Member: kgs

Hey, I'm glad you like it! She's a wonderful writer. My Secret Santa was spot-on with what he picked for me. What fun!

posted by boltgirl at 5:45 pm (EST) on Dec 31, 2007

You have captured my imagination with your review on "The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop". I will now search high and low for a copy so I too can experience this book. Thank you for the delightful review! Even though we only share five of the same books in our current libraries, I hope you do not mind me adding you to my watch list.

posted by magst at 3:27 am (EST) on May 31, 2007

You are correct, and Buzbee himself said the same. I am not that young, by the way, but thank you for thinking so!

posted by kgs at 5:34 pm (EST) on Dec 9, 2006

I believe your age and, perhaps, professional experience may have led you to make a mistake in the third paragraph of your review of The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. I have not (yet) read the book, but I feel certain that the "lending libraries" Buzbee is referring to as popular prior to WWII are rental libraries, not public libraries. Certainly any of us who were well into book-devouring in those depressed times would interpret his statement that way; rental libraries were usually our only source. Nearly every town had a few; many merely a corner in the local general store. I frequented one which was just a large box on a caring woman's front porch (always unguarded, unlocked and "open" on the honor system.) Travel a bit on a shun-pike tour through the isolated small towns in the Western US or frozen North and you will find some even today. The philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie changed our bookish world in a great many cities, but by no means everywhere.

posted by artisan at 2:14 pm (EST) on Dec 9, 2006