No Power?

Grab A Book And A Flashlight

By Nancy K. Crevier

If there was one positive aspect to the unexpected snowstorm and power outage, said C.H. Booth Librarians, it was that it allowed for more time for reading, if only by flashlight.

“I was reading by flashlight,” declared library director Janet Woycik. “I read the new Lee Childs’ book, The Affair. I like all of his books. I just finished reading the first book he ever wrote, so it’s interesting to see the difference in his writing now,” she said.

Kim Weber bundled up, lit the candles, and read the biography of Rin Tin Tin, that famous German shepherd of 1960s television fame, while waiting for power to return at home. “It’s about the dog and about the guy who trained him, and is so interesting,” said Ms Weber, staffing the main desk and rushing to check in the loads of books waiting to be put back into the queue Wednesday afternoon, November 2, shortly after the library reopened. “I got in a lot of reading. I’m also rereading Howard’s End, by E.M Forrester, my all-time favorite,” she said.

Library page Nora Murphy found the perfect book for a dark and stormy night, thanks to her AP English class assignment. “I’m reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. It’s really good, and perfect for the Halloween season. It’s actually not too scary to read in the dark,” said Nora.

Just because she did not lose power during Storm Alfred, does not mean that librarian Judy Craven did not do a lot of reading the past few days. “I just finished a book by Richard North Patterson, In The Name of Honor, that is pretty good,” said Ms Craven. She also had a suggestion for reading by candlelight: “Read large print books,” she joked. “We have a whole room full of them!”

Brenda McKinley, technology librarian, confessed that being home with four children, no heat, and no running water left her with no time to read. “I’ve been nonstop, so I haven’t really been reading,” Ms McKinley rued.

Reference librarian Beryl Harrison said that she has been staying with her son and his family, who have power. “But with five dogs there and the kids and everything, I’ve only had time to read the newspaper that is delivered there,” Ms Harrison said. She has also squeezed in a bit of reading of Sydney Eddison’s most recent book on gardening “wiser,” she said. Learning the library trade from his grandmother on Wednesday was 7-year-old Tyler Harrison, who said that the power outage has given him lots of time to read The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

“I got power back on Tuesday,” said young adult librarian Margaret Brown, “but I spent my time reading The Compound by S.A. Bodeen by candlelight, and now I’m reading an advance copy of a young adult book, Candlewax, by local author C. Bailey Simms.”

In the children’s department of C.H. Booth Library, department head Alana Bennison said that her Connecticut town experienced only a slight power outage, but lots of snow. That led her to bury into her newest favorite book, Sticks and Scones by Diane Mott Davidson. “She writes these fun catering story books. They are light hearted and they have recipes in them; but you’ll be starving by the time you finish reading one of her books,” Ms Bennison said. She hoped that the storm got families back into the habit of reading together. “Families can look for updates on what’s new in our department when they get back online,” she said, “but in the meantime, stop in to the library and check out some old favorites. The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder comes to mind, especially The Long Winter. You can really relate to that book after this storm, and how the weather controlled everything people did in the 1800s,” Ms Bennison pointed out.

Children’s librarian Mimi Moran read Case Histories by Kate Atkinson, while the weather put the power on hold. “It’s an awesome book,” she said. “The other book I’m finally reading is the David McCullough book John Adams, and I’m reading My Husband’s Sweethearts by Bridget Asher. It’s funny and off-key,” Ms Moran said.

Joan Velush is a home school parent, and at the library so much, joked the Booth librarians, that she is an “honorary librarian.” Ms Velush is spending the down time reading Cocktail Hour Under The Tree of Forgetfulness, a memoir by Alexander Fuller. “I’m also reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin with my son, Noah,” Ms Velush said, “and really enjoying it.”

All of the librarians agreed that storm or not, there are plenty of great books out there waiting to be read. So, read up a storm.