Why I am a bad browser....

Tonight I walked to the library to return a DVD I borrowed, and I was pleasantly surprised to see they were still open. It is almost novel to have anything be open past 5:30 in downtown Pella. It is most definitely like the locus come out at 5:30 everyday and quick, quick people you need to return to your homes! (or as my friend Kelli would say: The Vampires are getting ready to come out.) Every Thursday night however, like many cities in Iowa, the downtown area stays open until 8 p.m. and the community band plays. But still I was surprised to see the library open because it was past 8. Instead of just sticking my returns in the slot I decided to go in and take a look around. The poll I posted about which book I should read next was inconclusive (where did all my decisive friends go?) to make things even worse they didn't have disc 3 and 4 of the miniseries I was watching. This is where I begin to feel bad for every author that ends up on the bottom two shelves of every library, and book store. I mean does anyone actually take the time to look down there? I know I certainly don't and to be really super honest I pretty much only quickly browse the shelves that are at my eye level, and look for interesting covers. Past that, the only why you can get me to look at top or bottom shelves is to be one of my favorite authors- that way while I am the right section I might, just might see your book. I once heard a story that an author picked her pen name solely based on the fact that her books would end up next to an already established author of her same genre. Which really is super smart- I figured writers were just creative people that wanted strange names, but no- really there is some marketing and strategy going on. But really I feel bad for everyone else. I guess you can never know the size of the library or bookstore you will be sold and therefore cannot ever tell if you are going to end up on the unlucky bottom shelf.