Margie: Edna, you know how I feel about books and people reading them. It helps your vocabulary and takes you to other times and places. It's fun and educational too.
Here are some books I picked out for you to read. It's not reading when you look at fashion magazines or read about the latest celebrity news!
Edna: Margie, I am tired of you putting down my reading material! I am not so frivolous that all I ever read are those horrible gossip rags. (And, might I point out, I saw Cousin T bring you that National Enquirer the last time he was here. So don't you go pointing fingers at me.)
Why are you bringing this up now?
Margie: Edna, I was at my book club meeting last night and some of the ladies asked why you never attend. They snickered and somebody said you only looked at picture books.
I want to help you so you're not the butt of so many jokes.
Edna: Don't try and pull that helpful sister act with me. I could care less what the "ladies" in your book club think of me and my reading habits, Miss Smarty-Pants. But, if I did care, you could very easily put those unfounded allegations to rest by telling them that I have a stack of books on my nightstand a foot high. And you know perfectly well that I check a bag of books out the library every week.
But I don't have to defend myself to them or to you. I know what I like to read, and how often I like to read, and that's that.
Margie: Edna, leave it to you to be critical of my life's work of trying to get more young people to read. As usual, you care only about yourself and what you do.
You put that stack of books there to flatten out those old love letters you claim you got during the war.
Edna: Well good night nurse, you are plumb driving me to distraction! Who was criticizing your life's work? You're the one who brought up the ladies of your book club and said that they were snickering at me behind my back, I was just defending myself. I'm all for encouraging young people to read, you nitwit.
Honestly, I can't talk to you any more today, I'm retiring to my room with my smelling salts and a book. You're on your own, sister.
"Read a Book Day is today. Take time out of your busy life, and relax with a good book."
