Coda

The library is a cornucopia of possibilities. This afternoon I selected an eclectic array of books-- everything from a mystery billed as a thriller to Jesus, The Human Face of God by Jay Parini. And just before I left the library I found a new book about Hannah Arendt's thinking process.

Throw in a book about Urban Sketching and I feel like a Renaissance seeker or perhaps someone who can't make up her mind.

Add those books to the stack on my bookshelf and I could start reading now and continue for weeks. And best of all -- if I don't care for a book I can stop reading. It took me quite a few years before I knew I didn't need to finish a book.

What a freeing thought. Just close the book. Walk away. Leave the characters in limbo. Let the author figure out what to do with the mess.