How's it going to end?

Someone asked me the other day about the new Lee Child novel 61 Hours. I said I loved the book but hated the ending. I will try not to ruin it for those of you who have yet to read it, but there may be some hints, so read with caution (or come back and read this after you've finished).

In the conversation, I was given a quizzical look and asked, "How can you love a book and hate an ending? If the ending is bad it ruins the whole book for me."

For me it is the journey, or in this case, the race. In Child's books it is all about pacing. He puts you in a place, an event happens and it is a roller coaster ride from there, so hold on tight. It slows down here and there, but that's to catch a breath before it launches itself into action. But for me this roller coaster ride ended too short. Maybe the book should have been 63 hours.

At the end of a book like that I like all my loose ends wrapped up. I don't like lingering questions and cliffhangers. I don't like having to wait months (or in some cases years) to find out what happened. I am impatient. I suppose that is why I only read series' after there are a bunch of books already published. And that is why I don't like TV shows that you must watch in sequence or risk being completely lost. Some people like the anticipation, not me. What about you?

One more thing about 61 hours. If you like to read books during the summer that are set in the winter, this has some vivid descriptions of brutal wind-chills that made me yearn for a scarf.

Summer Reading and Relaying!

We all talk about how great it is that summer is here. No school, vacations, participating in the Summer Reading Club, lounging with a good book under a shady tree or next to a cool lake, but there is another sign that summer is here. It's our Des Plaines/Park Ridge Relay for Life. Last year was a special year for the Book Babes because we had so many people from the library join our team or stop by to visit our campsite in honor of Kathy and Barb. We also had a member of our team crowned Queen of the Relay! (If you don't know who was named Queen, just ask any of the people pictured in this group shot.) This is the "before" shot taken before midnight at our campsite. Read Karen's Plaintalk entry about the Relay to see the "after" picture taken at about 5:00 AM on Saturday. We're more tired (okay, we're limp dishrags) but we're still smiling.

This year we're walking again at Maine West High School from Friday evening, all night, through Saturday morning. We're walking especially for Bob (pictured front row right) who is now recovering from surgery. Come to our campsite on the track between 6 and 6 and have a Magic Cookie Bar!

Have you walked the Relay for Life before? (I'm the orange shirt in the middle with the crazy smile - Linda K.)

Summer Fun

Summer reading is known for its playful and escapist qualities, and in honor of that, roll the metaphorical dice and come play Greenopoly on the 3rd floor.

Our summer trivia game acknowledges the greenness of our fair city along with the diversity of materials on the Readers' Services floor.

It's simple to play and each week through August 1st there are 8 new questions to answer. That means many chances to win a $25.00 gift card to one of the "green" retailers in our area. Many thanks to the Friends of the Des Plaines Library for supporting this program.

Here are some details.

OBJECT OF THE GAME:
Celebrate the abundant natural and other green gifts of Des Plaines.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
The 3rd floor of the Des Plaines Public Library.

DIRECTIONS TO PLAY:
Pick a question about a Des Plaines Park or other Des Plaines location and find the corresponding “board piece” on the 3rd floor. Answer the question and drop it in the TOP HAT.

PRIZES:
Gifts cards to Pesche’s Flowers, Lurvey’s Garden Center, Joe Caputo & Sons Fruit Market and the Des Plaines History Center.

New Questions and Prizes Every Week! Stop by the Information Desk on the 3rd Floor for more details.

Greenopoly and Summer Reading Club 2010 are made possible by the generous sponsorship of The Friends of the Library.