Like a kid in a candy store, my eyes light up at the New Book section of the library. While I view old books as treasures, I can’t help but delight in the shiny covers full of bright pictures and crisp fonts in the New Books section. Before I know it, I’ve got four books tucked under my arm, only 50% of which I will actually crack open. But it’s all about choice for me… IF I want to learn more about Taiwanese cooking, then what do you know? I’ve got just the book for it!

Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr was one of the lucky picks. Not only did I crack it open, but I read the entire thing and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The book’s title and subtitle (“On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World) grabbed my attention and didn’t let go of it until I had read the entire book and then perused Doerr’s website. The author has convinced me that when I get around to traveling the globe, Italy will be high on my list of Places to See.

Working my way towards that 50% quota, I then flipped open Timothy Egan’s The Worst Hard Time. This book is the choice for the One Book, One Lincoln campaign of ’07 and frankly I was surprised to find an extra copy at the library. After spending some time among all the boungiorno’s and ancient structures and pigeons and graffitti of Rome, I found myself feeling relieved upon opening Egan’s book and reading Willa Cather’s words:

“Between the earth and that sky I felt erased, blotted out.”

I had come home. The travels were great, as they always are, but the never-ending prairies and skies, the quickly changing weather and common sense mentality of the midwest is home to me. Even when it is only found on dry white pages between a shiny new cover.