Reading is usually a solitary activity, just you and the author having an intimate conversation. But in Idyllwild, that’s not always the case. Though we do have an unusual number of readers in our small community, we also have a long history of groups of people meeting on a regular basis to share their love of reading, literature and the written word. I recently put out the word that the Idyllwild Library would like to support the many book groups in our area by requesting several copies of their next book choice from other branches of the Riverside County Library System and its Inland Library Network partners. We offered to make them available for check-out here at the library. The response was exciting and warmed my librarian’s heart.

Cold weather blew into the Idyllwild area the second week of November, frosting mountaintops and ridgelines in white. Majestic oaks turned brilliant yellow, seemed more brilliant than in past years and held their colorful foliage longer. Skies remained that special blue so characteristic of the Hill, and with colder temperatures and light winds tossing the…