A little reading, a little soap box

Pardon me while I step up on my soap box for a moment:

Really? A 50% cut to the public library fund? Back in January, we put a library value calculator on our home page. If you missed it then, you can still access it here. I calculated my library use and found that I get a little over $1700 a month in value from the library. That translates to a little over $20,000 a year. Admittedly, I get a lot of books because I am a voracious reader...but so are thousands of others in our community. I check out a lot of books for my kids...but so do thousands of others in our community. I check out the occasional movie...and so do thousands of others in our community. I would never (could never) spend $20,000 a year on these materials, so the library truly provides an opportunity for me and my family to experience things we otherwise wouldn't be able to. I recognize that my view might be perceived as biased because I work at the library, but I work at the library because I have always loved the library, not the other way around. I'm truly saddened (outraged, shocked, you name it) to think that my children might grow up in a state where the library and the myriad services it provides will be a shell of what I have always known. If you share my love for libraries (or even if you're a bit less fanatical than I admit I can be, but still have an appreciation for all the excitement, enrichment, enlightenment, and entertainment of the library), please share your view with the governor and state legislators. Today. Now. It's urgent. More information can be found here

Now, the part about what I've been reading: I've been reading a lot of varied books with subjects from Leondardo DaVinci's mother (Signora DaVinci) to a woman dealing with the mortality and humanity of her estranged, dying husband (My Husband's Sweethearts), to life for a strong, independent, single woman in 18th century America (Into the Wilderness). I've put the 7th book in a series on hold, even though it's not published until September (Diana Gabaldon's long-awaited An Echo in the Bone -- more on that in a future post). And I've been able to do it all because of the library.

I will now step off my soapbox...at least long enough to catch my breath.

Buona Vacanza!

As an avid NPR listener, I’ve been taken with a small degree of jealously of late as much of the programming this past week has focused on the veritable “V” word ~ “Vacation”. One program in particular highlighted a 2001 publication by author, Cindy Aron. In the book Working at Play, Aron, an associate professor of history, traces the growth of vacationing as a family and social ritual. She examines the tension between the American work ethic and the concept of leisure. Interestingly, I’ve been reading a book that highlights the topic of the American work ethic and leisure. In Death by Leisure: A Cautionary Tale, the author, Chris Ayres, a British journalist, chronicles his return from embedded duty in Iraq with a marines unit, to a new assignment as the showbiz correspondent for a London newspaper. Talk about culture shock! This tell-all opens with Ayres getting the sultry once-over from a beauty in a white bikini at poolside, and everything goes wacky and downhill from there with a bogus assignment to cover singer Michael Jackson, his Neverland estate and his sleepovers. Ayres marvels at the perpetually sunny weather of the sci-fi metropolis, and the Tinseltown crowd of Beverly Hills. Ayres quickly becomes caught up in the whole scene, including getting his piece of the American dream, a house. “I'm a big fan of bubbles ... they're my idea of a good time,” Ayres states in the book, but when the housing bubble bursts, the American dream soon becomes a nightmare. Ayres’ book is a wry, self-deprecating and offbeat look at the excesses of America over the last few years, disguised as an expat’s memoir of life in California. As for vacation travel, this expat offered some inspiration to NPR when listeners were asked to share stories of successful vacation travel at $100 a day or less. Our family vacations involved some serious math calculations as we traveled throughout Europe each summer for more than a decade, pre-Euro days. Camping was the order of the day, in a tent. Meals were prepared over an open fire. There’s nothing like ‘spaghetti alla carbonara’ prepared and eaten ‘al fresco’. If your vacation plans require a passport, our library offers this service. Planning a trip to Italy? Get inspired by watching the film, A Room With a View or better still, read the classic novel by E.M. Forster. And remember ~ "lavoro per vivere, non vivo per lavorare" ~ "work to live, don't live to work". Buona Vacanza!

Act Now! Save Ohio Libraries!

Dear Library Friends and Patrons,

As you have probably heard on the news, Governor Strickland has proposed a last minute change to the State Budget: he proposes to cut funding for Ohio's Libraries by an additional $100 million dollars a year for the next two years.

The proposed cuts would cost Washington-Centerville Library almost $1.3 million over the next two years – a cut of more than 20% of total revenue. The cut for this year would be in addition to the revenue reductions the library is already facing because of declining state tax revenues.

We have already absorbed drops in state funding while working hard to avoid reducing services for our patrons. We are fortunate to have a local operating levy to augment state funding but, if the Governor’s proposal is approved, we will have to consider reductions in service, materials and possibly even hours and staffing.

The Governor's proposed funding cuts come at a time when Ohio's public libraries are experiencing unprecedented increases in demands for services. At Washington-Centerville Library, check out of materials is up 10% and library visits are up 15%. Citizens are visiting for free high speed Internet access and help with employment searches, children and teens are enjoying summer reading programs, and people of all ages are turning to the library as a lifeline during these difficult economic times. We have only 3-4 days to influence this proposed cut to library funding! Please do your part to Save Ohio’s Libraries.

