NTKOG #200 (!!!): The kind of frugal bibliophile who spends her days happily haunting the public library.
I am: fiercely territorial about my books. Neither a borrower nor a lender be, said old Polonius. And I would know. Because I own four copies of Hamlet (all smudged with chocolate thumbprints, natch).
I am not: beholden to any principles of logic, finance or interior design when it comes to building my over-large personal library.
The Scene: The Boston Public Library, the cavernous, tomb-chilled monument to everything that’s actually going right in modern friggin’ civilization.
“But TKOG,” I’d like to imagine you asking, “you read all the friggin’ time. How is it possible that you’re not already a library junkie?”
Dirty secret: I haven’t entered a public library since I was sixteen years old. Ever since I was a little kid, all of my pocket money has been tossed away on books, books, books. In my mind, public libraries were necessary civic evils, crammed with — horror of horrors! — Other People. Fine for other people, but not of much interest to this wildly capitalistic bibliophile.
Within twenty minutes of entering the BPL, I held my first-ever non-children’s public library card. Within twenty-two minutes, I was parked in front of the Fiction: WI — WO shelf. And to those jaded cynics who hold that true love is a malicious rumor spread by greeting-card execs, all I can say is get thee to a library.
Yes there absolutely IS a full Wodehouse shelf. No big deal! (Except it kind of is, guys. It's kind of the biggest friggin' deal. Especially considering that some of these novels can't be special requested for love or for money at big-box or indie bookstores.)
Once I chose my first-ever library book (Wodehouse’s “Laughing Gas”), settled down at a table for a few hours of writing. And while you can’t order a hibiscus iced tea here, the people-watching runs a close second in joyful writer-procrastination. An older Dominican woman at the next kiosk, helping to tutor a young man in intermediate-level reading; indie-thin geology PhD student, hiding behind yellow-tinted sunglasses, cramming a few hours of dissertation research before a Saturday-night concert; young woman sitting on the floor of the darkened main level, near the restrooms, praying in tones that rapidly alternate between muttered intensity and colloquially reproaching God for slighting her; the harried-looking mother dragging her two tween sons through the YA fiction section, trying to entice them with best-seller series in hopes that one day they’ll become the sort of people who come here of their own will.
Later, as the library closed around me, I attempted to run my first-ever library book through the self-scanner system, got hopelessly confused. The man behind me heaved a big sigh. As I was about to wave him in front of me, his five-year-old son ran forward and grabbed the book and library card out of my hand. “Here!” he lisped up at me. “You put it through like this! Okay, and now the book goes in the scanner here!” I thanked him and he handed my card back to me then, business-like, returned to organizing his stack of seven children’s books in ROYGBIV color-coded order.
Oh goodness, could there possibly be a more joyous way to spend a Saturday afternoon?
The Verdict: I wasn’t wrong, it turns out. Libraries are — gasp — filled with Other People. And I think it’s a testament to the huge changes that NTKOG has made in that this is no longer a disadvantage. The thing about other people, though, is no matter how irritating they are (seriously, get off your damn cell phone!) or uncomfortable they make you, chances are they feel just as awkward and isolated as you do. And isn’t it nice that there’s a place for all of us?
Well, taking advantage of the library system has officially put me in a disgustingly optimistic mood. I’m only heart-broken that the library is closed on Sundays so I can’t keep chasing this particular high. Instead, tell me about your favorite books in the comments section, so I know what to check out while I systematically work through every book on the library’s shelves!
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
I tend to go in for favourite authors rather than favourite books, although there are a few books that I tend to read on yearly cycles – The Two Jungle Books, American Gods, Cryptnomicon.
Favourite authors turn out to be a really odd combination: Neil Gaiman, Alastair Reynolds, Neal Stephenson, Lynn Flewelling, Stieg Larson, oh, and Philip Ridley who writes fantastic if rather disturbing plays.
Can’t believe you are just now discovering the joys of the library! When I move to a new town, the library is the first place I go.
As a bibliophile who works for a non-profit (and therefore on a tight budget), the library has always been where I get my fix.
One of my favorite authors is Isabel Allende. I’m also reading through Stieg Larsson’s trilogy at the moment.
Oh, my sister’s reading through the Larsson books too right now. She says they’re excellent! I keep meaning to borrow them from her, if only because they’ve got the best cover design I’ve seen in years, and those titles are so darn enticing!
They are wonderful, and if you can get hold of the Swedish film adaptations that were made they’re definitely worth watching. I’ve only seen The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo so far, but it’s remarkably similar to the books, and the casting is brilliant.
I enjoy libraries, especially when they have all the works in a series or by an author. But I still prefer to buy my own books from used stores. I buy them impulsively. It’s a bit crazy actually. I should go on a book-buying moratorium until I finish the “To Read” list (which is longer than I care to admit at the moment).
I second the Neil Gaiman recommendation. AMERICAN GODS is a great one.
Aimee Bender.
And I’ve got a sneaking suspicion you’d love a new book of short stories called IF YOU LIVED HERE, YOU’D ALREADY BE HOME by John Jodzio.
I’m going to be reading Girl with the Dragon Tattoo this week too. Not from the ‘brary–too long of a wait.
