Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Every day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the nineteenth day of the month is "Library." I've decided I'm going to just tell you what are on my library book shelves each month.
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Paper books checked out:
Seven Percent of Ro Devereux by Ellen O'Clover
Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon
The One True Me and You by Remi K. England
Verity by Colleen Hoover
When I Lived in Modern Times by Linda Grant - The only book available in our library system for this was a large print edition. There were no other holds for it. I have it now. Is this unethical?
All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay
I Love Myself When I Am Laughing...and Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive: A Zora Neale Hurston Reader by Zora Neale Hurston
Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference, and the Pursuit of Justic for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid
Seer of Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters #5) by Juliet Marillier
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
Will Supervillains Be on the Final? by Naomi Novik, illustrated by Yishan Li
Spanish books checked out:
Los buscadores de las nubes (Amulet #3) by Kazu Kibuishi
Con cariño, Amalia by Alma Flor Ada and Gabriel M. Zubizerreta
Ebooks checked out:
Mirror, Mirror: A Twisted Tale by Jen Calonita
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
Paper books on hold:
Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy #1) by C.S. Friedman
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Ebooks on hold:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse
In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons
How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder
Misconduct by Penelope Douglas
What's on your library shelves these days?
I don't understand why it would be unethical to check out a large print book? It's not the only large print book that the library has and you're only keeping it for its normal checkout time. So you have my blessing!
ReplyDeleteDuly noted. I won't even think about it twice now that I have your blessing.
DeleteI sometimes get large print versions out too. They are legit easier to read (I sometimes need reading glasses for regular print), and they can be easier to get, with fewer holds, even in Florida! I don't see a problem with it.
ReplyDeleteI don't need the large print version, but in this case it was the only option, so I don't feel too bad about the whole thing.
DeleteI have something like 66 holds and have zero idea what's on there and when it's coming. I never, ever pay attention to my holds list once I add a book!
ReplyDeleteWhen you ask about the large print book being unethical, do you mean because it's taking that modified version out of circulation when someone might need it (i.e. like using an accessible bathroom stall?). I have never once thought about large print that way, but also absolutely loathe reading large print so I will purposefully wait to get the smaller print regular books!
Yes, I'm taking out one of the limited number of large print books in circulation and possibly away from someone who actually NEEDS the larger print. I guess I feel slightly better about the whole thing because there were no existing holds, so it's better SOMEONE is reading the book, rather than it just sitting on the shelf. At least, this is my justification.
DeleteI'm with Birchy, there's nothing unethical about the large print book. I do that sometimes too. Also, it's nice to not always need my reading glasses.
ReplyDeleteI have 18 books on hold, 3 are in right now (have to pick them up today) and I have 3 at home, although I did just finish one. Oh, and one on ebook. Wooooo better get reading! I am a little worried though because I only have a couple of months left in this city and some of those books might not come in before I leave. I guess I'll just have to figure out the new library system. The new one doesn't have an app, so that will be an adjustment. I think I have over 250 on my "for later" shelf. There's just so much to read and only so much time in a day, you know?
Oh, switching libraries is so hard! The new library doesn't have an app? Does it have a website at least? Or does this mean you can't do holds electronically at all? Do you have a way to get a new library card in the new city before you move there so that you can start getting some holds?
DeleteOr! Can you keep you old library card to get ebooks? I used my Minneapolis library card long after I left Minneapolis until it expired. Ha! I got more books that way!
I was just thinking today that my book situation is getting dire- I only have one book checked out (The House on Mango Street, haven't started it yet) and one book on hold. I know, this would be an extreme emergency situation for you. I need to rectify this ASAP.
ReplyDeleteSince the only copy available was large print, I think you're fine. Just out of curiosity, do you enjoy reading the large print? My sister checked out a large print book once and she said the whole time she was reading it, she felt like someone was shouting at her.
The House on Mango Street is SO GOOD, but short, so I am WORRIED for you. This would be a giant crisis in my house, even though there are a number of books I own that are on my bookshelves that I could read.
DeleteI don't think I have feelings one way or the other about reading large print. I think I mostly find the lack of white space/margins a bit off-putting, but I'm usually so engrossed in reading that I don't really pay too much attention to font.
Ha. My first thought was "but that is a very short book" too, NGS.
DeleteI hope you like Code Name Helene as much as Stephany and I did! The author's note at the end is so good as you learn more about the woman the book was based on.
