Review: Ruby Red

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Everyone thinks that Charlotte is the one in the family to inherit the time travel gene. Her birth date was predicted by Sir Isaac Newton, after all, and he knew a thing or two about equations. As a result, she has spent her entire life training for time travel; she is fluent in several languages, is a history-wiz, and knows how to ride horses and fence. And she is the only one in the family who can tell her grandmother to mind her own business. But Charlotte does not inherit the gene. Her cousin, Gwyneth does.

Reading Challenge Update

Here is a list of all the book I have read for the Semi-Charmed Book Challenge so far (Points are in parentheses next to the books):

A Storm of Swords By George R.R. Martin (10)- Different Genres
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner  (10)- Different Genres
Divergent by Veronica Roth (5)- Author I never read before
Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (20)- Number in the title
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (15)- The ________'s Daughter
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier (15)- Translation
The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (20)- Holiday story
The Hobbit  by J.R.R. Tolkien (25)- Re-read this book

Total Points: 120 (200 to win!)

Review: Mr. Penumbra's 24 hour Bookstore

Mr. Penumnra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Simply put: I thought this book was awesome. I only wish I had a chance to read it before the author came to the library I intern at. It would have been fun to talk to him about the characters in Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore and not seem completely clueless (which I was). For details on why he was there, check out this link.

Clay is a currently unemployed graphic designer. In his desperation to enter the ranks of people with money, he stumbles into a book store and asks the old shop owner for a job. The question Clay has to answer before he gets the job is about what he likes to read, and then is hired for the night shift in the 24 hour bookstore. Employment: Achieved.

Book Challenge Update

So here is where I'm at so far for the Semi-Charmed Book Challenge:

1. book by an author I have never read before: Divergent by Veronica Roth (5 pts)

2. 2 out of 3 books of different genres: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (fantasy) and The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (Dystopia) (20 pts)

 3. I'm almost done with a book in the number in the title: Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. (20 pts)

So far I have 45 points. Go Me! I have until January 31 to finish the challenge. I might have to start reading shorter books. Divergent was only around 300, but A Storm of Swords was over 1,000.

Any book suggestions for the other categories? I'm still on the lookout for authors with the initials J.G!

Review: The Scorch Trials

The Scorch Trials by James Dashmer

The Scorch Trials is the second book in “The Maze Runner” trilogy. It begins exactly where The Maze Runner left off. Thomas and the Gladers have escaped from the maze and WICKED, and are now safe with their rescuers. At least they thought they were until they woke up to a bunch of Cranks -zombie-like people who have been infected with the Flare- and find their rescuers dead. Not only are the Gladers not safe, they are still in WICKED’s clutches.
When the Gladers realize they are not safe, many things happen at once:
1. They discover Theresa has gone missing and Thomas can’t communicate with her telepathically
2. Theresa seems to have been replaced with a kid named Aris who can also use telepathic communication
3. The Gladers find out that there is another group that has gone through exactly what they went through, except it was a group of girls
4. The group has no access to food for three days

Review: I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I am Number Four is about John Smith (that’s his name for now, anyway). John is not a normal boy, but is in fact an alien from the planet Lorien. John’s planet was attacked when he was young, and he and nine other children escaped with their protectors and headed for the nearest planet that would support life: Earth.
The race that destroyed Lorien, the Mogadorians, are now after the nine who escaped. The nine are protected by a charm, though, so they can only be killed in the numerical order they were given. One through three were found and killed, and John is number four.

And they all come flooding in at once!

Has this ever happened to you?

I requested a lot of books from the library. At least 10, probably more. Not all of them were recent, either. Some of them had very long waiting lists for a small number of books.

The past few days it seems that every single book I have ever requested has come in. This includes both e-books and paper book. The paper books I can at least wait a few days before I pick up, and I can also renew them. But the e-books? Those I have to download within 72 hours of receiving an email notification and I cannot renew them. This isn't the first time this has happened, either. It's as if the library waits to send my books all at once so it is almost impossible to read (and store) all of them. It's a literary conspiracy!

