dissect: v., to separate into pieces

today four 9 and 10 year old girls showed me how to dissect a pig. I have never dissected anything in my life. Not even in college bio. but today one little girl showed me a ventricle and another let me hold an eye and another told me about how the tongue is a smooth muscle and another said "HEY IF YOU TOUCH RIGHT HERE YOU CAN FEEL ITS BRAIN" (reader, I touched it). this is just a small thing. I did one new thing today.

but I thought of Elizabeth Warren's remarks this morning as she suspended her campaign: "But I refuse to let disappointment blind me — or you — to what we’ve accomplished. We didn’t reach our goal, but what we have done together — what you have done — has made a lasting difference. It’s not the scale of the difference we wanted to make, but it matters — and the changes will have ripples for years to come."

small things matter. one new thing in a day matters. the small change is I've felt pig brain. the bigger change is that I realized I didn't have to be invited to learn something; I could just show up and do it. the bigger change is that I realized fourth graders can be teachers. 

the super tuesday results triggered flashbacks of every time I've been in a room repeating myself at increasing volume until a man says what I said and then people listen, of every time I've run myself into a frenzy during coed sports yelling for a pass while watching some guy try to take on three defenders at once, of being told "you're smarter than I thought you would be when we started this conversation," of people crediting a man for something I planned and organized, of telling a man "no" and then hearing "but...," of being told "follow me women" and being called bitchy, bossy, and mean. 

but I refuse to let all those experiences blind me to the changes and accomplishments I see every day. I refuse to sit down or dumb myself down. I refuse to stop shouting for the things I want. and I refuse to lose hope in the fact that the small things we do today will positively affect our communities in the time to come.

Elizabeth Warren ran for president because that's what girls do. These girls dissected pigs because that's what girls do. These girls taught me because that's what girls do. These girls encouraged each other because that's what girls do. These girls worked together because that's what girls do. These girls made a difference -- to me, today -- because that's. what. girls. do.

the difference they're making will ripple. and ripple. and ripple. and ripple. I can't wait to see what these girls do when they're grown up.

July!

Y'all it is AUGUST SECOND. July came and went in a blink!

Something I did (at work): Okay so I am ridiculously proud of my baby book club. It's a program I started just for SRP and once week I have anywhere from 12-25 kids in Kindergarten-2nd grade come for an hour. I have a little activity sheet for them to do while everyone arrives, signs in, and makes name tags. Then we do this get-to-know-you song-and-dance that involves a lot of jumping around and telling each other facts about ourselves and they all love it! Then we read and do a related activity. Sometimes the book is short (like Elephant and Piggie or Mercy Watson) so we read the whole thing and sometimes it's long (like Magic Tree House or Junie B. Jones) so we just read a few chapters. Sometimes we play games or do a craft or do an experiment! I am planning to actually write a post about each week detailing everything we did since I love it so much and think everyone should have a baby book club at their library! Every week afterwards I'm so cheerful and my coworkers are like, "Why are you so extra happy right now?" And I'm shouting "BABY BOOK CLUB IS GIVING ME LIFE!!" It's really just great.

Something I watched/listened to: Guess who has two thumbs, a Netflix account, and finally decided to give Queer Eye a chance? ME. I kid you not when I tell you that I teared up at the end of every single episode in season one. I flat-out sobbed throughout a good portion of S2E1. I'm now partway through more of season 2 and, y'all: it just delivers. The tagline is true: it's more than a makeover! I was definitely hesitant because I thought it might be shallow or silly or dramatic or overly played-up, but it is honestly just so refreshing to see a group of friends truly care about each other and the hero in each episode and work to build each other up, encourage one another, support each other, share their failures and successes and only want the best for each other.

Something I read: Is Summer Reading the best time to re-read an 800 page novel? I couldn't tell you but I can tell you it's possible! It's also possible that The Goldfinch was even better this time around. There were a lot of details I had totally forgot about, and the ending is still so beautiful. It was so worth it!

Something I cooked: Would you believe that I made stir-fry?! I did!! It was kind of involved and ridiculous and I ended up with a ton and it got way spicy the longer it's been sitting in the tupperware so that's been an exciting adventure!! But I have recently learned how to blanch vegetables and I also recently bought a giant bag of rice, forgetting I already had a giant bag of rice in my pantry, so WIN-WIN. Plus did you know you can make a good stir-fry sauce out of just bbq sauce, soy sauce, and maple syrup? Plus seasoning, obviously (I had to buy ginger and sesame seeds but again -- worth it!).

