Thanks to Eleanor (here and here) and Marcie for posting about their recent library reads! Everyone is welcome to join in with this meme that runs on the last Monday of the month.
Earlier in the month I had an all-volunteering Tuesday where I went from 1) a busy morning library volunteering session straight to 2) a coffee meeting with the local repair café coordinator to discuss publicity, then 3) caught up on receipts and accounts for the suite of community gardening projects for which I’m treasurer and 4) went out to one of the garden sites to help fill newly constructed raised beds with compost, wood chip and veg plants. And of course, as I do every day when I’m not on holiday, I 5) stopped by the neighbourhood Little Free Library I curate to tidy the shelves and check whether any new stock was needed.
Ever since I was invited to become a local school governor last year (I declined) and a trustee of the neighbourhood nonprofit arts venue where I attend gigs and sometimes volunteer tending bar (earlier this year; I’m still thinking about it), I’ve had the feeling that others view me almost like a retiree. I postulate two main reasons. One, as an underemployed freelancer, I don’t appear to have a proper career. I don’t mind people thinking this as it feels true for me much of the time. Secondly, I don’t have children, a major commitment for many women of my age bracket. As Sheila Heti wrote in Motherhood, “There is something threatening about a woman who is not occupied with children. There is something at-loose-ends feeling about such a woman. What is she going to do instead? What sort of trouble will she make?”
I’m not particularly ambitious professionally; I wish I was in a financial situation to be the full-time volunteer that some perceive me to be – after all, my unpaid roles are, in many cases, less annoying and more rewarding than much of what I do for money. Maybe I’ll work out the right balance sometime in the near future. It’s important to feel productive and valued. In the meantime, it is gratifying that my skills are appreciated in my charitable work.
My library use over the last month:
(Links to reviews of books I have not already covered on the site)
READ
- Blossomise by Simon Armitage
- All the Beauty in the World: A Museum Guard’s Adventures in Life, Loss and Art by Patrick Bringley
- Cloistered: My Years as a Nun by Catherine Coldstream
- The Year of the Cat by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
- Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
- The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
- Jungle House by Julianne Pachico
- Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
SKIMMED
- Beautiful Trauma by Rebecca Fogg
- Second Helpings by Sue Quinn (a leftovers cookbook; we’re intrigued by the coffee grounds cookies!)
CURRENTLY READING
- Death Valley by Melissa Broder
- Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville
- Kay’s Incredible Inventions by Adam Kay
- After Dark by Haruki Murakami
- Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
CHECKED OUT, TO BE READ
(The rest of what is pictured in the three photos!)
ON HOLD, TO BE COLLECTED
- Piglet by Lottie Hazell
- Languishing by Corey Keyes
- You Are Here by David Nicholls – The other week when I took this screenshot I thought there were a lot of holds on this one, more than I have seen since Lessons in Chemistry first came out. I looked again yesterday and I am now 1st out of 53. All waiting for one copy!
- Knife by Salman Rushdie
- The Spoiled Heart by Sunjeev Sahota
RETURNED UNFINISHED
- Mona of the Manor by Armistead Maupin – I read the first 30 pages. It seemed fun enough, if edgy for the sake of it (every main character is queer; crass speech). I encountered many more typos than I expected for a published book, including missing articles and quotation marks. Ultimately, I think you have to be invested in this series and its characters, whereas I had only ever read the first book, Tales of the City, and it didn’t captivate me.
RETURNED UNREAD
- Have a Little Faith by Kate Bottley – I admire her as a person but the first few pages made me think she’s not cut out for being a writer. This promised to be generic and twee.
- Learning to Think by Tracy King – Requested after me. Will try another time.
- The Half Bird by Susan Smillie – Did not enjoy the writing style at all.
- Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman – Requested after me. Might try another time.
What have you been reading or reviewing from the library recently?
Share a link to your own post in the comments. Feel free to use the above image. The hashtag is #LoveYourLibrary.
Bookish Beck = Rebecca Foster. American transplant to England. Freelance proofreader and book reviewer.
