Laura Miller writes in today’s New York Times:

I doubt I bought a single new hardcover book for myself (as opposed to for a class) until sometime after I’d turned 30. Being underemployed and unencumbered by children like a lot of people in their 20’s, I read a lot, but the only new books I could afford were paperbacks. So I waited for the new novel everyone was talking about to come out in paperback.

When I read things like this, I’m always astonished. It’s as though certain “influentials” in Manhattan have never heard of (let alone set foot in) a library. I almost never buy new books anymore (I used to drop $100 easily on books in a month, and I often didn’t read what I bought; now if I don’t read it I return it). Between the Ann Arbor District Library and the university library, I have more new books available to me than I could read in a year if I had 24 hours a day to read them. I may have to wait a few weeks to get that new book I have my heart set on, but in the meantime there’s plenty of other stuff to read. To me, that’s probably one of the two or three greatest things about living here.

Of course, saying I get all my new books from the library is probably not as glamorous as saying I buy hardcovers or paperbacks at Borders, but I couldn’t care less.

This afternoon we took the beagle to the grounds of Forsythe Middle School, where he had a great time chasing squirrels and sniffing the ground (and making up for the ignominy of this morning, when he was tormented by a neighborhood cat who loves to saunter past and revels in ignoring him when he howls at it). The school grounds are huge — two playing fields, at least, plus enough walking space to spend lots of time traversing. It was a gorgeous Indian summer day today, quite a switch from yesterday’s autumnal gloom. After we took the dog home to get some water and rest, we went over to the west side of town and bought some used books and maps at the Borders tent sale, then when we got home I finished up cooking some white bean chili that I’d been slow-cooking all day and baked some apple oat bread and whipped up a few bunuelos. Overall, a nice way to spend a Saturday.

The game between Michigan and San Diego State was this afternoon too — it was actually more of a trial getting across town using Packard (all kinds of sluggish students out and about, some of whom seemed to think that red lights were intended for everyone but them) than Stadium. After last week’s blowout by Notre Dame, which prompted at least one indignant letter to the editor from an alumnus who liberally used the word “disgrace,” today’s match was redemption, though only slightly: the final score was 24-21. We passed the stadium at halftime and people were already leaving the game, which made us wonder how fervent Michigan fans really are.