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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Zulu Loves...The Library!

Ok, maybe it's not a total revelation. But for a hardcore card-carrying Barnes & Noble city girl like me, the library is a fascinating attempt at a liter, more simple lifestyle that doesn't include books that pile over the side of the shelf and take big bites out of my bank account. So for the other library neophytes out there, here is an account of a first-time library goer.


First of all, even as a litehearted gal, this sensitive soul is pretty picky about the environments she puts herself in. If it's too crowded, not clean, or has unkind people, forget it. But the quaint little neighborhood library met all my loftiest expectations. The clerk was this cool dreadlock guy with an English accent who was super helpful assisting me in finding books. And the checkout man was the hoped-for twinkly white haired man. When I approached the desk, he was busy telling a little neighborhood boy a riddle. A riddle, I tell you! How adorable is that? Best of all when you check out, you get none of the mega bookstore hardcore credit card sale that you have to suffer through in traditional book-buying. You know, the sales spiel you've heard so many times you have to fight the urge to recite it along with them after a while. 

The cool thing about going to the library is that it is guilt-free shopping. You still get the tingle of getting something new, without the stress of how much it cost. As a reformed shopaholic, I've been hitting my new "store" at least twice a week, back to my old beloved habits of cocking my head, judging, appraising, chortling with glee when I find something I like, and dismissively tossing back thin
gs I don't. 

Now, in my experience, it is better to just browse the library shelves rather than go in on a mission for one specific thing. This is not the place to find the latest bestseller or the book for your book club. Every book I specifically looked up had at least 4 people holding it. If you're patient or a plan-ahead type, this might work for you. If you're an "in the moment" kind of girl like me, just roam the shelves with no expectations and you'll be surprised what you might find. From what I can see, the library is perfect for those "oh yeah" books, the bestseller from f
our years ago you kept meaning to buy but completely forgot about. It's also good for picking up books in new genres you want to try, how-to books, language books, and even DVDs and cassettes. Overall, I feel the library is a can't-lose situation. More on this below...

For example, sometimes you'll pick up something excruciatingly bad, like Blueberry Nights starring Norah Jones. You meant to see it in the theater but something in your soul told you this sub-par arthouse flick had serious suck potential. And you were right! But since you got to view it in your house sans the twenty-dollar sting of a movie ticket and a giant tub of heart-attack popcorn, or even the minor downer of a 2.00 Itunes rental gone bad, it's terribleness is merely laughable instead of embittering. Winner, you.

To be fair, this movie was beautiful to look at and if the acting wasn't so incredibly overwrought (five scrunchy stares for every one line of dialogue) it might have been ok. The premise of a girl who shares a piece of blueberry pie in a diner one night and then writes letters to the shop-owner during a road trip is charming. But the symbolism was sooo over 
the top, it really just became ludicrous after a while. This might be a nice movie to have on mute at a tea party or when having wine with a friend, just to take in the beautiful cinematography. There is even some solid acting, such as Natalie Portman's off-the-charts poker player. But even that cannot atone for the horror that is Norah Jones' acting debut, or the hideously strained love affair between Norah Jones character and Jude Law's character. Whatever the opposite of chemistry is (biology?) they have it. Ewww. Also I know the pie affect was meant to be artistic but I preferred this 
method in the movie Waitress. This felt a little more like food porn.

On the other hand, you might pick up something brilliantly good that absolutely surprises you, like Dandelion by Catherine James. I picked this book the same way I pick wine: solely by the enchantment factor in the cover. Intrigued by the cheerful blue and yellow motif and the whimsical image of a woman's face appearing in a dandelion, and the lines "Memoir: Of a Free Spirit," I decided to give it a try. Wow. That's all I can say. This unheralded treasure is a much-needed Go Ask Alice for the older set. What a page turner! I read it until well after midnight then woke up at 6 a.m. and read again. From the intro where her father becomes a woman to her affair with Mick Jagger to her stint at Wilhemena modeling agency, James's incredible life is offset by such a frank, friendly writing style, it's the writing that pulls you in as much as the incredible plot. It's amazing that someone with such a topsy-turvy life could write with such levity, which makes James a litegeister after my own heart. I wholly encourage you to pick it up. Or, check out the first page, here.

The moral of the story is, as long as the story is free, you really can't lose. Libraries offer a peaceful, cheerful sanctuary that you can't find in bustling mega-bookstores, a unique sense of community, and they really need our support as the library industry is another one being hit hard by pink slips. Why not check out your local library this weekend? 

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