Meet a Reader | Librarian E., from Texas
1. Tell us a little about yourself
Hi, everyone. My name is Elizabeth, and I live in North Texas (*waves to Texas Rachel*) with my husband of 22 years and our two children, aged 12 and 7.
I’m a librarian and my husband is a programmer, though since our son was born he’s chosen to work limited contract hours to be the stay-at-home parent/household engineer.
We tend to be protective of our family’s personal information (see: librarian and programmer), so we rarely name our kids or share their photos online, but we will sometimes post pictures like these:
#raisingthemright - our son reading the short story collection by my favorite author
#mommydaughterdate - our daughter admiring the sort of tea shop decor she’ll never see in our house
I’ve worked at my library for 18 years in a variety of roles. Currently I manage the collection.
In conversation with me, you’ll want to avoid soap-box topics like the pitfalls of licensing (as compared to owning) content, publishers who include sticker sheets in books, and why some books are classified as “young adult” when similar books are marketed for an “adult” audience.
Reading and baking are my two main hobbies, so if I had an Instagram account (which I don’t), I’d call it MostlyBooks&Food and it would feature pictures like these:
Brinna’s Sandy Apricot Tartlets, a recipe inspired by Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen Thief series
Gingerbread perfectly accompanies the Moosepath League titles set during autumn and winter
I love finding the right readers for my favorite books and authors.
(This is another way of saying that I’m not a very good readers’ advisory librarian; if I was, it would be the other way around.)
Given the courtesy and graciousness of the community here, the series I would recommend to everyone is Van Reid’s Moosepath League, which starts with Cordelia Underwood, or the marvelous beginning of the Moosepath League.
Set in 1890s Maine, the books feature the most delightful characters, P.G. Wodehouse-esque humor, Dickensian names, and rambling storytelling in the tradition of News from Lake Wobegon.
“This continued affinity of mind encouraged them. It bode well for the human race if they, despite their separate political affiliations and religious backgrounds, could think so alike.” (Mollie Peer, or the underground adventure of the Moosepath League)
For Kristen’s medical reading I suggest everything by surgeon Atul Gawande. Complications and Better are probably most career-relevant, so you might start with those.
Being Mortal: on medicine and what matters in the end may be the one book I’d make mandatory reading for all American adults.
I started with The Checklist Manifesto because my other professional / personal interest is in the area of continuous process improvement / Lean / the Toyota Production System.
But that’s probably another topic best avoided before this post attains novel length.
Librarian Nancy Pearl action figure hard at work on my office desk
Finally, I should confess that Kristen and I have vastly different opinions on pie. Thanksgiving Day Pie Lunch and Pi Day are among our important food-centric family celebrations.
French apple is my specialty, lemon chess is a family favorite, and I also make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. In addition to my pie t-shirt, I have a fair-sized wardrobe of book-related clothing.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
Several years, but I couldn’t begin to pin it down more than that. What I do remember, though, is that my sister-in-law recommended this blog to me the same week a co-worker recommended the Non-Consumer Advocate by Kristen’s friend, Katy. I still read them both.
We live in a small house (just shy of 1300 sq ft) and I find a cluttered environment stressful, so Katy’s emphasis on experience gifts is one idea I’ve tried to implement more (and encourage extended family members to give).
While I rarely read comments, much less write any myself, I (as many others have said) enjoy the friendly, cheerful atmosphere here. And I love knowing that when I do read the comments they’ll be warm and gracious, too. (Even when they’re about politics!)
Since I dislike shopping, I particularly appreciate Kristen’s product reviews. (We use Ting and I have a black wool pea coat.)
Finally, since the city I live in is highly affluent and consumption-centric, I like being reminded that there are others who share my “happy with less” lifestyle.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
Mostly I think it's because I never saw anything else modeled.
We weren’t truly poor growing up, but money was tight and my sister and I saw our parents manage that – from direct withdrawals from paychecks for the Christmas fund to envelopes for different types of spending, to making lists of needed home improvements and then prioritizing them.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
It turns out that we really, really dislike being in debt. The fact that we were both working, but living on only one of the incomes, for 8 of the 10 years before our son came along means we were able to bank a lot early.
I also prefer having money in the bank to having stuff. Money is fungible – you can turn money into just about anything else when you need to. That’s not always true of stuff (and I don’t want to spend my time selling stuff).
My father was a high school teacher and when his students complained about how broke they were, he’d ask how many pairs of jeans they owned and how much, on average, a pair cost. Then he’d have them do the math. They weren’t broke – they had turned their money into more clothes than they could wear. I guess I absorbed that lesson.
And finally, I’d rather give money to a good cause than spend it on myself. That’s another thing my husband and I both saw growing up – making sacrifices to have more to give towards the needs of others.
This applies not just to money, but also to time. We both lived in Peru as children because our parents did short-term missions work with Wycliffe Bible Translators.
5. What's your best frugal win?
Probably marrying my husband. We wed a month after graduating from college. His father was a professor at the college we attended, so my husband attended tuition-free and graduated debt-free.
After our wedding, he emptied a fund his grandparents had set up for him and paid off my student debt. (That fund lost half its value about a month later in the dot-com crash, so we really lucked out.)
We had a small, inexpensive, outdoor wedding. The goal was to be married at the end of the day. Seems to have worked out.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
I wish we had started college savings accounts for our kids earlier. They won’t have the benefit of going tuition-free.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
How about two?
1. Personally autographed books
I borrow many, many more books than I buy, but I have started supporting my favorite authors by buying their new books, particularly if I can purchase from their independent, local bookstore and get an autographed copy.
Autographed copies of books by some of my favorite authors: Megan Whalen Turner, Richard Peck, Van Reid, and Emily B. Martin
2. French pastries
I love to bake, but nothing too finicky, so occasionally I treat myself to something(s) at the local French patisserie.
