Girl from Summer Hill -- Jude Deveraux is a blast from my teenage days reading romance novels, this one on my radar because it plays on my beloved Pride and Prejudice

 

Here's to Us -- listened to this one on audio, will share this hard copy with my mother-in-law 

First Comes Love -- same as above, listened to the audio, will share the book with others

Who Moved My Blackberry?  -- might be funny

Vinegar Girl -- love Anne Tyler, enjoy Taming of the Shrew updates

Here's the sticky twist my blog post title promised ...

Sometimes it's tricky to remove the library sticker on the spine of the book.  I love customizing Avery labels so I designed these square beauties to cover spots where stickers stayed sticking or their removal wreaked havoc. 

I'm pleased with the result.

When will I have time to read all of these new books?  

That's not a question we ask, especially not aloud when my hubby's in the room.

Audible Monthly Credit(s) Report -- October

Better late than never.  Here's how I spent my October audible.com credits ...

I've been hearing good buzz regarding The Gilded Years.  It's set in a period of interest to me (1890s) and covers topics with which I am familiar from my good ole days in academia, particularly female friendship and passing.  I'm enjoying the audiobook so far, though the dialogue sounds stilted when narrated.  I'm more than halfway through and feeling anxious as I await the inevitable.  Poised for heartbreak and worse.  Definitely interested in the Vassar setting and the glimpses of 1890s Boston and Cambridge that the novel offers.

I usually spend my credits on new releases, but this month I treated myself to Sarah Morris Remembers by D.E. Stevenson.  Stevenson's books are quiet, lovely, sometimes funny, and sometimes just a wee lil bit edgy.  They're set in England and/or Scotland (thus, great narration!!!!), and these old-fashioned stories are just what I need some weeks.  Sarah Morris Remembers was a bit of a slow starter, but otherwise delightful.  If you haven't read or listened to a D.E. Stevenson novel, I'd start with Miss Buncle's Book.  If you like it, there are several Buncle sequels to keep you occupied.  Source Books has recently come out with some lovely new paperback editions of many D.E. Stevenson novels -- great news because the books had become a little hard to find for U.S. readers.  Fortunately, Audible offers audio versions of many of her works.   

Speaking of D.E. Stevenson novels being hard to come by ... I found Sarah's Cottage (the sequel to Sarah Morris Remembers that I had forgotten I even owned until I saw it on my bookshelf yesterday) in my library book sale room last year.  Has a bit of a mildew smell, but I'll fight through.

Just one more Audible purchase to report.  I think I mentioned last month that I had a few extra Audible credits rolling around.  I spent the last one on The Nix by Nathan Hill after seeing both Judy Blume and Stephen King tweet praise.  Fingers crossed for almost 22 hours of good listening.

I'm not going to buy the Audible extra credits anymore.  I really like making a ritual of spending my two credits each month and then filling in the listening gaps with deals of the day and bargain listens from the various Audible sales.  I'm trying to push myself to expand my listening options with library audiobooks and LibriVox.

Anyone have any audiobook news or credit reports?  Please share in comments.

It's Raining Holds!

Yesterday was the real first day of school for us.  The first day when all three kids were out of the house, at school, all day.  Summer was great, but it was time.  My plan for the past few weeks had been to treat myself to Liane Moriarty's Truly Madly Guilty on the first day of school. With rain most of the day, it would have been the perfect day to curl up and read, except it was still humid as hell outside so not exactly blanket and book conditions.   Instead, I felt energized (and frankly thrilled) to be alone in my own home and took the opportunity to get the house tidied up (a bit), crank on laundry, and eat lunch alone while watching Crazy Ex Girlfriend on Netflix.  I also ate ten homemade (but not by me) turtles ... for which I don't feel even a little truly, madly guilty.  

Plus, I am in another "when it rains, it pours" library hold situation.  Four holds in three days.  I need to attack this pile first!  Maybe later today ... after the Costco run I've avoided for two months, after more laundry, and on and on.  Let's take a look at what's waiting ...

 Runaway Wife by Elizabeth Birkelund -- Sounds fun and breezy, plus it's set in the Swiss Alps.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer -- Some of Amy Schumer's humor is out of my comfort zone, but I find her smart and funny and real.  We'll see what I think of this book.

Siracusa by Delia Ephron and The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close -- I've enjoyed previous books by both authors and am eager to read these two books, especially The Hopefuls.  Both books have been endorsed by Sarah of Sarah's Bookshelves, if you want to check out her mini-reviews.

