Sunday Salon, Nov. 30th.

Erin, Dad, Me, Mom, Steve with desserts.  Photo by Anne Parr

First Sunday of Advent. Thanksgiving is over and now the advent season is upon us.

Weather: Cold and clear. There was a trace of snow yesterday which is still on the ground in the shade.

Cue the music: For your listening enjoyment today Pentatonix: "Mary Did You Know?" This has been a favorite Christmas song for a long time. Made popular by the country artist Kathy Mattea, it was sung by friends Kali and Barb every Christmas season at church for years.

Four Sundays of Advent: in the liturgical calendar the four Sundays before Christmas make up Advent. It is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the nativity. It is my favorite time of year in the church. Today in church, while the choir sang a song on that theme, a young family with small children lit the advent candles and led us in a devotion. It was so precious. I wanted to weep for the joy of it.

Thanksgiving Dinner: Even as I look forward to the events of this coming month, I mustn't forget to be in a state of constant thankfulness for all that I have, especially all those people in my life. We had sixteen people for the traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. Everyone contributed food and brought their A-list stuff. Even though the dessert pictured above looked grand, they weren't even the highlights of the meal. The most special part of Thanksgiving events was when half of us gathered at church on Wednesday evening. My Aunt Barbara came with her son Steve, his wife, and granddaughter Erin and her husband, along with my parents. It felt extra special to worship with so many family members.

Let the decorating commence: Don just got the tubs of Christmas decorations down from the hard-to-reach location where they are stored in the garage. now he is on the house putting up Christmas lights even though it is frigid outside. Cold is better than wet which is usually the case around here. As soon as I am done with this I will put some tunes on the CD player and start placing our treasured decorations around the house. It is not as much as it used to be when the kids were around to help.

Hilariously long audiobook: My book group is reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt for next month's club meeting. I knew it was a long book, over 800 pages, but when I stopped by the library to pick up the audiobook I had to laugh out loud. It is 26 discs long which means it had over 32 hours of listening time. Ha! The longest audiobook I've ever listened to was one of the longer Harry Potter books. It was 18 discs long and we played it in the car when we went on a long car-trip vacation to California and back. We started it when we left home, listened to it every time we got in the car for over a week of traveling, and we still had a disc left to go when we got home. I'd have to listen to The Goldfinch like a job just to finish it in time to return it to the library.  Egads. What I've decided to do it to listen to it when I am traveling back and forth to work and read the print version each night, skipping ahead on the CD the next morning and so forth. Hopefully this speeds things up. 32-hours, ha!

Recipe of the week: I bet you are expecting me to mention something related to Thanksgiving, huh? Well, I did find a lovely recipe for stuffing from Rachel Ray, called Stuffin' Muffins. Check it out. But the recipe I want to highlight is Banana Pancakes. We made a huge, and I mean huge, batch of banana pancakes for breakfast on Friday. We had so many there were leftovers for Saturday and Sunday. Unlike most pancakes they actually are good as leftovers, tasting like banana bread.  Here is the recipe.  If you have old, ripe bananas I recommend you give this recipe a try.

Currently reading:

• Half Bad by Sally Green---yet another Mock Printz selection. This and one more afterwards and I'll be done.
• The Kids are Alright by Diane, Dan, Liz, and Amanda Welch---a memoir about four kids whose parents died within a year of each other when they were still school-aged. It was an Alex Award book in 2010 and has been on my TBR pile ever since.
• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I keep seeing this book on everyone's lists so thought I'd give it a try. This is my current audiobook.
• My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins, et al. A YA collection of holiday stories, how about that?

Finished reading this week:

• Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin. Transgender teens speak about their experiences. includes photos by Kuklin.
• I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. The best YA book I've read this year, hands down.

Inspirational thought for the day:

Advent is a time for God's people to reawaken their longings. We long for every hurt to be healed. We long for every tear to be dried. We long for every injustice to be made right. We celebrate God's promises and long for those yet to unfold. We wait in hope for the Lord.