Cinnamon-sugar pull-apart made with croissant dough, hot chocolate, and the final book in the series by my favorite author, Megan Whalen Turner
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Anything to do with a high-maintenance lifestyle. I score a 0 on those “how high maintenance are you?” quizzes.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I’d love to say that I’d put it towards a trip to one of the four places on my travel wish list but, undoubtedly we’d do the same thing we do with all unexpected income:
Give extra to one or more of the organizations we support and bank the rest. Maybe splurge on an extra night of takeout.
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers
The obvious one is: use your local public library!
I’m generally reading at least 3 books at a time (fiction, nonfiction, and eAudio), so I can’t afford my book habit, much less my family’s. We often have 50+ books checked out at a time.
The books we currently have checked out for the 7yo. The 12yo has more than 20 just from our last trip to the library.
For things we already own I try to follow the Non-Consumer Advocate motto: use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.
When I finally decide to buy something, I try to make sure to get something high-quality with all the features I want.
When I’m comparison shopping, I think through function first, then form: does it do everything I need it to; how hard is it to clean; how much work is it going to take to maintain; will it hold up over time? And then I think about form.
William Morris said, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” I try not to buy anything that’s not useful and beautiful.
Since all of that sets an exceptionally high standard and I really, really dislike shopping, I mostly end up making do or doing without, which is pretty frugal.
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
This has been the hardest question to answer. Frugal living is certainly not what our area is known for.
As a city employee, however, I know that we have a fiscally conservative City government, so city services are run as efficiently as possible, with a goal of continuous improvement.
Whether that’s unique or not, I don’t have the experience to say. But libraries, parks, and other city services are definitely worth looking into if you’re not already using them.
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Elizabeth, I have to tell you that I love Atul Gawande. And yes, Being Mortal is such an important read; most of us will face aging and illness at some point, and I think it's so much better to think about it and discuss it ahead of time rather than ignore it!
I have Better in my library stack right now, and I also read The Checklist Manifesto. Did you like When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi? That's my favorite medical memoir ever! Such beautiful writing.
One question: are books with stickers just annoying for a library because then the stickers are only good for one patron?
Readers, leave your questions and comments for Elizabeth!
P.S. If you want to see the list of medical memoirs I've read, here's a whole list of them, with a couple of new ones since I first published the post.
Hi E, I really liked reading the snippets of your life you have shared. To me it is entirely sensible to be cautious about sharing private information. I used to work for a Texas based IT company about which a book was written (you may be able to figure this one out) so whenever I read about a programmer who lives in Texas, I wonder if they are former colleagues! Which is nonsensical of course.
Thanks for recommending us some good reading!
@J NL, I thought the same thing about privacy. There is an account that I follow on IG and it's a little girl who is just the cutest thing and as someone in their 50s, I worry about her. Sounds silly I know, but we have all heard stories about people on the other side of the computer and the evil that can lurk there.
@J NL, Thanks. Without naming company names, I think I can guarantee my husband isn't for former colleague of yours. 😉 I hope you enjoy the books!
One of the-if not THE--most readable and smile-inducing posts on any blog ever! I would love to be your friend and hope you will either respond on this blog or start your own.
@Gail, Wow! Thank you so much! You just made my day, so I'm sorry to disappoint you. I majored in English once upon a time, but never aspired to become a writer. (When you create your first card catalog in elementary school, your career path is fairly clear.)
I have written blog posts for my library in the past and I like to think I write a good Christmas letter each year, but that's about the extent of my writing (many emails at work excepted). I'll try to comment around here more often, though.
I think people who read a lot are often good at writing. It doesn't always hold true, I'm sure, but I would not be surprised if there is a correlation.
@Elizabeth, The card catalog in elementary school made me laugh. I bet you were an interesting kid!
@Jem, I don't know. Maybe I was an interesting kid, but I'd say I'm a pretty boring adult. I geek out about what I like and keep myself (if no one else) entertained. 🙂 BTW, any other Team Oxford Comma members here?
@Elizabeth, definitely on the Team Oxford Comma!!!
@Dorinda, One of the best days at work recently was when the City I work for made it policy to use the Oxford Comma in all official communication.
Oh my goodness, Librarian E - you're making me miss in-person conferences where I get to cavort with other awesome librarians like you! I too have the Nancy Pearl action figure on my desk (although my students like to move her to various locations around the library), think Being Mortal is critical reading, believe the marriage of reading and eating is perfection (I'm currently planning a "design a dinner party menu for your favourite character" as part of our Battle of the Books), my book-related clothing includes my beloved Dewey Decimal dress plus a ridiculous number of socks, and I too am a card-carrying member of the Kristen & Katy fan club. Thank you for sharing!
I bought my sister a Nancy Pearl action figure years ago when they first came out! She's a librarian and two of my other sisters have been/are librarians.
Thanks for sharing that picture of the action figure. That made me smile this morning.
@Shelagh, it would be so cool to meet up at a library conference! I got to attend PLA in TN right before Covid hit, but travel has not been in the budget since (for obvious reasons). I have "Talk Dewey to Me" socks, though I have to confess that I wear them ironically as we've just followed in the footsteps of the Anythink (CO) and Maricopa County (AZ) Library Systems (among others) and replaced Dewey with a word-based organizational system derived from BISAC headings. 26,000 reclassified and relabeled nonfiction books later, now we're reorganizing the picture books (another 26,000) into neighborhoods, too.
@Dorinda, my Nancy Pearl action figure was a gift to me from the SIL who first introduced me to this blog. She is insanely talented at both frugality and gift-giving, so you might not be surprised to find out that she managed to buy it used. 🙂
So, it's cracking me up that a librarian figure is called an action figure! Librarians don't do that much in the way of, you know, swinging from buildings. Heh.