Yay for self check out! Have you learned about the wonders of interlibrary loan yet? (Sorry if you have but it’s great!)
Your post kind of reminds me of George Bush being all shocked at the check out scanners in the grocery store. It’s awesome though.
Always happy to be compared to the former President De Facto.
I’m definitely a fan of Gregory Maguire. Wicked feels like the most original of his backstory books, but I’m loving the series that he’s creating of original stories from there.
I’ve just started on Jodi Picoult and I’m loving her style. While there is technically one main character in her books, she writes first person from each character’s perspective. It took me a little bit of practice to get into, but I’m loving it now that I’m in!
Ooh, I read some Gregory Maguire in college, after I was obsessed with the Wicked soundtrack. I remember especially liking the Cinderella backstory. Who can argue with a fairytale prequel set against the Dutch Tulip Debacle, the weirdest economic crisis in history?!
Libraries are made out of win. It is perfectly true. Also sometimes when you are looking for a book about a particular thing, you go to that Dewey Decimal/LC section and discover there are TEN BILLION BOOKS about that particular thing. And then you have to have them all. Yup, could not live without the library. I am living away from home this summer and I have not one but two library cards. Because the public library just wasn’t enough, I went ahead and dropped $200 to gain access to the enormous, fancy, and very well-stocked university library too.
Some of my favorite books
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Beach by Alex Garland (ignore the movie if you have seen it, this is great)
Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis
It might be a bit late for this one, but all the talk about the YA section reminded me; If you haven’t already read it, my 13 year old self really enjoyed Brothers by Ted Van Lieshout. Confusing discoveries of sexuality, running away with gypsies and a fervent battle against book burning, what’s not to like?
Dude, YA lit recommendations never come too late for TKOG! Actually, after I graduated from college, I took a year-long sabbatical from normal literature and only read children’s books. One of the most enjoyable years of my literary life and — once you know where to look for good children’s books — easily as rich and rewarding as reading lots of modern fiction for the over-12 set.
I tend to steer clear of books written for kids old enough to be concerned with sexual orientation / carnal contretemps, but I do have a keen love of gypsies. I’ll have to check it out!
Have you read E. Lockhart’s other books? I have to agree that Frankie Landau-Banks is pretty awesome. As a character and as a book, I mean. I just took a course in YA lit; that was one of my favorite books on the reading list (after The Hunger Games and The Book Thief) but really, there’s a ton of great YA stuff these days.
Do you know/like Elinor Lipman? She gets compared to Wodehouse a lot. And she does readings at Brookline Booksmith.
By the way, I totally agree that Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is great (my favorite by Maguire).
The only other Lockhart I’ve read is Dramarama, which I thought was good but fluffy at the time, but now find myself thinking about a surprising amount. I love the unexpected places her books go.
Also, looooved The Book Thief. Definitely in the top five books I read in 2009.
Haven’t heard of Elinor Lipman. I’ll check her out tomorrow!
If you are willing to dip into graphic novels, I think you would just adore “One Hundred Demons”–and you could finish it within two hours. I also adored “Blankets” by Craig Thompson.
“Sophie’s Choice” sounds like schmaltzy chick-lit, but isn’t. I think you would eat it up because a lot of it is about the main character (a guy) trying to make a go of it as a sex-starved, struggling writer in Brooklyn, but there is also a beautiful storyline that goes on behind it about Sophie’s past.
“The Remains of the Day” would appeal to the British half of you; honestly the book that has most changed my perception of the world after “The Giver.” Lastly, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” for your Southern strain. ;)
The only graphic novel I’ve ever read was Maus, which was, of course, amazing. Oh, and Fun Home now that I think about it. Point being: I’m willing to take on a few more!
Also, dude, I love Remains of the Day. What a perfectly moving, quiet little book. Speaking of Brit Lit, that totally reminds me that I want to read Howard’s End. I’m a huge fan of On Beauty, so really ought to read its inspiration!
Not knowing “how to work a self-scanner” is a case of “not having done it before”. If I’d been in the place of the guy who helped you, I’d have showed you how to work it slow-time, whilst deciding if I wanted to ask you to come for a coffee with me.
Also from the World of graphic novels, “V for Vendetta”, which even managed to convince my Mom that a “comic” could still be serious literature. I’ll presume you’ve done all the obvious stuff like Catch 22, and suggest “The Committments” by Roddy Doyle.
I’d much, much, much rather get shown how to use the scanner by an adorably hyper-literate little kid. That failing, close second would be getting shown at a normal rate by someone with no agenda and whom I never have to see again.
I”m a sucker for the classics- The Count of Monte Cristo is my absolute favourite. But Jane Eyre and Rebecca are also great.
I’m reading Dancing for Degas by Kathryn Wagner right now and am loving it.
My Grandmother was a librarian, but I confess, I hated going there as a child. Did you know they expect you to be quiet?!?! Yeah, I was the noisy kid in class…
(Ok catching up forgive me). When I first moved down south, I rode my bike (for the first time since I was 10) out to the Arlington Public Library and spent the entire day after getting a new card just sitting happily in the stacks. Why hadn’t I done this before?! It’s like being 10 but not having to secretly hide the sexy books!! BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!