@ Your Library
Oops! I was supposed to provide titles for the next reading challenge prompt in last week’s column and didn’t remember until it was too late to change my submission. I will provide title suggestions this week and next week will get back on schedule. So you will get two prompts in a row. I did however remember to schedule the Facebook post with the prompts, so you can always check the library’s Facebook page to find the suggestions.
The prompt for last week was to read a classic you’ve never read. I provided options for three short titles and three longer titles. The shorter titles to consider are The Little Prince by Antoine du Saint-Exupery. This title explores themes of loneliness but also friendship and is a bit odd, but it is a short, quick read. The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a story about a pearl diver in Baja California in the 1940’s and explores themes of purpose, greed, and societal norms. John Steinbeck’s The Red Pony is another short title and was originally published as an episodic novel in magazines from 1933-36.
E.M. Forster’s novel A Room with a View is the longest of the short classics I’m recommending. Our edition is just over 300 pages of fairly large print. But it is such a sweet story that it reads quickly and then you can watch the movie, a favorite of mine.
Longer classics to consider include Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a novel of 19th century manners and character development. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is another coming of age story set in the early 20th century. It is considered a classic of the Harlem Renaissance. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was written as a bet and is often considered the first science fiction novel. Of course, you are also welcome to read any other classic (however you choose to define that) you want.
This weekend is the beginning of daylight savings time which means we will all be dealing with no clue about time and will struggle with the darker mornings, but delight in the lighter evenings. If you are thrown for a loop like I often am consider borrowing You Gotta Eat by Margaret Eby a great book of ‘real-life strategies for feeding yourself when cooking feels impossible.’ And if getting up is hard, consider borrowing one of our sunlamps from the library of things. Add one of those socket timers and ‘wake up with the sun.’ Time the sunlamp to come on before you need to wake up and see if that will help you get through the time change transition. We also have a couple of grow lights that can be borrowed if you are looking forward to starting seeds indoors before planting outside (or just have plants that haven’t had enough sun this winter and are looking a bit anemic.) Take a look at our library of things book if you haven’t in a while and see what’s available.