Kristen--As a former reading specialist and English teacher, I can say you have nailed it. Writers HAVE to be readers! (And that is why you and Elizabeth do such a wonderful job at hugging your readers with beautiful language and empathy.)
@Elizabeth, OH, NO! Is Dewey going the way of Morse Code?
@Lindsey, I wouldn't say Dewey is at quite the risk of Morse Code, but the Dewey Decimal System does reflect its creator and time of its creation in ways that are sometimes problematic. For example, the 200s are books on religion. The 220s - 280s are all for Christianity. All other religions are in the 290s.
The coda of this episode of the 99% Invisible Podcast covers some of the problems with the Dewey Decimal System quite well: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/alphabetical-order/
Kristen-
Ironically, the description for the action figure addresses almost the exact thing you mentioned!
"...although most librarians can't travel faster than a speeding bullet, or leap over tall buildings in a single bound, they can direct you to an article on the physics of speed, an instructional pamphlet on high jumping, and a book of photographs of the world's tallest buildings. Each 5" tall, hard plastic Librarian Action Figure is modeled after Nancy Pearl, a real-life librarian in the Seattle area. Press the button on her back and her arm will move with amazing 'shushing action!'"
See? It is an action figure after all! *silly smile*
@Elizabeth, As a fellow librarian and former Texan, I enjoyed your post! I loved that episode and the 99% Invisible podcast. Hopefully, other readers will delve into its delights as well!
@Cat, I'm delighted to be meeting fellow librarians through this post! And I have to give a hat tip to a fellow librarian at work who told me about that episode. 🙂
I think one of the best things about knowing librarians is that, once they know your interests, you always have someone funneling relevant, amusing, and informational resources your way.
We're neighbors! Well, in a Texas sort of way. I live in north Texas too but further out in the boonies. I did live in a regular city for a few years, but I hope never to relive that experience. 🙂
You're the second person to recommend "Being Mortal". I don't have a library near me, but I'll keep an eye out for the book. That sounds up my alley.
@Maria Zannini, *waves* Yes, Texas proximity is different from other regions, isn't it? We bought our house from a retired couple who had to re-retire to a less populated and growing area of Texas. I'm sure they can relate to your sentiments!
I do highly recommend Being Mortal. It published in 2014, so you can find used copies for sale (cheap) easily online.
Hi there,
My wife also is big on the signed copies of books. I admit it's one of those things that I know she likes but it's something I don't totally get.
I really would like to utilize our local library more. Unfortunately when Covid hit they basically locked the doors on ours and said "Nothing for you!" for months at a time. Then it reopened with extremely short hours and you had to know what you wanted ahead of time and get on a waiting list and all sorts of things.
It was just so difficult that I lost all interest in using it again and my library card is currently expired. I did recently get an online card to the Boston Public Library (open to all residents of the Commonwealth) but I've yet to take a really deep dive in it. I did see some magazines I can get so I may take a look at them later.
@Battra92,
Does your library have ebooks? When our libraries shut down/reduced its hours, I found that it is so convenient to download books thru their Libby and Hoopla aps. I do still get hard copy books occasionally if the ebook form is not available, but I find I am reading a whole lot more and hardly ever have to leave my house to get my reading fix.
Librarian E: how do you feel about ebooks?
@Battra92, I feel guilty reading Elizabeth's post because I gave up on our library years ago. I'm retired and I read so much that I had long since gone through everything there I wanted to read. I also have an e-reader and am constantly looking for books that like-minded people recommend. My library NEVER has them. I don't know why because I live in a very large Southern California county.
So now I just buy used books as cheaply as I can. I would rather plunk down cold, hard cash and get something I really want. Luckily at this point in my life I can indulge myself that way. The vast majority of what I buy then gets donated to a thrift store.
That's what I do when I want a book my library doesn't have; off to eBay I go! And then I usually resell the book when I'm done, unless it was one of those $0.75 books that is not worth the time to list and mail.
@Battra92, I am so sorry for the frustration you've had with your library the past two years! I have a number of friends across the country with experiences similar to yours and I've wished all of them (and you) could use our library. I really do feel your pain and honestly don't know how anyone (esp. families with children) survived without access to books.
Politics (at every level) and building logistics have played a large role in what libraries have been (and have not been) able to offer since Covid hit, so it's been very different by state and library system. The situation for us ended up being much more library openness than many others were able to offer.
Our building has a drive-thru service window and our director had wanted to trial curbside before Covid hit (we're in an affluent area with high service expectations), so we had that up and running within 24 hours of the building closing to guests.
My library is on multiple floors, so when books were quarantined we were able to only open certain floors and line up dozens of gondolas full of books in quarantine along the main aisle on the floor that was closed. So we were just better situated than many others to continue service with less disruption.
That said, I think the building was completely closed for 5 weeks and partially closed for 14. But that's not to say it was easy! The last 2 years have been utterly exhausting as we pivoted our plans on a nearly daily basis (based on new information) and every service we offer required figuring out new processes.
I second Barbara's suggestion to consider eBooks (and/or eAudiobooks and/or digital magazines). Those were available throughout without disruption, though possibly with longer waits.
I hope your library situation improves (or that you find another frugal option)!
I hated it early in the pandemic when we couldn't even get holds at the library! I was massively grateful when we could at least do curbside pickup for holds. Whew.
@Barbara, yes, a lot of people use the library without ever visiting it!
As for eBooks: from a reader's perspective, I'm agnostic on the delivery system. It's not the container, it's the story (or information) it contains, that truly matters. (And once someone is a fluent reader, listening to audiobooks is equally valid as a method of reading.) There are pros and cons to each, depending on the situation and the fact that people are reading is much more important than the format they use.
