From One Book Lover

I am sorry to admit, my last Library Loot was less than thrilling. The short-story collection featured love scenes more reminiscent of  Fifty Shades of Gray than Gone With the Wind . Tails of Love , indeed. So, I approached the Vacations from Hell with great caution. (So far, so good.) I think I already read Sir Terry's book — I am a fan of Discworld's witches — so I may have to read it (again?) to be sure. Interestingly enough, neither of those delightful paperbacks were among those that took me to the library in the first place. I met Victor LaValle through his most recent story that hearkens to H.P. Lovecraft without the racism. (I am embarrassed to say that I hadn't paid close attention to anything but Cthulu— who is even scarier when portrayed by modern artists as something that stands thigh-high in the deepest oceans.) (How Cthulu fits below passing ships is entirely beyond me). Anyway, I found The Ballad of Black Tom , LaValle's latest novella, intri

Lately, I've been spending more time at the library website than actually inside the building. Yes, I've discovered the thrill of audiobooks and e-books downloaded to my very own Kindle. It's like a miracle: a click or two and I have free loot on my machine! Well, this Friday, I stopped by the library and discovered a couple of honest to goodness paper books I simply had to take home, starting with the first of a "bibliophile mystery" series, followed by more than one about animals (shocker) and a National Book Award winner. I probably will not read them all — I think I'm more in the mood for short stories these days — but we shall see. My lending period is three weeks, and a lot can happen in that short period of time. I still have my summer reading list to plow through — and yes, I already have gone off the list for my latest read, but what a great novel! I'll review that one soon, but here's a hint: World War I, Spanish influenza and San