What Should I Read Next?

Check out my thoughts on AISL's blog for librarians being asked about book recommendations. 

Professional Summer Reading

Yes, careful readers, I am indeed posting about professional summer reading from the beach. Now back to John Irving and the New York Times. Happy summer reading!

2015 Youth Media Awards

Hot off the press from Chicago! So many books to add to my personal reading list and the library collection. 

Media Awards 2015
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:
“The Crossover,” written by Kwame Alexander, is the 2015 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Two Newbery Honor Books also were named:
“El Deafo” by Cece Bell, illustrated by Cece Bell and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS.
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
“The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” illustrated by Dan Santat, is the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Dan Santat and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Six Caldecott Honor Books also were named:
“Nana in the City,” illustrated by Lauren Castillo, written by Lauren Castillo and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
“The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art,” illustrated by Mary GrandPré, written by Barb Rosenstock and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
“Sam & Dave Dig a Hole,” illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett and published by Candlewick Press.
“Viva Frida,” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Yuyi Morales and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter Book.
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
“This One Summer,” illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, written by Mariko Tamaki and published by First Second.
Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: “Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
Three King Author Honor Books were selected:
Kwame Alexander for “The Crossover,” published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.
Marilyn Nelson for “How I Discovered Poetry,” illustrated by Hadley Hooper and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Books (USA) LLC.
Kekla Magoon for “How It Went Down,” published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
“Firebird,” illustrated by Christopher Myers, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Misty Copeland and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
Two King Illustrator Honor Book were selected:
Christian Robinson for “Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” by Patricia Hruby Powell, published by Chronicle Books LLC.
Frank Morrison for “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone,” by Katheryn Russell-Brown, published by Lee and Low Books, Inc.
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:
“When I Was the Greatest,” written and illustrated by Jason Alexander, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.
Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Deborah D. Taylor is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.
Taylor’s career in public service began more than 40 years ago with the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, where she is currently coordinator of School and Student Services. Her career has been spent as mentor, educator and literacy advocate for young adults. As an inspiring young adult librarian, leader in national associations and university instructor, she has been distinctly effective in introducing young people and her professional colleagues to the outstanding work of African American authors.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
“I’ll Give You the Sun,” written by Jandy Nelson, is the 2015 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, a Penguin Random House Company.
Four Printz Honor Books also were named:
“And We Stay,” by Jenny Hubbard, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., a Penguin Random House Company.
“The Carnival at Bray,” by Jessie Ann Foley, and published by Elephant Rock Books.
“Grasshopper Jungle,” by Andrew Smith, and published by Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, a Penguin Random House Company.
“This One Summer,” by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, and published by First Second.
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
“A BOY AND A JAGUAR” written by Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Catia Chien and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.
“RAIN REIGN” written by Ann M. Martin and published by A FEIWEL AND FRIENDS BOOK, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13).
The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Girls Like Us,” written by Gail Giles and published by Candlewick Press.
Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
“All the Light We Cannot See,” by Anthony Doerr, published by Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
“Bellweather Rhapsody,” by Kate Racculia, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
“Bingo’s Run,” by James A. Levine, published by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.
“Confessions,” by Kanae Minato, translated by Stephen Snyder, published by Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
“Everything I Never Told You,” by Celeste Ng, published by The Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.
“Lock In,” by John Scalzi, a Tor Book published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
“The Martian,” by Andy Weir, published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.
“The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice,” by Zak Ebrahim with Jeff Giles, published by TED Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
“Those Who Wish Me Dead,” by Michael Koryta, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
“Wolf in White Van,” by John Darnielle, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video:
Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard, Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Me…Jane,” are the Carnegie Medal winners. This transcendent adaptation of Patrick McDonnell’s 2012 Caldecott Honor draws viewers into the childhood of a young Jane Goodall who, with beloved stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, is transformed by what she observes in her own backyard, a “magical world full of joy and wonder.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.
The 2015 winner is Donald Crews, whose award-winning works include “Freight Train,” which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1979, and “Truck,” a Caldecott Honor Book in 1981. He has been consistently excellent with a wide range of titles, such as “Harbor,” “Parade,” “Shortcut” and “Bigmama’s,” all published by Greenwillow Books.
Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:
