Library Haul

 

This is what happens when I go to the library to return books, but don't have any holds to pick up. Because I can't leave empty-handed!

I love libraries, but mostly I place holds for books and go pick them up when a stack is ready. That's because I often need books for my writing projects and don't want to drive all over the city to find what I need. (We have 18 branches of the library here in Memphis!) Plus, I know and love the librarians at my local branch and like to give them the stats they need to stay open and serve the neighborhood. But that means that I often don't browse...

I compare it to doing a grocery pickup. (Except I hate grocery shopping almost more than anything else and I love libraries completely.) But I'd rather someone else do the work while I get to reap the benefits. Food for my body, food for my brain... very similar. And clearly after seeing what happens when I brose at the library and accumulate a stack like this... again, I'm reminded of how many random things jump into my cart at the grocery store.

The biggest difference? These books are FREE! Take that, groceries! Libraries win yet again.

Have you read any of the books in this stack? Based on these titles, is there anything you'd recommend me to read next?

One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris

One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris

This book caught my eye as a "Together We Read" selection on Libby at the beginning of March. The start of the new year is typically a slow reading period for me and I know this, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. I hadn't been reading much at all, and the books I was in the middle of weren't engaging. I didn't feel compelled to finish them. So seeing that I could check out One Summer in Savannah without a waitlist made me grab it to give it a try.

I'm so glad I did. This book blew me away. I read it in just a few days, dying to know the full story while also not wanting it to end. It’s a unique take on rape, forgiveness, life and death, and I love how Harris treated every character as human - there are no clear villains because almost everyone could have been “bad” and selfish in their own ways. I highlighted tons of quotes that got me thinking. I can’t wait to read more from this author. (I also love that Harris is a librarian since I am too.)