Little things

[kitanzi]

I like to read in the break room while I’m eating lunch. It’s just my way of leaving the building for an hour, breaking up the day and making the time my own. Unfortunately, this seems to be a red flag for everyone and his monkey to ask what I’m reading, how many books a week I read, how fast do I read, what I like to read, and everything related that they can think of. This generally irritates me, but I have found two or three people here that I’m happy to have comment, because they actually like to read too, so it’s more of a conversation than “What’s that, ANOTHER new book?” One of them, interestingly enough, is the woman who does the cleaning. English clearly isn’t her first language, though I can’t tell what is – possibly Japanese. Anyhow, she asked me for a recommendation of a good mystery for her to read – “Something not too hard!” My first thought was Agatha Christie, but I don’t have any on hand, so today I brought in the first of Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Polifax books. I don’t know that it’s precisely a mystery, but I think she’ll like it, and I think it’s probably a good reading level for her.

I just went and found her changing out a trash bag in the break room, and gave it to her, and she lit up. She wanted to make sure I knew she wouldn’t be able to read it quickly, which is hardly a problem, but with all her thanks you’d think I’d given her a winning lottery ticket, not a loaned paperback. I love doing book swaps, because I love finding new books and passing on the good ones to other people. I think this is probably the most effusive thanks anyone’s ever given to me for it, but damn, I guess that made her day. I know it made mine.

Comments

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

That's very cool.

[rdmaughan.livejournal.com]

Perhaps only a little thing to you but kindness is measured by the recipient not the giver.

[persis.livejournal.com]

I love the Mrs. Polifax books... I think that was a great choice!

[devinsong.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me too! And of course now, the first one practically reads like a period piece, with the Cold War background. (goats! solitaire! Albania! LOL!)

Have you (Persis or Kitanzi!) read any of her other books? I adore "The Tightrope Walker", and "Nuns in the Closet" is hilarious.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I've read most of them, and she's one of my favorite authors. Those two are particularly good!

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

*wandering Dorothy Gilman squee* I also like her thought processes in A New Kind of Country.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I don't remember that particular one, at least by title, and I had thought I'd read almost all of hers - or is this a new one? Give me a hint? :)

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

It's non-fiction from the 70s, actually. She goes on... well, not exactly a retreat, but moves to a New England town and lives by herself after a divorce.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

That sounds like an interesting one to find, thanks - I'll look for it.