May 06, 2005

Why I won't be reading the book for this month

Sometimes there are things that are just beyond our control. Like the weather, traffic on the way to work, or stopping yourself from eating chocolate when it's displayed in a bowl and no one is looking. If you want to know my sad, sad story for why I'm not going to get a book read, click on "comments." Leave your own sad, sad story if you like.

10 comments:

wynne said...

I went to the library a week ago to see if they could get a copy of May's book for me. I found a nice little librarian posted behind a computer and we had a nice little conversation, something like this:
"I'd like to get ahold of a book. Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo. Can you get it for me?"
"Sure. Hold on just a minute...what was the name of that book?"
"Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo."
"Ah...I'm sorry, there isn't anything for Eleven Thumbs and the..."
"Leven Thumps. It's children's lit, I think."
"Leben Thumbs?"
"Leven. L-E-V-E-N."
"Leven Thumbs and the Gateway to Foo..."
"No, Thumps."
"Oh! Here it is. Leven THUMPS and the Gateway to Foo."
"Yes."
"May I have your card please?"
(I hand her my card.)
"Okay, Miss...Ween?"
"Wynne."
"Is that short for anything?"
"No, just Wynne."
"Uree-an? Urine?"
"Um, Urien. You-rye-in. Wynne Urien."
"Well, Miss Uree-an, the book is out, and it's also on hold. You're second in queue." Then she lowers her glasses down her nose and looks at me over the tops of them, very seriously, and says, "That means that someone else will get the book before you. And you'll be notified, by letter, when it's in. When it's your turn. After they are done reading it."
"Ah." Thanks for clarifying.

When the book finally does come in--probably by mid-July, I'd guess--I'll read it then. And then I will post a comment. Which no one will read, 'cause this book will be a thing of the past. Oh well.

wynne said...

Buh...but...I'm SECOND in QUEUE. That means that I'll be able to read it whenever Mr/Ms First-in-queue is done with it. Aren't I OBLIGATED to read it? In mid-July?

(And if it makes you feel any better, Shar, I had to look up how to spell "queue." Lots of unnecessary letters in that word, if you ask me.)

Marie said...

My reason is similar, except for here in East Millcreek, Utah, the queue is 121 people long! Zoiks. How short is this book? Think I could take a copy into a dark corner of Barnes & Noble and plow through it before the buy-before-you-read Nazis toss me out on my cheapskate butt?

wynne said...

121?!? Are you freaking KIDDING? When would you get the book by? 2008?

wynne said...

Oh--and I NEVER buy before I read. I learned my lesson eight years ago when I picked up a copy of the "Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and thought, oh, this looks interesting. Never again.

Marie said...

Actually, the number has gone up to 146 since I last checked. However, I just noticed that they have like a bazillion copies of the book in the system, so if people return their books on time, it might not be so bleak as I thought. I might have it by the end of the summer! I put my name on the hold list as a show of good faith -- I'm number 147.

As for the Ya Ya Sisterhood, I'm right there with ya. I never read the book, but the movie was blechey. I think it was trying to be wise and sparkling and it came out didactic and obnoxious. Who knew you could leave a girl-power movie mortified to be a girl?

wynne said...

It is now about mid-July, and I still haven't gotten the blasted book yet. Maybe by August?

wynne said...

Ooo--ooo! And for the Traveling Pants, I'm FIFTH in queue! Isn't that great?!?

Marie said...

There are three editions of Traveling Pants in the SL County Library system. One has 70+ holds on it, the second has 80+ holds on it, and the third has 37 holds on it. I'm going to get in line for the third one -- wish me luck.

wynne said...

By the way--I finally *did* get to read this book. And...

I thought it was absolutely, thoroughly horrid.

Um...well, you can tell the author spent a lot of time developing his fantasy world, and drawing little sketches of his characters, etc--you could tell he knew exactly how they *looked*--but never figured out how to write. Or tried to do--oh, characterization.

Oh well. At least it was fun to wait that long for it.