The 2015 winner is Sharon M. Draper, author of more than 20 books, including: “Tears of a Tiger” (1994), “Forged by Fire” (1997), “Darkness Before Dawn” (2001), “Battle of Jericho” (2004), “Copper Sun” (2006), and “November Blues” (2007), all published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
2016 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.
The 2016 Arbuthnot Lecture will be delivered by Pat Mora. Pioneering author and literacy advocate Pat Mora has written more than three dozen books for young people that represent the Mexican American experience.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States: “Mikis and the Donkey” is the 2015 Batchelder Award winner. The book was written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected:
“Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust,” published by First Second an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership, written by Loic Dauvillier, illustrated by Marc Lizano, color by Greg Salsedo, translated by Alexis Siegel.
“Nine Open Arms,” published by Enchanted Lion Books, written by Benny Lindelauf, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen.
Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:
“H. O. R. S. E. A Game of Basketball and Imagination,” produced by Live Oak Media, is the 2015 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Christopher Myers and narrated by Dion Graham and Christopher Myers.
Three Odyssey Honor Recordings also were selected:
“Five, Six, Seven, Nate!” produced by AUDIOWORKS (Children’s) an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc., written by Tim Federle, and narrated by Tim Federle;
“The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Julie Berry, and narrated by Jayne Entwistle;
“A Snicker of Magic,” produced by Scholastic Audiobooks, written by Natalie Lloyd, and narrated by Cassandra Morris.
Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:
“Viva Frida,” illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Yuyi Morales and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter Book.
Three Belpré Illustrator Honor Books were named:
“Little Roja Riding Hood,” illustrated by Susan Guevara, written by Susan Middleton Elya, and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
“Green Is a Chile Pepper,” illustrated by John Parra, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, and published by Chronicle Books LLC. “Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh, and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.
Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring Latino authors whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience:
"I Lived on Butterfly Hill" is the 2015 Pura Belpré (Author) Award winner. The book is written by Marjorie Agosín, illustrated by Lee White and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.
One Belpré Author Honor Book was named:
"Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes," written by Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Raúl Colón and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus,” written by Jen Bryant, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Five Sibert Honor Books were named:
“Brown Girl Dreaming,” written by Jacqueline Woodson, and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
“The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia,” written by Candace Fleming, and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.
“Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker,” written by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson and published by Chronicle Books LLC. “Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands,” written and illustrated by Katherine Roy, and published by David Macaulay Studio, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press.
“Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation,” written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.
Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:
“This Day in June,” written by Gayle E. Pitman, Ph.D., illustrated by Kristyna Litten and published by Magination Press, an imprint of the American Psychological Association, is the winner of the 2015 Stonewall Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award.
Three Honor Books were selected:
“Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out,” by Susan Kuklin, photographed by Susan Kuklin and published by Candlewick Press.
“I’ll give you the sun,” written by Jandy Nelson, published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
“Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” written by Christine Baldacchio, pictures by Isabelle Malenfant, published by Groundwood Books / House of Anansi Press.
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:
“You Are (Not) Small,” written by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant, is the Seuss Award winner. The book is published by Two Lions, New York. Two Geisel Honor Books were named:
“Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page,” written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur Howard, and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
“Waiting Is Not Easy!” written by Mo Willems, illustrated by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group.
William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:
“Gabi, a Girl in Pieces,” written by Isabel Quintero, is the 2015 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Cinco Puntos Press.
Four other books were finalists for the award:
“The Carnival at Bray” written by Jessie Ann Foley and published by Elephant Rock Books.
“The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim” written by E.K. Johnston and published by Carolrhoda Lab™, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group.
“The Scar Boys” written by Len Vlahos and published by Egmont Publishing.
“The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender” written by Leslye Walton and published by Candlewick Press.
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
“Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek,” written by Maya Van Wagenen, is the 2015 Excellence winner. The book is published by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group.
Four other books were finalists for the award:
“Laughing at My Nightmare” written by Shane Burcaw, and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group.
“The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia” written by Candace Fleming, and published by Schwartz & Wade, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books.
“Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business—and Won!” written by Emily Arnold McCully, and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers.
“The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights” written by Steve Sheinkin, and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