This also means that almost all of the books I plan to read for the book challenge have come in from the library. Now I have an additional challenge: reading them before I have to return them all!

Semi-Charmed book challenge tentative books

This challenge seems like it will provide me an opportunity to read a lot of books that have been on my “to-read” list for a long time. All of the titles are subject to change (depending on my mood and what the library provides), and I am also open to suggestions.

The Challenge:
5 points: Read a book written by an author you have never read before.
    I have a bunch of books by authors I have never read requested through the library. I         
           guess I will just wait to see what comes in first!
5: Read a book you already have at home but haven’t gotten around to yet.
    Again, so many to choose from. When the time comes I’ll see what kind of mood I’m in...
10: Read a book written in the decade that you were born.
    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
10: Read a book that takes place in the state/province where you were born. If you were born outside the U.S. and Canada, read a book that takes place in the country you were born.

Eat the City by Robin Shulman

15: Read a book titled The _______'s Daughter or The _______'s Wife.
    The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (?)
    The Witch’s Daughter by Paula Brackston (?)
15:  Read a book that was originally written in a language other than English.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, translated by Anthea Bell (German to English)

20: Read a book with a number in the title. This could be an actual digit or a number like “hundred” or “thousand.” No arbitrary numbers are allowed
    The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
20:  Read a book set during Christmas or another winter holiday.
    A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens- (?) I have never read it, but always feel that I should.

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (?)

20: Read a book written by an author who shares your initials.
    Something by John Grisham? I am open to suggestions.
25: Read a Pulitzer Prize winner or finalist for fiction.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

25:  Re-read a book.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

30: Read three books from three different genres

1. A Storm of Swords  by George R. R. Martin (Fantasy)

2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke (Cozy Murder Mystery)

3. TBD (Romance? Historical Fiction? Non-Fiction? Other? Too many options!)

Semi-Charmed Winter 2012 Book Challenge

I have never done a book challenge before, but this one seemed fun. Here are the details from http://megancstroup.blogspot.com:

Review: A Wizard of Earthsea

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Ged is a powerful wizard who was trained at a wizarding school on the island of Roke. While he was a student, though, his pride and need to prove himself led to his unleashing a dark and evil power; a Shadow that does not have a name. The Shadow haunts and hunts Ged so that the wizard cannot live in peace. Until Ged decides to switch from being the hunted to the hunter, that is. Ged has many adventures, fighting dragons, meeting rulers under the spell of a dark power, and spending many nights at sea with only his powers to keep him alive. After many encounters and long searches, Ged finally meets the Shadow and, with the help of friends, finds the strength and knowledge to defeat the evil he released.

Call for Donations!

Hey there!

So the NYC Marathon is in 2 weeks. That means it's getting close to the end of my fundraiser for the NYPL Correctional Services! If you would like to donate, please mail a check made out to NYPL Correctional Services to:

Correctional Services
Mid-Manhattan Library, NYPL
attn: Nick Higgins
455 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016

or donate online.

For more information about the NYPL Correctional Services program, click here. 

Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

Review: The Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

 I will start this by saying the same thing that I have seen written in many other reviews: This is NOT Harry Potter! Ok, I’m glad I got that out of the way. Now on to business.

HEY!!!

Today is my birthday! WEEEE!

Review: The Robe of Skulls

The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French

The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French was a very fast and entertaining book. It took me 2 subway rides and breakfast to finish, and it was worth every second. 

Lady Lamorna, a sorceress, wants to order a new dress from the Ancient Crones, but after placing the order realizes she is completely broke. So, she hatches a plan to turn all of the princes and princesses in the near kingdoms and then make their parents pay large sums of money to turn them back. With the help of Foyce, a half wearworlf and evil stepsister, Lady Lamorna succeeds in turning the royal children into frogs. 

Review: Sad Desk Salad

Sasd Desk Salad by Jessica Grose

Sad Desk Salad chronicles a week in the life of Alex Lyons, a blogger for the gossip website “Chick Habit.” From Monday to Thursday, Alex’s life becomes progressively more hectic, and on Friday it finally looks like things may settle.