From a librarian's perspective, digital formats come with a number of challenges stemming from the fact that it's licensed rather than purchased. Neither the library, nor in most cases the direct end user, of digital content ever owns it. As soon as the provider decides not to offer it anymore, you can't have it. And as licensed content, the doctrine of first sale does not apply to digital content. You don't have the right to loan it, gift it, or resell it.
Finally, libraries pay much higher prices for digital content than direct consumers. And all those eBooks we offer come with either a time or checkout limit. So after 1 or 2 years or 26 checkouts, we have to re-license (pay again) to keep the title in our digital collection for another 1 or 2 years or 26 checkouts.
For my own reading, I generally prefer print books, but digital audiobooks. However, I also read eBooks if that's the format I can get -- or if I have failed to have a sufficient number of print books on-hand.
@Battra92,
Does your library have inter-library loans? Most of the time, if a book I want to read isn't in our system I can find it through an inner-library loan request. (That being said I'm not a voracious reader and I live where I can borrow from two library stems, city and county.
@Elizabeth, We, too, have a library that tried to figure out how to keep working during the pandemic. It only took them a few weeks to set up a parking lot van where you picked up the books you ordered online or by phone. They were out there six hours a day, even at 40 below zero, and all you had to do was wear a mask and stand back while they handed things to you through a window. Books were returned to metal containers outside the van. Until I started reading some of these comments, I assumed all libraries pivoted to some sort of curbside service!
@Lindsey, working in -40 degree temperatures is dedication indeed. Your librarians deserve medals of honor. (And it makes we glad to live in TX where our winters are much more mild.)
Hi E, thank you so much for sharing! I loved reading your story, you seem to live a very peaceful, joyful life!
As a Frenchie, I'd be curious to know your French apple pie recipe, if you'd be willing to share. I could send you two of mine if you'd like, I regularly bake a tart with a crust then only apple-based stuff on it, and also a 'cake' which is sort of a sponge cake with apple bits in it. I'm unsure of the correct English words but I hope you get the picture anyways.
Of course I agree that French patisseries are the best 😀 but I do love American ones, like cinnamon rolls, and am addicted to maple syrup.
I've added some of your book recs to my Storygraph app. It's funny you mentioned the YA/adult debate, I've had this conversation recently with a friend about a fantasy book that was in-between according to editors and bookstores! The YA section is such a mess.
Have a nice week,
F
@F from France, Bonjour! (I visited France for one afternoon while spending three weeks in England while in high school.)
Here are links to the recipes I use to make my pie:
http://elizabeth.thechases.com/recipes/posts/french-apple-pie/
http://elizabeth.thechases.com/recipes/posts/atk-pie-crust/
Megan Whalen Turner is generally shelved as YA, but it took her 20+ years to write her 6-book series, so she possibly has more adult than teen fans. (Yes, they're that good!) Emily B. Martin (whose books are influenced by Megan's and about about similarly aged characters) are considered adult. Who knows what publishers think?
@Elizabeth, thank you so much for sharing your recipes! If you haven’t tried a “tarte tatin” yet, I think you’d like it as it also has caramel in it. It’s sort of a reversed pie/tart where the apples are at the bottom and you cover them with a pie crust. Once it’s cooked you have to turn it over. Very rich and yummy, definitely give it a try!
England is a very beautiful country as well, with such a specific vibe!
@F from France, Oh, that sounds interesting and delicious! I'll have to find a recipe and give it a try sometime. Thanks!
It’s so nice to meet you. Librarians have a special place in my heart. My grandparents were both librarians and met in a library in 1912. My grandmother used to say, “You can find nearly everything you want in a library.” Although her career came to an abrupt end when they married as was the norm at that time, my grandfather went on to become rather well-known in his field and wrote many books on library science.
Needless to say, I love my library! I currently have a novel checked out as well as a book on home design. I am also listening to a book while I do my chores around the house using the library app, Hoopla. The library is an awesome resource. You are right, without the library reading could become an expensive habit.
Thank you for sharing.
@Bee, Thanks for sharing about your grandparents! They sound like a wonderful couple.
My favorite books on home design are by Sarah Susanka. My parents were influenced by her first, The Not So Big House, in designing their retirement home. I think her approach really fits well with cheerfully frugal living.
@Elizabeth, I love The Not So Big House books by Sarah Susanka. If I ever am able to afford a home, I will definitely take her ideas into consideration.
Thanks for the interesting post. Now I totally want to hear your soap box opinions on the topics you mentioned!
@Lisa K., There's a house featured in Creating the Not So Big House that was entirely designed around the Golden Ratio. It's my absolute favorite!
We had a bookcase custom-built and my husband designed it based on the golden ratio for me. (Thank you, geeky husband!) We love the result.
I think we actually covered most of my soap box topics in other comments. Though I will mention that I was reading a themed book list today that mentioned that all the books listed were published as adult in England, but mostly as YA in America. ?! Maybe I need to take a trip to England to so more research.
Thanks for sharing, Library E! I also live in North Texas, in a "just right" paid off house in an affluent community, and struggled at first to find my frugal tribe as well. Keep doing you!
@Michelle H, Thanks, Michelle. You, too! It's nice to know that there are a few of us around here.
@Elizabeth, Hi Librarian E! I am also in very North Texas, 30 minutes from OK and the Red River. I had a free class as a senior in HS and took library science. It was fun, but when I found out you had to have a degree to be a librarian, it left my thoughts. It was a very long time ago and college just wasn't an option for me at the time. I do appreciate just how much work, time, and dedication, it takes to be a librarian. I miss the card catalogue, but I do love the fact my daughters local library has made finding books for littles so much easier, trains here, princesses there, animals over there. So easy for the grands to run to their favorite shelf. Thank you for being part of a fantastic group of people in service!