Something I did (at home): Ramsay and I have been working on obedience training! Anyone who saw her photos may be overly confident in her abilities, as there were actually no graduation requirements for her obedience class. BUT she did pretty much learn how to heel (on a short leash) and we're now working on Stay with distractions (she can stay just fine) and she's actually almost laying down on command now, as long as I have cheese! So for four weeks I think that's not bad. Plus it was really good for her anxiety to just be in a new environment with other dogs and new people and not totally freak out. She was actually calm enough by the last two classes to lay down when we weren't working on anything. Progress > Product. Plus we still got some cute pictures.

That's all for now! On to our last eight days of Summer Reading!

June

I'm sorry how is June already over? With summer came Summer Reading and y'all -- I'm tired. But here we are. So a few things I did this month --

Something I did (at work): It is SRP so we are doing ALL THE THINGS. But a few highlights --

• we moved out (mostly) from our programming location and are now all working again from one library (YAY)!
• we finished (mostly) the shelving install so our books aren't all crammed together anymore!
• we had SRP Kickoff at the park! I haven't counted recently, but my best guess at this point is we've registered at least 500 kids from at least 30 different schools in our area.
• my weekday morning storytime has doubled in size for the summer
• I started a book club for Kinder-2nd grade and it's the most precious, life-giving program I'm doing
• I started a baby playtime that seriously gives book club a run for its money in the cuteness department. last week SIXTEEN kids came and we had a blast.
• we're trying a Saturday storytime for the first time and it doubled in size from the first week to the second!

This is just scratching the surface. It's been a lot and it's been exhausting and we still have six more weeks left to go. We are busy basically all of the time. But the new spaces are beautiful and we are so glad that people in the community love the library as much as we do!

Something I watched/listened to: Okay I know I am late to the party but Killing Eve is SO good, y'all. I got Season 1 from the library and watched it all in two days. And then I put it on hold for my mom so I could watch it again with her! You've probably picked up on a theme here but I really like shows with strong female leads, some dark and twisty humor, and crime. Killing Eve obviously ticks all the boxes, plus phenomenal acting, cool cinematography, and fantastic soundtracks in each episode. I'm so looking forward to getting my hands on Season 2!

Something I read: For as exhausting as work has been I've actually done a lot of reading and listening to audiobooks. I knocked out the first two Harry Potters (Jim Dale is just a wonderful reader) and just finished listening to Night by Elie Wiesel which was honestly one of the most horrific and moving stories I've ever encountered. And though I'm telling my patrons every day that listening to audiobooks is real reading!! and please track the time you listen on your reading logs!! because all reading counts!! for anyone concerned about the technicality of what I actually "read," I enjoyed Disobedience by Naomi Alderman. I don't think I've ever read a book about an Orthodox Jewish community before, so that in and of itself was new and interesting. Additionally, I kind of loved the narrative style and the emphasis on storytelling through the inclusion of traditional Jewish passages/stories at the beginning of chapters.

Something I cooked: I ate a lot of food that other people cooked or bought or left at work, because what are coworkers for if not for feeding you at desperate times?! But also, I did make a breakfast casserole. I got the recipe from a friend at church when I was at The Abbey and have been making it on the reg since then, actually! It's basically grits, cornbread mix, eggs, sausage, and cheese -- and on top of being easy to make, it's also easy to pack into containers and tastes just as delicious reheated as it does straight from the oven. Win-Win-Win!

Something I did (at home): I bought Ramsay a pool and she loves it!! And I love that she loves it!! So if anyone wants to see a video (or six) of her swimming in a kiddie pool just let me know and I'll hook you up!!!

until next month!

May

Did I think April was a whirlwind? WELCOME TO MAY, SON. This month I worked. And worked. And worked more. So this month I'm starting with....

Something I did (at work!): I did 10 school visits this month promoting Summer Reading. I also made a few videos about SRP and shared them with other schools in our area to play during their morning announcements. I went to a city council meeting and got approval for the library to use the city park twice during Summer Reading. I recruited volunteers for our kickoff party and other SRP events. I finalized my part of our proposed budget for the next fiscal year. I covered Preschool Storytime to give our regular Storytime provider the month off. I'm honestly really, really, proud of some of the things we did in ST, but those will have to make it into their own post sometime! I finished up the last few weeks with my Young Scholars. I decided to interfile all our Nonfiction, Graphic Novel, and Biography sections (because I had plenty of time...). And I helped move furniture, books, shelves, carts, and more furniture all over the library. In the past week my desk has been in four different locations. But we are making it work! And our new shelving has arrived! And the expansion/renovation should be done soon! This is the home stretch, and will be well worth the exhaustion.

