The Library Book
I have been reading The Library Book by Susan Orlean. I was gifted this book by the special guy I mentioned in last week’s bookworm. I have had it for a few years now and had yet to read it, the time seemed right, so I cracked it open. It is a non-fiction book, not my usual go-to. For some unknown reason I also recently checked out 2 other non-fiction books. Non-fiction just isn’t as easy for me to consume as fiction. So, I guess you could say I am savoring them, a.k.a, taking forever to read them.
American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears by Farah Stockman and Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey are the other two titles. I am not super crazy (just average) so I am not reading all of them at the same time, no American Made yet. I am reading 3 books, but the third title is fiction for some balance, Artemis by Andy Weir.
As I mentioned before, I have been savoring/taking forever to get through 2 of my books, seriously, Artemis is the second fiction book I added into the mix, you know “for balance”, so 1 fiction done, a second started and I still haven’t finished my 2 non-fiction titles. Jessica suggested reading one chapter a day. Thank you, Jessica, it has been an absolute life changer. One chapter from each book (the right amount that allows me to truly savor them), then I finish up with Artemis, reading until I am ready to go to sleep.
Last night’s chapters were so good! Yancey, well let’s just say I had to remind myself what the book was about (his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace). This chapter was rough, he shares some really harsh realities of growing up in the South and for a minute I was worried that I had read the inside of the jacket incorrectly. The Library Book, always so good, every chapter, never a moment of second guessing why I am reading it. I just told my staff it should be required reading for all librarians and those who love libraries. Last night’s chapter was about the history of book burning, so much more than I was able to share in the bookworm a few weeks back.
book·worm /ˈbo͝okˌwərm/ noun INFORMAL a person devoted to reading
This column is rightly titled. I know I am all over the place with my various rants, raves, topics, but in the deepest part of my being, I am devoted to reading. I preach constantly about the knowledge gained from reading, I will never stop saying this and I think Ray Bradbury (you remember him, the author of Fahrenheit 451) would have approved. Bradbury called himself “library-educated”, he believed the library taught him more than any university could ever have and he wasn’t kidding. He graduated high school in 1938 and couldn’t afford college, so for the next 13 years he spent almost every day in the library, reading his way through each apartment. “The library was my nesting place, my birthing place; it was my growing place.” Guess where I learned this? Yep, a book, specifically The Library Book I am currently reading.
I know you are a reader of some sorts or you would never had made it to this very line, but I want to call on you to spread the news. Find those self-proclaimed non-readers and bring them into our fold. Help them find the right format, the right titles, or even give them the simple suggestion Jessica gave me, one chapter a day. I just don’t think they have any idea of what they are missing out on.
Upcoming Events: 3/16 Story Time at 10am, 3/17 Outreach Day at participating Daycares, 3/19 Ranch House Story Time at 9am. Little House Reading Challenge has started, stop by the library for the 1st book.