Thank you, Elmhurst Public Library for ordering all the hottest new books and for having an easy-to-use hold and pick-up system!

What's in your stack?  What's in your hold queue?

Little Free Library -- Hilton Head

We had a fantastic family vacation in Hilton Head last week.  Twenty-three people under one roof -- way more fun that it sounds!  One of our family togetherness activities is biking, and I glimpsed this Little Free Library on one of our spins and circled back later in the week to check it out.

I've been intrigued by Little Free Libraries for about a year now.  My street actually gets quite a bit of foot traffic, and I love the idea of stocking a library with books that neighbors or passers-by might enjoy.  I was eager to check one out up close.

The signage on this HHI Little Free Library says "Take a Book.  Return a Book."  Does that mean that a trade is expected (take a book if you give a book) or simply that you are expected to return the book you took?  I didn't find the language punishing or anything, just curious about how Little Free Libraries usually work.  A Little Free Library seems perfect for a vacation town where visitors may have forgotten (what?!) reading material or not packed enough. 

If I decide to start my own library, I'll have to think about the wording I want to go along with it.

Here's an up-close of the most interesting offerings in the HHI Little Free Library.  Far left is a hardback of The Goldfinch.  I adored that book, but I think it would be quite an undertaking for a week-long vacation.  I read Luckiest Girl in the World last summer.  It came together for me eventually, but early in the book, I almost had to abandon it because I was so upset/disturbed by the some of the high school "party" scenes.  Not a reading experience I would wish on anyone during vacation.  If I had been without reading material in HHI (of course, I had plenty), I would have chosen Jean Kwok's Mambo in Chinatown as I loved her earlier novel, Girl In Translation.  Highly recommend.

The only thing I took was two photos.

The Little Free Library was quite packed, which leads me to more questions/concerns.  Do Little Free Library stewards have trouble with people using their libraries as book donation drop boxes?  I wouldn't want mine filled with old textbooks or books people simply don't want or like.  Also, I didn't see anything inappropriate in this library, but I'm wondering how much curating or policing is necessary?  I'm no censor, but if, say, a ten year-old is going to read Fifty Shades of Grey, I don't want him/her finding it in my front yard because someone wanted to share the "love."

The Little Free Library website reveals that there are several Little Free Libraries in my town so maybe I'll check them out and possibly talk to their stewards about the experience.

If you have any information or experience with Little Free Libraries, please share!

National Poetry Month -- Hooray!

April can indeed be the cruelest month.  When it snows.  When you dress your son in six layers for a bitter cold baseball practice.  When you realize your moving of the winter coats into storage was premature or possibly delusional.  When glimpses of true spring and even hints of summer appear only to disappear in a puff of sinus headache haze.

And yet on those April days when the sun shines and you notice the trees blooming and realize the grass needs cut, the relief and hope are overwhelming.  Anything seems possible.  You have, after all, survived winter which, even if it not particularly cruel, was long as ever.

The highs and lows of April make it the ideal choice for National Poetry Month. 

Here a few ways we've celebrated National Poetry Month around here:

Starting the last week of March, our library offered these poetry coloring sheets.  I read the poem to my kindergartner and she illustrated it!

I plucked this poetry collection from a National Poetry Month display at the library, and my middle guy and I have been enjoying it every evening.  He is a very capable reader, but he does not love reading.  He still loves being read to though, and my goal with him is to just keep exposing him to stories (and now poems) that he enjoys.  He's read some of the poems to me as well, and that kind of reading aloud is good to practice.  He asked me to order our own copy of Judith Viorst's What Are You Glad About?  What Are You Mad About?  I'll say more about this collection in a later post, but I'll be very happy to have a copy for our home library!  It arrives tomorrow.

Finally, some of my favorite teacher friends from back in the day initiated an email poetry share.  The poem I chose to share, which seemed perfect for spring, was Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Afternoon on a Hill."  When I was linking to it, I came across a poem we always shared with our high school students when we read The Odyssey:  Millay's "An Ancient Gesture."  I had forgotten how perfect that poem is.  My friend, a wonderful poet herself, shared a poem even more suited to the hope of spring:  "From Blossoms" by Li-Young Lee.

Find some ways to celebrate poetry this month, okay? 

Turning the BookPage

I've mentioned before how much I enjoy perusing the complimentary issues of BookPage on offer at my public library.

A few highlights from the March issue ...

