I am not a fan of summer. In fact the only things I like about summer are my flower bed, fresh produce, capri pants and sandles, and reading on the porch swing with a tall glass of iced peach tea. Just as scorching summer temperatures call for lighter meals, porch reading calls for lighter fare, so when these three titles arrived at the library yesterday I snatched them all.
Ok, quick sidebar for the non-librarians out there. The biggest perk of working in a small-town library (never held this position in a large library, so don't know how it works there) is that I am allowed to shop for books with library funds - can it get better than that? Yes, it does actually - because the other half of my job is to process new books when they arrive (enter them into the computer, print labels, apply covers - you know, the ones that annoy you because the cover flaps are taped down so you can't use them as bookmarks). Since I am the first one to handle new arrivals, I also have the chance to be first to read them.
Sidebar #2-for those who are questioning my librarian ethics. No, I do not spend the entire library budget on books I want to read. Occasionally I purchase science fiction, James Patterson, westerns and even the rare non-fiction even though I don't comprehend wanting to read them. See how magnanimous I am? Besides, you all are responsible for these three purchases because of the wonderful reviews you wrote that tempted me into having to have them.
Also, I do not hoard all the new arrivals in my TBR pile for months (ok, there was that one time). I do make an effort to get them onto the shelf in a timely manner. However, many of the books we receive are shipped prior to their publication date so that they can be ready to go on the shelf on release day. Since it is against Librarian Code, and maybe some laws, to put them on the shelf early, and since there's no law that says I can't read them in the interim (at least I don't think there's a law...but just to be on the safe side, please don't tell the Library Police), this is actually incentive for me to get my work done quickly leaving me time to read before I have to pass the books along to those pesky patrons. It's basically a win-win.
Anyway, back to my original point...I snatched these three new arrivals. Don't the beautiful covers just scream Summer Reading? And they are all in paperback so I can hold them in one hand and have one hand free for iced tea/chips and fresh guacamole. So now you know my plan for this weekend! Here's my question to you: Does your reading appettite change with the seasons? Does your desire for a certain type of story go up and down with the thermometer? What are you reading this summer?
Oh you are too funny! I'd like to sit on your porch and have us a mini-book group discussion on Night of the Living Dead - is that the same as the awesome zombie movie?
ReplyDeleteI used to work at a shoe store specifically because I hated shopping for shoes. I would get to set aside all the shoes I liked as they came in and save them for when my paychecks covered enough to pay for them. And I wear a 7 1/2 so I was always taking from the popular shoe size quota. One of the perks of a low paying job. I applaud your advance reading and thoughtful buying!
As for this summer, I'm starting it off with a few classics - inspired by group reads or small read-alongs that just happened to come up. I tend to save the long ones for the winter when I'm hibernating. But genre-wise I'm not fussy from season to season.
You forgot one more reason why you SHOULD read the books first: so you can tell others about them and make recommendations. I love this one librarian at the branch near us. I always ask her what she's been reading. She has turned me on to some really great books and authors. So, really, it's for the good of the patrons that you read this first. Really.
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