Snapshot Saturday, Nov. 29

My daughter and her husband moved into their new house on Wednesday. There is still a lot of work to do but they are so happy and proud.

Here is one of my decorations for Thanksgiving. We had 16 people here to share a meal together on Thursday. We had a wonderful day.

Snapshot Saturday is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.

Books I'm thankful for

This is a week to express our thankfulness. I am thankful for these books:

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle---I can still remember the day I found this book on the shelf of my grade school library when I was in 6th grade. It was my first favorite book. I reread to my children when they were young, hoping to pass on the magic to them.
• The Holy Bible. Though I was raised in the church I didn't start reading the Bible for myself until I was in 8th grade. I remember feeling like God was coming alive for me as I read through its books and chapters. He continues to speak to me through its words.
• My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers is my favorite devotional guide which I've read through several times. Sometimes I need an inspirational thought to help get me through the day. Though this was written in 1924 it is still relevant today.
• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. This is the first book I remember reading to and for myself. I went to school in the era when beginning readers were so boring---"See Dick. See Jane. See Dick and Jane."---Then I read this Dr. Seuss book and fell in love when the sing-songy rhymes that rolled of my tongue.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas also by Dr. Seuss. My dad read this Xmas favorite book to us every Christmas Eve. I learned about the power of books to transform family-time and to serve as a bonding experience.
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. To piggyback on my previous comment about family bonding, this series created a a deep bond between my daughters and me when we read it aloud together. 
• A few years later we read the first few Harry Potter novels aloud also. But when the girls got older they wanted to read faster so we had to take turns with the books. As a librarian I am deeply grateful to JK Rowling for transforming the reading experience for a whole generation of children.
• I am always grateful for the most recent book that has touched my heart or my imagination in some way. A few books I've read in the past few months that fit that description are  I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson; A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki; Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya.

• I am always thankful for good audiobooks. One of the first audiobooks I listened to was Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx read by Robert Joy. It was an abridgment of the book but I still loved it and think back to the listening experience with it fondly. Now I listen to audiobooks all the time and many are jumbled together in my mind but not this one.

What books are you thankful for? 

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Near the end of last school year I had a discussion with a student. I asked him if he was "transitioning" and how things were going for him at the school. The relief on this student's face was palpable when I used the word "transitioning". He asked me how I knew and I explained my confusion over which pronoun to use and another student had set me straight. We went on to discuss how difficult things were for him at the school Since he is still female as far as the district is concerned he has to use the female restroom. This has caused several problems over the year by girls who name-called and taunted him. My heart went out to him, so young and so vulnerable. I made myself a vow to get more resources in the library for transgender or questioning students.

When I saw Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out written and photographed by Susan Kuklin it was obviously one of those resources we needed in our library.

Here is description of the book from the publisher:

A groundbreaking work of LGBT literature takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens. Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves.

 Obviously it will appeal to a very small segment of our school population but it will fill a big void in my the libraries information. It was a quick read, taking me less than two hours to consume. I suggest that all public and most high school libraries should stock this book.

Sunday Salon, Nov. 23, 2014

Weather: currently there is a spot of blue in the sky. Earlier today it was raining and pouring. Last night it was windy in addition to raining and pouring. Really awful weather.

For your listening enjoyment: Cue The Piano Guys new video and listen while you read this post!


Thankful: Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. It is a good week to focus on thankfulness. Here are a few things I am grateful for this month:

• My husband, Don. He is such a hard worker yet he also knows how to relax. He is dedicated to me and to our family. I am so blessed by him.
• My new principal at school. Matt Y. is very thoughtful and articulate. He is a great listener, too. I am grateful that he is willing to take my opinions and seems to respect me and appreciates what I offer the school.
• My family. Sixteen family members will assemble at our house this Thursday to share a meal together. We are so blessed to have family members who love each other and get along well when we gather together.
• Our veterinarian. Poor Muffy, our Cardigan Welsh Corgi, had to have a tumor removed from her leg and then we had to take her back several times because she kept chewing on her bandage. It is really obvious that everyone at the office loves animals. One of the vets treating Muffy even kissed her on the head. So kind. (Now we are keeping our fingers crossed the cancer won't return.)
• The gals in both of my book clubs. I am so lucky to have so many friends who also love books and get excited to talk about them.