So you want to make a flowchart?

Here's a link to my most recent AISL post, on the process of making a flowchart about library donation policies. http://aislnews.org/?p=1922

Sharing is Caring - Technology, Privacy and The CIrcle

The repost to my most recent AISL blog..Sharing is Caring

Return your library books

 

Books are due. So the option is to change my attitude or to change the expectation that books will return of their own accord as the school year winds down. One thing I am looking forward to as more of the collection is digital is less time chasing down students for items they don't always remember borrowing. 

Anyway, as I've said 1000 times to students already this week, "I'm not mad. I'm actually really glad you're using the library. I just want the books back. And if you're still reading them, tell me and I'll renew them and stop bugging you." 

Oh, and "Don't lie if you've lost the book.

There was a bright stop on the horizon recently when I asked the Middle Schoolers who had books with them in their cubbies and left the building with an Ikea bag chock full of titles. (Even one that had survived a backpack battle with a stick of deodorant. Mmmm...freshness.) Small victories! 

For everyone else, 

Fashion Hits and Misses from YA Historical Fiction Book Covers

I had to reblog this from YALSA, mainly because one of my freshmen convinced me that I needed to read The Luxe series. I love librarians! 

I love historical fiction.  The drama, the intrigue and, oh– the fashion.  I just assume all the period details regarding clothing are accurate.  Or I did until my friend Liz shared it was her secret delight to troll the adult fiction section and find anachronistic apparel.  Curious to know how Liz knows all that she does about fashion?  Here her bio:

I have had an interest in fashion history since I was young.  My mother would take me to estate sales and auctions where I would buy vintage fashions with my allowance.  After graduating from high school I found I did not know exactly what I wanted to do and ended up going to Miami University for costume design.  While studying I found the thing I loved most about designing costumes was actually doing the research that went into the design.  After this discovery I finished up my Bachelor’s Degree at Miami and moved to New York City to study what I loved most.  I got my Master’s Degree in Costume Studies at New York University and have been working in museums since..  Being with the objects in such an intimate setting has allowed my passion to continue to grow and for me to learn more about every aspect of fashion and clothing construction.

Turns out a lot of books from specific dates and locations feature outfits as cover art that either haven’t been invented yet or were way out of fashion.  I was eager to know if these same mistakes were being made in Young Adult historical fiction. After all, how was I to know? Here are some examples of books that got it right and those that got it wrong.

Hit:  His Fair Assassin Trilogy. Grave Mercy (2013 Best Fiction for Young Adults) and Dark Triumph (2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults) by Robin LaFevers

His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers

This series is set in Brittany in 1485.  Brittany is a region of North West France.  The book covers features the main character Ismae and Sybella. Both of these costumes are acceptable imitations of clothing found in 15th century France.  The v-neck style does appear to be more indicative of middle 15th century fashion instead of what you would find in the later half of the century. But because fashion didn’t change as fast at that time it would have still been common later in the century, especially for the masses.  Fashion was fairly limited at the time due to the production method and dyes used to make textiles.  Nicer textiles would have been astronomically expensive and impossible for commoners to own because of strict sumptuary laws that restricted the clothing that could be worn by different classes.  The hair, on the other hand, is very inaccurate as you can see from the comparisons below.

Portrait of a Young Girl, Mid-15th c., Petrus Christus, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

Art from the Roman de la Violette written by Gerbert de Montreuil a poet, mid-15th c. Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Miss: The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen (2009 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults)

The Luxe series is set in Manhattan, 1899. The covers of this popular four-part series are eye-catching, but they feature inaccurate imitations of 1899 fashion.  The skirts are entirely too full and reminiscent of 1980s dresses because of the colors, necklines, and extended waists on Rumors and Splendor.  Skirts of the period would have been slightly fitted through the hips and more full at the hem.  Realistically, these young socialites would have been wearing to the minute fashions from well-known couturiers.  Often they would have gone to Paris specifically to have gowns made for them from the designers at the epicenter of fashion at that time.  These designers included Jacques Doucet and the fashion house of the first couturier, Charles Frederick Worth, the House of Worth. Unadorned jewel tones, as seen on these covers, were not common.  Instead, these young ladies would have been wearing white, pastels and black options encrusted in sequins, rhinestones, and decorative embellishment evoking the style of the Art Nouveau period.

The Luxe series by Anna Godberson

Here are some examples of what people really would have worn. This evening dress from the House of Worth was created by French designer, Jean-Philippe Worth around 1898.  You can see this outfit in amazing detail online at the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Evening dress 1898
House of Worth (French, 1858–1956)

Portrait of Lisa Colt Curtis, 1898, John Singer Sargent, Cleveland Museum of Art

Mrs. John Vinton Dahlgren, 1899, photograph by Dupont, New York, Munsey’s Magazine

This beautiful ball gown is also from Paris and designed by Jacques Doucet, between 1898-1900.  You can see close up photographs of this dress’s designer label and other embellishments at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Doucet, 21 Rue de la Paix, Paris.