Something I watched/listened to: I've basically just been coming home to crash on the couch, so I watched lots of TV this month! Y'all: go watch Dead to Me on Netflix. It has everything I like in a show: suspense, murder, female friendship, dry/dark humor... what more do you want?! Also, you know how you can just tell when a show is created/written by women, because the female characters seem so real, like you know them? That's Dead to Me.

Something I read: Okay, there's a lovely new little book of essays called The Anna Karenina Fix; it's by Viv Groskop and holds wonderful reflections on major Russian classics, complete with wit and personal anecdotes. Jojo told me about it, which inspired me to get it from the library and I loved it! I'm also inspired to read more Russian literature and have now checked out some of Anna Akhmatova's poetry (Groskop calls her the Russian Virginia Woolf, so I am hopeful...). For those wondering, no, I did not read any more of my own books, but yes, I may next month (should it count if it's a re-read?).

Something I cooked: hey remember when I said I was really busy working this month? I honestly have no idea what I ate. Probably sandwiches. I heated up a frozen lasagna last night?

Something I did (at home!): I'm honestly just really proud of this tweet.

Only two weeks until Summer Reading begins!

April

April was a whirl. wind. Let's do this.

Something I read: I've been reading lots of Tess Gerritsen this month. My good friend Curran recommended the show Rizzoli & Isles to me, and when I found out it was based on a book series I thought I would check out both from the library! I took the first title, The Surgeon, with me to a conference and was definitely awake into the wee hours of the morning finishing it by the hotel light. I'm now working my way through the sixth title in the series... they're not my favorite books, but they lean heavily on the thriller/suspense side, which I do enjoy. Also, the first book came out in 2001, and I find the cultural references, though made in earnest, often have a way of providing some comic relief to otherwise rather intense stories.

Something I watched/listened to: Okay, this has been a month of Rizzoli & Isles! Best friends homicide cop and medical examiner? This show is literally right up my alley. I've been getting the DVDs from the library and am already on the fourth season. Also, I do think the show is better than the books -- the characters are less abrasive and more likeable, and the storytelling is more dramatic and relational and less about actual medical and forensic details, which is fine by me.

Something I cooked: I didn't cook that much since I was traveling quite a bit this month. But, I did contribute homemade bread and roasted asparagus to our Easter party and both were a hit. I let the bread rise for less time this time around, so it didn't flop over the sides of the pan :) And I've actually been making that asparagus every week and I do not kid when I say that straight out of the oven they're practically as good as fries (if you know me at all you know how big of a deal this is). But also they're 400* so maybe not straight out of the oven.

Something I did (at home): I changed my air filter? Because apparently that's something you're supposed to do? So now the air coming into my apartment is cleaner, which is good.

Something I did (at work): I met lots of cool authors and illustrators in Hattiesburg! I spoke on a panel at TLA in Austin! I demonstrated online resources for teachers and students at a local school's faculty inservice! I raised butterflies with my after-school program! I got our SRP fliers approved for electronic distribution through the ISD! I ordered all of the books our local schools need for Summer Reading! And more! April was a very busy month and it is just the beginning of the snowball!

Something I want to do next month: This is a work thing, but I really want to visit every school in our district to pitch Summer Reading. I have about half of the visits scheduled already, but I still need to sort out the rest! It will be a lot of driving around and a lot of early mornings, but I really want to get as many kids and families as possible into our new building this summer.

March

Um, is this me, blogging on time for two months IN A ROW? It really, truly, is. What did I do in March, you may ask? I'll tell you.

Something I read: the first week of the month I read Listen to the Marriage, which I actually kind of loved. I found the beginning a little slow, and it took me awhile to get used to the narrative style. The book is told from the marriage counselor's point of view as a recently separated couple comes in -- individually and together -- over the course of a year. It fascinated me because it's primarily dialogue, and the reader won't know anything about the characters' lives unless they choose to share it verbally in the session. It honestly kind of reminded me of reading a screenplay. I head about this book from the Modern Love podcast and it did not let me down!

Something I watched/listened to: I've been listening to audiobooks almost all month! I saw the trailer for Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and remembered how much I loved the book -- I read it at Christmas in 2017 (I think) and so enjoyed it! Jojo had listened to the audio version and recommended it to me before she knew I had read it, so I thought this would be a good way to refamiliarize myself with the book without *technically* checking out more library books. Y'all, it's so much fun. Just, wonderfully, dramatically, delightful. The release date is August 9 so I will report back if the movie is equally delightful!

