Who are you Evelyn Arrue?

I checked out Cannery Row from the Princeton Public Library yesterday and found inside the book the receipt from the previous reader of the book. Turns out Evelyn checked out Cannery Row on February 18th. This was her only book but she also checked out several cds.

Good News for People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
First Impressions of Earth by The Strokes
Where We Stand by Yellowcard
Hot Fuss by The Killers

All in all not a bad selection of material but surprising coming from someone named Evelyn. I mean, my grandma was named Evelyn. Kind of an old lady’s name, isn’t it? And as I stare at her receipt from February 18th, I wonder what Evelyn thought of the book and music. I also wondered how much I bored on being labeled a stocker since I wanted to now know what every person checked out from the library. I want a look into their lives, I guess. I think it’s interesting to look at a receipt from someone I’ve never met (from the library, from Target, the grocery store) and contemplate who they are based on what products they consume (ie books, music, hair gel, canned fruit, ink pens).

I also wonder what other people might think about the products I consume. I guess I think I’m kind of normal but what if Evelyn saw my receipt. She’d probably say, I never expected someone named Mike to be literate.

Anyway, it’s been a month since I updated the books I’ve been reading. In all honest, I’ve only really been reading for the last two weeks because of time constraints. I believe my quest to read 43 books this calendar year is going to fall short. But here’s what I’ve read so far:

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

I hope to get one more book read tomorrow. Deanna and I are heading back to Missouri via Niagara Falls/Toronto/Michigan Upper Peninsula/Twin Cities on Thursday. We should be in Missouri by Monday or Tuesday. By the time anyone checks this, we’ll probably be back in New Jersey, which will be approximately August 17th. In which case, enjoy your new school year.