Gifted to The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Gift of Miss Eva Drexel Dahlgren, this gorgeous dress is exactly the style the daughter’s of the Holland’s and the Hayes might wear and is the epitome of Art Nouveau style.  Unfortunately, this dress is not on display and can only be appreciated online.

Evening dress , 1898-1900,
House of Worth (French, 1858–1956)

Accurate apparel, like these and other examples of period costume are always available at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other fine art museums worldwide.

• Evening dress House of Worth (French, 1858–1956)
• Ball gown House of Worth (French, 1858–1956)

If you want to learn more about historical garments from this period and see more examples, check out Liz’s turn of the century Pinterest page.

For for a more broad look at fashion history check out these books from your local library.

• 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment by Francois Boucher
• The History of Costume: From the Ancient Mesopotamians Through the Twentieth Century by Payne, Winakor, and Farrell-Beck.

http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2014/02/26/fashion-hits-and-misses-from-ya-historical-fiction-book-covers/ 

Anthropologie

This past summer in Anthropologie, I noticed a sign over a wooden trunk asking for book donations. There was no further information, which I found odd. If you are donating books to charity, wouldn't you want to know a bit about the target population? Children's books? Reference books? Popular fiction? Also, why are you collecting books in a wooden chest with a small typed request sign, Anthropologie? This fall, in a different Anthropologie 3000 miles away, I noticed this display. Beautiful. Not a donation to charity but to art. 

If you are interested in store design and visual merchandising, Anthropologie is a neat research subject. First off, it's always nice when a subject has a unique name. If they were Anthropology, you'd be sifting through a lot of unrelated materials. More importantly, they are leaders in tailoring stores to individual locations, creating unique window theming units, and marketing virally with social media. I would say that the brand's particular strength is in seeming like an independent store when, in fact, they're owned by the Urban Outfitters brand. Thoughts?

Darn those late fines

This is just going to be a monthly redirect because...why not. 

Here are my thoughts on overdues and late fines in the independent school library world. Those who know me, I promise this is motivated by more than my inability to return library books on time and the fact that I could probably pay my mortgage in fines accrued over the years. (In fact...let's all pause while I open another tab...darn it. Because 2 books from Baltimore ended up back in Florida after the winter break and still haven't been returned, I have a $6.25 fee from five states away.) 
But, personal feelings aside: "When is it due?"...and other library vocabulary

Comments appreciated in either space.

Reading Statistics

It may be surprising if you know me to find that I post all the books that I read on Shelfari. Shelfari is a website that tracks reading lists and offers information about books, rather like Goodreads or Library Thing. I recognize that this means my personal information and reading habits are shared with "big data," particularly in the years since Amazon purchased Shelfari. Even the least astute amateur statistician can look at the chart below and see the year that I started using Shelfari. Coincidentally the year I started grad school in Information Science? The reason that some books are backdated is that if I reread a book, I assign a second date with the year I first read it. If you keep in mind that my specialization in grad school was teen lit, then it makes sense that I took the opportunity to reread favorites from my own teen years. 

If you look at the bottom of this chart, you'll see that it tracks your reading pace for the year. Can I say that I'm almost always behind because I catch up on reading during the Christmas break at the end of the year, and thus I generally find this number quite stressful, even though it's *completely* arbitrary and meaningless.I'm only ahead right now because I had three mostly complete books that I finished on New Year's Day, and then read on a 7 hour flight across the country.

 So, as a consolation prize for offering information about my reading habits, I'm able to see statistics about them. Since the last book I bought for myself was ....ummmm....ummmm...I support libraries....not memorable, at least I know that they are not influencing my purchasing habits. I'm aware that the comparison of my reading patterns to those of a group that voluntarily signed up for a book tracking website gives me no additional information about the reading patterns of Americans as a whole. That said, I'm a little surprised about the alignment between my reading and the group's.

Are the less popular categories lower because less is published, and less is publicized, in those fields? I was surprised that romance and thriller were lower for me at first. I'm betting that this categorizes in one field. I don't usually read mass-market paperback thriller or romance. I find those themes in adult and teen fiction. So it's a bit limiting if each book is only allowed one category.