Something I cooked: Y'all. I MADE BREAD. WITH MY HANDS. I specifically googled 'easy bread recipes' and picked one with explicit directions and pictures and this blogger promises in another post that her nine year old was capable of making this bread, which I found encouraging. Anyway, I think my loaf pan was a little small because the top got a little flat, but it was totally delicious and I ate like half of the loaf in a single day. I will be making it again!!

Something I did (at home): I read two books I actually own!! I am MEETING GOALS, PEOPLE. Also, it's Mandy's birthday (today!!), so we spent last night out for dinner and drinks with a friend of hers and had a lovely time.

Something I did (at work): We had a whole slew of Spring Break programs, including a family-friendly Antarctic-themed escape room of my and a coworker's own design. In the words of one third-grader, it was "totally wicked!!"

Something I want to do next month: Honestly, I am traveling for conferences twice next month and will be gone seven working days, which is kind of a lot, and I just want to stay healthy and get all my work done since we are waist-deep in planning for Summer Reading. (I feel compelled to add that I did make and freeze a casserole so when I get back I won't even have to cook lunches for the week between trips. Meal. Prep. QUEEN.)

PS: I actually read a lot this month and wanted to share a few titles
Blink is a fantastic nonfiction read about implicit bias and snap decisions; it captivated me.
Sophie Kinsella is one of very few contemporary authors who makes me laugh out loud, and her latest, I Owe You One, is no exception.
I've been meaning to read Silence and Beauty ever since it came out in 2015 (incidentally, when I was reading Silence for the first time), and I finally finished it this month -- a really fascinating study of art, beauty, trauma, and faith.
Lastly, I'm sorry to disappoint those who love these titles, but I didn't think either The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society or Salt to the Sea lived up to the hype. The characters felt flat and indistinct from each other. As a reader who loves character-driven stories, they were rather disappointing.

More next month! And more books read from my own shelf!

February

oh, hello, I would first just like to draw everyone's attention to the fact that I am blogging ON TIME. please hold your applause and continue reading.
For being the shortest month, February certainly felt long! The library got even smaller with the addition of another (thankfully, the last!) temporary wall. I took a quick trip to Denton to visit Mandy over President's Day. And I've been working through some really bad allergies for the past week now that Spring is actually coming! But onto the things I did!

For February:
Something I read: Becoming by Michelle Obama. I'd been on the waiting list even before the book arrived at the library, so I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this one! It was perfect timing at the beginning of the month since I am going with friends to hear her speak in Austin tonight (the 28th)!
Y'all. It's so good. I just love her so much. I actually read it kind of slowly, because her story is so much to take in and I wanted to savor it. This probably sounds cliche, but it was so real and honest and humanizing, yet inspiring at the same time. There were times it made me so sad I just had to quit and take a break, because I miss the Obamas' public presence so much. But there were also times -- many more times -- when her passion for the work she did and the initiatives she started jumped off the page and brought me so much joy. Get it from your local bookstore or library and read it!!!

Something I watched/listened to: I'm going to cheat a little bit and do both for this one because I couldn't choose!
watched: Season 3 of One Day at a Time on Netflix. I watched the first and second seasons because Mandy recommended the show to me, and I thought it was alright. Then I read this article extolling the virtues of the third season and y'all -- it's not wrong. I LOVED it. They have found their footing and I enjoyed it so much. I mostly just really love shows where kids act like kids and parents act like parents, and I think the family dynamic in One Day at a Time is truly wonderful.
listened to: The Friendship Episode of Truth's Table. I started listening to this podcast when it first came out and I lived in Austin and loved it from day one! I didn't listen regularly in Dallas, though, so I've recently been working my way through Season 2 on my commute. Y'all, take 35 minutes and listen to this episode. I was inspired both by the fact that Ekemini, Michelle, and Christine became friends as adults, and by the active steps they take to preserve and invest in their friendship. I've listened to it more than once! (also while you're at it just subscribe and listen to all the episodes...)

Something I cooked: I believe this is technically baking, but I made some delicious banana bread this month! I also made blueberry muffins twice, and both times they grew mold by day 5, so that was kind of a bust. They were good the first few days though, and made quick easy breakfasts when I was rushed before work! (also if anyone knows something I could do to make these last longer --besides freezing them -- please hit me up because having them in an airtight container is not cutting it!)

Something I did (at home): I scrapbooked! I am almost ten years behind in my scrapbooks, but it's a hobby I love and just don't usually make time for. My friend Megan suggested it, so we got together with our friend Maggie for a day of crafting. It was a total joy -- and I got a lot of pages done! I'm inspired to keep it up now that I have more time for hobbies, so maybe I can actually get less years behind...

