There must be a trick

A few weeks ago I went to the Midtown library just to check things out and update the address on my library card. There were tons of books on the new fiction shelf. I ended up taking home Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections" from the Oprah Book Club shelf. (I don't care what you say about Oprah, the book was really good.)

So I went back yesterday to return the book and get something new. This time the Oprah shelf was wiped out. The new fiction was slim pickin's. There was a long line at the check out desk.

I still came home with books (another Franzen and one by a guy named Mallon), but what I'm wondering is what the smart kids know about taking out books. Maybe it was just because we're in the wake of a big beach reading weekend, but in the same way that I know that the Petland Discounts deliveries are on Tuesday, I'm wondering if someone out there knows the trick to getting the good stuff from the library.

Years of living down here, and I still haven't been to my own local branch so maybe there are some hidden gems there. Surely TriBeCa, with all of it's money and so damn many kids, would have a good public library. We'll see.