Finally, getting to the point that inspired this the other day, I can see my own rating patterns over time and within genres. For instance, I may think that I like travel books, but of the 20 that I've read, only 1 received a 5. (It was Behind the Beautiful Forevers. When I picked it up, I didn't realize that it wasn't a fictionalized account of true events. It's devastating in it's treatment of Indian poverty throughout recent industrialization.) Proportionally, there should only be 2 5-star books, but there aren't that many 4's either. 

Since I read a lot, I'm not surprised that most books are 3's. If you don't particularly inspire me and you aren't particularly memorable, automatic 3. 4's and 2's swing one way or the other. Some books get 5's because they are enjoyable, and others because I think they are well-written and I learned a lot. It's hard to get a 1. Are there typos or incorrect "facts?" Is it just too pompous to be taken seriously? You don't want to be a 1. (As I look through the list, I'm groaning in remembrance of 13 of the 14. The final was the first book in a trashy teen series that I devour from the Catonsville library every time I go home to see my parents. It's not particularly literary, but I forgot that there was ever a point when I wasn't entertained by it. Memory, thy fickle friend.)

Though it's been helpful to me personally and professionally, in no way am I pushing this or other book tracking services. I'm probably asked for book recommendations more than the average person. If you're searching online after this anyway, the site is Shelfari. If you're on the site, find me, and we can follow each other.

End-of-Year Book Lists

Totally acceptable to take a month off for the Christmas holiday, right?

What about for SNOW?!?

Or panoramas of the Puget Sound? 

My family lives in amazing places, that's for sure. And there was a fair bit of time for reading too. With the New Year, I've had several conversations with family members recently. I'm generally hesitant to suggest books because I feel that my personal recommendations, though personal, come with the burden of being "a librarian's suggestion." (Cue dramatic music here.) It seems that it's popular in some circles to send out an end-of-year email sharing your favorite books from the past year. Far be it for me to know if these are really recommendations or a back-handed way of boasting that you read more than your friends. 

Yes, I read a lot. There's no denying that, though my actual reading list is shared with me and Shelfari.  But I also read quickly, enjoy spending mornings with books, and don't retain the details of most what I read. I think it's fine that most people read less than I do and instead spend their time on other hobbies like soccer, sewing, or sudoku. Still, of what I read, much is average and doesn't stand out. In my personal 5-star rating system, a full 45% are rated 3 of 5, meaning fine but unremarkable. Instead of my reading list or my recommendations from last year, I thought it might be more interesting to document the books from 2012 that I'm still thinking about a year later. 

They are presented in no particular order. Some are not books that I enjoyed, per se, but rather books that provided a unique perspective or got me thinking. More accurately, they are books that are still memorable. Reading is entirely personalized, and if you're not into the same genres or stylistic preferences as me, none of these may be the least bit interesting to you. That's fine!

Welcome to 2014, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this 10 list or read one of your own creation!

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

This book has gotten a lot of press and is the current favorite of high schoolers at Saint Stephen's. It is a story of teens with cancer, and it's the most emotional book I've ever read. Green is a master at capturing the highs and lows of teenage life. Don't be surprised to find yourself laughing out loud as tears are streaming down your face. Keep tissues nearby.

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

This is a book that I listened to on my long summer drives, and I can't deny that I'm obsessed with Ronson's British accent. Even though I would listen to anything he read, this book is particularly interesting. It's a social history of psychopathy, and it contains many case studies interspersed with expert opinions. 

The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost

Before you think that I'm a sucker for audio books, know that this is the only other book on the list that I'm recommending in audio format. Otherwise, you'll be hopelessly lost in your pronunciation of Kiribati and the other Pacific locations. This is the true tale of Maarten's move to a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. If you've dreamed of running away to the tropics, this book presents the warts-and-all story of one who did just that.

Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney 

If you prefer industrial to tropical, this is a better book for you. It's a scathing look at 1980s New York, critiquing the financial industry, the indecisiveness of one's 20s, and the city's drug culture. Ironically, I ended up reading it because it shared the same name as the (much tamer) 2012 prom, which I helped sponsor.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

This is another one that I read because of school. Is it sacrelidge to admit that I like it better than the movie. It's a story in a story in a... Goldman weaves truth and fantasy in surprising ways for an inventive satire. Don't worry, the book still includes the Sicilian, the Spaniard, and the Giant that you've already grown to hate.

