(image from Target.com)
I greatly dislike books written as a series of emails or letters or transcripts. I don’t enjoy trying to figure out codes or mysteries. I generally dislike an unreliable narrator. Still, I liked The Twyford Code (Target link, Amazon link) enough to recommend it to family members AND choose it as my Staff Pick at the library.
This is one of the reasons I like libraries so much: I would never, never, never have paid money for this book; but when I was desperate for books to read and was having one of those days where I wander up and down the rows and nothing looks good, I could take it home for free to try the first thirty pages just in case. And then end up liking it, against all odds!
Paul and I have sometimes tried to figure out what we would do if there weren’t libraries. For sure we would have to have a book budget—but it wouldn’t be anywhere near the estimate our library gives us when they tell us “how much we’ve saved” by using our library, because if libraries vanished we would not turn around and purchase all these same items full-price from a bookstore: we get lots and lots of items ONLY because we can borrow them for free. Plus, if libraries vanished, my guess is that there would be a new and robust book-trading community, as well as fresh interest in used-book stores. We’d have to figure something out, but so would a lot of other people, and that would help. (Let’s keep libraries, though: that seems better.)
I love that bit of info at the end of the receipt! Last time I checked, mine was over $30,000 since I started using the library, mostly because I get tons of children’s books fairly regularly and our library checks out pre-loaded tablets for kids.
My new library tells me how much I’ve saved and I find that so interesting. I read a lot and I do own many books, but the vast majority is from the library.
I just read this article, which seems related – libraries are amazing. They’re a shining example of a way to provide a community good that actually works! They should provide instructions at all levels of government, particularly those that require regular interaction with the community (ahem, DMV).
https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2023/11/12/public-libraries-boston/
Thank you for the recommendation! Fellow library lover here. I think they are one of the best parts of our society. Not only just for borrowing, but also as a place for people to be. I know that can be a struggle for some libraries that get crowded in the winters especially in cities, but I think it serves and important purpose. Also, My daughter has gone many a night after high school to study with others and I am so grateful the kids have a place to gather. I plan to direct some of my charitable money and time to libraries!
Hallett also wrote The Appeal. As soon as I finished it, I read it again. I have never, EVER done that before, but I was so engaged that I wanted to reread it to look at all the clues I missed. Highly recommended.
I read A LOT of books and 97% of them are from the library. I guess back when there weren’t libraries in every town, people did more re-reading of their own books, didn’t they? A new book was an Event. And people read serialized books and stories in newspapers. I’m glad libraries give me so much access.
I also do not prefer books written in letters/emails as well, except an old favorite, 84 Charing Cross Road. I’ve put Twyford on my TBR!
Audiobooks have saved my sanity the last few years, and helped me get back into reading as a general practice instead of doomscrolling, but I’ve NEVER purchased an audiobook. It feels so much more one-and-done than buying a regular book. May we all bless and keep the Libby app. Plus, no more late fees because the app returns books for me, and makes it so easy to get back on the hold list if I’m not finished yet.
How is your ear?? I have COVID and my ear pain is unreal :(
I’m hoping yours is better!
It is still bothering me!! The scary pain has stopped (with an oral antibiotic—two types of antibiotic drops did not help), but it still doesn’t feel great, and I still can’t hear out of it normally. I am currently trying to get an ENT appointment.
Just checked it out from my library! Thanks, Swistle!
I was just thinking about how awesome libraries are. The other day I was looking for a new knitting project, but I didn’t want to pay for a pattern and none of the free ones on Ravelry appealed to me. Then it occurred to me that the LIBRARY probably has pattern books! And they do! There’s a whole giant collection, and it doesn’t even matter if I don’t make any of the patterns because it costs me exactly zero dollars to check out the book.
Also, I’m jealous that you get to choose a Staff Pick at your job. My library job is in the behind-the-scenes part of the library, so we don’t get to put together display tables. I suppose I could put my favorite books in the break room with a little sign that says “Ruby liked this one!”, but I’m not sure if that would have the same ring to it.
Libraries are essential! I love seeing all the love for them here. I would have to get a different job if they weren’t around.
Early on during the covid shut down all of our libraries were closed and I was at a total loss. We read a bunch of books we already have in the house and then started buying books and I hated it. Bought so many books that I knew I (or my kids) would never read again. We got a lot of them from better world books or powells on line, so they were used, but I still didn’t have to have to store them! In fact just this weekend Youngest took three shopping bags of books to Powells to resell – almost of them were from the dark days of 2020.
After a while the libraries were open for pick up of hold books only and while that was better, I still missed so much just going to the library and browsing the shelves. I will never again take for granted the pleasure of going to the library and just picking out a book without worrying whether I’l really like it or want to read it again. Libraries are my absolute favorite and most used public good (I guess I use roads more, but let’s ignore that)
I raced through Hallett’s previous book, but I like books written in the epistolary or modern-epistolary style.
I agree fully about the library – I wouldn’t buy anywhere near the number of books I borrow. I think.
A friend of mine is a big user of Paperback Swap. I don’t know much about it, but she loves it! I assume you ship all the books via media mail, to make the shipping affordable?
https://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php
If all the libraries went away, I like to think we would all start doing something like that, and essentially crowdsource our own replacement libraries!