John Green, author/podcaster/vlogger/nerdfighter, recently shared a fabulous story about one book’s unlikely survival. Check it out:
Has a book ever crossed your path in an unlikely fashion? Let me know in the comments. And watch this space to learn about the most prized book in my collection.
“Books hold most of the secrets of the world, most of the thoughts that men and women have had. And when you are reading a book, you and the author are alone together — just the two of you. A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people — people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” –E.B. White
How could you tell?
My dad didn’t read books or possess a library card and the only magazine he ever subscribed to was Playboy. I remember when it would arrive in the mail; each issue was wrapped in black plastic. I’m sure the Family Research Council demanded the opaque covering to preserve their own twisted version of “family values,” but in the end, it was that mysterious wrapping that inspired me to don my Nancy Drew hat and search for the publication in my dad’s nightstand. I just had to know what it was hiding. Alas, I was sorely disappointed to find images of naked women within the publication’s pages. I had expected the secret to be far more exciting.
It wasn’t until I was in college that I learned the magazine’s open secret. My boyfriend’s father had died and he’d inherited his dad’s porn collection. While sifting through the boxes together, I picked up a couple of “classic” issues of Playboy and perused the pages. Still didn’t see the huge allure. Then my boyfriend explained that the Playboy bunny logo was hidden on the front cover of each issue. From that moment on, every time I came across a Playboy, I’d search the cover until I found the bunny. Doing so reminded me of my youth, when I used to spend time in doctors’ waiting rooms doing the Hidden Pictures game in Highlights magazine.
My interest in cooking lead to another open secret discovery. Turns out that each issue of Cook’s Country magazine includes a hidden rooster. Find that tiny image amongst the recipes, taste tests and equipment reviews and you’ll be entered into a random drawing. Top prize is a year-long membership to the magazine’s website. Second and third prize winners receive the company’s latest cookbook. I’ve read this publication for years and to date, I’ve only found that damn cock once. Hat’s off to the page designer.
Writer/director/producer Chuck Lorre is known as the “King of Sitcoms.” It’s highly likely you’ve seen one of his many shows. “Grace Under Fire,” “Dharma & Greg,” “Roseanne,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Kominsky Method” are just a few in his portfolio. What I didn’t know was Chuck’s open secret: He includes a message in the vanity cards during the end credits. Some are funny, some are just odd and a few have apparently been known to cause a bit of controversy. M and I recently started watching the show “Mike and Molly” and we were probably five or six episodes in when we noticed these little gems. Now I’m going to be looking for them in every Chuck Lorre Production.
Perhaps you will too.
My friends and family know that I love buying, borrowing, reading, sharing and discussing books yet they rarely purchase them for me. Since I read so much and so widely, they’re never sure if the book they’re considering for a gift is one I’ve already consumed. And so, in defeat, they often buy me gift certificates and apologize for doing so.
But I’m here to say that there’s no need to be sorry at all! Gift certificates are a boon. Why, there are few things I enjoy more than allowing myself to go wild in a bookstore, either online or in person. Which is why as soon as the holidays ended, I hopped online and indulged in the delayed satisfaction of post-birthday and Christmas receiving.
As a way to support small businesses, my employer gave each worker a $100 gift certificate. Although we could use it at one of several dozen stores, I opted to spend mine at Bookshop.org, a site that allows bibliophiles to shop online while also supporting local bookstores.
I picked up:
* “The Bookshop Hotel” by A.K. Klemm
* “Oddball, 4: A Sarah’s Scribbles Collection” by Sarah Andersen
* “Deliciously Foxtrot” by Bill Amend
* “You Are an Artist: Assignments to Spark Creation” by Sarah Urist Green
* “Bake with Anna Olson: More Than 125 Simple, Scrumptious and Sensational Recipes to Make You a Better Baker”
Total cost — including delivery — after the gift certificate? A whopping 67 cents. Best of all, I have hours of reading, laughter, creative pursuits and baking ahead of me.
That’s what I call a true gift.