Something I did (at work): Did I tell y'all I'm on a task force?


via GIPHY
It's actually just a fancy name for me and two other librarians meeting to discuss problems related our rapid growth and write new policies and procedures to fix those problems. It can be time-consuming and cause a bit of a headache, but after about six weeks we finally solved some of our problems! We instituted our new policy and procedures for when library materials are overdue, damaged, missing, or returned incomplete, and so far it seems to be working! It sounds tedious and nerdy to care about policy, but I'm very proud of the flowchart I contributed, so. My coworkers also love the flowchart, which I think means I'm definitely working with the right people.

Something I want to do next month: Okay so I didn't read any of my own books. I just... keep putting things on hold. I'm trying not to! I think I have three library books out now? Somehow only one less than this time last month, though I've read five books this month.... so: the same goal! I'm feeling more confident for March!

January

I'm trying a new thing.

I'm a little late to start, but if I wait to start until the end of February I'll forget again! For those who have been following for awhile, in 2017 I tracked all of the books I read and then blogged about them every month. I didn't do that in 2018 for a variety of reasons, and I'm not going to start again! (sorry if that's a letdown). But here's the deal: I do a lot more than read. I still track what books I read every month, but I also spend time with family, do puzzles, listen to podcasts, meal prep, and take my dog to the park. And work (I have a real grown-up job now). But I miss writing, and I like having a record of things I've done (it helps mark progress when I think I haven't gone anywhere), and sometimes people ask what I'm reading. So, each month I'll tell you a few things: Something I read, Something I watched/listened to, Something I cooked, Something I did (at home), Something I did (at work), and Something I want to do next month. We'll see how it goes!

For January:

Something I read: The Library Book (finally)! Hailed by Booklist as "a riveting mix of true crime, history, biography, and immersion journalism," Susan Orlean's book tells the story of the 1986 Los Angeles Central Library fire, which ruined or damaged more than one million volumes. But it also tells the story of the Los Angeles Public Library, its librarians, its city, its resilience, and its future. I'd add "love letter to libraries" to its "riveting mix." Of course, I heartily recommend this book!

Something I watched/listened to: I'm not sure who hasn't tried at least one episode of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix yet, but I definitely watched the whole series. And then I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and now I think I need to Marie Kondo my house. 

Something I cooked: y'all, I made grits in my rice cooker and let me tell you.... LIFE. CHANGING.

Something I did (at home): I spent time with friends! I had friends stay with me over New Year's, I have college friends that live in San Antonio who I've been blessed to spend time with, and my good friend Jenna took a break from med school to visit me last weekend!

Something I did (at work): I got the attendance at one of my programs back up to its starting numbers! I have a homework/reading/outdoor club that meets once a week after school, and we regularly had 20 of our 25 registered kids coming for the first six weeks. After Thanksgiving those numbers dropped and our first week back in January we only had about 10 kids. So, I found all their registrations forms, practiced the very little Spanish that I know, and called all their parents -- we've had 18-21 kids for the last three weeks of the month! Even though it was time-consuming and a little embarrassing on my end to stumble through "la clase de biblioteca esta comenzando nueva esta semana," it had very obvious and positive results so I know it was worth it and am so glad I decided to just sit down and do it!

Something I want to do next month: I really want to read my own books this year, y'all. I know only reading my own books is impossible, but I had the idea to do a 1:1 plan. As in, read one book from the library, one I own, one library book, one bookshelf book. This way, I can still take home a cool new book once in awhile, still place a hold on something really popular, or read something I'm really in the mood for but don't own, while still making a dent in my home TBR pile. Here's the thing, though: I have no self-control when it comes to library holds, and I'm really bad at timing when they'll come in. For example, today at work I had two holds come in, and then this afternoon I got an email that an eBook I've been waiting on since before Christmas is now ready. And because those are time-sensitive I HAVE to read them NOW. And this is what always happens!! BUT. I have STOPPED placing holds (for now). So they should be slowing down (assuming I continue to have an iron will). My goal for February is to get all the books I currently have checked out from the public library (four? I think?) read and returned so I can start reading one of my own books! You (and I) would think that with 26 days this is more than possible... we shall see!

america

until last week

I could count on one hand

how many white people I’ve seen at my apartment:

the little girl,

with a place name like mine, and her dad.

a woman whose dog is constantly getting out.

the couple across the hall, who take

their recycling to Sprouts.

but from day one

I didn’t have enough hands to hold the pied beauty of my neighborhood:

its red, blue, yellow, buildings,

bus stops with people milling,

and neon signs to set the mood.

its Hispanic couple,

young black man,

trans woman,

African couple,

Latina property managers.

its women at the neighborhood grocery speaking in languages I don’t recognize --

much less understand --

and cashiers wearing headscarves, telling us “Have A Nice Day.”

and the children! in every color, everywhere, asking:

“How old are you?”