Librarians list ten books they are excited to share with readers in March.  Three of these were already on my radar, but I appreciate the reminder!  I am looking forward to Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's The Nest, Lyndsay Faye's Jane Steele (if you haven't read her Timothy Wilde books, get to it!  Gods of Gotham is first), and Helen Simonson's The Summer Before the War.

The ad you can glimpse to the right there is my first clue about a collection of never-before-published-in-the-U.S. short stories by the late, great Maeve Binchy.  The collection is called A Few of the Girls, which sounds just like something a Maeve Binchy character would say -- "A few of the girls and I are going for dinner and a nice glass of wine.  Join us, won't you?  It'll be grand."  That's not a quote from the book.  I don't always love short stories, but I do love Maeve Binchy and have been collecting hardcover editions of all of her books for a dozen years or so.

Looking forward to any March books?  Have you found BookPage at your library?

Just popped in...

For the third consecutive November, I've spent part of a Saturday morning at a large public works facility in Batavia, IL, returning and picking up popcorn for our Cub Scout pack.  I actually enjoy the drive.  It's nice to be alone in the van (except for piles of popcorn) on a beautiful autumn morning.  When I made the trip last year, I noticed signage for the Batavia Public Library's used book sale and wished I had time to stop.

Inspiration struck as I waited to determine if there were going to be two Chocolate Lovers gift tins available for me to bring home.*  Some quick research on my trusty phone revealed that I was again in Batavia on the day of the library used book sale.  Why not?

Unless I'm mistaken, it was Mark Twain himself who welcomed me to the library.  I won't call his choice of reading material "braggy," but you know...

The Batavia Public Library is a beautiful building, right along (what I think is) the Fox River.  The book sale staff were super friendly and welcoming.  My haul was decent (seen above, minus three books I have already reconsidered and put in my giveaway pile).  I Capture the Castle is an all-time favorite, and I will probably give this extra copy to a friend.  I liked The Fault in Our Stars, but I'm not obsessed with it.  Not sure why I bought it.  I adore Ready Player One but didn't own a physical copy because I listened to the audio version.  The cookbook looks worth fifty cents!

I always look for older children's books because I love the illustrations.  I like cutting mats and framing things that are free or almost free -- book pages, greeting cards, postcards, beautiful pieces of paper.  I will probably only frame one page from each book.  Big New School reminds me of my childhood fantasy about teaching in a one-room schoolhouse like Laura Ingalls and Anne Shirley.  Rosalie the Bird Market Turtle has lively Parisian scenes on each page.  Check them all out below.

My pleasure in this outing was well worth the fifteen minutes and seven dollars spent.  Nice little Saturday morning.

 Breeze blowing through the classroom windows.  Glorious!

Paris!

*Alas, very high demand for Chocolate Lovers tins so either my popcorn co-kernel or I will be driving back in two weeks.

Compliments of Your Library

I subscribe to only one magazine these days (Country Living and only because I never manage to log in to Amazon and cancel the auto renewal in a timely fashion).  Sitting down with a snack and a magazine used to be one of life's little pleasures for me.  The snacking still happens, but I spend that time reading tweets, Facebook status updates, and ebooks on my phone ... unless I have the most recent issue of BookPage, the free book review publication that my library has on offer right as you enter the building.

What I've always loved about magazine reading is its hopefulness -- flipping through pages to find a recipe, decorating idea, quotation, tip, or product that might improve my life somehow.  Even if I seldom follow through, I like feeling glimmers of possibility and inspiration.

BookPage offers inspiration in the form of book recommendations.  In both the BookPage ads and features, I find books to add to my TBR list, my library hold queue, and my "books to possibly purchase" list.

Here are some snippets of traction from November's issue:

* From the LIFESTYLES column, I want to get on the library list for DIY, Dammit!  A Practical Guide to Curse-Free Crafting.  I'm a fairly confident crafter, but it sounds like a fun and funny book.  I don't need to own it, but I'd like to look through it.

* The AUDIO column mentions Anthony Doerr's Four Seasons in Rome:  On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World.  I'm not in the mood to read this book right now, but I'll add it to my GoodReads To Read list so I don't forget it's out there.

* The INTERVIEWS section offers my best find of this issue.  An interview with Hannah Rothschild convinces me that I really want to read The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild, "a blistering, uninhibited and hilarious satire of the London art scene."  I don't know much about the art scene in London or anywhere else (except for what I learned reading The Art Forger), but I appreciate satire and would love to learn more about the art world.

I already purchased the much-buzzed about City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg -- the interview makes me want to start it on the sooner side.

