I’ve been down with another nasty bout of vertigo, but since I was already horizontal, I finished a book that was close to overdue, and it reminded me how much I love the library.
Although my parents were not well-educated, they strongly encouraged us to read – anything and everything. Dad was a big reader, and he kept a little shelf of salacious material in the bathroom, where he spent much of his time. But that’s another story.
My sister and I were always in the summer book clubs and walked to the library on warm summer days. Sometimes we cheated and took a shortcut over the railroad tracks. I’m sorry, Mom.
Dad once told us we were related to the Raja of Tahumbaktu. We spent hours researching and even got the librarian to help. We came up with nothing. I believe we used a pay phone to call him and ask how to spell Tahumbaktu, and all I can remember is the sound of him laughing his ass off. He made it up as a way to get us out of the house.
In high school, I won awards for my speech on legalizing prostitution, and my mother had to come with me to the library so I could access books needed for my research. She was happy to do it, although she was not much of a reader, other than true crime magazines. We were never allowed to go to Tom Sawyer’s Island at Disneyland, because according to Mom, a girl got raped there.
In retirement, I’ve become more frugal, and the library is a great way to save money and avoid the stockpiling of books. It’s an easy walk to my local branch! I take a small backpack for my books, and I feel sort of like Tom Sawyer embarking on an adventure. Or maybe Becky Thatcher? Although I read the books, I’ve imagined a lot of it, because sadly, I couldn’t get to the island.
We live in El Dorado County, so I immediately signed up for a library card at the branch down the street. Later, I discovered Sacramento County has a bigger system and Folsom, the next town over, has a separate system completely. By signing up for a Folsom library card, I now have access to everything in my county of residence, as well as Folsom and most everything in Sacramento County.
Although I sometimes show up and get lucky, I usually do my browsing online. I keep several tabs open. One for Amazon and one for each library. I’ve also bookmarked a couple of sites that review books in my favorite genre, and that’s a great way to find lesser known writers. For ideas, I like Left Coast Crime and Edgar award winners. Usually I go to Amazon for the full write-up.
When I find something I’m interested in reading, I place a hold on it through one of my online library accounts. If one library doesn’t have it, the other one usually does. I’m currently #23 for the new Michael Connelly mystery featuring my all-time favorite detective, Harry Bosch.
I’ll read just about anything, including cereal boxes, but I favor hard-boiled mysteries and historical fiction about the Old West. Some of the authors I like are not widely read, so I will often have to jostle back and forth between the libraries to find it in the system. Occasionally I will break down a buy a book, usually for my Kindle, and usually for travel. Sometimes a hard copy cookbook.
Finally, I keep a little journal with books I want to read. Mine is messy and includes other lists, because I am a demonic list maker. If it’s a series, I list all the books of the series in order and try to read them in order. Not because I am crazy but because I like to see how the characters evolve over time.
Any other good frugal reading tips out there?
I have a thing for Scandinavian mystery novels. They have some commonality in how they describe political and environmental conditions that is really interesting. Breaking from this, though, I’m binging through a Scottish detective series now.
Favorites? What’s the Scottish series? I read a Jo Nesbo novel featuring Harry Hole and liked it a lot.
I love my library. I’ve been using it exclusively for Ebooks because I don’t want to drive across town. You should get the app BookBub and you can customize your reading interests and they will send you a daily email with book deals (usually $.99 or $1.99). I still check to see if they have it at the library though, ha.
I wondered about apps and was hoping someone would share! Thank you, that sounds great.
I enjoyed your last post re: Hillary. I was told in 2008 that men would not vote for Hillary. Why? Because she reminded them of their first wife. I was told in 2016 that men would not vote for Hillary. Why? She reminded them of their first wife’s lawyer.
Now, she is making sounds that she wants to run again, or this time just be appointed.
Oh well. We now have a clown. And a complete circus.
Hi Jack — thanks for my laugh of the day. Yes, it’s a mess. I have also read some women don’t like her because she is all they will never be. Other women I’ve actually met who are quite accomplished in their own right said they just don’t like her — no reason. I never thought I would miss George Bush.
I subscribe to both bookbub and Pixel of ink by email as well as a couple frugal, housewifey type bloggers who share free books of the day because those usually include recipes and crafts and the like. I only get my books by overdrive at the library, although some of them can be read online (meaning I get them through Amazon). I like Scandinavian novels (Rebekka Martinson series, Jo Nesbo and the like) Also british cop detective series like the Shetland series-she has a new book- and the Kate Atkinson books. I like Bernard Menier. Warning: many of these are blood thirsty and a couple of the villians have Hannibal Lechter like tendencies. You may want to go to Fantastic Fiction.com and sort by mysteries, it’s my go to for new and coming soon books.
Fantastic tips, Barbara! Wow, these are great. Thank you so much for taking the time to share.
Another Harry Bosch fan here. I just finished his latest book and it was not my favorite sorry to say. But, it looks as though he will be around for at least another book. I maintain a reserve list with my library and also use Goodreads.com for reviews on books I’m interested in. I’m also a Grisham fan.
Oh, I’m so bummed to hear it’s not your favorite. But you never know — sometimes a book will click with one and not another. I do like the Amazon series as well — have you seen it?
Donna, I just had to say thanks for the tip on the new Harry Bosch novel. I didn’t know a new one was on its way and, thanks to you, I’m now in the queue. Unfortunately not as far up on the list as you are though – I’m #205 with 48 libraries in my system ordering copies, Could be much worse! This is a series that both my husband and I enjoy, and I’ll often read one aloud on our cross country travels. (That works better for us than audio books but to each his own.) So now we can happily look forward to the next one.
While I don’t make a list for every series I read, I do make notes as to the last book I’ve read by each of my favorite authors. Having a large number of favorites makes it difficult for me to remember where I’m at in a series, especially since titles don’t often stick with me. (Have you ever started a book and made it halfway through the first chapter only to find that, “Hmmm, this is sounding rather familiar?”) A list is a beautiful thing!
Our local library system has always had magazines available at its sticks and bricks location, but recently added an option to read magazines online. Anyone who loves reading magazines but not paying subscription prices may want to check with their local library to see if this option is available to them. I’ve loved libraries since I was a kid and I do so appreciate the continuing efforts they make to provide patrons with more and better services.
Glad to be of service! Sounds like you have a great handle on your reading material. I do sometimes get half-way through a book and wonder if I’ve read it before. I don’t read many magazines, but a couple of years ago I got the app Zinio for Libraries. I got a Kindle Fire specifically for reading magazines, because I had a long bus commute before I retired. Worked well, and I might have to get back in there now that I have more time.
My tips aren’t new at all. But what impressed me most in the last few years is Donna Tartt’s “Goldfinch”. I hope to live long enough to read the book she’s currently writing (she worked 12 years on the Goldfinch).
And I liked a lot Stieg Larsson’s “Millenium Trilogy”.
Currently I read Thomas Mann “Zauberberg” again and a Bio about Friedrich II.
I continue to be a lover of printed books. E-readers and downloaded books just are not as satisfying.
I am a big fan of our library and use it constantly. If I learn of a book I am interested in reading I will put in on the Hold list for several weeks in the future. In that way I don’t forget about a book that I want to read but I give myself time to finish what I already have while the hold status is in place.
I just became a board member of the Friends of the Library group. I hope to give back something to such an important part of my life and the life of our community.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Bob. I didn’t know about the hold option. I hate when they all come in at once! I love the idea of Friends of the Library — something I am going to look into.