“Where do you work?”

“Do you have any kids?”

“Have you read this book?”

“Where do you live?”

“Do you like cupcakes?”

“Can I pet your dog?”

and

“Do you have any food?”

that I can’t count, but remember.

last weekend

I walked my dog around the neighboring elementary school,

advertising a free health clinic on Saturday.

We walked the perimeter of the school grounds, bordered by a family of fences:

three different gated apartment complexes

and one [enclosed] piece of suburbia.

my apartment is an inlet, hamlet,

my Hamelin,

from which tweens and teens slip

in a cinch

for our fence

is not a solid eight-foot metal sheet

attached to posts anchored deep in a concrete

wall

to prevent any holes underneath

or bars missing between

like those we see on its wrought-iron brothers

so these children

drawn by the dribble

pulled through by a Piper beating a ball on the ground

can just play with their friends on a sunny afternoon?

we come home

sit outside in the sunshine

and I think

Glory be to God for dappled things

Latin music floats up to my porch

mingled with rap

punctuated by car horn

and I wonder

Is the sound of every tribe and tongue and nation?

with news of

new segregation

and section 8

and sh!thole countries

do we see

deadbeat

or Imago Dei?

Catching Up

I didn't blog for September. My bad, y'all. 

Once I realized it was October, I thought I would just wait, and do a nice, thought-out, two-month blog post, because it really had been a diverse list, and I was going to try a few more things, and I thought I could write about Genres and whether or not libraries should genrify their collections, and how this all tied in with my discoveries about myself as a reader and I could hazard a guess as to whether genrified libraries would have made me a better/more voracious reader as a child and teen. But then Halloween passed and now here we are and ^that's all I've got on the subject of genres at the moment.

I'm just going to be really honest and say that I am in a slump. Fall is not my season. I've been looking back at things I've written in years past, Sept-Nov. (blog posts, facebook posts, journal entries, etc.) and it's kind of a recurring theme. I get stressed out when things from the new school year start kicking into high gear, and I get crabby when the weather gets cold and it gets dark early. I'd love to be witty and/or interesting and/or insightful but all I've got is a list of books, lots of snark and a little residual anxiety. And since you probably are only interested in the first item on that list, I've got the books I've read recently listed below. The list is surprisingly longer than it felt when I was reading. My progress has felt ridiculously slow these past few weeks. I'm out of my groove, y'all. 

Anyway, here goes (with some brief parenthetical asides): 

9/1 Being a Girl, by Hayley Long (really a cute, brief, no-nonsense guide to growing up)

9/1 The Diary of Melanie Martin, by Carol Weston (as far as kid diary books go, I can't complain)

9/3 Ava & Pip, by Carol Weston (just a cute, cute, story about sisterhood and palindromes)

9/6 Re Jane, by Patricia Park (totally underwhelming Jane Eyre retelling)

9/11 The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling (stick with Harry Potter)

9/17 Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto (probably the first book I've read by an author with the same name as a fruit)

9/20 In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez (it took me forever but I made it. also I thought it was a true story so that was a trip)

9/23 Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns (I have so many mixed feelings on this one I don't even know where to begin. let me know if you've read it because seriously I need some secondary opinions)

9/24 Of Mess and Moxie, by Jen Hatmaker (I stayed up until 4am to finish this one)

9/29 Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee (hmm. yeah editing is a good thing.)

10/1 We Are Okay, by Nina LaCour (honestly I liked it but don't see why everyone is so obsessed with it)

10/6 Forever, by Judy Blume (this is actually a first-time read! Somehow I never made it past Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, in the Judy Blume repertoire as a kid)

10/8 Radium Girls, by Kate Moore (seriously, their lives were trainwrecks. go read about it)

10/11 The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro (damn. this guy won the Nobel for a reason)

10/27 By Book or By Crook, by Eva Gates (cozy mystery about a librarian who lives in a lighthouse. pretty self-explanatory)

10/28 Spell It Out, by David Crystal (the history of English spelling might sound boring, but for real this was one of the most fascinating books I've read in awhile)

So there you have it, folks. That's all I can crank out for now. We'll see how November goes.

