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I never thought of books as clutter. [READER]( The Daily Reader May 30, 2023 For years, I’d been walking by those free book houses scattered around my neighborhood before I finally dropped off a book. It happened a couple of weeks ago after I made one of my famous declarations. In this declaration, I looked at the stacks of books, most of them dusty, that occupy almost every flat surface in my house and declared . . . “That’s it! The time has come to clean up this clutter!” Radical concept for me. I never thought of books as clutter. For years, I believed that I needed to be surrounded by stacks of books in order to look learned and smart. Like I’d read them all. Or all were worth reading. And that I kept them around on the chance that at any given moment I’d pick one up and read it again. Which hardly ever happened. So one day, I selected three paperbacks—most of my books are paperbacks—to be dropped off at the book houses I pass as I walk around town. For the first drop-off, I choose three novels by Michael Connelly. Nothing against Connelly. Been reading his murder mysteries and legal thrillers for years. But I’m kidding myself if I think I’m going to read one of them again. And even if I feel the urge, I can always check it out of the library. After I dropped off those books, I felt oddly liberated. As though I were purging myself not only of old books but old habits. Since then I’ve been dropping off books almost every day for the last few weeks. Still have hundreds to go. Having said all that, I must say this . . . Some of you other book drop-off people: man, you guys suck. I’m talking about the ones who leave behind old, battered, baby books. Books that are barely held together cause the binding’s so bad. With pages falling out. And crayon scrawl obliterating the prose. You know no one wants these books. You’re not leaving them in those book houses out of generosity—or a desire to pass on good things. No, you’re just dumping your junk into the book houses because you don’t know what else to do with it. And then pretending to be all generous and everything. Even worse . . . there are people putting toys in those book houses. Model soldiers and tops and dolls. C’mon, man, this is not Toys “R” Us. The other day I found a stick of lip balm in a book house. What the f . . . You gotta be kidding me. That’s even worse than a torn-up baby book. Whoa. Sorry about that outburst. Couldn’t help myself, though I do feel better, getting that off my chest. Well, time for my walk. So little time and so many books to leave behind. 🎙Listen to [The Ben Joravsky Show]( 🎙 [What Ben's Reading] [The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine]( by Alina Bronsky. Very funny novel about a bossy, manipulative, judgmental woman who figures out a way to get her family out of Russia in the waning days of the Soviet Union. Translated from the original German by Tim Mohr. Reema Saleh reviews [Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care]( [Ben Joravsky]( on mainstream Chicago’s obsession with Mayor Johnson’s chief of staff. [Best of the Ben J. Show]( Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Loreen Targos: [School Politics]( D’Frantz Smart: [Inside The Game]( (on all things hoops) Jay Rehak: [public pensions explained]( [Cronenberg, comedy, and weirdo music]( Upcoming events and ongoing activities you should know about by [Micco Caporale]( | [R]( → [‘I didn’t come here to make blankets’]( Local designer Chelsea B makes crochetwear cool. by [Boutayna Chokrane]( | [Read here]( → [The Gospel at Colonus gets a rousing revival at Court]( The second piece in the company’s planned Oedipus trilogy closes the season with spirit. by [Kerry Reid]( | [Read here]( → [Review: The Little Mermaid]( The long-awaited live-action remake is entertaining and nostalgic—but nothing new. by [Noëlle D. Lilley]( | [Read here]( → In two days, WE PARTY! This Thursday at Metro Chicago, we're celebrating the Best of Chicago–nominated and voted by YOU. Use the code 'SAVE5BOC' to get five bucks off the ticket of your choice. [GET TICKETS HERE]( [Issue of May 4 – 17, 2023 Vol. 52, No. 15]( [View/Download Issue [PDF]]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2023 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616