Sunday, November 11, 2007

So Many Books, So Little Time

I went to the library yesterday and now have the thrill of deciding what book to read first. It's so exciting! I was cracking up when I checked them all out because I have the most random tastes. My genres of choice included fluffy chick lit, science fiction, teen vampire novels, heavy classics - no rhyme or reason to any of it. I think I'll start with Eclipse, so I can finish this Stephenie Meyer trilogy (AKA Sweet Valley High with vampires.)

When I was in the library, I had a moment of panic about what would happen if there were no more libraries or no more books. (Kind of like Fahrenheit 451, where no one reads anymore - they just watch TV all day.) I think my panic was ironically spurred by Heroes, where Claire told her dad she was going to the library to work on a research paper (thinking he wouldn't like that she was sneaking off to meet her boyfriend.) Her brother ridicules her for not using the internet and she said she was writing about how libraries are becoming obsolete.

Obsolete! Say it ain't so! I know every year they publish studies where 1 in 4 people didn't read a single book last year. I'm hoping the other end of the spectrum is 1 in 4 people like me, who read more than 50 a year. It makes me want to carry around a bag of my favorite books from childhood and hand them out to kids on the street. I just want to make sure someone out there is enjoying Black Beauty, Ramona Quinby Age 8, Blubber, Johnny Tremain, A Wrinkle in Time, The Dark is Rising and The Phantom Toolbooth.

I seriously would not want to live in a world where books and libraries didn't exist. Please reassure me that there are some other book fanatics out there!

9 comments:

hillsideslide said...

Eljabo! You have written a blog post about one of my all time fav subjects: The Library! I wish someone would write a song about libraries. I love them so.

Props to you!

And, to Ramona Quimby. I was just thinking about her, as I do at Halloween. Remember when Picky Picky knocked the jack o'lantern off the table and began to eat it b/c he didn't like Puss Puddy,the cheap cat food?

Dear Lovey Heart said...

I LOVE BOOKS MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF! and i am not even a wee bit obsessive about it.

In fact i want to eventually be a librarian that is the plan!
props to you indeed, although Johnny Tremain is up there on the list of my all time least favorite young adult literature books........

Eljabo said...

argh - I don't remember Picky Picky and the pumpkin. My favorite Ramona tales are when she wore her bunny pajamas under her clothes and the fruit flies- blue oatmeal - vomit incident. I remember the vomit incident particularly because I was home sick with the stomach flu when I read it!

And Dear Lovey Heart - woo hoo for wanting to be a librarian! That's what I should've done (or a zookeeper.) To work in one of your favorite places every day would be fabulous!

But you didn't like Johnny Tremain? i think I especially enjoyed it because I grew up in New England - and it was all 'Sons of Liberty.' One of my most vivid memories of the book was when the chica (I forget her name) said she could never marry someone whose last name was 'Pumpkin.' I heartily agreed!

hillsideslide said...

I have to agree w/ Dear Lovey Heart on the Johnny T comment. Well, I don't have a list of ATLFYALBs, but it's not my fav. For Sure.

I think I remember a part about him buying chocolate and coffee for the first time ever and his rxn to that. -which made me think, wow.. to be that poor...

All and all, it scores a "Meh" on my Young Adult Reads.

And, I agree w/ eljabo: Librarian = Awesome!!

Way to go Dear Lovey Heart

Eljabo said...

Argh - I'm so bummed I'm the only Johnny Tremain lover. Well, me and the peeps who decide the Newbery Medal winners!

Just thought of another childhood fave - Dicey's Song. I should re-read all of those books.

Dear Lovey Heart said...

oooh dicey's song that is a good one! and i was going to ask you did you like Never Let Me Go? I read it a few years ago and really liked it and last year I read The Remains of the Day by the same author and enjoyed that as well. You should check it out.

Eljabo said...

I liked Never Let Me Go a lot. The premise was interesting and it took me awhile to figure out what was actually happening in the book.

It was tragic and beautiful all at once - that the main characters still managed to carve a bit of life for themselves out of such a pitiful existence.

I've never read Remains of the Day, but I'm definitely going to check it out.

Anonymous said...

You'd share you heart with another? Man, I thought I was your main squeeze. Of course, Tremain didn't have a flash card under a certain young woman's pillow. Take that Johnny!

Eljabo said...

I'm blushing now! I was only 8! There were worse people I could've had a crush on!