gave in

I rarely buy books.  Unless for work or one of the kids' required reading for school, I get books at the library.  I'm a minimalist, remember?  It's not just that library books are free already paid for, the library stores them for me too!

When I first heard about that naughty book that went all viral, I didn't plan to read it.  It's not really my usual fare.  But I gave in to the hype.  Several women I know have read it as well as several I don't know.  From the reviews I've read,  readers either love it or hate it.  But it's curious to me what makes a book get so popular when others go essentially unnoticed.

So, under the guise of in the name of social research, I put a library hold on the book a little over a week ago.  Yesterday, I got the message that it was ready for pick up, so I headed to the library today.

As I searched for my name on the hold shelf, I noticed that Magnum also had a book available for pick up.  Since I'm the resident library gopher, I grabbed his too.  Really, as far as the rest of the family is concerned, when one of them puts a book on hold, it magically appears at the house.  Likewise, when they've finished it, they drop it into a bag, and it's magically returned.  Yah, they'll miss me when I'm gone.

In truth, though, it's a very enjoyable bike ride to the library and back.  It's part of how I justify having two bicycles.

Anyway, back to checking out my naughty book.  I'd planned to just check the thing out at the self-checkout kiosk - the library version of plain brown wrapper.  But Magnum's book was an interlibrary loan, meaning I would have to get it from an actual library person.  *sigh*  Fine.

The actual library person was this older grandmotherly woman and I was suddenly a bit self conscious about checking out the naughty book.  I sheepishly handed her the book along with the claim slip for Magnum's.  I fumbled around with the keyring I keep all of the library cards on.

"Yep, I've got the WHOLE FAMILY'S  cards here, heh", I mentioned as she requested mine then Magnum's cards.  Just going to show what a boring, nothing-out-of-the-ordinary-certainly-no-sexual-deviancies wife and mom I was.

She completed the transaction and handed me the books with a sly, little, not-so-grandmotherly grin.

I was so busy trying to look ordinary, that I didn't bother to see what book Magnum had reserved until I got home and emptied my bag.

It's a book on the many uses of human powered cranking, treadling, and pumping.

Of course it is.
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