Library Serendipity
March 19th, 2009Finding information on library shelves always has an element of serendipity to it, but I experienced a bit of it with my request list and patron donations. Here's what I've been reading/watching this recently:
Dead Like Me - I've been watching this series on DVD for the last couple months, and the last movie came in last week. It's about a girl who is a grim reaper, living on earth in secret, helping souls cross over (and it has a frog in it).
Meet Joe Black - I'd never seen this movie, so when a patron donated the DVD, I took it home to watch it. It's about a guy who is death who visits earth, in secret, and helps a soul cross over.
The Black Book of Secrets - I requested this YA book months ago, and it came in last week. It's not about death, but is about the black and sinister secrets everyone carries with them in their lives (and it has a frog in it).
Blank Spots on the Map - This is the book I leave at work to read during lunch. It's about all the secret places in the country the government uses for intelligence work and top secret programs - in other words, Black Ops.
I always have a lot of things on request, and I thought it odd that this group would all find their way to me at about the same time. Perhaps, rather than serendipity or coincidence, this concurrent collection is actually revealing my true nature in all its secretive blacky deathness.
Or, perhaps I just like spies, YA novels, Mandy Patinkin and Brad Pitt. And frogs.
March 19th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I also watched “Dead Like Me” and enjoyed it, but I do not remember the frog? Was it a running theme that I missed?
March 19th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I loved Dead Like Me; I wish there had been more seasons. Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies were/are two other great series by the same writer; if you enjoyed DLM’s humor, you should check out these shows too (Wonderfalls lasted about as long as DLM, but PD is still running).
March 19th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
@LB: I can’t remember where the frog came from, but George kept it for a pet for most of the series, but then gave it to her little sister after the dog died.
@Catlin: Wonderfalls is one of my favorite shows. I started with that, then watched Dead Like Me, and Pushing Daisies is next.
March 20th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Can’t go wrong with Mandy Patinkin. Or (usually) orange frogs.
March 21st, 2009 at 6:29 pm
[…] Swiss Army Librarian » Library Serendipity :: Brian Herzog […]
March 25th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
So I’m with you on the YA novels and spies. But frogs? That just seems strange. Maybe frogs are making a comeback, I bet they’re overlooked to often in the world.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I researched a bit, and it looks like frogs have symbolized many things to different people. However, two themes that were repeated were “rebirth” and “transition” – both of which fit in with the usages here.
However, other meanings like “fertility” and “wealth” are a little less applicable. Perhaps sometimes, a frog is just a frog.
February 16th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Smaller than their Rocky Mountain Oyster counterparts, it’s no wonder you weren’t able to find them. Pickled Brussels sprouts…yeah, right. Whatever Kirk