As of this week, you’re looking at a full-fledged, card-carrying member of…the New York Public Library! For perspective, I got a NY library card before I got a NY drivers license. I’m not driving anywhere anytime soon, but I do need more reading material stat.
I’ve already read more books in my time in NYC than I had in at least the past 3 years combined. I have a favorite author now (Sophie Kinsella, in case you were wondering). The last time I could legitimately say I had a favorite author was probably when Judy Blume and her Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing rocked my elementary school world.
Reading started as a way to keep myself occupied on my commute or waiting for a show to start, and even I was surprised how quickly these seemingly short bursts would add up to an entire book. Then, as I’ve gotten more and more engrossed in my reading, it’s crept into my evenings and weekends at home. And I’m not mad about it. I’ve learned so much from some of the nonfiction books (Sarah Knight’s self-help books are fun, relatable and pretty short reads), I’ve referenced things I’ve read in day-to-day conversations (thank you to the coaching book I picked up), and I’ve even noticed that British authors tend to say someone is “called” instead of “named” (credit here goes to almost all of my recent novels). I should probably go to London and do some investigative research of my own on this one.
Because of the convenience and my lack of space to store hard copy books, I’ve relied on audiobooks and ebooks for my reading needs. I’d already downloaded a few books before I moved, but once I made it through those, I got a few more. And if I bought a book and wasn’t loving it a couple chapters in, you better believe I was still finishing that book. It was about time for a new batch, and I was struggling with my selections.
New York Public Library to the rescue! I just happened to read somewhere that the NYPL has an app named Libby (side note, how absolutely adorable is that name?) where you can check out audiobooks and ebooks. How did I not realize that the library from my Judy Blume days – home of the card catalog, Dewey decimal system and microfiche (is that still a thing?) – would now allow me to link a library card to its app so I could peruse and borrow books from the comfort of my own bed? Brilliant.
I’ve already made it through another Sophie Kinsella novel, and have more books of all genres on hold, thanks to the app. I’m accepting any and all recommendations to add to my list, I think it may be time to even revisit some Judy Blume.