There was nothing more fun for me as a kid on a cold, snowy day like today than leaving the house early for school so that I could spend some great alone time at the school library. I am sure all the teachers thought I was some kind of neglected child because I was often waiting for someone to open up the doors of the school and let me in.
I had read all the many many books in our house multiple times and had always maxed out my allowed borrowing privileges at the town and school libraries. To wait until my class had library time to exchange my books just wasn't an acceptable practice. The librarian had gotten used to finding my old books on her counter when she showed up to work with the cards for the new books I'd chosen already stamped with the return dates.
I choose from all genre of book...any books with the great photography of Life magazine or National Geographics were particular favorites. Those were Tumblr and Google Images before the Intertubes, kids.
Tin Tin and Asterix books were also very popular with me. I am still kicking myself that I passed up the Asterix Omnibus book at the Stupidstore but I am not going back to that crazy place again. Asterix is brilliant visual European comedy and I need to read them all from the start of the series.
.jpg)
(click to enlarge)
%20(002).jpg)
%20SDTB.jpg)
7 comments:
My Mom worked for the company at one point so I was able to amass a huge number of the Time/Life "Science" series (as well as a couple of the "Nature" series). The "Science" series was just wonderful. One of them (I think "The Universe") was written by Arthur C. Clarke, and the "Astronomy" one was co-written by Carl Sagan. Out-of-date science, of course, but beautiful books! All of those trademark fantastic Life photographs of everything. I even got to a point where I kind of understood Relativity (but not really).
My Mom worked for the company at one point so I was able to amass a huge number of the Time/Life "Science" series (as well as a couple of the "Nature" series). The "Science" series was just wonderful. One of them (I think "The Universe") was written by Arthur C. Clarke, and the "Astronomy" one was co-written by Carl Sagan. Out-of-date science, of course, but beautiful books! All of those trademark fantastic Life photographs of everything. I even got to a point where I kind of understood Relativity (but not really).
There was just a level of quality to them that always drew you in no matter what the topic. I feel really lucky to always be exposed to that stuff. Did you Mom just bring them home or was it enought that she was aware of them? My folks always bought the series of books that they sent you every month or every couple of months. I have a great series on the old west that had great embossed covers.
Mom just brought them home, as sample copies moved through her office (or those of her co-workers). I remember getting excited whenever she brought home a new one and I could tear off the cardboard and start reading it.
This discussion is making me want to go up to my parents' place and get them all!
And we're the same age, so we're talking about the same material during the same decade. Reading about the (just-completed) space program was especially exciting.
Oh I loved that one too. Mine are in boxes which I am planning to go through as I organize the basement for my Mom (the only present she wanted for Christmas). I am sure it will take me a week or more with all the distractions that will show up. Looking forward to the memories.
You'll be sitting on the basement floor, sneezing in the dust, reading every page of every book!
Post a Comment