Bookish Beck 
I don’t have children, and I’m amused by your Sheila Heti quotation. Nothing suspicious about me – I just prefer not to fill a role that doesn’t appeal and for which I don’t feel suited. And I’m lucky that the 20th century gave me the chance to choose my own path. 😊
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Indeed, we are lucky that we have these options. I’m interested in others’ perceptions about me as a childless woman, which often don’t chime with my self-image.
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I spent years having other women asking me why I didn’t have children. I countered by asking why they did. Mostly, they couldn’t answer that. I don’t dislike children, or oppose anyone else who wants them – they’re just not for me, and I don’t appreciate others trying to fit me into their rather narrow world view. And I prefer to see myself as child-free, rather than child-less. 🙂
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I’ve posted a proper #LoveYourLibrary roundup for May now! Here it is: https://ellethinks.wordpress.com/2024/05/26/loveyourlibrary-may-2024/
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You’re the best!
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I’m a volunteer librarian at a tiny library in the North Yorkshire Dales.
We are currently returning from an extended visit to our daughter and grandson and we’re doing the Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2. The onboard library is stunning!
More than 10,000 books, beautiful wooden shelves, comfortable seating and as it’s at the very front of the ship there are amazing sea views.
There’s a huge swap section too. I think it’s the biggest ‘at sea’ library!
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Wow, I’m impressed! How long is the crossing? I would surely spend much of it in the library! I am not one for boats but have been lucky that all of our recent ferry experiences (Spain, Scotland, France) were very smooth journeys.
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The crossing takes a week. This is the third time I’ve done it (hate flying) and the time just races by. It does help if you enjoy your partner’s company! After 43 years we get on very well!
I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the library. They even have a Book Club!
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My husband hates flying about as much as I hate being at sea, but the time factor means that planes always win out for visiting my family in the US. I would say if time was no issue we’d sail, but I imagine the cost is prohibitive, and it’s debatable whether enormous ocean liners are any better environmentally than planes.
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I saw an interesting quote on Insta from Caroline Magennis’s Harpy about the unfair expectations of productivity that are put on women without children, because it’s assumed we (a) have more time and (b) need to spend it doing things that are ‘useful’!
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I have tried not to think ill of people who come up with these volunteering roles for me, but I do wonder if there’s a whiff of ‘she must be in need of things to do’!
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[…] in Toronto. I only recognise a handful of writers so I’m curous to see where this goes. (It’s Rebecca’s #LoveYourLibrary event that’s inspired this […]
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I’ve got a copy of Piglet that I have been avoiding (and it’s not renewable). LMK if you’re about to dive in! It made me giggle to see your screenshot of You Are Here, because there you are, in the list. How is Barbara Pym not a common find in LFLs over there, I assumed you’d have your pick of second-hand copies?!
Here’s my link:
http://www.buriedinprint.com/?p=27516
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Thanks so much for joining in!
I’ll collect Piglet next Tuesday. We could buddy-read it if you wish; how long will you have it for (three weeks from then for me)?
As it’s for book club, I borrowed a public library copy and a university library copy to distribute to the other members. I don’t actually come across Pym all that often secondhand (then again, I haven’t looked).
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It’s only taken me, what, years to absorb this whole “last Monday of the month” concept. lol Meanwhile, #hopelesslyaddicted to libraries. I also just noticed Despereaux: I loved this book. It’s one of the few books from when the (step) kids were young that I’ve kept for myself (they preferred the film): is that one you’ve already returned?
My Piglet is, apparently, due back in two days, and even though it’s not very long, I can’t squeeze it in. So I spoke too soon, I’m afraid.
Fun fact: It was en route to me more than a month ago (I only noticed cuz I was waiting for an ILL and was hoping they’d arrive at the same time) and then it was delivered but, then, it was checked out!! So I know someone at the branch snagged it for themselves instead. This is the second time it’s happened to me with that branch and I’d like to know which librarian there thinks I’ve got such great taste. lol (The other book was about Beavers, so I wonder if they weren’t terribly disappointed to find there’s no actual piglets in this novel. At least, I don’t think there are? You’ll have to tell me!)
