Library Books

The central branch of the Austin Public Library is closed for about six weeks while they do some repairs so I'm venturing out to other branches on my lunch hour. I've discovered a tiny branch in a crappy strip mall at the corner of Oltorf and S. Congress that has a really good selection of new books. I mentioned this to the librarian there today and he said that the branch was moving to the old p.o. at S. 5th and Mary and was trying what he called a "bookstore model"--that is, the branch was going to be devoted almost exclusively to new books. I love this idea.

I know at least 2 readers who are public library devotees like me and who live in S. Austin--this is a head's up if you hadn't already heard.

So, this is what I checked out today:

• Stuff White People Like, by Christian Lander. Based on the website. I know that some people hate this site and other people love it. I have to say that based on this line in #10, Wes Anderson Movies, "White people love Wes Anderson movies more than they love their kids," I'm digging it.
• Awesome, by Jack Pendarvis. I'm not entirely sure what this is about. Giants? Semen-powered cars? I can't quite tell, but it's logrolled by Barry Hannah and George Saunders which is promising. And I liked the cover.
• Nose Down, Eyes Up, by Merrill Markoe. It's a dog book. I think she has a blog because her name is familiar and I associate it with funny. We'll see.
• The Urban Hermit, by Sam MacDonald. Memoir about a guy who tries to live on $8.00 and 800 calories a day. Neal Pollack calls it, "like a weight-loss manual written by Hunter Thompson," which made me cackle.
• Unimagined: A Muslim Boy Meets the West, by Imran Ahmad. Title pretty much says it all. Logrolled by one of my favorite British comedy writers, Sue Townsend. (BTW, if you haven't read Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole Diaries, go out immediately and buy them.)
  
• Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven, by Susan Jane Gilman. MH, is it you who loved Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress? Same author, new memoir.
• More Information Than You Require, by John Hodgman. 'Nuff said.
• Vampyres of Hollywood, by Adrienne Barbeau and Michael Scott. If I had noticed that Adrienne Barbeau was one of the authors when I picked it up, I probably would have put it right back. (Not that I don't think Adrienne Barbeau is awesome, but I don't tend to read fiction written by movie stars, only their autobiographies.) I'm also very suspicious of this whole "let's take every genre and add vampires" shtick in popular lit. But I do love a good Hollywood story. So I'll try it. (PS--this was VERY good.)
  
• Beat the Reaper, by Josh Bazell. Medical thriller, I think. Looks a little more literate than most.
  

In other news, I bought an IPhone. (Thank you IRS refund!) I like it so much I want to French-kiss it.