There are of course the normal stresses of her job: writing her post quota for the day, making sure she gets enough page views for the month, and finding time to eat and shower without her boss sending her a nasty IM when Alex does not respond to an e-mail right away. Then there are the crises that are not so every-day. She and her co-workers find a hate blog about them and decide to find out who is behind it. Then, Alex receives an anonymous e-mail linking to a video of a celebrity's perfect daughter participating in some not-so-perfect activities. The rest of the week consists of Alex coping with the hate mail and death threats she receives after releasing the video on “Chick Habit.” Oh, and there is also relationship trouble between Alex and her co-workers, friends, mother, and boyfriend. And an appearance on the Today show.
All of that rolled into one week! I was exhausted just reading it.

Almost a month...

I must apologize to all four of my followers. It has been almost exactly one month since my last post. I will list what I have read since then, and the hopefully another post on my crazy awesome research project later in the week. I'm simply too tired to write it now. I had a busy day that started with running 18 miles and ended with...well...I don't know what. I'm still up!

Anyway, what I have been reading:

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James

To sum up, The Amber Spyglass was a satisfying, if not happy, ending to the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. A Discovery of Witches was light and fun. Definitely Twilight for adults. It was much less annoying because the main female is capable of taking care of herself, and is smart. She is a witch who needs training, but we glimpse how powerful she could become. Fifty Shades of Gray. Hmmm...
Well, I read it. Will I read the next 2? Don't plan on it.

And so until next time, that's all, folks!

WOAH! A book that's not for school!

I'm so excited! I'm reading a book that was not assigned for school. It is every bit as satisfying as I thought it would be. I can put it down and not read it constantly, and if I want, I can stop reading. Just stop reading and switch to a different book. Because it is not required reading. It's fun reading.

I'm not going to stop in the middle because I like this book. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clark, by the way. I read it in 10th grade and liked it, so I decided to read it again. I'm still liking it.

Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas woke up, he did not know who he was or where he was going. All he knew was that he was scared, sick and did not want to be where he was, which was in a dark box. When the box finally opened, he found himself surrounded by many boys, all looking to be in their teens. Thomas soon found out that the was in the Glade, and the boys surrounding him were Gladers. The Gladers farmed, raised animals, cleaned, and did what they had to in order to survive. Like Thomas, none of the Gladers could remember where they came from or anything beyond their first name. All they knew is that once a month one boy showed up in the box, and that they lived in the center of a giant maze.
   

Review: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The first book of “The Graceling Realm” series, Graceling, is about a young girl named Katsa. In Katsa’s world, some people are born with special skills, called a Grace. These people are recognized by their eyes, which are always two different colors. Katsa, who has distinct green and blue eyes, has a Grace that makes her a useful tool to her uncle, King Randa. She is Graced with killing.   

My First Book Trailer

I have never made anything on iMovie before, let alone something that had to persuade someone to pick up a book.
Now I have!
 In one of my classes we had to make a book trailer and upload it to the web, so I thought I would post it here, too. I don't have all of the iMovie tools down pat, but I don't think it's too shabby for my first time. What do you think? Does it make you want to read the book?

Review: The Lost Code

The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson

When Owen Parker arrives at Camp Eden for the first time, he is blown away by its beauty: there are real trees, water, insects, and the sky looks like it is not controlled by people in a tower far above. Owen’s story takes place in an unspecified year in the future, where humans must live in controlled environments within domes because strong radiation from the sun makes living outside deadly. Owen has a special opportunity to leave his own dome to attend a special camp. When Owen almost drowns taking a swim test and finds he has developed gills, we begin to understand just how special this camp is. During his time at Camp Eden, Owen befriends several CITs who also have gills, discovers he is descended from an ancient race called the Atlanteans, and begins to uncover the horrors the camp director is hiding. As the first book in “The Atlanteans” series, Emerson has set up an intriguing story filled with mystery, adventure, rivalry and romance. He also has created a vision of the future that is both impressive in its imagined technology and terrifying because of its realistic nature. 

