I picked up my copy of Blink from the library today. When the lovely librarian picked my two books off the hold shelf, she said "Oh, you got Blink!" in an admiring way.
Yes, I was an object of envy. Blink was my high-brow status symbol for a fleeting moment. I asked her if she'd read it yet, and she sighed about it being on reserve for the multitudes (can't librarians toss their names onto the hold list queue?!).
This encounter makes me wonder about all the people I see reading in public-- are they showing off their book choices? Do you get more street cred for perusing a copy of Cavalier and Clay than for devouring a (hometown girl) Danielle Steele book? Do people waver at their front doors, deciding between which book to be seen in public with, much like I do with my choice of hats?
I can only hope to live in such a dream world where books get such respect. San Francisco comes pretty close.
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