The best way for me to utilize a library is to just hang out there without taking anything home with me. Once a month or so, I go to the bigass downtown library and go absolutely nuts picking out a stack of various, previously unknown to me, authors and then reading excerpts to see if they pique my interest or not. If so, I add it to my wishlist (if only in hardcover or not a well known author) or make a note to look for that author the next time I'm at the used bookstore.

I think I'll need to head downtown this weekend. It's been at least a month since my last library day.

Plus, it's an added bonus that I can shush people in a library. Love the shush.

I used to hang out at the library almost every day after school when I was a kid. Plus when I was really young my mom used to take us to story time on Saturday morning and afterwards we got to pick out a book. Aimee--the Buena Vista library has GREAT programs for kids! Check it out -- [link] They have a TREE in the kids section!

It probbably mattes what you near by branch is like in a bigger city, but with most library catalogs on line - ordering a book and getting it sent to you branch is easy.

I think as a patron, a tree would be cool. But keeping kids from climbing it , would be a nightmare.

I have such happy memories of riding my bike to the library to spend a summer's day among the books. I remember that their a/c was perpetually turned all the way to "frigid arctic blast." So I had to bring my sweater along, as unpleasant as it was to handle wool on a humid, sticky dog day. Even so, I'd have to go outside to warm up, four or five times.

Nicole, I'm gonna start you out with "Wild Seed," and then maybe the Xenogenesis trilogy.

My library was about two blocks from the beach. So I'd get a back-pack full of books and, if the weather suited, sit on a rock by the bay to read them. Hey, Mom had told me to go play outside.

Nicole, I'm gonna start you out with "Wild Seed," and then maybe the Xenogenesis trilogy.

Squeee! Thanks, dearest. I've been eyeing the 3-fer called "Lilith's Brood" on Amazon. If I can find it at my local used bookstore (which I highly doubt but I'm optimistic - even with my pessimism) I'll be a happy girl. Over 700 pages, so that should hopefully keep my greedy Story!Self busy for a bit.

I'm heading to the local branch of the library tomorrow, AIFG! In theory the trip is just to pick up the books I put on hold(some of the Agatha nominees I haven't read yet) but I'm sure I'll end up with a large stack of books...

(adds "Kindred" and "Clay's Ark" to the list)

Oh, and "Xenogenesis" = "Lilith's Brood." Lilith got around.

I think my favorite Butler is actually Bloodchild and Other Stories. I remember being really creeped out and fascinated by the title story in particular. Kindred is also excellent.

Why did no one mention that LKJ has a new paperback out?

I ran into it in the bookstore and had to read it. It's more novella or short story than novel, and it's...what we've come to expect from her. Which is to say, crap crap crap, lots of sex, poor poor lycanthrope who is TORMENTED over the fact that he is JUST TOO WELL HUNG!, minimal explanation of "plot" (see, it gets to the big conflict and Anita is...hit over the head, and then it's all resolved!).

It was nice, though, that there were a few references to previous things that had sort of been dropped--like the fact that Anita in theory makes her living as an animator too.

It makes me so sad, I enjoyed the first couple Anita Blake books.

Scarier still, it included an excerpt from the next book, which started out with her old friend Ronnie (wait, remember how she used to have FRIENDS?) basically saying what all the readers have been complaining about...and poor, poor Anita is all hurt and pissed and her boyfriends are all ready to kick Ronnie's ass, because how dare she not understand Anita's PAIN and how she NEEDS SEX??