Mid-Year Mixed Bag

okay okay okay, I know August isn't technically "mid-year," but I'm going with it.

This month I finished my internship, turned in my final assignment for my online class, worked my last four days as a library GRA, packed all of my earthly belongings into a u-haul, moved to Dallas, started a new job as a real librarian, bought a washer and dryer like a real adult, and assembled approximately 86 pieces of IKEA furniture. Oh, and read eight books. 

Actually, it was eight books and one screenplay, from six different sources, in three formats. 

I checked out a ton of books from the UT Library before I moved and read a few of them --

Penelopiad, which I loved.

O Pioneers, which I also loved (to my own surprise).

Ready Player One, which I really had to force myself to finish.

and Rebecca, which took me over two weeks to finish and honestly I was unimpressed. 

These were all hard copies. 

I (finally!) got the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from Austin Public Library, so I listened to that this month. I have to admit it was weird to know that I've gone through the whole series in a year...that I was listening to the first HP while unpacking boxes in the Finley House, and listened to the seventh unpacking my apartment.

I decided I wanted to go see The Glass Castle, but should probably read it first, so I got the eBook from my school's library and read it in one sitting last weekend (it was a page-turner!). 

Of course, I was only here about four days before I had gotten a Dallas Public Library card and used it promptly to check out The Speed of Life, because my library is having the author, Carol Weston, come visit our school tomorrow. 

The screenplay, Carol, was available online for free, and The Secret Life of Bees I already owned (it was a re-read). 

All I have to say is, if you're not checking out books from four different libraries simultaneously, are you even a librarian? 

I will also share a recent librarian success: going to Barnes and Noble to buy a jigsaw puzzle and NOT BUYING ANY BOOKS, but coming home and putting the interesting titles on hold.

But I'll also share a recent librarian failure: I somehow lost a (second!!) library book, and had to pay to replace it. That was awkward.

And, fun fact, I did move library books to Dallas. You can decide if that's a success or failure amongst yourselves. All I have to say is, they're not due until January so WHY NOT?

gifs in July

so July went by really quickly and I am too lazy to actually write anything about any of the books I read, so here are some gifs. also I can do this and not feel bad about it because I've never done it before and it's a worthwhile experiment in the blogging process.

that feeling when a book you're excited to check off your TBR turns out to be really serious and sad (The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down)

Me after (finally) reading The Catcher in the Rye

Me trying to read the book club books (The Best Man and I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You) in time for our actual meetings

How I imagine Daniel feels trying to win over Natasha in The Sun is Also a Star

Me trying to understand The Unbearable Lightness of Being

My response to yet another romanticized Italy story (Love and Gelato)

How I picture Harper Lee and Truman Capote in Tru and Nelle

Me after reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

and lastly, me when people are surprised by how many books I read in a month

What Summer Reading Slump?

What did I do in June? Read, mostly. That and use lots of acronyms.

No, seriously. I read e-books online at work (almost) every morning (Anne series). I listened to audiobooks as I rode the bus to and from work (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). And then I got home from work and my internship and just read plain old regular books while I was cooking, while I was eating, while I should have been doing homework, and while I was falling asleep (everything else, except In Cold Blood, because being murdered in your bed isn’t exactly what you want to read right as you lay in bed at night). I heard Angie Thomas speak and had her sign my book (!!) before she went to the ALA (American Library Association) conference, which I missed. But I followed as much as I could on Twitter, thanks to #alaac17, seeing tons of pictures of exciting awards and author talks and workshops and ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies). I read tons of picture books while I was planning my weekly ST (storytime). I’ve been having a total blast helping out with SRP (Summer Reading Program) as part of my internship, and learning more about ECRR2 (Every Child Ready to Read, v.2) -- practices that help librarians serve our youngest patrons better. And then I got used to throwing all these letters around and got lazy so the Middle Grade Graphic Novels I was reading became MG GNs and Anne of Green Gables became AOGG and To Kill a Mockingbird became TKAM. So if you want to talk to me now you have to keep up with basically just reading my mind and filling in whole words. JK (that means just kidding and it was the last acronym I’ll use in this post paragraph). Back to the books.

So this was one of the best nights of my life

A patron asked if we had any books like Rollergirl, which I not only hadn’t read, but hadn’t heard of, so I requested eight MG GNs from the library and knocked out one a day until I felt like I would be able to answer the question the next time. (for the record, I think Telegemeier’s stuff is alright -- I do love the Babysitter’s Club!! -- but my personal favorites in the stack were El Deafo and, actually, Rollergirl).

