Your first…

Do you remember your first library? Mine was in a strip mall, had paperback racks filled with stories. Bean bag chairs to slip into and read to my hearts content.

Then I started going into different areas of the library. Formula racing, I remember pulling those and checking them out. Dreaming of driving fast fast fast. Then it was rally car racing, spurred on by a movie my sister took me to see.

Ohhh, but in fourth or fifth grade the librarian called my mom on me. I was going for “adult” fiction– romances and Sci-Fi and Fantasy. That poor librarian thought when my mom said she’d be right there, I’d be getting a tongue lashing.

Well, someone got chewed out.

It wasn’t me.

When Mom was younger, she was with foster families. She wasn’t allowed anything of her own, and was not allowed to read what she wanted. She told me of taking a copy of an approved book (hardback), and cutting out enough pages that the real book she was reading could slip in. Those idiots probably thought she was a slow reader.

I don’t remember Mom ever going into the library to check out books. Which is odd because she was a voracious reader.  She had floor to ceiling bookcases in the house, my dad built them on the wall just for her. But library books? Not so much.

The library is about more than books now. Maybe it always has been, but I didn’t see it because I wasn’t looking for it when I was younger.  When my son was super small and I was unemployed, I took him for storytime. It was so needed for me, got me out of the house to a place where he would be entertained and it was free. And there were other grownups there going through the same thing.

As he’s grown, he’s gone to the library for crafts and classes on coding and just to look for books. For people without wifi there is access to computers– and for people who need help with them, there are classes. The local library in California had several classes, for adults, teens and kids. Gardening. Taking care of elderly parents. Diabetes control. Coding. So many classes.

The library has become a true community center and it makes my heart hurt that so many are fighting to stay open. And I think of myself, that little library kid loving all the books.

And I’m thankful.

I think I might need to go to my new library tomorrow.  Find out about my new community. I’ve only been once (twice if you count the returning of books lol). Hope you visit yours as well.

First Rejection & Snow

Of the year. And it’s fine, it’s part of the process. It’s fine. I read somewhere once that being rejected just means your story has not found a home yet.

What hurts is that in the midst of the s**t show of the last few years, I lost both my physical log and the computer log of where I had submitted which stories.

In the rejection letter they were absolutely both extremely professional and kind. Especially since I had apparently submitted that story to them in 2021.

Sigh.

So many emotions are swirling in me right now. A morass. Not because of the rejection of the story. It will find its home.

And it hit hard because I’m trying to find my footing in my new home. Most of that is working through the mental state that I arrived in. My home is still in disarray, and when I lay in bed and close my eyes I see my old room. My old life.

Friday night & Saturday morning we experienced our first snowfall that stuck. My son still calls California home. Sunday we went to lunch with my niece & her family, and I borrowed a shirt for a wedding next weekend. Wednesday I put my kid on a plane to our old home to visit– and I’m hoping he gets on the plane back 12 days later. I’m hoping he doesn’t get into trouble.

I’m also looking forward to time without him. Time to make a freaking mess of the house so I can put it together the way I want to.

My words are messy, but they are coming out. I’ve got 2 stories I’m working on because well, messy. I wrote a poem.

I talk to my bestie on the phone everyday. She’s still in Cali, and is my backup with the almost adult boy I’m sending out there. I miss her. I have family here but haven’t made friends yet. I also don’t really go anywhere– haven’t even been to the library yet. I do recognize the cashier at the Dollar General, but I’m sure I’m just another face in the day to her.

Well. This has gotten a lot more personal than I thought it would. Hope you don’t mind. My brain doesn’t feel as messy.

Until next time, my lovelies!

Libby, the Library & Me

Hello my lovelies, it’s been a while. I’ve been… Going through some stuff, both emotionally and, well, physically. Lots of changes in my life. Most of them not so great, but a natural part of life.

I hadn’t been to the local public library in a long time. I remember going last year, right before I got Covid. So August-ish. I may have gone since then, but that is the last time I remember. And I remember because.one of the books, a collection of 4 essays by Oliver Sachs, I sat in the hallway way more than 6 feet away from my dad who sat in his recliner, and read them aloud to him. That started a habit– we read poetry, a Zane Grey, and a few other books together that way. I treasure those memories.

