Rex’s reviews of anything (but mostly books)

I’d stopped to get a couple of gallons of gas just up the street. No telling what gave it away to the lanky dude in the red pickup – it might’ve been my confusion about which side the filler nozzle’ on; it might’ve been the telltale stylized Enterprise e next to the license plate – but he tilted his head toward the blue 2007 PT Cruiser and remarked, “Rental, eh?”

Yeah: the ’99 Yota 4WD had been rear-ended by some yutz paying more attention to his cell phone than to traffic, so I was in a rental courtesy of State Farm while I got new bumpers and a new tailgate. My pump-mate went on to tell me how he’d heard on a radio show that Chrysler is dumping PT Cruisers on the rental fleets by the thousands ’cause they can’t sell ‘em to “real””people. You know, this is the third time I’ve had a Cruiser as a rental and the second out of the last three visits to Enterprise. He may have a point there…

Back in 2000, Chrysler’s retro-styled “personal transportation” cruiser was the talk of the town. Combining elements of a Capone-era panel truck with a hot rod right out of “Happy Days,” the first Cruisers to hit the streets caused quite the sensation. Of course shared DNA notwithstanding, the Cruiser was no Plymouth Prowler. Chrysler, however, had now brought “retro” to the masses. That the Cruiser is built on the same platform as the regrettable Dodge Neon doesn’t seem to have much affected those masses.

Seven model years down the road, Chrysler’s following Volkswagen’s example from the 1960s: except for minor reshaping of sheet metal, the Cruiser’s body has undergone almost no changes. Aficionados – and there are, it is said, many – claim to be able to discern model year at a glance (I, myself, could distinguish among the 1961 to 1963 Beetles with my eyes closed), a task made somewhat more difficult by an array of trims and special editions that rivals the F-150 pickup. 2005 brought a convertible edition, necessitating interior and exterior gymnastics to produce a two-door body, but the convertible edition (a boxy travesty to my eye) pretty much negates the interior versatility long touted as a Cruiser selling point. That’s another car, though: I’m in a sedan… Read the rest of this entry »

I can think of worse people to raise a child than librarians; lots worse. In fact, as someone who’s always had at least one library card in his pocket, I can pretty closely identify with young Melvin, The Boy who was Raised by Librarians. Melvin wasn’t really raised by the librarians – Marge, Leeola, and Betty – at the Livingston Public Library, but he sure tried. He went there every day after school, finished every Summer Reading program, attended every story hour, and eagerly awaited every “Spend the night at the library!” party. Those three librarians adored their most loyal patron and answered his every question and gave him guidance on every project.

They couldn’t help it. That’s how librarians are!

Melvin repaid their kindness by making Leeola, Betty, and Marge as proud of him as if they had raised the boy: his hours in the library made him the best student in Livingston for sure and maybe in the whole state. His love of libraries never dwindled, either: one day another little boy came to the desk where Betty, Marge, and Leeola sat; but now there was a new librarian to help him find answers to his questions. Guess who! Read the rest of this entry »