The Table Comes First by Adam Gopnik

 If you know me, you know I like food. Thinking about food. Learning about food. Eating food. Mmmmm, food. I particularly liked the sections about restaurants and manners. Gopnik writes thoughtfully and with humor about the cultural history of ingredients and eating traditions. 

Sample sentence: The recipe is a blueprint but also a red herring, a way to do something and a false summing up of a living process that can be handed on only by demonstration, a knack posing as knowledge. We say, 'What's the recipe?' when we mean 'How exactly do you do it?' And though we want the answer to be, 'Like this!' the honest answer is 'Be me!'

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

A fan of the low as well as the high, I'm a sucker for a good teen romcom. Most blend together in mediocrity, but this one was as fluffy as cotton candy. Anna is upset that she's forced to leave her Atlanta high school her senior year for boarding school in France. She meets a beautiful boy and has Paris outside her door. Will she learn to be happy there? (The answer is yes. I didn't say I was reading for the suspense.) 

Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole

This is an example of a 3-star book that made this list because it's stayed on my mind even though the writing was so-so. The author has worked as a flight attendant and has lots of insider stories about life in the air and in her "crashpad" on the ground. Every time I fly, I remember an anecdote from this book. 

Surviving your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School by Adam Ruben 

This is probably the time I'm supposed to say that I've met the author because we attended the same college and that my husband was in grad school while I was reading it. That's immaterial. If you or a loved one is enduring the final years that make up the "final months" of a phd program, you'll be rofl. Not only was Ruben a Biology grad student, he also taught writing to undergraduates and created a stand-up comedy intersession course. He knows academia inside and out.

The Phone Book by Ammon Shea

I have been shamelessly promoting this book since I read it. It's indeed a history of the phone book and a delightful one at that. It's full of social history and trivia, and it's provided fun facts that have been fodder for many cocktail party conversations.(It's also one of the only books I've ever written about on this site previously.It's that good.)

Find a Hot Book

 Need books?

Who doesn't? 

Shop the school's book fair tomorrow or Friday to find a gift for readers young and old on your list. Support the library and Gerard the Giraffe. Discover the oasis of reading.

Bookmarks

 Who really knows how collections start...or how they might shape your development without you realizing it? I don't remember my first bookmark, and honestly, I've always been one to leave a book open upside down rather than using a bookmark like a civilized person. Yet, decades before I ended up a librarian, these started accumulating in a bedroom drawer.

Yet somehow, I've accumulated quite the collection of bookmarks. Clearly cats, Garfield, and Harry Potter played large roles in my childhood. Some were free, many were from Scholastic book sales (note the colored yarn for those), and the rest were given from people's travels. I wonder if bookmarks will continue to remain popular for gifts with the advent of ereaders?   

Here are some new additions that I was given this summer, from California, Virginia, and Tanzania. Note that the giraffe bookmark hand-carved wood.

Baltimore Book Festival

Fall days are here up north, and Baltimore recently hosted a fun book festival. It's always good to have time to wander the city, listen to authors, and explore tents and tents of books new and old. Definitely a worthwhile day. 

 

Welcome! 

 

 Lifesize Scrabble. 

 Wimpy Kid Bookmobile. 

  Outdoor Reading Lounge.

 Tiger Beat, made up of authors Natalie Standiford, Libba Bray, Daniel Ehrenhaft, and Barney Miller

One of my favorite classical libraries, the main library at the Peabody Conservatory.

Bonus points...or maybe a candy bar. Why did the band Tiger Beat choose its name?

Intriguing Reviews for Books I Don't Want, Part Two

Rebecca has always loved designing small tree houses for fairies.

During the trip Alex learns to drive, reconnects with his father, somewhat graphically loses his virginity, and pledges to become a stronger person.

After all, it is her talent that is going to get her out of her dead-end hometown and into Julliard.

Colin is a believable character who isn't perfect but is brave enough to stand up for victims, and wears t-shirts with pictures of rodents as he embraces his "rat" status.

He and his friend Dirk are appealing nerds who accidentally end of transporting themselves, their friend Sarah, and a magic-store owner/dwarf to their future world-a world populated by self-aware machines and rules by the maniacal unicorn "Princess," who rose to power after wining out the human race.

In the course of stringing along her psychologist; avoiding her fake boyfriend; and coming up with an elaborate expose involving a doppelganger, a basket of sandwiches, and a horse, she also learns some lessons about family, friendship, and romance.