* HUMOR brings two nuggets of hope:  Rainn Wilson has written The Bassoon King:  My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy, and I will get in the library queue for that title ASAP.  Jason Gay's Little Victories:  Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living sounds like it might be a good gift book.  Again, will add to library list to preview for future purchase/gifting.

* And speaking of the art world, B.A. Shapiro of The Art Forger has a new book coming, The Muralist, and I first read it about it in BookPage.  I'll put this one on my Audible Wish List as I loved listening to The Art Forger.

* Both the books mentioned in FOODIE FICTION sound promising:  Food Whore by Jessica Tom and Vintage by David Baker.

I could go on and on, but I think that's enough to demonstrate that you should ask about BookPage at your own library.

Fall Haul

I've already written about my love for the library book sale room.  Most of the times I've visited this Fall, it's been slim pickings in there.  Today, we made a quick trip after school to check out Christmas in Norway for a school project, and I had a moment to stop in the room.  Jackpot.

Lisa Genova's Inside The O'Briens -- It's supposed to be heartbreaking, but I am a fan of hers after Still Alice and Left Neglected so I will probably try this one eventually.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -- Already read and enjoyed it, but I'd love to be able to lend it to others.  I think my husband would like it.

Emma by Alexander McCall Smith -- I'm trying to keep track of these Austen titles by great contemporary writers.  I have Trollope's Sense and Sensibility and am obviously super excited for Curtis Sittenfeld's Eligible.  Emma is one of my least favorite Jane Austen books so we'll see what I think of its contemporary re-imagining.  I loved Clueless, of course, so there's hope.

Elin Hilderbrand's The Rumor -- Solid novel by one of my go-to authors.  Will definitely lend to friends looking for a reliable vacation read.

Judy Blume's In the Unlikely Event -- I look forward to lending this book to my mother-in-law and to owning my own copy.  Maybe I can display it next to Superfudge and Summer Sisters.

Five dollars very well spent.

Borrow and Buy

At the various branches of the Chicago Public Library I frequented from 2001-2011, I bought books from a cart of discards and donations.  I fell into the habit of checking the sale cart on my way to the checkout counter and often found something that seemed worth the 25 or 50 cents being asked for it.  I paid when I checked out the books, and I always took pleasure in that transaction.  A little treat.  I actually found many great books on that cart -- Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires, for example.

I could not have been more excited when we migrated to the suburbs and found that our beloved Elmhurst Public Library had a small room dedicated to selling discards.  Stopping to browse in that little room on my way to checkout is one of my favorite library rituals.  There's a wall-mounted box where you slide in the suggested $1 donation per book.

Today I had five minutes and five bucks to spend in that little room.  I was pleased with my finds.

Part of the ritual is removing the clear plastic overlay from the library books (with the tools pictured) and then carefully peeling off the stickers on the side of the book.  I put the original dust jacket back on (sometimes damaged from impatient sticker peeling, but usually looking pristine).  If I tried to tell you how much I enjoy handling the books and doing these small tasks, you might feel sorry for me.  But don't. 

Here are my finds from today and my reasons for choosing them ...

I loved the audio of Us by David Nicholls.  I actually own all of his books (except One Day) in hardcover and thought I'd add this one to the shelf.  Sometimes it's nice to have a physical reminder of a great audiobook.

I borrowed Courtney Maum's I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You from the library (possibly this very copy?) last year and enjoyed it.  Will I reread it?  Not likely, but owning it allows me to share it with others.  When one of my friends headed to Hilton Head for ten days this summer, I chose three great books for her to take along -- one was a library book sale room find and the other two were from the AAUW book sale (which deserves its own post).  She loved the books* and then passed them on to another friend.  They'll probably make their way back to me eventually, but if not, no biggie.

My mother-in-law loves to read, and I now have a sense of what she enjoys.  I am always finding her reading material in the book sale room.  

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer has been on my radar.  I follow her on Twitter and happen to know she hails from Cincinnati, which makes me want to read her book.  Duh.

Fair Shares for All: A Memoir of Family and Food by John Haney was not on my radar, but food writing is something I enjoy even though I don't browse in that section of the library.  Worth a try.

Seeing Better Nate Than Ever in the book sale room felt like fate.  I started following Tim Federle on Twitter last month.  His feed makes me laugh, and I'm eager to see what he can write when he has more than 140 characters to use.