@Wendy, Hi! It sounds like your library has a wonderful grasp on 2 of Ranganathan's 5 Laws of Library Science: Books are for use and Save the Time of the Reader. We try to do the same at my library.
I'm glad that you seem to have raised a family of readers (and library users) even if you weren't able to become a librarian.
Nice to meet you! Libraries have been a joy in my life. When I was younger I would walk to the library ( from about age 10) and stay hours because it was air conditioned. I developed a true love of reading. I still love libraries!!!!!
@Stephanie, Nice to meet you, too. Readers are lovely people!
I think we need a "what are you reading" blog post once a month or so, Kristen, just so E can provide recommendations! LOL! Thanks so much for sharing, E!
@Julie, I bet everyone here would do a wonderful job sharing reading recommendations with each other.
Wonderful idea, Julie! I borrow several books a week from our excellent library and am always looking for suggestions.
Kristen, your list of medical books are a goldmine in an area I hadn’t really considered. Many thanks for that!
Thanks for sharing! I have two nosey questions:
Does your job require an MLS?
Can you share your travel wish-list destinations and are they book-related?
@Bobi, Hi, those aren't too nosey and, in fact, I wondered if someone would ask about my wish-list destinations.
Yes, my job requires an MLS.
Yes, my wish-list destinations are all book related:
1. Greece (Megan Whalen Turner, a trip to Greece inspired the setting for her novels)
2. Maine (Van Reid)
3. Yorkshire, England (James Herriot)
4. London to Istanbul on the Orient Express (Agatha Christie, even though that’s not the route taken in the book)
@Elizabeth, Ooh, your number 3: we are currently enjoying the fantastic program, All Creatures Great and Small, and so are super fans of James Herriot. Most comforting show ever!
And several other programs have made Yorkshire, England way up there on our travel wish list.
I also loved The Queen's Thief and look forward to the rest of the books in the series.
@Erika JS, I grew up watching the old All Creatures Great and Small series. I've heard great things about the new one, but we don't have network, cable, or streaming services, so I've yet to see it. I love the books! I read the first two to my son several months ago and then he devoured the rest of them on his own.
If you like James Herriot, I think you'll really enjoy the characters in Van Reid's books. The kindness, humility, and ability to see the best in others shines through in both series.
And AGH! I love finding other QT fans! Have you heard that Megan has a new book coming out in November?!?! https://meganwhalenturner.tumblr.com/post/675920225660764160
@Elizabeth, Ha, our wonderful library is often the source for DVDs of programs when we don’t have the streaming channel! The library has regular and blu-ray DVDs.
No, I didn’t know about Megan's new book! Many thanks for that tidbit and for reiterating your recommendation of Van Reid's work, too.
@Erika JS, Yes, we have an extensive DVD and BluRay collection, too, which is the source of basically all AV entertainment in our house.
The challenge these days (as a collection manager) is trying to decide which (if any TV shows) to include in the collection. There are just way too many to keep up with. And not everything that comes from a streaming platform ever makes it onto disc.
I've enjoyed meeting you, E. I too have a weakness for buying books and getting them autographed (usually books about Jane Austen by JASNA friends, in my case). And thanks for the reminder about Atul Gawande's books. I have Being Mortal and The Checklist Manifesto on my shelves now (DH read them back in the day, but I never did), so I've moved them from the shelves to my towering "to be read" stack.
@A. Marie, It's always lovely to meet an avid reader. Be careful not to let that "to be read" stack get TOO tall or it might fall on you and you'll need "Being Mortal" sooner rather than later! 😉
@Elizabeth, I do several short stacks rather than one tall stack IRL. And if it's true that a person can't die before finishing the "to be read" stack(s), I may have to title my personal memoir "Being Immortal."
I too think every adult needs to read Being Mortal. My sister told me about the book and said we are too young for it now but the information is too important and we will need it some day.
Not a fun book but very important information. And if you are not medical it does give you the definitions and a starting point to talk to your doctor and other medical professionals.
I read it again when my MIL was dying of cancer. Also sent this book to my son who is a PT. He deals with a lot of older patients.
@karen, It sounds like you're a librarian at heart -- we can't help sharing important and worthwhile and loved books. I think Being Mortal is not just an important book to have read for ourselves, but for our loved ones, too.
The line, "A colleague once told her, Wilson said, 'We want autonomy for ourselves and safety for those we love.' That remains the main problem and paradox for the frail," is one I've come back to many times. (And I don't think it just applies to the frail.)
I am a voracious reader and have been since I was 4 - just one of those things that came easy to me. I have read over 100 books for the last 15 years or so and at least 125 the last 4, so when I say voracious, that's what I mean. My vision is horrible, so I had to move up to large print library books years ago. Our library had a decent selection, but I bought my first Kindle back in 2009 and haven't looked back. I still get 99% of my books through them and the occasional freebie on Amazon. I love that the library app has a wishlist so I can keep a list of the ones I want to read that have a long waiting list and they automatically switch to available when there are no more holds. What I don't like is that I can only put 6 on hold at one time. At the rate I go through them, that's nowhere near enough!! But, I have 40 or so available all the time, so I have a never ending supply.
@Jennifer, Wow! That is a LOT of books. I love it!
We have a sign up in our LP area pointing out that if you read eBooks, every book is a Large Print book. It really expands the selection available to readers since not all books published are published as large print. (And we also have wonderful staff members who provide help for those who need to set up their devices and accounts for the first time.)
Happy reading!
Wow, another knock it out of the ballpark reader interview, with "Librarian E". I loved everything about it, including the comment about the "happy with less lifestyle" and especially the whole Why section. I feel like it would be such fun to meet you.
French apple and pumpkin are also our pies of choice for Thanksgiving. I am more like Kristen though, not a big fan of pie, but my husband and our offspring love pie.
Thank you for participating.
