Mia Cortés Castro Photo
Eric Cajamarca and Diana Pérez perusing the nonfiction shelves.
Eric Cajamarca and Diana Pérez took a break from exploring downtown on a hot and rainy day to engage in a bit of friendly competition in the public library stacks.
Cajamarca and Perez found themselves on Friday afternoon settled comfortably amongst the many bookshelves of the Ives Main Library at 133 Elm St.
Perusing the fiction and nonfiction shelves on the public library’s first floor, the two Fair Haven residents and high school students discussed the events of their day while looking for books that piqued both of their interests.
Pérez: "We're just looking to read something for fun that makes us curious."
“We’re looking for a book we both like,” said Cajamarca. “We want to compete and see who can finish it first.”
They had spent their morning at the Yale University Art Gallery and then went to a choir concert put on by the Morse Summer Music Academy, which Pérez used to attend. They figured they’d spend the afternoon stopping by the New Haven Free Public Library’s main hub, the only one of the branches that’s open on Fridays, and checking out some books.
Cajamarca and Pérez before starting their browse.
In the span of 20 minutes, Cajamarca and Pérez made the rounds of the entire set of shelves, stopping to read the back cover synopses of book after book and picking up any that seemed fun. They wound up being most interested in the nonfiction selection.
“I ended up picking this one up,” said Pérez, referring to The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins, the hardcover she held in her hands. “I started reading it for a class my junior year and really liked it but never got to finish it, so I really wanted an opportunity to see how it ended.”
Pérez also picked out a copy of School Girls by Peggy Orenstein, which seemed interesting to her, particularly due to its centering on young female characters.
Pérez holding her books.
Cajamarca, on the other hand, perused the fiction shelves, and found himself drawn to the mystery section.
“I’m still looking. I’ve looked over there,” said Cajamarca, referring to the nonfiction section where Pérez found her books, “but I didn’t find anything that hooked me.”
The two walked off together to continue their afternoon amongst the bookshelves, still looking for the right book to make their afternoon adventure complete.