Book Recommendations

Attention all blog readers (I know there must be one or two of you out there...):

I need book recommendations!

I need to read 10 additional YA books for my class, 3 of which must be written by the same author. Series books are allowed. I am trying to steer clear of fantasy and sci-fi because I have already read so many. I want to branch out and try something new.

Any suggestions?

Review: God Went To Beauty School

God Went to Beauty School
by Cynthia Rylant

God Went to Beauty School is a small book (56 pages) of poetry. The poems are about God, and what His life would be like if He lived like a human. Each poem describes a new experience God would have in His human life, which helps Him identify and appreciate His creations. Also, the poems describe some of the stresses and difficulties of being the all-powerful creator of the world.

I don’t know exactly why, but I loved this book. When I picked it up I might have rolled my eyes and thought, “Well…at least it’s short.” As soon as I started, though, I couldn’t stop.

Review: The First Part Last

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson is a story about a 16 year old boy, Bobby, who gets his girlfriend pregnant and then has to raise their daughter, Feather. From the very beginning, the audience knows that Bobby is basically raising Feather on his own. His parents help him, but Bobby is regularly reminded that they are only Grandma and Grandpa. Bobby is Daddy.
The book is set up alternating between “now,” or Bobby’s life as a father, and “then,” Bobby’s life leading up to the birth of his daughter starting with him finding out his girlfriend, Nia, is pregnant. Throughout the “then” parts we can see that Bobby and Nia cared deeply about one another, and wonder why Nia is not present in the “now” sections. Is she dead? Did she run away? What happened?
As the “then” parts become closer in time to the “now” parts, we meet Bobby’s friends, family, and find out what happened to Nia.
It was more of a good-kids-make-a-bad-decision story than anything else. It is clear that Bobby and Nia are not into drugs and alcohol, and were raised knowing the possible consequences of having unprotected sex. They are both presented as smart kids who just weren’t thinking clearly in the heat of the moment.

Review: Pretty Little Liars

As you know, I am taking a young adult literature class this summer. The class does not begin until July, but I started reading the books already. No, not because I am an overachiever, but because I am being practical. Two summer classes + a job + pulling together a literature review for my “Big Project” = get some work out of the way before I’m drowning.

With so many books in by brain, how will I remember the finer points of them all? Write them down, of course. And so I am trying my hand at a book review. Here it goes...

Just saying...

...that you should donate.

http://www.crowdrise.com/jimarirrr

Will the Reading Ever End???

No, the reading will never end. Glad I was able to answer that.

A way long time ago, before going to Russia, I complained that I will never have time to read all of the books I want to read. Well, I will now complain that the books I have to read are getting in the way of the books I want to read.

I am taking a class on young adult literature this summer. I am pretty excited about it. I like young adult books, and I do want to be a YA librarian, after all (someone, please hire me!). However, I was just sent the reading list for the class, and I am slightly disappointed that I have not already read more of the books on the list. Some of the books that I have not read I do want to read, and others not so much. So basically, this reading list is getting in the way of me plowing through my ever growing to-read list.

Last day in Russia

Our greeting to the museum.

The last day was a free day. We were let loose upon the city, and St. Petersburg did not know what hit it. First, many of us went to the Museum of Curiosity, aka Kunstkamera. For the most part, it was like a scaled down Museum of Natural History. Bu then here were dead babies in jars. It was gross and I tried to avoid looking. I walked through that room as quickly as possible. The rest was interesting, though, and less disturbing.

After the museum our group split. Some went to more museums and some went shopping. I was in the shopping crew.

Russia: Day 10, Last day of being official!

