Little Free Libraries - There's a Cozy Mystery for That

Little Free Library - mixed media
acrylic, magazine scraps, ink stamps, pen

Several years ago now, over dinner my son explained something new he had learned at school (yes sometimes children do have an answer to the "What did you do at school today?" question) something called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. What is that you might ask? Well, the phrase originally came from a West German militant group that formed in the 1970s that included two members with the names Baader and Meinhof, but in the 1990s was used to describe that thing that happens to us when we see or hear something and then it continues to crop up. True to form, shortly after my son explained Baader-Meinhof to me I read it in a book and then encountered it somewhere else. Too strange.

How does this relate to today's post you might ask, well remember about two or three posts back I mentioned my librarian friend's Little Free Library that she has in her yard? I had taken a book (how i became stupid) which I read and reviewed here. Meanwhile, I needed a new audiobook title to listen to and searched on new additions (see post on The Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness) and found A Most Curious Murder by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli. This cozy mystery opens with the destruction of a Little Library built by the narrator's deceased father, and maintained by her mother. In a Michigan town with no library of its own, this Little Library served the community and its loss is seen as an outrage. Soon after, the man suspected of committing the vandalism is found murdered. Obviously, there is more to the story of just a vandal at work.

In the course of my reading life I have come across many a cozy mystery story. If you have an interest or a passion for something there is a cozy mystery out there for you. Do you like cooking or baking? There is Diane Mott Davidson's catering series or Joanna Fluke's bakery series. Need something to drink with those yummy treats? Try a tea shop mystery by Laura Childs or a coffee house mystery by Cleo Coyle. Do you knit, quilt, do needlepoint? There's Maggie Sefton, Earlene Fowler, and Monica Ferris.  Maybe you're into gardening, or vintage cookware, antiques, fixer-uppers, Bed and Breakfasts, libraries, I could go on all day, but the point is there is a cozy mystery out there to match any and all of your interests. Just think about it for a while and our old friend Baader-Meinhof will make sure you come across just what you need.

LFL Find - how i became stupid

Be Yourself - collage of magazine
and decorative paper scraps

As promised from my earlier post regarding Little Free Libraries,  here is a quick review of the book I chose - Martin Page's how i became stupid.

Twenty-five year old Antoine thinks to much. He goes through life examining each choice he makes. In fact he couldn't decide what to study in college so he has an eclectic assortment of skills by which he ekes out a meager living. Luckily, he has a posse of equally unique friends, all trying to make their way through life living in Paris.

Problem is Antoine thinks he's pretty unhappy with the way his life is going so he writes a manifesto regarding his issue - "The process of thought is not a natural one, it hurts; it's as if I were uncovering pieces of broken glass and lengths of barbed wire in the air. I can't seem to stop my brain or to slow it down.... Everything I see, feel, and hear throws itself into the furnace of my mind, fires it up and makes it charge on full steam ahead" (p. 56).  Over-thinker that he is he sets out to become more happy and his first attempt is to become an alcoholic. Never in my life, or that of the drunk in the bar that Antoine encounters, have I read of someone who diligently studies up on the subject before setting out to become an alcoholic. Turns out even with all his researching, that Antoine is super sensitive to alcohol and a mere half a glass of beer puts him into a coma.

Antoine, if anything, is persistent in trying to become happy. He finally resorts to prescription antidepressants and ringing up an old classmate who has become a wildly successful stockbroker. Like everything else Antoine throws himself into learning about the buying and selling of shares and with the help of decaffeinated coffee (I'll let you read to find out how this was done) becomes a millionaire. Of course now Antoine must pursue the life of a millionaire, and like many a millionaire he is doomed to lose it all.

At twice Antoine's age I have to laugh at his antics. Antoine thinks he's unhappy because he isn't like everyone else - he's unique. What he doesn't realize at the beginning of the book is that being unique may be hard in our world, but it makes us truly happy people. For most people they strive all their lives to be like everyone else. No where is it more apparent than in the halls of the high school I teach in. Girls who all have the same color hair (whether it is natural or not) cut in the same style, wearing the same black yoga pants and Ugg boots. Or boys with their basketball shorts and neon colored sneakers. It's the kids on the fringe who don't fit in you sometimes worry about, but they may actually have achieved what the others have not - self awareness. They already may know that following the pack is not going to make them happy. For other people it takes years, or they may never discover, that trying to keep up with the Joneses will never make them happy.

Other's opinions about why reading is so good for you!

Art Journal - collage with buttons

My dear librarian friend is always looking for ways to get people reading; she has installed a Little Free Library (LFL) in her front yard. I stopped by this morning for my first visit. If you are not familiar with this idea, it is an opportunity for people to create a free book exchange program - take one, leave one - so I grabbed a title and will bring one the next time I drive by. What a wonderful way to discover a new author - Martin Page and his first novel how i became stupid. I will report back to you about this work after I've had a chance to read it, but be honest how could I resist such a title?

The other goodie in the LFL, was a url to a thoughtful TedTalk video by Lisa Bu, "How books can open your mind." I particularly liked her thoughts on how books can be a "magic portal" to connect us with people, the past, the present, and the future. They are also conduits for helping us to discover our passions. She presents the concept of comparative reading and several ways in which to choose companion pieces to do so. Lisa challenge accepted.

A word about today's art journal piece. When I was a kid I had a lovely yellow bike with a wire basket on the front, which I would ride to the library when the weather was good. It was a wonderful freedom and empowering to be able to head off and supply myself with reading material whenever I wanted. I didn't have to wait for an adult to take me to the library. How awesome was that. I hope you too have wonderful memories of childhood reading adventures, which live on into your present life.