The Library

Krysta and I went to Barb's celebration party on Friday, August 27th. Celebrating twenty-four years as librarian in Blooming Prairie. Now she is retiring and will finally get a chance to read all those books that have been on the back burner for so long.

We each got a cookie with punch for Krysta; coffee for me. We looked around the room to see if we knew anyone else. There was room to sit at one of the tables. I recognized some of the people but wasn't sure of names to go with faces. Started chatting with one lady who is the wife of one of the school bus drivers. She also is part of a book reading club. We started talking about some of the books the club has read.

Every so often a book title is posted on the door of the library. The date for discussing it is posted. Anyone is welcome. You just ask at the desk for a copy of the book, read it and come prepared to say what you liked about it -- or didn't like -- as the case may be. The first time I ever took any notice of this was a couple years ago when Mrs. Mike was the book being read and discussed. If there is a book I practically know by heart it is Mrs. Mike.

It was interesting to read it again with the idea of discussing it with perfect strangers. I couldn't believe all the funny phrases and twists of words. It was just as captivating as the other twenty times I've read it. Oh -- by the way! Did I tell you I reread books? You might have gotten that picture by now.

Well, there we were on Friday at Barb's party eating cookies and drinking coffee. I couldn't remember her first name and she couldn't remember my first name. She told me about one of the last books their club read. It took place during WWII and told about the survivors of some of the concentration camps. She said it was just too awful. She couldn't bring herself to read it. She knows in her head that all those dreadful things happened but she can't make herself read it.

I asked if she has ever heard of Corrie ten Boom and any of her books.

No . . .

Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl?

. . . no, none of those rang a bell.

We shook our heads and clicked our tongues and agreed that these are really sad books to read about horrible horrible times. I told her if she ever comes to the place where she thinks she can start to read about that time in history I would recommend Corrie ten Boom's story told in The Hiding Place. Gave her just a brief introduction to Corrie and how she escaped from prison and went around the world after that and shared her story of hope. It was a sad time in prison but Jesus was with her. Because of Jesus she could share hope with so many people.

She told me about the book the club is reading right now. We exchanged names and she wrote down Corrie's name and the name of her book. I promptly went over to the library and checked out the book A Year In Provence by Peter Mayle.

Went home and started reading and even though I have a thousand other things I should be doing I finished it before the week end was over. It takes place in France. This couple bought a property in Provence and it tells about their adventures renovating the house. There was only one or at the most two bad words. That part was refreshing. Naturally, they drank wine like we drink kool-aid or pop. That part of it gets a little tiresome. Anyway, I got a crash course of life in France.

Some of the food . . . some of the restaurants . . . the language, some of the customs and -- of course -- when one is living in a house at the same time it is being renovated . . . . one begins to look at life from the perspective of the carpenters.

If they got up early enough they could have breakfast undisturbed by noise or people. If they waited too long -- anything could happen. One morning they were trying to eat and talk above the noise of -- something. can't remember just what it was now. Peter saw his wife's lips moving but couldn't hear a thing. She finally wrote him a note. "Drink your coffee before it gets dirty."

This is the kind of book I am reading and laughing over and Ellis says, "Okay, what's so funny? Share the joke." And then I get to read the funny part out loud. My absolute favorite thing to do . . . .

Maybe I can be a librarian when I grow up.

-- and here I will note that there are many different books and many different views on what books we should read and what we shouldn't read. If you have decided to read only books published by CLP or Rod and Staff or Pathway or other Mennonite publishers you will not want to read many of the books I've discussed in this blog. We most likely don't agree but I am always open for debate or conversation about books.