A Book-Addict's Paradise

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be some kind of library.” — Jorge Luis Borges

My favorite place in Fort Wayne is the downtown library. You can see some pictures of it here. Near the entrance, there is a giant globe taller than anyone I know. It constantly rotates in circles. It has been a source of wonderment since I was a child. The rest of the library spreads out from there, starting with the check out desk, return slot, and the book holding area.

What else is great about this library? Wide, open spaces, shelves and shelves of books (a room where the adult fiction and non-fiction shelves go around the edges of the room and eventually meet), plenty of available sitting, tons of computers, a coffee shop, a small art gallery, and again, the books. Basically, it is a beautifully crafted warehouse for books.

There are also different rooms for reading, like the Silent Reading Room. I haven't been in there yet, but I always forget where it is. I could get lost in this library. In fact, I'm hoping to spend more time there over the summer when I go home.

Did I mention that there's an upstairs? The Main Library has fantastic records and whatever you need to trace your family located upstairs. There are three other sections upstairs, the technology and business section (more nonfiction), teen fiction, and the art, music, and media section. From upstairs, you can peer down and watch people on the ground floor. There are also cases with different items in them. For awhile, they were full of Harry Potter Items.

The final perk? It has free parking, if you have a library card there.

This library is my kind of paradise. Because of it, I will probably make sure the cities that I live in during my lifetime have a comparable library. It will always give me a reason to return to Fort Wayne.

Do Not Bounce

I've been very busy lately. I started working on the Freeze Ray again (resulting in the destruction of my webcam) - but at least I have plenty of Wonderflonium!

I ran into Captain Hammer again recently At least this time, he didn't throw a car at my head. Once I get all the problems worked out with the Freeze Ray, he'll see. They'll all see, and by then, I'll be in the Evil League of Evil. Even Penny will see that I'm not a loser (like cheesy-on-the-outside).

Speaking of Penny, I need to stop by the laundromat. Yes, even super villains need to do their laundry. Maybe I can stop by the Frozen Yogurt place too.

Oh, back to business.

I can't answer as many fan letters as I usually do, but let's see here. I have one from Johnny Snow. Again, he is accusing me of not wanting to fight him.

Okay, listen, Johnny Snow. You're not my nemesis. Everyone knows that my nemesis is Captain Hammer. I'm ready to move on from this, and you should just accept it. Once I join ELE, maybe I'll turn my attention to you.

Sigh. Some people.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for my acceptance to ELE and peace everyone. Only not really..

Author Love

I have loved to read since I was a small child. Bookstores fill me with delight (especially used ones. I miss Hyde Brothers so much when I'm up at OU). I'm also starting to get into bookcases to get some ideas for when I replace my old one. I've decided to to share a sampling of some of the authors that I love with you. I'm always looking for new authors to explore though! If you have any suggestions, let me know! I also linked to the wikipedia pages of the novels I mentioned. :)


In the meantime, here are four authors that I just adore.

1. Cormac McCarthy


He has a very distinctive style. It is not elaborate, but he says so much with such simple diction. One of my favorite English teachers introduced me to him with All the Pretty Horses. Instead of being dismayed by his sentences, I loved them. I can't even begin to describe how excited I became when I learned they were turning one of his novels into a movie (The Road), which I did finally get to see. I always get an urge to read this book at the beginning of the year.

Enjoy the first excerpt from The Road:

Then he just sat there holding the binoculars and watching the ashen daylight congeal over the land. He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke ( Page 5).

2. Christopher Moore


This quirky author has written some of the most hilarious books that I've ever read. My favorite among them is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. It's one of the best takes on what happened between the time Jesus was born and when he died. Where else could you read about Jesus healing people while hyped up on coffee? I also like how a lot of his characters show up in some of his other books.


Have another Excerpt:

Onlookers were cheering on the Baptist, who was having a little trouble keeping Shem under water.
"I think he's drowning Shem."
"Baptizing," Joshua said.
"My mother will be happy that Shem's sins have been cleansed, but I have to think we're going to be in a lot of trouble if he drowns in the process."
"Good point," Josh said. He stepped into the water. "John! Stop that!" (page 80).

3. Oscar Wilde


I named my car after him. After my friend read The Picture of Dorian Gray, I decided to read it too. I loved it. I have also read a few of his plays. I intend to read the rest of them someday. Wilde catches my attention because he just seems to have been a very interesting, scandalous man.


Another excerpt:

The studio was filled with the rich odor of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amid the trees of the garden there came through the open door the heavy scent of lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn" (Page 3).

4. Robert Penn Warren


I first read All the King's Men when I was a sophomore in high school. I thought it was an interesting story then, but I only occasionally thought about Jack and his Great Sleep (and a fondness grew for Jack Burden). I was then thrilled at the chance to reread it for a class last semester (as I had been meaning to for a couple of years now). I also got to learn a little bit about Robert Penn Warren. I didn't know that he wrote biographies or that he made sure not to write the same story twice. I also liked that he had so many variations to All the King's Men. I have only recently acquired another book of his. My grandmother has informed that most of his books are out of print, so I will be checking out used bookstores or maybe the internet for some of his other books. I'd also like to check out his poetry. Either way, All the King's Men is a magnificent book. I love what he did with language and the metaphors.


Here is your last excerpt for the day:

You can build an awful lot of habits in six years, and you can fill an awful lot of little black books in that time and put them in a safety-deposit box when they get full because they aren't something to leave around and because they would be worth their weight in gold to some party to get their hands on" (Page 30).

To All of the Squirrels I Have Loved Before

I have made it my goal to read more this year. Over winter break, I knocked out five books from the library. After renewing my library card at the Auburn Library (before moving here for school, I’d never heard of libraries that make you renew annually), I checked out three books.

1. I don't have many expectations for this compilation of short stories. The only name I recognize from the featured stories list is Neil Gaiman, and I did enjoy his stories. I'm hoping that the anthology will satisfy my science fiction and fantasy curiosity.

2. I browsed through this anthology. All of the compilations relate to the Middle East and our dealings there. It should be more interesting upon closer inspection. I like the mixture of fiction and nonfiction. There's even posts from a soldier's blog.

3. I have high hopes for this book. I'm kind of in a zombie mode after my friend wrote about zombies for her NaNo novel (National Novel Writing Month). The most amusing part of the book for me right now is the subtitle, "An Oral History of the Zombie War." :)

So, my dear readers, I leave you with a couple of a questions.

1. What are you reading?

2. What would you recommend for me to pick up from the library?