Nina discovers that her brother is involved in something illegal and that he has lost interest in gardening, a passion that they once shared, even though he buys her orchids to raise on the fire escape.

He hadn't planned to, but now that he and Tina Zabinski, the world's best-smelling girl, have had their first date, he wants to more to impress her.

He also explains that the strange flash mobs that almost everyone seems to be participating in-a roomful of people stand up and sing show tunes in unison, that go about business as usual and deny that anything strange has happened-are, in fact, experiments in a sinister mind-control plot. 

Attracted by Rain's unusual red hair, the starship captain agrees to transport her and Walker through the Void.

**Lines taken from professional reviews, out of context.

 It keeps reading reviews interesting.** 

Independent Bookstores

A response in the New York Times to an article about independent bookstores. I've written before on The Tattered Cover, and many of my Denver hours have been spent there. However, as a librarian I buy very few books for myself. Still, there's something about the curation of bookstores, particularly these independent behemoths. There's nothing embarrassing about preferring to preview in a real store rather than online.

The Strand---Rainy afternoon in New York? Go here, and the hours disappear. May sound a bit creepy, but it's worth it. Head to the basement!
Tattered Cover---I want to decorate my house with the furniture from the downtown location. They also serve mate tea, and they are where I first discovered the snark that is Sloane Crosley. It's one of my first destinations in the city
Powell's---Can anyone talk up Powell's enough? I was in Portland for two days this summer, and walked a mile and a half to be there for the opening in the morning. Then repeated the activity at closing. I love that the rooms are arranged by color, and they have new bestsellers side-by-side with older forgotten gems.
Elliott Bay---I liked them better before they moved north, but the Pioneer Square area is surviving nonetheless. They have a full schedule of author visits.

Any thoughts on your favorite "big" independent bookstore?

Do you like to laugh?

Author Tim Dorsey is coming to Bradenton. You have two chances to see him and get your books signed for free this Saturday afternoon at Manatee County Libraries.

Braden River 1-2:30

Anna Maria Island 3:30-5:00

Public libraries are the best!

Who is this cat?

Cleaning out my room at my parents' house this summer, I found several "certificates of appreciation" (a third appeared in a different box) from the Baltimore County Public Library system. Perhaps I was destined to be a librarian from a young age since I was commended for my volunteer work with the summer reading program.

Remember this cat? 

Hello, Sneaks! 

Summer reading at Saint Stephen's is coming to a close over the next few weeks. First up is the faculty books this Tuesday. I've read 4 of the 5, Bringing Innovation to Schools, Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, The Mindful Child, and Out of our Minds. Innovation was a surprise favorite because it included practical tips that I can implement this year. Ironically, the book that I'm most looking forward to reading, Quiet, is the one I'm still waiting on. I think all will foster good conversations, and I'm looking forward to that. 

Next Monday, all Upper School students and teachers will be discussing The Hobbit.  In addition to general literary questions, I have some fun advisory games and questions that we can use. 

Seth reads The Hobbit (for the umteenth time) from our porch in Washington. Great reading perch.

The sponsored book discussions will occur right after Labor Day. I've heard excellent feedback from students so far about the books they chose, and it's not the shortest books that are receiving the highest commendations. (Do I need to even state that there's no reason to expect a correlation?) :) We'll have at least one author skyping in, with possible interaction from others. How cool is technology?

Alright, back to reading...still have 5 to go. 

Any favorites among the summer reading choices? 

Book Review or Review of Genre?

I was surprised to come across this book review in the New York Times. I try to keep up with at least their teen reviews, although the paper often finds some surprising reviewers for adult genres that are worthwhile for their writing style if nothing else. This review in particular made me wonder about the purpose of a review. Considering the format as that of a short essay, several paragraphs deviate from a particular review of a particular the book. (I'll admit that at the end of the second paragraph, I checked the author's biography to find out if she was a professor.) To me, this reads like an overview of the genre, properly name-checking books that have been well-received in past years and showing that the author is familiar with the general formal of teen books. It's not that I disagree with her assessment, it's that I feel this is background to deciding A) whether Obsidian Mirror is a good book and B) whether Obsidian Mirror is a book that I would enjoy. Ultimately, it's more helpful for me to know that the author has clumsy uneven writing at points rather than whether her book reflects the needs of the core demographic. But that's just my take. Any thoughts?