Our last day of official activities was spent at Peterhof. To get there we took a hydrofoil, which was super fancy. 
Another large and impressive palace. I feel like all of them are blending together. Each one we have visited has been in a similar style: grand entrance, rooms covered in gold and mirrors, some rooms that are gold and red, and one or two rooms that are a different style from the others. In Peterhof the different rooms were oriental inspired rooms. They were quite ornate. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed, and in the oriental rooms we were not even allowed to stop to look. We had to walk through, though we walked super slow.

Our greeting onto the hydrofoil

We're on a boat

Russia: Day 9

I know, I know. I am very behind. I have not been faithful to posting in my adventures in Russia. In fact, I am back in the U.S.A now. But I will still post what I did during my last few days in St. Petersburg. On day 9 we went to two libraries: Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library and the Pushkin Children's library. 
The Presidential library was rich. Not rich in history or rich in culture or rich in character. Money rich. 
Its collection was also completely digital.

Having a completely digital library was both a dream and a nightmare come true. Dream because having things online makes the materials accessible to a much wider audience. We were told that people all over the world have access to materials through the library website. All you need is to make a free account, and you have access to all of the databases, manuscripts and books available in the digital archives. What was really cool was the 3D view of book covers you can get on the website. Our guide was correct in saying that while conducting research the book cover can play a major part.

Other parts of the dream were the cool little techie parts such as turning a projected book with your hand using sensors. I'm proud to say I turned it on my first try.

Russia: Day 8

Today was very Russian. Not that the other days were not very Russian, but today we went to the Russian National Library (RNL) and Russian Museum. So I suppose it would be better to say it was Russian Culture day.

We were only allowed to take photos in one room of RNL, so I don't have too much to show. It was a beautiful library; floor to ceiling books and tons of shelves everywhere. We even got to see Voltaire's personal library, which was purchased by Catherine the Great. She seemed to take being a fan to a new level. While Voltaire was alive, she corresponded with him on a regular basis, though they never met. When he died, she bought his entire library and also ordered a replica of his house be built. Wow.

National Library of Russia

Russia: Day 7

I am so tired. But in a good way. In an "I've spent the last two days seeing things that were 100% worth seeing and if I had the chance I'd do it all again" kind of way. We crammed quite a bit into our restful exploration. 

Group at the Gulf of Finland

Sculpture in the Summer Garden

Russia: Day 6

So far my quest for a nice little summer home has been unsuccessful. The Hermitage was a good size, but the rooms were too simple for me. I like a bit more pizzaz in my life. Today, I checked out Catherine's Palace, which was a bargain, by the way, but is was too small. I only looked at a few of the rooms, but I could already tell I would feel claustrophobic living there. The architect tried to hide how tiny the rooms were by adding mirrors and little decorations here and there, but I could see right through what the mirrors were hiding: a living area that is too small to fill the needs of any decent person's life.

I think everyone will agree that this is simply too small. 

And the entry is not nearly grand enough.

Russia: Day 5

My class started a blog that everyone is contributing to, and we are all writing about our experiences on this adventure. Today, I posted. Do you know what that means? That means I'm going to be lazy, and instead of writing another post for this blog, I'm going to post the link to my class blog!

http://librarieswithoutborders-ischool.blogspot.com/

For the adventures of what I did, check it out, and you can also see what my classmates have been up to.

Enjoy!

Met a bear on my way to dinner.

Below the hotel. So classy.

Russia Days 3 and 4

I hope you will forgive me for putting 2 days into one post. Actually, I don't care if you forgive me. I'm doing it anyway. So on Wednesday we went to visit the library school at St. Petersburg State University of Cultural arts, which I shall call the library school, and on Thursday we went to the Hermitage museum and library. Both were great experiences.

Day 3

First, the library school visit. I'd like to start by saying the school is an a palace. So cool. The classrooms were so fancy! 

My class prepared a presentation about trends in U.S. libraries to give to the Russian students. My part was on the use of social media and I was fabulous. Well...maybe not fabulous. Maybe I was just really good. Anyway, after our presentations they showed us a video on their department and we asked questions about their program, job prospects, and librarianship in Russia. Then we took a tour and saw more pretty classrooms and spoke to people in different departments. 