But between responsibilities at home and time crunch from work, I didn’t go very much. But I still wanted to read and didn’t have a whole lotta money to always be feeding my addiction to reading.

Libby is a reading life saver. A little app that connects you with library books to read on your phone or kindle or other device. I love Libby. Have several books on my Libby app right now and am enjoying them greatly (and 2 that I’m ready to review and will be doing so soon).

Since I have time and space to myself currently, I went to the Library on Saturday. Yes, I am lucky enough to have a Public Library open on the weekends!

It’s easy to forget, or to push to the back of your mind, exactly WHY Libraries are so important. Not only  for the community as a whole but also on a personal level. Even for someone who does read on a device.

Now, my lovelies I’m going to go ahead and make the assumption right now that you know the arguments for WHY Libraries are important at the public level, but if not drop a comment below and we’ll talk about it. No hate, no making fun, just a grown up discussion on the importance of libraries to their communities.

We’re on to the personal, the reader perspective or at least THIS readers perspective. And here we go….my reasons why the library is important to me.

DISCOVERY. Much like how going into a bookstore allows more organic discovery of new authors than shopping online, it’s easy and cost effective to find new authors or genres or just things that catch your eye. I just read my first Brandon Sanderson story and loved it! (Oh wow I actually have 3 book reviews to do! I’d better hurry up and get cracking!)

COMMUNITY. Reading is a solitary hobby, even if we are living with all these characters in our head. We need hits of community, of being social even while being solitary. When I was in the library last Saturday, I saw a table that had a sign that said something along the lines of Sit for a while and Relax. There were adult coloring pages and pencils. One was a sea horse. I love sea horses so I sat. And colored. All by myself, but still feeling like I was part of the community. Surrounded by other book lovers.

And my favorite part of the community aspect is they’re doing a Summer Reading Program for grown ups that is… BOOK BINGO! I was so dang excited you know I’m gonna play! I get to play a game! Using the books I read! And it’s so awesome!!!! I may not take one of the classes. Or be able to show up for the people they bring in to talk about gardening. But a Book Bingo card? I can do that!!!!! I’ve already got 3 books to put on the card! (Yes the three I need to review and/or just talk about.)

So. Go to your library. Poke around. Get books or do classes or go on a computer or just do you. But go.

And also use Libby if you’re able to. It’s worth it.

Libraries

Who remembers their first library? Not the first visit to a library, but the first library that you claimed as yours. Where you realized that it contained a whole bunch of  books that could and would transport you to other worlds.

My first library was a little neighborhood one. About the size of a smallish 7-11, situated in a strip mall, it was where my love for books blossomed. I didn’t know it at the time, but as my ever ranging interests started casting a wider and wider net, the librarian called my mom.

I was in fourth grade, and checking out adult books.

But oh! Those books! Some were romances (the Harlequin romances of the 70’s were A LOT sweeter than they are now). Some were sci-fi or fantasy. Some were plain old fiction.  I had already devoured A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, all the Little House Books. My brain was wide open, and at this point… my mom could have done something different.

But she opted to let me read what I wanted. It was a different time, back then. There wasn’t quite as much chance of anyone getting an inappropriate book in a public library. And I am sooo thankful.

Books are magical things. They open up windows into new worlds– sometimes doorways into a new life. But there has to be that one place where your imagination catches on fire.

For me, it was in what would become a bakery, sitting on bean bag chairs, reading adult fiction. They closed that particular library a few years later. They made a huge library, a modern one, and closed down all the little neighborhood libraries.

It was never as much fun.

Yes, they had all those books. But I could no longer go at least once a week. I had to be driven over there, I couldn’t walk. And the nice librarian was no where to be found in there… Just a lot of strangers.

I miss the neighborhood libraries. But I have to admit, I do love the large stacks of books in the main library.

How about you? Where did you fall in love with books?

 

PS– found a great fantasy novel about a librarian who pulls magic out of books, which inspired this post. I’ll review it later in the week. If no one else gets the stomach flu (please please please).