OBSIDIAN MIRROR

By Catherine Fisher

378 pp. Dial Books. $17.99. (Young adult; ages 12 and up)

 All successful novels for young adults must pass what one might call a narcissistic grandiosity test. Adolescents are, of course, at a developmental stage in which a certain level of passionate self-involvement is the norm. This is both natural and necessary. Good young adult novels must therefore reflect and dramatize the reader’s fantasy of being victimized and misunderstood, yet secretly possessed of powers that allow mastery of one’s destiny. Consequently, the characters in Y.A. fiction tend to live in special worlds, somehow set apart from those of other people. Often, they’re either escaping from or saving their parents; if they discover a way to do both simultaneously, even better. 

But if the formula for Y.A. novels is straightforward, writing a good one is anything but. Truly excellent ones — Philip Pullman’s “Golden Compass,” Suzanne Collins’s “Hunger Games,” John Green’s “Fault in Our Stars” — are saturated in a strangeness and emotional intensity unmatched by most contemporary adult novels. Their binding commitment to self-seriousness and minimal irony, handled well, can accomplish moving stories grounded in psychological frankness, vulnerability and ­compassion. 

The Welsh writer Catherine Fisher is already an established figure on the Y.A. scene. Both “Incarceron” and its sequel, “Sapphique,” were New York Times best sellers. In Britain, her many other books have also attracted praise, and she’s been a finalist for the prestigious Whitbread Children’s Book Prize. With “Incarceron,” she hit on a conceit that ­passes the narcissistic grandiosity test with flying colors: a hero caught in a living prison that’s been sealed for centuries, and a heroine trapped in an oppressive social order itself frozen in time. Neither an easy situation.

The premise of Fisher’s latest novel, “Obsidian Mirror,” the first in a trilogy, involves an ancient mirror with enormous and rather sinister powers. The Chronoptika, as the mirror is known, is a time machine that can send people into the past. The problem is, though no one really knows how to use this remarkable device, everyone wants to control it. The large cast of characters includes the roguish hero, Jake, a present-day teenager who gets himself expelled from school so he can (yes) save his lost father; and a morally ambiguous Arctic explorer named Oberon Venn, who is desperate to bring his wife back from the dead. (“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do,” he declares, “no one I wouldn’t sacrifice!”) There’s also Sarah, a visitor from the future who wants to use the mirror to save her broken world. And within a fairy-realm, a sad and lovely changeling boy named Gideon longs to escape the capricious Shee-queen, Summer. 

Fisher gets the series up and running deftly. The first few chapters of “Obsidian Mirror” are especially good, as we watch Jake stage a daredevil prank during a dress rehearsal for a school production of “Hamlet” (note: motif of the lost father) and we see Sarah wounded and disoriented in a present she cannot comprehend. There are baggy bits in the middle while every­one runs about incoherently and the emotional and psychological stakes disappear in a plotty scramble of who wants the mirror and why. But by the end we’re back online, hoping things pan out well for the assorted dramatis personae. Not shockingly, the book ends on a ­cliffhanger. 

Fisher’s writing here is uneven, sometimes clumsy, but there are good bits too, like the scenes in Victorian London where Jake teams up with an appealing street waif named Moll, who speaks a knockoff Dickensian dialect peppered with rozzers, cullies, peelers, doss pads, filchers and drabs. The fairyland passages are convincingly magical, attesting to Fisher’s deep interest in myth and folklore.

“Obsidian Mirror” is an engrossing, enthralling fiction, adroitly positioned to reflect the needs of her core demographic. Starting with Narcissus’ obsession with his own watery image, the search for and delight in one’s reflection is fundamental to every account of psychological narcissism, whether healthy or pathological. Fisher’s adolescent readers, consumed by their own daily struggles as superpowered beings whom nobody understands, will find their compelling likenesses in Fisher’s magical mirror.

Sophie Gee, an associate professor of English at Princeton, is the author of “Making Waste,” a book about 18th-­century literature, and a novel, “The Scandal of the Season.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/books/review/obsidian-mirror-by-catherine-fisher.html?smid=pl-share

Einstein's Theory of Relativity---the parts of interest to a librarian

 One of our wonderful physics teachers spoke with a family who donated a limited edition of Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It's in the original German, and it came in plastic wrapping. 

While the family told us that they wanted us to share with our students, we were still hesitant to open the wrap and remove it from mint condition. Yesterday was the day.



The students were suitably impressed.