Moose-a-Muffin project update: We have completed stage 3 of 5 of our projects which started because we bought a new car that we want to park in the garage. Stage 1-New Car; Stage two-clean out garage and add shelving; Stage three- pour a concrete pad on which we will locate a new shed. Yes, the concrete work is done! Now to find a shed and have it built on site. Lastly, move our stuff in to it, and finally, finally park the car in the garage.

Currently reading:

• I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson---a new favorite YA novel. Nelson is a masterful wordsmith.
• Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld---my current audiobook. I just read a hand full of reviews on Goodreads and now I am not sure if I should spend my time listening to it. Hmm. Anyone? Should I read it or not?
• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teen Speak Out by Susan Kuklin. We have a transgender student at our school who is so tender and sensitive about his situation. I am hoping that this book will be helpful.

Books read this week:

• Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts. Another YA audiobook selection. A story told in two voices. Both Zac and Mia have cancer and each helps the other cope. I didn't like this story as much as the other "youth with cancer" stories recently written, The Fault in Our Stars and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
• Landline by Rainbow Rowell. An audiobook selection. I love Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park and her Fangirl. This book, written for adults, didn't excite me.
• Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S.King- a Mock Printz selection. I think this book is actually my new favorite on the list.

Friday Quotes, Nov. 21

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. 
The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. 

Check out the links for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Participants don't select their favorite, coolest or most intellectual books, they just use the one they are currently reading.


Book: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson


Book Beginnings:

(NOAH. Age 13.) This is how it all begins. With Zephyr and Fry---the reigning neighborhood sociopaths---torpedoing after me and the whole forest floor shaking under my feet as I blast through air, trees, this white-hot panic.

Friday 56:  

(NOAH. Age 13 1/2.) The neighborhood terror threat level drops as I pan with Dad's binoculars from the forest and street on the front side of our house to bluff and ocean in the back. I'm on the roof, the best surveillance spot, and Fry and Zephyr are paddling through the break on their surfboards. I can tell it is them because of the sign flashing over their heads read: Itchy Blistering Brain-Boiled Sociopathic Onion-Eyed Asshats.

Comments:
Oddly the two quotes are about the same theme: Noah being bullied. What you don't see is that right after the quote from page 56, Noah makes a friend who changes things for him.  I AM IN LOVE with Nelson's writing style, how she lets us into the mind of the narrators with their thoughts as asides, similar to the descriptions Noah has given to his tormentors.


Progress: Page 170 of 370.

2014 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature

The National Book Awards were handed out last night and Jacqueline Woodson won the Young People's Literature category with her book Brown Girl Dreaming.

ABOUT THE BOOK

"Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become."-National Book Award Website

Congratulations, Ms. Woodson. I am thrilled for you and I love the book. Here is my review, if you want to take a peek.

Sunday Salon, Nov.16th

Photo by Rachel Edson

Weather: Cold and clear. I drove to Portland today and had the sun in my eyes the whole way.

Family wedding photo: The above photo was taken after my nephew's wedding last month. All my siblings and their spouses were present but a few of the nieces and nephews weren't able to make the celebration. Welcome to the family Alyssa and Tati!