Someone (someone like my husband, who is apprehensive about the number of books flowing into our house) might ask this obvious question:  "But aren't they selling the books no one wants?"  In some cases, sure, they are selling books that don't circulate often or at all.  Nonetheless, the book sale room is a great place to find semi-recent bestsellers.  Our library will buy many, many copies of a hot new release.  After the initial demand dies down, there's no longer shelf real estate for twenty copies of the same title.  To the book sale room it goes!

If your library has such a magical place, pop in next time you're there.  You may find a new read or an old favorite that you can treasure or share with others.  You have nothing to lose, except a few dollars ... a donation to the local library that you love.

* The books my friend borrowed for vacation and loved were:  The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand, The Good House by Ann Leary, and Left Neglected by Lisa Genova.

NOTE:  The produce ridiculously staged with my book stack was purchased this morning at the Farmers' Market:  zig zag zucchini, big fat tomato, and purple peppers.  The light in the background of the picture is our oven pre-heating for the Red Baron pizza I was actually serving for dinner.

Library Ebooks -- Oh My!

I'm not that interested in the ebook versus print debate.  I love the ability to read an ebook on my phone, ipad, or Kindle, but I also LOVE books as objects.  I will continue to read, collect, and buy book books.  If physical books were to disappear, I would be devastated, but I'm now at the point where I would miss ebooks as well (not that they are going anywhere).  I hope the view that more ways for people to read equals more readers/more reading in the world is not too naive.

When I first purchased a Kindle (foolishly, many years ago when one cost about 4x what it does now), I was delighted by the promise that most bestsellers would be available for $9.99 or less.  Many years later, the savvy ebook reader with the Kindle, Nook, and Kobo apps on her phone and/or tablet can check daily deals on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo to find fantastic ebooks available for a limited time (usually one day or one month) for two or three dollars.  This bargain ebook search is part of my morning routine.

Such discounts are great and do introduce readers to new books and authors.  It's easy to gamble on an unknown or barely known quantity for $1.99.  I admit though that I have now one-clicked my way into more $2 ebooks than I currently have interest in and time for reading.  In fact, buying discounted ebooks is the new version of my old habit of buying hardbacks in the Barnes and Noble Bargain Book aisles.  Unfortunately, I did the bulk of my bargain book buying in the years when I was moving apartments every one or two years.  Nothing like moving box after box of heavy books that you haven't read but thought you might because they were only $5.99.

Though I've always been willing to spend money on books, I have also been a frequent user of the public library.  When I lived in Chicago before the age of the ipod, I regularly scoured five different branches of the Chicago Public Library to find audiobooks on tape and CD to check out.  While there, I made a habit of checking the "new books" shelf and was often pleasantly surprised to find at least one recent release that I would have paid for but could now borrow.  The ability to order and hold books at public libraries makes it even easier to read desired books, especially if you possess patience.

I now have access to one of the most wonderful suburban public libraries imaginable:  The Elmhurst Public Library.  I've known for a couple of years that ebooks and digital audiobooks were available through the EPL, but sort of figured that it would be a technological challenge to download them and that the ebooks available would mostly be public domain titles that I can easily access elsewhere.  WRONG.  It took about five minutes on the library's website to read the tutorial and get started checking out ebooks.  If you want a more recent release, you will have to place a hold and wait until it is your turn, which can take a while.  Unless you are a great advance planner or get lucky, library ebooks are probably not the best choice for book club selections or required school reading.  I personally don't mind the wait.  I like knowing a good book will be coming to me sometime soon(ish) and it's sort of a happy surprise to get the email saying that your ebook title is available.  Life's little pleasures, etc.

I have also been downloading children's titles to my eight year-old's ereader.  The chapter books he reads now can sometimes be finished in a matter of a couple hours so it's fantastic to be able to refuel him at no cost when he is in a voracious reading stage!  My library has a limit of 5 ebooks out on a particular account at one time and there is also a hold limit (not sure what it is, only that I have reached it).  When you finish a book, you can return it digitally.  If you forget, it disappears from your device when your time is up.  Easy peasy.

My first library ebook?  Delia Ephron's Sister Mother Husband Dog: Etc.  My current library ebook?  Thanks to rave reviews on Goodreads from a grade school friend, I just started Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas.  In the hold queue for?  Want Not by Jonathan Miles, Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill, and This One is Mine by Maria Semple.  Fingers crossed that they don't all become available at the same time.

Next adventure?  Investigate digital audiobooks through the library.  I can't imagine that I would give up my Audible subscription, but I'd like to be able to supplement as two audiobooks per month are often not enough.

Anyone else test drive the digital content available at your local public library?