Many people are surprised when I tell them that I grew up in a house with only a handful of books. Neither of my parents were readers—my mother has, in recent years become a voracious reader—but luckily back then there were three ways by which I was able to indulge my incessant need for books: the bookmobile that visited my neighborhood, the library bus that took me to my local public library, and my school library.
[Two kinds of bookmobiles: One from the Meridian Library in Meridian, Idaho; and the other from the Camel Book Drive in Kenya. For more information about the wonderful Camel Book Drive,* and to see how you can help, click here.
For me, the library was a magical place where smiling ladies handed me the keys to endless doors that opened onto exciting new worlds and infinite possibilities. Libraries were the place where I discovered the sanctuary of story. The wonder of imagination. The power of the word.
Were it not for libraries and librarians, I would not be who I am today. Which is why I will always be grateful to librarians, library support staff, and all the generous folks who support these sanctuaries and champions of reading.
And so I am particularly excited to be doing a reading and signing of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT at Glendale Public Library. This is a particularly vibrant, exciting place with lots of community events and a dynamic staff whose mission is "to enrich life, foster literacy, inspire intellectual curiosity and stimulate the imagination."
And they're also a lot of fun.
So take a break from the heat and have a glass of iced tea with me at Glendale Public Library. I look forward to seeing you there!
Details:
Thursday, August 20
7 PM
Reading and Signing of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT
Glendale Public Library Auditorium
222 East Harvard Street, Glendale
(818) 548-2042
Click here for a map.
Click here for parking.
*Author Masha Hamilton wrote a beautiful novel about this real-life camel book drive called The Camel Bookmobile. I highly recommend it!