HOW CAN I HELP?
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Contact your legislators

Centerville/Washington Township area residents -- use this online form letter to automatically send an e-mail to your state legislators and the governor to let them know what your library means to you! If you prefer to contact them personally, call them or click below to send this form letter directly to their e-mail.

• Governor Ted Strickland
  614-466-3555
  Contact the Governor Online


• Senator Jon Husted
  614-466-4538
  mailto:SD06@senate.state.oh.us?subject=*Save


• Representative Terry Blair
  614-466-6504
  mailto:District38@ohr.state.oh.us


• Senator Bill Harris, President of the Senate
  614/466-8086
  mailto:SD19@senate.state.oh.us?subject=*Save


• Congressman Armond Budish, Speaker of the House
  614-466-5441
  mailto:district08@ohr.state.oh.us?subject=*Save

If you don’t live in Centerville / Washington Township, locate your State Representative or State Senator and send them a letter or an e-mail.

Spread the word!

After contacting your legislators, help us spread the word to your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. Here are some suggestions:

• Send an email to your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues
  Ohio libraries are in jeopardy. I contacted the governor and my legislators to let them know what my library means to me. Find out how you can help, too: http://www.wcpl-insidestory.blogspot.com/


• Wear Red and attend our Red Rally on Thursday, June 25th!
  Wear red and join us on the front lawn of Centerville Library, 111 W Spring Valley Rd. at 4:00 PM to make a public statement about your support for libraries.


• Update your Facebook status
  _____ contacted my elected officials to help save Ohio libraries and you should too. Find out more: http://www.wcpl-insidestory.blogspot.com/


• Post a Tweet on Twitter
  I contacted my elected officials to help save Ohio libraries and you should too. Find out more: http://www.wcpl-insidestory.blogspot.com/


• 
  Change your profile picture on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites
  Right click on the image at right, save it to your desktop, and upload as your profile picture to show your support of Ohio libraries.

LEARN MORE
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• Ohio Governor Proposes Halving State Support; Many Libraries Could Close,
  Library Journal, June 19, 2009


• State budget cuts could close some libraries,
  Dayton Daily News, June 19, 2009


• Strickland calls for a sea change on slots,
  The Columbus Dispatch, June 20, 2009


• Governor proposes slots Ohio.com,
  June 20, 2009

What Do I Read Next?

Join us on Tuesday, July 28th, from 8:30 - 10:00 AM, for a special class entitled, "What Do I Read Next?" at the Woodbourne Library. This class will focus on many of the print and online resources that are available to help find your next interesting read. This demo will cover the major genres, bestsellers and those hard to find gems. There is no advanced registration needed. Visit our website for more information on this and other programs going on at the library!

Are You A Rebel?

When it comes to reading, I’ve always been a rebel. As a little kid, I was indignant at being forced to check out picture books by the school librarian when I really wanted to read chapter books. Don’t get me wrong--I appreciated pictures of cute furry animals and the like as much as anyone, but I wanted books with words. Lots and lots of words. Needless to say, I had to sneak into the big-boy stacks to get my fix, and when I found the books I wanted, I had my older sister check them out for me. (Thanks sis!) My rebellious ways continued in middle school: while most of my peers were sneaking into their big brothers’ rooms to get a peek at their nudie magazines, I was sneaking into mine to read his books. And because he belonged to a book club, he had the goods: science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and horror. Home sick one day, one of the gems I discovered in his collection was a horror anthology published in 1980 called Dark Forces, which I proceeded to devour while curled up on the couch with a bowl of chicken noodle soup. In Dark Forces I discovered for the very first time some absolute legends in the horror field, writers such as T. E. D. Klein, Ramsey Campbell, Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson, and Stephen King. (Remember a little story called The Mist? Yeah, it was first published in Dark Forces.) That book was an eye-opener for me, igniting a life-long love of the dark fantastic. Make no bones about it, people: you will not find a better horror anthology than this. Ever. Trust me. Many have tried, none have succeeded. So if you’re game, give it a shot. Or don’t—be a rebel and read what you want to read. Who cares what I or anyone else thinks of it? (Even if it's trash...just kidding...maybe.) Who cares if it’s not a bestseller? Heck, who cares if Oprah’s never heard of it? If you like it, that’s all that matters.

Let the congregation say amen.

All the Numbers

I wasn't going to read it. I read the description and thought, "No. I am in summer mode. This book has to wait." Summer mode means I read nothing but fun, fluffy "beach" reads. I surround myself with light, easy books where I will know before page one what happens. Despite my best efforts and what I thought would be an effective mantra ("I will not read that. I will not read that."), my summer reading plans didn't make it past the first day of the Summer Reading Club. I kept coming across All the Numbers, by Judy Merrill Larsen and finally succumbed to the need to read it. How's this for light and fluffy: a mother has to come to grips with the death of her 11-year-old son, James, try to regain a sense of normalcy with her 13-year-old son, and fight the legal system to ensure the Jet-Skier who caused her son's death is prosecuted. Oh, I almost forgot: she's still dealing with the idea of dating after James' death and with the emotional repercussions of her ex-husband's infidelity when she was pregnant with James. Yeah, I did great with sticking to fluffy reads.