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I came across Despereaux when I was filling an ILL request for it and added myself to the queue. Glad to hear that it’s a keeper. I haven’t started it yet.
Ah well, another time for Piglet. As far as I know the title just refers to her childhood nickname. I’m hoping it’s sensitively done re: food issues and I’m sure it will be.
Naughty, borrowing a book reserved for someone else! I don’t think staff would take that privilege in my library system. As a volunteer I wait in the queues just like anyone else.
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If they look at my account and see all the activity, they probably think “oh, she’ll never notice” but, instead, I’m always in my account. LOL Someone also just snagged a genre novel that has a huge hold list here, receiving my hold at the branch but not marking it received so they could read it themselves over a few days before marking it as having arrived. I hope they felt uncomfortable the whole time rushing to read it so that I wouldn’t bother to complain that it took 10 days while other transfers (for boring books /snort) from the same branch were filled in the usual 3 days. Hrumph. /chuckles They’re correct to think I’ve many other books to occupy me, and it’s just-for-fun reading, but the principle of it does niggle. OUAT, I used to think all bookish people were fair.
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Truly shocking! I’m the same, monitoring my account all the time, so I would notice any abnormality.
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I have Learning to Think TBR as I went to an event with her the other week hosted by our bookshop. If you don’t get hold of it again via the library I can always do a postal lend to you! I loved Late Light and hope you enjoy it, too.
Re volunteering, I know what you mean, although I have always had a propensity to get myself onto committees which I now know to avoid. Oh, although I am co-Event Director and volunteer coordinator for a parkrun. I also volunteer at my running club, leading one or two sessions a month and supporting slower runners on our club run, and I am also supporting the Labour Party doing leafleting and, from last night, door-knocking (suprisingly enjoyable!). I also help support a friend living with a disability. Fortunately she never assumes and the LP stuff is also run on the assumption people let them know when they’re available and there’s no expectation based on lifestyle as to when you can do stuff.
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Learning to Think came back in for me, but thank you for the offer. I hope Late Light will go far in the Wainwright Prize race; they are always in need of more diversity.
I definitely have to be clear on when to say ‘no’, something my husband is still working on after giving up being a councillor but still having the Lib Dems expect him to leaflet all the time.
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You sound incredibly productive to me! I’m now in an odd limbo as a more or less empty nester (one still at home, two still needing their washing done). My freelance translating has almost dried up, there’s no financial reason to work and I have a shonky immune system. I never volunteered more than when my children were small, what with school and being in the expat club committee and writing the newsletter. People used to ask me at parties what I did, and when I said I was a stay-at-home mum, that was a conversation stopper, yet my life was so varied! Now I don’t do anything that needs volunteers and I really don’t feel like doing bar duty at a sports club or pushing someone in a wheelchair. Nor gardening for someone else when I can’t keep up with my own jungle, especially when they always want hedges trimming and grass cutting and bare earth round their strictly corralled plants. Aargh! I need to find some guerrilla gardeners or nature nurturers or something where they just need someone to turn up and arrange the chairs. I could join the volunteers at the museum, but they’ve already got 70 of them!
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The other lady I volunteer with at the library on a Tuesday morning is a freelance translator (French, German and Italian, I think). My proofreading work has dried up to almost nothing and the book reviews, while enjoyable, pay a pittance.
I know some retirees who seem busier than anyone else! Not quite your situation, I appreciate, but once you get involved in volunteer projects it seems to snowball. So maybe you can dip a toe into one or two and see how it goes. Guerrilla gardening sounds good; better than well-manicured spaces anyway. Our garden is a jungle, too, but we prefer to leave it alone and help out at the community one, where they never seem to have rampant weeds and pretty much everything that is planted thrives.
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You seem to cram in an inordinate amount of volunteering onto your life of reading an inordinate amount of books. I don’t know how you do it!
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It’s more about what I don’t do (work very much, cook or clean, watch telly, raise children).
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Well, the only one of those that I actually do is cook. And that’s because I enjoy it.
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