Library Day!

Today was Library Day! I LOVE Library Day! Even when I'm not getting anything for myself, I love going in and picking out some new books to read to my sons. I love carrying around that glossy stack of books...so much potential for memorable characters, fascinating storylines, and outstanding voices. So much to study as a writer.

Well today was more fun--I got some books for myself. Basically I've devised a strategy. I buy the new releases from my RWA chapter members, and I buy my favorite authors, and I buy books I've heard/read really great things about...as long as they're in paperback. I don't buy hardback books. I tend to do most of my reading lying down and a hardback is just too hard to hold up with one hand and the spine pokes rather uncomfortably into my stomach). What I do is get them from the library. I put a hold on them, sometimes while they're still on order. Then if I really enjoy them and think I'll re-read, I buy them in paperback when they're released that way.

Today I checked out Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund (sorry, Diana...hardback), Do They Wear High Heels in Heaven? by Erica Orloff (an author I've never read, but heard good things about), and Fingerprints The Origin of Crime Detection and the Murder Case That Launched Forensic Science by Colin Beavan. I'm just interested...

So now the books I've actually purchased will have to wait while I hurry through those that are due in two weeks. I also have Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel on hold. It's in transit from another library, and I think I'm lucky not to have it. This way I can read the pleasure books first with no guilt.

Sometimes it's great to live in a big city--the libraries are priceless gems.