ReplyDeleteI only read ebooks from the library but I agree what others have said about checking out a large print book. If it was in demand, you've find out since you wouldn't be able to renew your hold. So I wouldn't feel guilty about checking it out! I'm almost done with "Jacqueline in Paris" which is historical fiction about Jackie Kennedy's junior year abroad in Paris. Next I'm going to read "More Than You'll Ever Know" and then "I Have Some Questions For You" which I am SUPER excited to read as I loved that author's previous book. Since I only check out ebooks (generally - I have had to get a physical book a handful of time for book club), I use my holds and my husband's holds (he only reads physical books) so I have 30 books on hold. I usually have 2-3 checked out at a time as I read at least a book/week. Right now I have 4 checked out which has me a little stressed as I might cut it close on not getting through everything in time. Leave it to me to get stressed out by library holds. ;)
I am so jealous that you can use your husband's library card for ebook holds. My husband uses his own, darn him, so I can't do that! We're limited to ten ebook holds, so I just try my best to keep my hold list as current as possible.
DeleteI get stressed out about my book situation All. The. Time. It's nice to remind myself that if I don't get to a book before it's due, I can always check it out later, even if I do have to wait in line again!
I am DYING to hear your thoughts on Verity. I read it last fall and it was... something. LOL.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has gently suggested that I perhaps suspend my library usage and focus on reading some of the many, many, MANY books I own but have not yet read. (And yet he bought me Sea of Tranquility just the other day!) So I am trying to work on my towering stack... and getting around the "no library" restriction by downloading audiobooks from the library. (We own audiobooks I should read too! I have a problem!)
My thoughts on Verity are that it was not a good book.
DeleteMy husband would never suggest I stop using the library, but I do think he's anxious for me to read The Lord of the Rings trilogy (which we own), but I'm not super excited about it. Ha! I love that your house is filled with books - it's such a wonderful thing for Carla to see!
There's been a few books that our library only has in large print so I will borrow that edition in those instances. I think that is fair enough.
ReplyDeleteI currently have 6 books on loan and 6 books on hold, but I don't read nearly as much as you. I'd love to know how you organise your time to fit in your reading?
I probably won't be reserving anymore books for a while because we are going to be away late May to early July so won't be able to have any library loans as I won't be able to return anything. Luckily I do have a little stack of either my own books or books other people have lent me that I've kept to read then.
I organize my time by basically being a fast reader who spends all her free time reading. That's the entire equation. I don't watch much tv or ever watch movies. I rarely go out to socialize. I'm a girl with a book, a couch, and a cat.
DeleteYou are clearly a faster (and deeper) reader than I! Wow! I just finished an Elly Griffiths mystery and now back to Michael Feinstein's "The Gershwins and Me" before I tackle another Rennie Airth and decide if the fiction novel I put down merits a return!
ReplyDeleteI've never even heard of any of those authors, so it's just that your expertise and reading genres are different from mine!
DeleteI adore the little reader statue in your library!
ReplyDeleteThere are statues of little kids like this sprinkled all through our town. I kind of think they're creepy, to be honest, which is why they rarely make the blog!
DeleteOf all of the books you have checked out right now, I have only read Code Name Helene and I loved it! We are allowed 12 e-book holds and 12 paper holds, BUT I live in Oakland and so I have an Oakland library card and I can also get a card for Berkeley and Alameda, which are cities nearby, AND our county library, so I have four library cards! It is great, especially now that they are all using Libby so I can see which one has the quickest hold time. I have not gotten a paper book out since before the pandemic, when I was getting them. However, since I got used to not having access, I never went back. But I do read paper books from my own shelf, which like Suzanne's is overflowing with books I have not yet read.
ReplyDeleteOh, I really should try to get another library card so that I can place holds at more than one location! All the libraries immediately surrounding my town are on the same system, but maybe I should try to get to a library in the nearby big city.
DeleteI have never once thought it was unethical to check out a large-print version of a book, so you are a better person than me to even wonder about it, lol.
ReplyDeleteI belong to three different library systems: my local library system so I can check out print books and then two faraway library systems that have a more robust e-book/audiobook library. One was free for me and the other one I paid $35. I thought that would be a yearly fee but I haven't had to pay it in a few years!
I am pretty sure I could get a library card at other libraries in the state, but I'd have to physically go there. Maybe I'll make it a summer goal to see if I can get more ebook loans!
DeleteYou know my issues with the library system and my inability to ever find anything on my list that doesn't have a (really really) long hold on it. I should really try to figure out a better approach... And, I'm with those who say the large-print book is not an ethical conundrum. No one wanted it at the time you got it, so it's fair game. IMO. :)
ReplyDelete