With Hurricane Irma headed straight for her house, Connie Ogle had to make some tough decisions. The most excruciating: Which books would she take? Which books would have to stay? And was there any way to protect the ones left behind?
Ogle writes about books (and wine! what a great combination) for the Miami Herald. She lives near the beach, in a flood zone. She owns thousands of books. You can't protect — or carry away — thousands of books.
The day before she left for higher ground, she posted a mournful message on Facebook:
"So I've been wandering around my house staring forlornly at my books, all of which I will have to abandon to Irma, and trying to decide if there are any that are irreplaceable."
Immediately, book-loving friends sent suggestions. You could feel their deep empathy at the thought of abandoning a home library to the hurricane.
Drape your bookcases in garbage bags, some suggested. Stuff your books into the dishwasher (or the washing machine), said others. (Think how many washing machines she would need!)
"Trying to decide what to take is like having to choose a favorite child," wrote another.
In the end, Ogle crammed three books into her dryer (her washer, by then, was full of bottles of wine). Which books? "My signed copies of 'London Fields' and 'Time's Arrow' by Martin Amis," she told me. "And a beat-up first edition of James Crumley's 'The Last Good Kiss.' "