@K D, Thanks, KD. I'm sure I'd enjoy meeting you, too.
The truth may be more along the lines of "stressed out by more," but I'm trying to learn from Kristen's wonderful, cheerful example and frame things positively. 🙂
Hi, Elizabeth,
Elizabeth is a family name amongst the women in my family, so I liked your name right at the start.
I actually majored in library science to earn a bachelor's when I started college, but moved part way through my college years and had no place to finish with a bachelor's - I would have had to go on to a master's, and since I was paying my own way, I ended up changing my degree. I still kind of wish I had bit the bullet and done the master's.
From your post -
"does it do everything I need it to; how hard is it to clean; how much work is it going to take to maintain; will it hold up over time?"
I am right with you on this, especially how hard is it to clean! If I know an item is exactly what I need and should be using, but I also know it's a pain to clean, I will avoid using/wearing it, so there isn't any point in my buying it. I don't care if it saves me time, money, whatever, if it's hard to clean, I might as well leave it in the store - I will use it once or twice and then get rid of it. Cleaning, for me, is a very high consideration in purchases I make.
@JD, Thanks. I can't take credit for my name, but I guess I can take credit for making people say all 4 syllables instead of going by a nickname. 🙂
When I'm at the gym, I park myself in front of the HGTV channel (as the least objectionable option) and constantly think, "Sure, the tile is lovely, but I wouldn't want to have to keep the grout clean." Nice to find a kindred spirit!
Elizabeth, I thoroughly enjoyed your delightful post. Two of my favorite things are books and food! Couldn't live without either of them. I volunteer at my local library and it's such a nourishing place. I also love your simple approach to getting married and living life as low-maintenance as possible. Thanks for sharing!
@MB in MN, If you ever move from MN to TX, please come volunteer at my library. We'd be fast friends!
Thank you for sharing your story!
To share a sense of the ridiculous precludes dislike. Georgette Heyer.
(You can't dislike someone with whom you share a sense of humor).
@Heidi Louise, I just read "Faro's Daughter" last weekend. Georgette Heyer is such a fun read from time to time. Our collection only has one of her mysteries; I'd like to read more of those.
@Elizabeth, She has some excellent mysteries, (though a couple are just painfully and unexpectedly bad), solve-along with the detective with good plot twists; I love the comedy of manners in her Regency era romances; have never read any of her histories. Fun reads, and great for increasing one's vocabulary.
Thanks for sharing! I'm going to hop on Goodreads after I'm done here and check out your recommendations.
I understand the love of autographed books! My kids have quite a number of them and I don't plan to part with a single one. My daughter just got another one for her birthday - her first autographed chapter book.
There were so many neat nuggets in your story!
In the last year or so I've turned into the type of reader you are... I usually have one fiction, one nonfiction, and one audiobook going at the same time.
Have you ever looked through Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies? It's a delightful pie cookbook with lots of interesting snippets to read. I hope to master her coconut cream pie someday.
@Ruth T, My father started his career teaching 5th grade. The elementary school librarian took him under her wing and would get autographed copies of books for my sister and me when she attended author events. We still have many of them, including an Arnold Lobel (I LOVE Frog & Toad), so I'm continuing the tradition with my kids.
My son has an autographed copy of MWT's short stories (Instead of Three Wishes) and a few others (including a Gordon Korman) from the North Texas Teen Book Festival. I plan to buy my daughter a copy of Emily B. Martin's Field Guide to Mermaids when it publishes this fall.
My library has several pie cookbooks, but not Mrs. Rowe's, so I'll have to see what I can do about that. 😉 Sounds like a delicious read!
I love using the OverDrive app through my library. I probably average reading a book a week. I use an ipad to read because I can increase the font size to as large as I need! I just downloaded the first Moosepath League book. Thanks for the recommendation!
@Susan, You've just made my day! Cordelia is delightful. I hope you'll let me know what you think when you've finished.
My dear SIL! So fun to read this interview over my lunch break at work. She's just as wonderful in person, btw!
Hi Elizabeth! 🙂
Oh wait, what??? You guys are related?? I missed this somehow!
@Kristen, lol. Yep. And Elizabeth and I share another wonderful SIL who's a daily reader as well.
Aww, I love that this is a family affair!
If either of you want to do a Meet a Reader post, just let me know. 🙂
@Kristen, PD is the SIL who introduced me to your blog. (When I submitted mine, I told her that she and our other SIL should do them, too.) PD is a frugal ninja of the highest level and a wonderful person.
Thanks for playing, E! We share several traits .... pie rather than cake (sorry Kristen!), books and more books, disliking debt, keeping our family info private. It was fun to hear from you!
Ok, well, I'm not THAT into cake. I'm more into chewy baked goods, such as brownies, bars, or cookies. 😉
@Kris, Thanks, Kris. It was fun figuring out what to share (and what not to share). And finding/taking the relevant photos. I'm amazed that Kristen can do this several times a week!
With nearly 14 years of practice under my belt, I have gotten pretty fast at it! 😉
@Kristen, We do those, too. 🙂 Brownies are my husband's favorite. Have you tried the ATK Molasses Spice Cookies recipe? Amazing!
@Elizabeth and Kristen, chewy baked goods are my absolute favorite. Our family has an amazing molasses spice cookie recipe that was handed down from my mom. She died in 2021 and it was amazing how many people at the funeral and in the condolence cards mentioned her wonderful cookies. It's extra spicy (much like she was!), which I think is the secret.
YES. Chewy baked goods are supreme.
@Kris, My condolences on your loss. It's wonderful that you have her recipe to continue to make in her honor. Celebrating the memory of loves ones we've lost by enjoying their favorite foods is something we've done.
I love your Nancy Pearl action figure! And I have been in love with libraries since the rainy winter day in 1966 when I got my first library card. I can still remember how the library smelled, of books, old paper, wood and steam heat, and it's one of my favorite memories.
