toastykitten

The new Belmont Library is amazing. It only opened a few months ago, and every day it's packed, and I can see why. There's a large parking lot, and there's a park attached to it. Inside the library, the shelves are kind of sparse, but there's so much room, for computers, wireless, so many comfortable chairs, and gorgeous views.

And the best thing? There's a little cafe inside, in the corner. I think that's genius. It's not Starbucks by any means, but I've always thought that more people would go to the library if they could get some coffee there.

San Carlos Library has been moved to second favorite. I discovered that they did not have Nickel & Dimed, even though I borrowed Bait & Switch from them. And there aren't enough Octavia Butler books at either of them. I put in a request for them to buy Fledgling.

I read through both Persepolis graphic novels in one sitting at the Belmont Library. It's also a great place to sketch, since you have a good view of the park, and there are these wonderful, old, old trees. I am so out of practice. I took a lot of shortcuts in my sketch, and I drew without my glasses. I think next time I'm going to go outside and draw.

I bought Gourmet's latest issue. If you want some good reading, just buy this issue - it comes with a 100-page supplement, with contributions from writers like Junot Diaz, David Rakoff, Monique Truong, Calvin Trillin, and other people. It is exactly what I think a literary magazine should be, actually - global, covering a wide range of topics, but always about human relationships.

I liked Junot Diaz's the best, especially this section:

Many Dominicans from my class background, at least in my experience, tend to be unwilling to eat anything other than Dominican food. An immigrant reflex, a way to cope with all the changes of that fateful flight out of the home country, to mediate the fact that Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. Nothing like immigration to make those who leave Santo Domingo even more Dominican than those who stayed behind.