Despite it being contrary to what I planned on reading, it was a compelling story, with a main character who felt unflinchingly honest. My children, perhaps, don't appreciate the slightly (okay, madly) overprotective tendencies I've had since reading this book, but I will certainly be looking for more books from this first-time author. If you're looking for a complex, heart-wrenching story, this should be on your list. If you're looking for an fun, light, summer read, be stronger than I was and just put it on hold for the fall.

Edith Layton Rest in Peace

Romance author Edith Layton passed away a week ago from ovarian cancer.

She was one of the most prolific romance writers in print and is well-loved by fans and authors alike. She was a contributor to the WordWenches blog and a longtime lover of animals and supporter of the North Shore Animal League in Long Island.

Condolences to her family and friends.

Experience some of her warmth and wit by reading one of the following books:

Alas, My Love

A Bride for His Convenience

Gypsy Lover

His Dark and Dangerous Ways

How to Seduce a Bride

To Wed a Stranger

Bold as all get out

I'll admit right up front: I am not a particularly bold person. I try to avoid conflict whenever and however possible (apologizing, making amends, faking a bad case of food poisoning to get out of the situation...whatever it takes). But, really, it takes a whole new level of literary chutzpah to take on a book that is consistently listed in the top 100 books of the 20th century, a book that is said to have spawned its own genre, a book...okay, enough suspense: Somebody far braver than I has written a sequel to A Catcher in the Rye and J.D. Salinger is not amused.

The publishing company calls it a parody; Salinger's camp calls it a rip-off. Call me a purist, but I can't imagine reading about a 76-year-old Holden, or "Mr. C," as he's referred to in the book, after he escapes from a nursing home and roams around Manhattan. (Okay, as I type that I can see maybe just a little bit where the parody would be a little amusing...) Did the pseudonymous author J.D. California really think that Salinger, who's known for coming out of seclusion only to protect (i.e., sue the pants off anyone who tries to mess with) his work, would just let this lie? Stay tuned for the interesting legal battle that's sure to follow. If Salinger loses, 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye will hit the bookshelves this fall. In the meantime, maybe check out the real thing to see what all buzz is about.

How to Buy a Love of Reading

I was browsing through new books and came across an interesting one entitled How to Buy a Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson. The story centers on Carley, a high school student who never reads for pleasure and admits in an assignment that she has never truly enjoyed any book she has come across. Her parents, who also never read, believe that Carley will have difficulty getting into a good college with her attitude toward books. Their solution to Carley's problem is to commission a book designed around her specifications. They hire a failed writer, Bree McEnroy, to work with Carley.

Carley's attitude is interesting because she really is creative thanks to her best friend. Hunter, who is a huge fan of the written word, is the most improtant person in Carley's life. She often replays conversations in her head, through a game she calls "Aftermemory", if she feels the interaction did not go as well as she would like. This creation of a new story shows the reader that Carley is not quite as indifferent toward stories as she appears. Follow Carley as she helps her friend through his troubles and soon discovers that the written word is not so boring after all.

War...What Is It Good For?

I once considered The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien as the quintessential book about war for people of my generation (1960s). I had been raised on the glorious stories of World War II and was stunned to learn that no war is really glorious no matter its lofty goals or heroic feats. O’Brien’s heartrending account of men dying in the muck and mire of Vietnam spoke to my generation in a way that was unforgettable. I did not think another writer could break my heart the way he did in that book. I was wrong.

In March by Geraldine Brooks, the war is a different one (the American Civil War), but the message is the same. March, an army chaplain and the father of the girls in Little Women, sets off to war with good intentions. Like all men and women of goodwill, he learns that war remains a terrible thing. Even though victory is won and peace is declared, there is no help for the hole that is burned into his soul. Going home will require a different, but no less important, courage than that needed on the battlefield.

Cry of the Icemark

Stuart Hill captures the reader's attention with interesting characters, a strong heroine, and an excellent plot in the fantasy thriller, Cry of the Icemark. The notorious army of General Scipio Bellorum approaches the Kingdom of Icemark. His army remains undefeated, and he wants to expand the territory of the Empire. Queen Thirrin is thirteen and heir to the kingdom. After her father is killed, she must fight her despair to recruit unlikely allies in order to save her kingdom. She befriends werewolves, forest people, giant snow leopards, and even makes a treaty with vampires. If the Icemark is to survive, Queen Thirrin must unite her band of allies before all is lost.

In the Queue

Sisters & Husbands
by Connie Briscoe
After three previous engagements, Beverly, age 39, is now engaged to a man her family approves of and who they think can finally make her happy. Then she starts having second thoughts when her sister’s marriage falls apart.

Naamah’s Kiss
by Jacqueline Carey
Once there were powerful magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn tribe in Alba, but a great magician broke a sacred oath and nearly destroyed his people’s magic.

The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon’s Greatest Army
by Stephan Talty
This makes Swine Flu look like a summer cold! When Napoleon marched toward Moscow in 1812, he had no idea a tiny microbe was waiting for him that would shatter his dream of a world empire.