@Ruby, I can almost smell that myself! Perfectly delightful!
hey, my daughter's name is Cordelia, and it's actually from Evelyn Waugh (by way of Shakespeare), not Dickens! (she does have red hair like Anne of Green Gables, though.)
Unfortunately for me, my favorite author is George Orwell, so chances are very slim of my ever affording a book signed by him. He didn't sign many, and of course he's been dead for 72 years, so....
I do have a signed book by my second favorite author, Evelyn Waugh.
As for Internet privacy, the cat left the bag long ago for me.
I always associate the name Cordelia with Anne of Green Gables!
@Kristen, I'd completely forgotten about it until she was born and my neighbor said, "Like in Anne of Green Gables! And she has red hair, too!" To me, it's from Brideshead Revisited.
@Rose, Van Reid's Cordelia also has red hair. (I'm sensing a motif.)
Your Evelyn Waugh signed book may be more impressive for it being an author who's no longer living. Most of my signed books are from living authors I've met in person or online. I do regret not having a book signed by Andrew Clements (preferably Frindle), but it didn't occur to me until he died a few years ago.
@Elizabeth, I felt the same way when Jessica Mitford died in 1996.
The problem with Evelyn Waugh was that he was a horrible snob and mean as a snake. When an American lady seated next to him at dinner told him how much she loved "Brideshead," he replied, "I thought it was good myself, but now that I know that a vulgar, common American woman like yourself admires it, I am not so sure.” If that were me, I would hope I could come up with a suitably cutting comeback.
Still, the book contains my favorite character in all fiction, the elder Mr. Ryder, who is so funny I can barely stand it.
I generally don't read books by living writers. Sorry folks. Um, even though I am a living writer and have had book signings. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
"I thought it was good, but now that I know a nasty, rude Englishman wrote it, I am not so sure." CRAM IT WAUGH.
@Rose, It's so disappointing to learn that a work of art you love was created by a... shall we say, less than admirable person? I've been lucky in that the authors I love and have been able to interact with have been delightful.
However, I do think it's important to remember that the creator and the creation are separate entities. Love of a book is not an endorsement of the author as a human being.
This is so true. Imagine if we tried to apply that standard to everything we consume; if we thought every movie producer, actor, and actress had to be above reproach. If we thought cookbook authors had to be above reproach. Or chefs. Or CEOs. Or baristas. Or anyone you might imagine!
Kristen, you are of course absolutely correct, but when the jerk author has written some of your favorite books, to me it's a different relationship than an actor or chef or whatever.
and Elizabeth is right that it is correct to remember that the creator and the creation are not the same.
In Waugh's case I struggle because I picture him saying that to me, of course. This time it's personal, Waugh.
I mean, isn't that the impulse when seeking a signed book? That touch of the personal?
Oh yes, for a signed book I can see that being particularly important.
Oh, I love this so much!! I have always loved to read - and cook! Ended up working in a university library for 20+ years. Here in Wichita, Kansas, we have a great public library system!! I could never afford to buy all the books I read, so even though we support the library financially, it is still a frugal option.
Libraries are the best!! Thanks for sharing!
@Janie H, Thanks! I worked for my college library (had to get myself out of the dining hall and into the library for my work study assignment, but I did!) through college and for 2 years afterwards. Then I left to get my Master's Degree. I still follow my college library on FB and go back to visit the staff still there when we're in the area. Library people are the best!
Elizabeth, not only was your Meet the Reader post very enjoyable. I read EVERY (something I don't usually do) comment because they were also fun. I don't read well and need to focus completely on what I'm reading, even then I don't retain much but I still consider the library one of my favorite places on earth.
I agree with what others have said about your writing. I'd read anything you write.
@Linda, Thank you for the compliment on my writing. I think comments about books, libraries, and reading are fun, too, but I also admit that I may be biased. 😉
I have a hard time with retention sometimes, too. Especially nonfiction: I'll remember the big ideas, but not all the supporting details. But I still think reading is worthwhile in and of itself.
I hate sticker sheets in books too! Thank you for saying this! Haha.
Do librarians feel judgy about clients with lots of fines? I am always incurring the late fees (but I pay up promptly)
@Sarah K, I'm not qualified to speak for librarians as a whole. My library does not (and never has) charged overdue fines. Now, if you keep an item 30 days overdue, we'll assume you've lost it and charge your account for it. But returning it clears that charge.
If you pay promptly and without giving the staff a hard time, then I'm fairly confident they're not feeling judgy. (If you want to argue for an hour over $0.25... I'm making no promises.) 🙂
@Elizabeth, that sounds like a good (and fair) system!
Kristen,
Thank you for letting me participate. (I'm very glad that the timing worked out that I happened to be off work today so I have time to respond to all the comments!)
As to your questions:
1. I have not read When Breath Becomes Air *yet*, but a colleague was highly recommending it to me last week for the same reasons you mention, so obviously I need to add it to my to-read list.
2. Stickers are annoying because children stick them all over the pages and covers of books.
I loved everything about this profile, but especially the pie pictures! Thank you for being brave enough to share.
@Lindsey, you should see the pictures of all our pies. We consider 1 per per person to be the correct ratio, so there were 7 pies at Thanksgiving Pie Lunch this year.
Yes, continuous improvement!!! That is definitely a topic I can talk at length about, so I appreciate your enthusiasm. The Checklist Manifesto is such a good book, and I also enjoy Adam Grant’s books (Originals, Give and Take) for innovation inspiration.
Thanks for sharing and for the series recommendation. It’s going on my library to-read list.
