Toady

Today was a toady day. Blah.
(I think toads are cool. This is not a reflection on toads.)

Nerd Joy!

My mom got great health news today. This makes everything look better. So, pardon my nerdly enthusiasm about the following:

Library Displays! They're not just for knitters anymore! I'm always looking for ideas to boost the circulation of materials. When it comes to displays, I'll try nearly anything. Some (ok many) of my ideas belong in the Super Colossal Flop category. For example? Genocide--man in his darkest hour. Not so many takers for this one. Let's just say I was my own best customer. C'mon, it's an important topic, people. Don't you want to curl up in bed and read about humanity at its worst? Yeah, apparently nobody else does, either.

Most recently, I can add book bundles to the flop list. Bundles are a few books banded together with a common theme or time period or even cover. You give the bundle a witty name. For example, "Titles likely to set Jane Austen spinning in her grave." (Guess which titles those were...) "Girls Gone Plucky" or "Dysfunctional Family Palooza." Well, I thought they were witty names. You didn't? Take a number. And I'm back to the drawing board.

So, I was searching the Web today for display inspiration when I hit on this site. I bow before the displaying prowess of these individuals. Who could snub displays like this? Who would dare? AND, do magical elves build the components in a secret workshop for them? If so, can I please have some elves?

A Recent Read

Beyond the Sky and the Earth: a journey into Bhutan by Jamie Zeppa

I read this book because I know lots of Bhutanese people. But they consider themselves Nepalese. It’s a long story. And this book helped me get it. And this was good. What I didn’t know ahead of time was that this book is a freakin’ riot.

The gist: A woman decides out of the blue to forgo pursuing her doctoral degree for a teaching position in rural Bhutan. She has no teaching experience, has never traveled, and her family is not supportive of this choice. Upon arrival, she finds herself reliant on her 8 year old students. The weather kicks her butt. Rats win turf wars at night, and she is afraid of her stove. The writing is beautiful and hilarious and alive.

I think you should read it. I’m serious.

Throwing the Books at You

I’ve decided to try to do the post everyday for a month deal known as National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo.) Today I’m under the weather but you can’t kick things off by shirking, can you? Plus, I’ve spent some time recently in Boston medical facilities with my mom. I’m happy to say that she is doing as well as can be now, but it’s made for a long stretch. It’s made me grumpy, cranky, and non communicative. So, allow me to discuss one of my favorite “happy place” subjects—books.

I’ve been on a fiction kick, which is unusual for me. I finally caved in to pressure and read Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It was fast reading, but I don’t feel compelled to read the next two. I’m sorry, I just don’t.

I also finally read Day after Night by Anita Diamant. I had seen her do a reading from this book and she had signed my copy. It had sat untouched on my shelf ever since. It was also quick reading. No, I’ve never read The Red Tent. Yes, I understand that someday I must—a zillion people have told me so.

Listening! I’ve spent lots of time in the car lately, so I’ve been listening to the audio version of The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. I like historical fiction, but I haven’t had good luck with her stuff in the past. Her style seemed too dramatic and over the top, and the fact that the girls in the intrigues were so young (though, historically I know they really were) sicked me out. But the reader’s voice has had me enthralled from the first word, and everything seems to fit perfectly.
Now I’ve gone back to my non-fiction ways, though. Currently reading: Up Tunket Road: the education of a modern homesteader by Philip Ackerman-Leist.

Anybody read anything great lately?

Anna Karenina Doesn't Suck!

I am reading Anna Karenina, and it does NOT suck. I love it! I know that three quarters of the world’s population is saying “Did you think they were making that Great Literature bit up?” But, in case you are part of that other quarter of the world that remains doubtful…this is a great book. It’s not some high falutin museum piece. It’s full of emotion. Yes, it’s nearly 800 pages. But I’ve already torn through over 200 in just a few days—and I tend to read slowly.

I’ve had difficulty reading other Russian authors. I get confused by the characters’ names and nicknames. Wait—is that the same guy by a different name, or is she talking to a totally different guy now? I am not having any of that trouble here, in spite of the fact that two of the main dudes are both called Alexey. Luckily, they seem to use middle or last names a lot.

This is one of those books that I can now cross off my life’s To Read list.* (after another nearly 600 pages, of course.) And it is so painless, I can’t believe it. It’s almost like when you set out to carry a heavy box, and then it ends up being light. Like a little gift from the world.

*In truth, my life’s To Read list is quite brief. It’s not like the Reading Police would arrest me if I never read this book. And I’m not one to toil through a bad book. But if I just plain skipped it without trying, it would bug me.

Prisoners of Conscience?

So, perhaps you recall my telling you about the high number of people who seem to want to discuss with me the time they spent in our correctional facilities? Well, today I burst onto the national prison circuit.

Allow me to explain. It’s that time of year again in New Hampshire. It’s Bike Week, when motorcyclists come from across the country and descend upon the tiny Granite State and all through the day and night there’s the steady hum of motorcycles en masse. Some of these biker folks make their way into the library. In truth, they are usually lovely people who are library users back home. A couple came in today looking for some info. I was able to help them out, and they thanked me kindly. In fact, they thanked me so kindly, that they gifted me a little something of theirs. It had a sticker on it identifying its origins. It came from a prison ministry. I don’t feel I should tell you the name of the ministry, and even if I could you would accuse me of making it up.

I’m inclined, based on my interactions and observations, to form the following conflicting hypotheses:

• These people were ex-cons turned ministers
• These people were the most grizzled and tattooed ministers ever NOT incarcerated.
• These people were ex-cons who received this token while in prison, and happily bestowed it on me.

Regardless of what the true scenario is, they were model patrons. I guess I should be glad they didn’t fill me in—I’m just not used to being shut out of the details when it comes to prison. Ride on, potential ex-cons!

Come and Gone

When I was a kid ( I was born in 1971) lilacs didn't bloom until Memorial Day. They are already passing now. What's going on?