Portland: As I mentioned already, I drove to Portland today to meet up with one of my best girlfriends from high school days. She lives in Singapore so a long drive on a Sunday to see her is totally worth it. We ate brunch at a French restaurant with delightful ambiance and pastries.

x1.25: The Pierce County Public Library System subscribes to a cool service called Hoopla. Members can download movies, books, and audiobooks. The catalog of audiobooks isn't huge but has a fairly big collection of books in which I want to listen. I've already listened to one book through Hoopla: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, which I loved.  A very cool feature on Hoopla allows the listener to speed up the rate the book is played. I clicked x1.25. At first it was like listening to mice but when my brain adjusted I was able to listen to 14 hours of narration in under 12 hours. Cool.

D.R.S.: Yesterday Don and I attended a day-long seminar by the Department of Retirement Systems for the State of Washington.  We have begun the process of THINKING ABOUT retirement. Eek! There is so much to think about.  We went in thinking we'd retire in two to three years and left thinking it would be more like five. Sigh.

Books completed this week:

• Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer---Sometimes the stories we tell ourselves, the ones that form our memories, are not accurate.
• The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Watson---my third book in the Magical Realism genre of the year. (Audiobook)

Currently reading:

• Landline by Rainbow Rowell---an audiobook by a favorite author. Progress: on disc 7 of 7.
• Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King---she drinks a pulverized bat and now Glory can see into the future and what she sees is very disturbing.

For your listening enjoyment: Besame Mucho by Pearl Django. What a treat.


 

Publisher's Weekly Best YA Books 2014

Publisher's Weekly recently announced their Top Ten Favorite YA Books of 2014. Do you agree with their list? What books do you think they have left off? What books should they remove?

10. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
9. Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King *
8. The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by EK Johnston *
7. Poisoned Apples by Christine Heppermann
6. Half Bad by Sally Green *
5. Family Romanov by Candace Fleming *
4. Pointe by Brandi Colbert
3. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll *
2. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
1. The True Tale of Monster Billy Dean by David Almond

* On the BSD 2015 Mock Printz list

Otherbound by debut author Corrine Duyvis

High school can be hard on the most popular of kids. But for Nolan, an amputee with a seizure-disorder, high school is almost unmanageable. At least everyone thinks he has a seizure disorder by the way that he zones out for long periods of time, seemingly gone from the world. In actuality Nolan is gone from the world. Every time he closes his eyes he is transported into the mind of Amara, a servant girl living in a place called Dunelands. In Dunelands, where mages and magic are common, Amara is forced to protect the exiled princess from harm. She does so by allowing harm from magic spells to hurt her instead of the princess. She can survive these magical spells because her body magically itself. Nolan has been watching this from afar for years until he suddenly realizes that he can manipulate her body causing Amara to become aware of his presence. They end up having to work together to discover the truth about the princess and those in charge of the revolution.

Debut author Corrine Duyvis has imagined a complex plot and fully flushed out an imaginary world in Otherbound. Dunelands seemed more real to me than our Earth. Magic spells and counter spells got all tangled up with detrimental effects on everyone. Relationships were complicated, messy, and sometimes hurtful. The conclusion was tense and exciting and didn't resolve predictably. Oddly, however, Duyvis went a bit overboard on trying to be inclusive. Nolan is an amputee, Latino boy. Amara is a mute servant because her tongue was cut out when she was a child. There are LGBT themes at play. To some degree these issues threatened to swamp the story rather than move it forward. Ryan Paulsen, for SLJ, disagrees with me,  he thinks "the true strength of the novel is in its positive portrayal of LGBT issues." Guess you will have to read it and decide for yourself.

Otherbound is one of our Mock Printz books. We selected it based on the first 50-pages, which was all I had read up to that point before our selection committee met. Students aren't as enamored with it as I'd hoped. They report that it is confusing (it is) and it takes a long time for the story to develop (it does.) Several students haven't even read it to the end, which is a shame since the ending is so exciting. Honestly, I understand their position and will do a better job setting up future readers of this book by telling them a bit more of the storyline to help ease the confusion.

Duyvis’s debut is an exciting take on the fantasy genre. I'd actually like to read more about this world.