I have been spending lots of time reading and can say that I read 88 books during 2009. I am making a great start this year with a baker's dozen read so far. Most of what I have been reading though hasn't been by any authors on my list. Mysteries and who dunnit's have always been my favorites ...starting with Nancy Drew in grade school!
Visiting our small town memorial library is a weekly event that I look forward to. While the library is small, we have the advantage of inter library loan so I am able to get just about anything on my reading list. I work up a list and give it to my librarian so that she can submit the requests. It may take a few weeks to get some of the books but that's alright. They come from all over the state and I'm not the only one who wants to read them.
I have always liked going to the library. I remember when I was young and the library was just a few blocks away from our house. With my youngest sister in the stroller, mom and the rest of us would walk down to the library in the afternoons. At that time, to a child's mind, the walk seemed to be so very long and take forever. But once at the library, it was well worth the distance! The stacks and stacks of books, the tables, lamps, and the smell of old paper.
Years later the library moved farther away and it was no longer in walking distance. By then we had grown some. On saturday mornings, we along with our friends would pile into the car and daddy would drive us there. I don't remember how long we would spend at the library. Daddy would wait patiently for us in the car, smoking his pipe and enjoying the sun and quiet. Once finished and our ams loaded, we'd all pile back into the car for the ride home, showing each other what we had checked out.
Those are pleasant memories. And I am still in love with books. When was the last time you ventured into your nearest library?