Just another classroom at the library school.

What we learned will probably only be interesting to a librarian, so I'll just make a list  of some fun facts. 

-In soviet times, after graduating people were placed in libraries. They could not refuse

-Today, students tend to flock to certain types of libraries, so placement may go back into effect. They will have the right to refuse.

-Specialization does not require a second degree

-Twilight is one of the most popular books among young girls

Russia Day 2: Mayakovsky Library and Bus Tour

What a day! We went to the Mayakovsky Public Library and took a bus tour of the city. It was lovely.

Reading Room in the foreign language
department of the public library.

There were quite a few similarities between the Russian and U.S. library systems. I was very interested to learn about what types of services and programs the library does for their patrons.  Many of the programs are similar to those a library in the United States might do, including classes in information literacy, author visits, movie viewings, and cultural programs. 
There were also programs unique to each department, so for example the foreign department had language clubs and viewings of foreign films. An interesting fact I learned is that most foreign films in Russia are dubbed, and the library is one of the few places one can watch a movie in its original language with subtitles. 

Russia Day 1: Arrival, Dinner and A Walk

Yeah, so I'm in Saint Petersburg.

For those of you who don't know, I am taking a study abroad class in Saint Petersburg that will last 2 weeks. In that time, we will go to libraries and museums around the city, give presentations on trends in US libraries to students in a Russian library school, and have plenty of time to explore the city on our own. Should be a fabulous time!

After a long day of travel, I arrived in Saint Petersburg around 12:00, which is around 5am in NY. We did not do much today since everyone was exhausted from traveling. I was so tired, and after getting to the hotel I passed out... but as is typical I woke up in time for dinner without need for an alarm. I'm so gifted. We took the metro do the restaurant we had reservations at, and after eating everyone was so stuffed we decided it would be a good idea to walk it off, so we went back to the hotel on foot. This allowed for some fun exploration.

For A Good Cause

I mentioned in a previous post that I will be running the NYC marathon in November. I have decided that I will be one of those cool people who tries to raise tons of money for charity, so I chose to support the New York Public Library Correctional Services program. 

What the program does is send librarians to set up libraries for the prisoners at Riker's Island. The program goes beyond books, though. The librarians also have set up a Daddy and Me program, where prisoners are recorded reading a book, and the recording is sent to their kids, and also a booklet on how and where inmates can find employment once they are released. However, the department is quite small, and has a small budget.

The money raised will go to publishing this booklet, which has been requested by people around the country. If you would like to donate, I have put up a nifty little widget on the right side of the blog. Just click and go!

To learn more about the NYPL correctional services program, click here. Also, if you would like to donate, but want your money to go to buying books, they have an Amazon Wish List you can check out. 

Thanks!!!

Disappointing.

The other day I was thinking abut something I have always known, but for some reason it really hit me this time and made me sad.

I will never be able to read all of the books I want to read. My "to read" list is so long, and it keeps growing. There is no way, even if all I did was sit around and read 24/7/365, that I could finish all of the books on it.

So It's Been a While...

Random Note: I will be running the 2012 New York City Marathon!!! :D

My last post was over a month ago. I have been so busy with school and internships and such. Now, I am still busy, but procrastinating, so of course a blog post is in order.

I have still  been a reading fiend, but I can't say I have enjoyed all of what I've been reading. Waiting, by Ha Jin, for example, was quite a downer. I followed Lin and Manna over their 18 year love affair while Lin attempted to divorce his wife. Their relationship developed, feelings changed and evolved, and eventually, after waiting 18 years, the divorce was obtained.
Manna and Jin marry and have twin sons, but alas married life is not all they had hoped. Manna falls ill and does not seem to have long to live, and Lin realizes, oh hey, I loved my first wife all along. Lucky for him Manna is going to die soon, so he can re-marry wife #1. Until the last sentence, which is Jin's observation that Manna seems to be doing much better and speaks with a voice that is full of life. Waiting was a very appropriate title for this novel.
Oh, and it won some sort of literary award, as many depressing books do.

