I just discovered this amazing place I thought I'd pass on to both of you who read this blog, in case you're not aware of it either. You can go and borrow books, DVDs, and use the internet - all for free! They call it a "li-bra-ry." Jami and I both just read books on our cruise last week (she read "To Kill a Mockingbird;" I read "Into Thin Air") and we both realized we wanted to and should do more reading and less watching of reality TV shows.
I haven't owned a public library card for probably 14 years. Don't get me wrong, I've been in college libraries more hours than I want to think about in the last 10 years. And my office at my elementary school is right next to the library. But I haven't used a library other than for research in a long time. So Jami and I went and got me a card (she's already got one somewhere) and we decided we want to read...books. Most of the non-school-related books I've read the last few years I get by borrowing from someone (usually mom's personal bookstore). With such a vast number of options of books to check out I was stumped. First I looked up Obama's books...both checked out. Lance Armstrong's books? Checked out. I searched through the list of various award winners and didn't see anything that hooked me. So I just did it the old fashioned way...I wandered through the library looking at the titles and authors' names on the spines to see if anything tickled my fancy (what the crap kind of saying is that anyway?!). Jami soon found me in the children's section and re-directed me to the grown-up books. I looked over a couple shelves of Stephen King (too scary). I perused a line of Hemmingway (too smart). I strolled through a row of sports books (too junior high book reporty). I then came across a book titled "City of God" by Michael Jahn and recalled that there was a foreign movie a few years ago that came about that looked really good (I think it might have been nominated for some Oscars) and I figured it must have been based on this book. So I took my book and card to the check-out counter and the lady said it was due back in a month. Jami got Memoirs of a Geisha (I like that one) and Entre Dos Lunas, an adolescent fictional book in Spanish (after our cruise Jami decided she wants to learn Spanish. She's also bought a couple pocket-size books on verbs and vocabulary and we've sat down and had a couple grammar lessons).
We went home and both started our books. After about 5 short chapters I realized this was not the same City of God as the movie. The movie takes place in Brazil and is about war amongst lower class people in Rio de Janeiro. The book is, as it says on the cover of the book, "A Lieutenant Bill Donovan Mystery" which takes place in Hell's Kitchen, New York city. I guess I should have looked at it a little more closely. Well, I'll just add it to the extensive list of books that I've started and not finished (which is larger than the list of books I've read cover-to-cover) and go back in a couple days and try to get Audacity of Hope or Blink (Malcolm Gladwell). Well at least I get credit for trying right?
9 comments:
Since you are a library newbie, you may not know that you can actually get on the wait list for library books online and they will send you an email when the book is available. From the library homepage click on Renew/Request Books Online. You'll need your barcode from your library card. I don't know what the waitlist is like for Mr. President's books, but when I was looking for them last year I was #33 on the wait list. :( You might also look in to getting a SLC Library card. It costs a small fee, but the library system is HUGE compared to Davis Co.
http://www.co.davis.ut.us/library/
Sara M.
you are a funny human dev. you should talk to rob-- he checks out the library of a place before we'll even move there. he utilizes it better than i have ever even thought about someone using a library before. that is one of the primary reasons we're considering iowa state... i wish i were joking.
hey, do you guys want to hang out this weekend?
my middle name is library which reminds of the library sandwich I had today during librarytime.
Oh I just remembered, I have also been sending my posted reading notes via something called the poster office
peace
DevJam, splendid web log you have here. I shall be frequenting it. In belated response to your comment on my web log: Radiohead is near the top of my Most Important Bands list which is a different thing than my favorite band list. (Think of Dylan. Everyone would agree of his importance, but how often do you listen to him? I just don't listen to The Head as much as The Killers.) Perhaps this is wrong morally. I shall revisit my lists.
hey,
you guys went on a cruise? what? how are you? i've been behind at blogging, but i loved the last few posts. you both amuse me! i have to say whenever i go to a library in salt lake, weird things happen. i am grateful for that.
I like how you addressed this post to "both" of your readers. Clearly from the five comments here (mine will be six!) you're more popular than you think :). I LOVE the library! I spent a long time reading classics, then I switched to intense action books by Robert Ludlum (author of the Bourne books) and lately I've been reading a lot of biographies. Beautiful thing, those libraries are. All that knowledge. For free. (actually when you first mentioned a place where you can get movies and books for free I was like, "really??? where???!"). Welcome to the joy, my friend.
Hey, since you're new to this "the reading of the books buisness" you should go to Shelfari.com for good ideas on what to read. They give reviews and reccommendations and all that fancy stuff.
My favorite part of our library is how it smells like an old old man's house that hasn't been aired out in years.
P.S. Devon is that a picture of you from your famous days?
Ok, seriously I don't have any idea why I didn't know you guys have a blog..... That is so sad!!! Did you e-mail me and I am just dumb or are you trying to hide it from us?!! We see how it is.... Anyways, no more hiding.... We know you are here now and we are coming to visit:) We love you guys and miss you!!! When are you coming out here to visit us???? The weather here is amazing!!!!
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