I stayed in the MG/YA track, reading Dumplin’ and Ramona Blue because I’d heard good things recently (verdict: fun, quick, reads; didn’t love either). The beginning of June was also abuzz with mixed reviews of “Anne with an E,” and since I didn’t really like Anne of Green Gables as a kid, I thought I’d give it a second chance. All I can say is that I’ve read through Anne of the Island now AND HOW ARE SHE AND GILBERT NOT MARRIED YET?! Not sure I’m invested enough to make it to the wedding, honestly. Also I realize that it was a different time and different lifestyle but seriously what human woman is proposed to that many times? I could actually see much value in AOGG this time around, but I am a little over it now.

I picked up Wonderstruck and Mockingbird from the library distribution shelf and took them home on a whim and am quite glad I did, as each provided an afternoon of enjoyment.

I also reread To Kill a Mockingbird this month for Teen Book Club. I remembered less that I thought and it took more time to finish than I thought, so a surprise all around. I suppose that’s what happens when you realize that book you “just reread” hasn’t actually been opened in SIX YEARS because that’s how long it’s been since you were a freshman in college. Between that and Harry Potter’s 20th birthday, I am basically feeling ancient. I have to use the abbreviations to keep up with the youth.

As aforementioned, I read In Cold Blood, which was a total thriller, an absolute page-turner, and utterly fascinating. I also found Big Little Lies a great page-turner: less creepy, more surprising.

I think I’ll watch the mini-series this weekend. I’m also interested in the In Cold Blood movie and “Anne with an E,” at least for an episode, just to try it, at least.

In which case, I should probably sign off. I’d say BRB, except I won’t be back until next month.

In that case: TTYL!

May Reads

Um, how is already June 1^st?! I cannot even handle 2017, y’all. And these next eight weeks are going to. be. cray. Just, you know, work, an online class, and doing my Capstone so I can be graduated in August. Time flies. Hopefully I’ll have some time to read (for fun!) in June and July, but we’ll see. I felt like I had to take advantage of my few short weeks of free time in May, just in case!

I read Their Eyes Were Watching God the first week of May, which has been on my list for about a year and a half, and just so happened to be the last book on my Modern American Novel syllabus. Y’all. It was so good. I was so hooked, so into it, literally gasping in the library, to the dismay of the other people in the silent study area. My bad on that one.

I read Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, which I picked up at a Half-Price Books back in December for $5 because I like the phrase “ordinary life,” before Amy Krouse Rosenthal wrote that viral NYT Modern Love piece and I finally realized who she was, even though I’ve read her books and (obviously) own a few of them. Of course I didn’t read it then, when I could’ve written her, as she mentions her own author correspondence with such affection; I could’ve said that I, too, think that an item’s minute size makes it cute, regardless of what it is, or that I also believe in hunger prevention, because who knows if that party will have snacks, and who wants to be grumpy at a snack-less party some dim-witted person held at dinnertime? So instead I have to content myself with the knowledge that had I read it in December, before I knew who she was, I might not have written to her then either, and even if I had, she might not have responded, so either way all I have is my agreements with certain entries.

I then started an essay collection by Anne Fadiman, At Large and At Small, which I picked up (also at Half-Price Books) because I so loved her collection Ex Libris. I took a break from it, though, to read Wonder in two days, which I wholeheartedly loved. (although the book is not perfect, and an excellent critical perspective can be found here). I finished the essay collection and then read The Taliban Shuffle while recuperating from nasal surgery, during which I felt another author connection, because Kim Barker mentions her own deviated septum and using her very limited vacation days to go back to America specifically for surgery. Obviously the whole foreign-correspondent, journalist-in-a-war-zone, meet-for-tea-with-the-Taliban thing wasn’t as relatable, but I still enjoyed the book.

 And then. THEN I got the email: my hold at the library for The Hate U Give had finally come in!! I swear I was number 300 on the list when I requested it; clearly some people decided just to buy the book instead. Anyway I *almost* didn’t go out with my friends that night because I wanted to read it, instead, but decided just to shorten my evening instead and stayed up until 3 in the morning finishing it. I don’t really know what to tell people beside “READ IT” without giving away spoilers or talking for ten minutes straight, so just read it, please. It is timely, honest, and moving. Atypically, I both laughed out loud and cried actual tears reading this book – often just within a chapter or two.

And then I needed a little pick-me-up, so I read Me and Marvin Gardens over the holiday weekend, which is a lovely little chapter book about friendship, discovery, and caring for the earth. I look forward to talking about in Tween Book Club at the library! Happy summer, all!