After remembering the book and writing that sloppy summary, I am suddenly unmotivated, so I'll just list other things I have been reading:

-Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Started, didn't finish yet)
-The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen (for a Christian Lit assignment)
-The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (for a multicultural assignment)

Where To Look

http://www.jackflannel.org/ra.html

This web site lists a variety of community based reader-advisory web-sites, book stores, best-seller lists, lists of award winning books, and a few more cool resources.

Enjoy!

Books, Books, and Something Completely Different

I finished Blackout. I knew the book was part one of a two book set, but I did not realize that it was originally supposed to be a single book. Or that the editor must have been inebriated when they made the decision to suddenly end the book. Seriously. The book just stopped at the end of a chapter when a new character is introduced and nothing is resolved. It was very frustrating. I kept looking to see if there was a note that said, "Just kidding!!! Here's the rest!" But no. Now I have to wait until I have time to read the next book, All Clear, to find out what happens. Because I need to know what happens. Oy.

On a different note, I just finished my first romance novel, Vision in White by Nora Roberts. It is the first book in a series called the Bride Quartet. I read it for my reader's advisory class (part of the class is reading a few books from a variety of genres so we can at least be familiar with them). It was easy to read, light hearted, nice characters with only a little conflict, had a predictable ending, and I liked it. I can't say I loved it, but I liked it. It was a nice break from all of the more involved books I've been reading. Just the break I needed, and I've already checked 2 more romances out of the library. One for class, and the other is the second book in the series. I think I may get hooked on romance novels...

Update

I've resigned to the fact that I will not be able to post very often this semester. I'm not only going to school full time, but also working in the school library a few hours a week, interning on days I don't have class, and am in the midst of filling out scholarship applications. So much to do, so little time!

A quick update, though. I'm currently reading a time travel novel called Blackout by Connie Willis. I'm almost done, and I don't know if I like it or not yet enjoying it. There's less than 100 pages left (of a 511 page book) and it feels as if not much has happened. I had to sit back and think about what was happening to each of the characters to realize that progress has been made, but not much. It feels like they have been in the same predicament for a good portion of the novel. It definitely is not my favorite book, but I think the ending will be a big factor on how I end up feeling about the book.

Class

This semester in school I am taking a reader's advisory class. I'll be learning effective ways to assist people in finding books, and will be discussing the pros and cons of audio and e-books. Very fun stuff!

Some online resources so far:

goodreads.com
librarythings.com
allreaders.com
NoveList (only accessible through subscription, but an awesome tool)

More on this later!

Audio Books

I downloaded an audiobook from the library through Overdrive for the first time. It was very easy both to download and transfer to a iPod. All I had to to was follow directions (although I suppose this could be difficult for some people...). After downloading from the library website, the book automatically opened in overdrive. From here I could listen to the book on my computer, or transfer it to an iPod. To transfer it to the iPod (or any other audio device) all you have to do is plug it in and click on "transfer." If I remember correctly, (I did this about a week ago) I had to choose where I wanted the files transferred, and I simply selected the iPod.  The only moment of doubt was when I disconnected the iPod and I didn't see the title under audiobooks. I put the book onto a iPod classic, and it ended up being under albums, and each chapter listed as a song.

I don't know

I felt as if it has been a while since I posted anything, I just don't know what to post. I have blogger block.

A brief overview of my reading life these days:

I have been reading a lot. I finished A Game of Thrones yesterday and today I started a book called The 101 Most Influential People who Never Lived, by Allan Lazar, Dan Karlan and Jeremy Salter. It is about exactly what the title says: the 101 most influential fictional people (and monsters and and stereotypes and cartoons and puppets) in western culture. I'm enjoying it. It's a quick and easy read, which is exactly what I need while waiting for A Clash of Kings.
The past few books have been ebooks, but I put myself on the waiting list for both ebooks and physical books for the next few books I want to read. I'll take whatever comes in first!

And that's about all.

Happy New Year!

New year, new books. Enjoy!