@Rachel, Oh dear -- we'd better not get started! 😀 I teach a 4-hour class on Lean to other city employees and read a lot on the subject, so I have a long list of recommendations for that, too. I'll just mention 3 of my favorites. In order of increasing relevancy to my field of work: The Toyota Way to Service Excellence by Jeffrey Liker & Karyn Ross, Extreme Government Makeover by Ken Miller, and Lean Library Management by John Huber.
I haven't read Adam Grant, so I'll have to add those to my "to read" list.
Hi Elizabeth, Thank you for sharing about your life! I love hearing from a librarian and getting book recommendations! I am always looking for authors to add to my list. Your pies look heavenly!
@Beth B., I'm always looking for readers for my favorite authors, so I think we're a good match. 🙂 Maybe someday I can offer you a slice of pie.
Elizabeth, thank you for your comprehensive and insightful answers. I’m not surprised; librarians in my life are heroes as well as being well-spoken.
Our library also quickly pivoted in the pandemic to get books into the hands of readers. They went above and beyond. The public library has saved us thousands of dollars, probably annually. We live in a small town that is situated in a large county with a great system and I’ve rarely asked for a book that they can’t get. For free!
We give back by volunteering for library programs and events. One of my favorites is a weekly program where small children read to dogs that are brought in for the purpose. So sweet and encourages the littles to want to learn to read.
@Erika JS, Thank you. Being an introvert, I generally feel more comfortable expressing myself through the written word.
Having a county system is really an amazing benefit for library users! It so expands the size of the collection available locally. Unfortunately, that's not the standard in Texas and people who move here from areas where it is common have a bit of culture shock sometimes. But I'm glad you have the benefit of it.
We have popular a "Read to Rover" program at our library, too.
Thank you for volunteering at your library! Volunteers are a huge help at our library and I'm certain your library appreciates you.
@Elizabeth, To be clear, we also support the Library through our annual membership and donations. It’s only fair! And we participate in programs to honor the staff regularly.
In this, I feel that I am following in the footsteps of James A. Michener, who was born and lived in this town and who left a bequest to our Library for enriching his childhood. He was raised in utter poverty but his mother borrowed books from the Library and read to her kids. Michener died in Texas, of course, having lived there for many years but maintained his home here until a few years before his death.
Until I’ve read about some difficulties with their libraries in Kristen's blog, I thought that all library systems are similar to mine. I mean, I live in a small town with a very average-sized library but they will get me almost any book I request on Hold. Such a disappointment!
@Erika JS, Monetay donations are a great way to support your library! It lets the library do exactly what it needs at the time.
Fellow power reader here...being a Librarian is my dream job. And I love that you love MWT. I really liked the Thief series. Thank you for sharing your story!
@Val C., Any fan of MWT is a friend of mine! Have you read Diana Wynne Jones or Rosemary Sutcliff? Megan frequently cites them as inspirational to her own writing.(I'm reading The Eagle of the Ninth to my son these days.) And Emily B. Martin is a newer author inspired by MWT. I really like her work, too.
E, I absolutely loved your interview! I am also a librarian (well, an aspiring librarian, I worked in a library in the past and am currently studying Information Science as a Master's) and adore reading. I am also aspire to be a writer and hope to get published someday, although I don't know how realistic that is! I do love working in libraries though so there's that. I live in Europe so it's interesting to compare the differences and similarities to the US. I am trying to be more frugal as I live somewhere expensive but have more hits and misses than you, I think!
Thanks for the great interview!
@Sophie, Best wishes on your career goals! I'd love to know more about librarianship in Europe if you have any thoughts to share. We do use software from a company based in Scotland and when we had calls with them some of my coworkers liked to sit in just to hear the wonderful accents.
Librarianship and writing are definitely compatible careers. The most recent author bio blurb I read that mentioned librarianship before authorship was for Hilari Bell. Also, Claire Legrand worked as a reference librarian at my library before moving to NY to become full-time writer.
I love Megan Whalen Turner. She is one of the few authors whose books I will buy anymore.
I will try the Moosepath books.
Do you like Diana Wynne Jones? She is one of the all time greats in my opinion. Hard to find, so I have been buying her books on alibris. My children love her too. We are currently reading Deep Secret after dinner every night as a family.
@Hadilly, Yay - *another* MWT fan! I usually buy her books from Mac's Backs (https://www.macsbacks.com/megan-whalen-turner-signed-books) so I can get personally autographed copies to give as gifts (and for myself).
I haven't read a ton of DWJ and mostly started because I know MWT loves her work and considers both Diana and her work influential in her own. In Sounis (the LiveJournal QT fan community) we just did a book club reading of the Howl's Moving Castle trilogy. My favorite title to date is one I've never heard anyone else talk about: The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. MWT often mentions Dogsbody. I'll add Deep Secret to my to-read list.
Have you read Rosemary Sutcliff? Her work is also a big influence in MWT's.
@Elizabeth, sorry for the delay in replying! It has been a busy week.
I have read Rosemary Sutcliff, but have had trouble getting into it. I can see where she influenced MWT for sure.
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland is SO funny. If you enjoyed that, then I would urge you to read The Dark Lord of Derkholm and its sequel The Year of the Griffin, where she takes those tropes from TTGTF and runs with them in delightful ways. A Tale of Time City is one of my favorites. The Dalemark Quartet, the Chrestomanci book, so much good reading ahead for you!
@Hadilly, No worries. It's been a busy week for me, too. I'm just glad I thought to check back to see if there were any last comments!
The DLoD looks hilarious! I've added it and AToTC to my to-read list. I'm sure the others will make their way on eventually. Someday I want to spend a year just reading all the books MWT has mentioned or listed as ones she recommends.
@Elizabeth, I hope you are able to do that one day!
It was lovely to meet you through this blog!
@Hadilly,
Better late than never, right?! It's been more than a year, but I did read TDLoD at some point and loved it. I really need to get my hands on YotG and read it, too.