Tagged. I'm it!

I was tagged by Sue at Great Books for Kids and Teens.  Thanks, Sue!

Rules of the game:
Accept the tag and link to the tagger at the beginning of your post.

Answer the questions honestly in your post by listing four things.

Pass on the love by picking four other people to tag and listing them at the bottom of your post. Notify them that you tagged them.


4 Things That Are In My Handbag

-Three glasses cases: regular case for my glasses; case with reading glasses; case with sunglasses
-Gum.  I'm the mom so everyone thinks I should have a constant and ready supply.
-A Brighton purse key fob that attaches my keys to my purse so I don't have to empty out my purse every time I look for my keys.
-A Mary Kay lipstick holder with a tiny mirror inside.

4 Favorite Things In My Bedroom:

-Hubby!
-My cat, Demi, who always sleeps at the bottom of our bed.
-Framed art prints by Maryanne Radmacher
-Old radio case that my grandfather refurbished.

4 Things On My Desk: 

-Stacks of catalogs from book distributors or library supply companies.
-Photos of my family.
-A stuffed teddy bear in a Graham-Kapowsin HS cheerleader's outfit...very cute.
-A USA mug doubling as a pencil/pen cup.

4 Things I've Always Wanted To Do (but haven't yet):

-Take a cruise on the Mediterranean.
-Vacation with the family in Yellowstone in the Winter.
-Visit my friend in Singapore.
-Own a cabin on a lake or at the ocean.

4 Things I Enjoy Very Much At the Moment
-Gazing out the window at Mr. Rainier (from work)
-Listening to books-on-CD
-Playing games with my family
-Reading in the hammock (though it is put away for the year.)

4 Songs I Can't Get Out Of My Head:
-Don't Look Back by Boston
-I'm Backin' Up by AutoTune the News
-Alone by the Glee Cast
-Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet

4 Things You Don't Know About Me: 

-I was a classroom teacher for 25 years before moving into the library.
-I know how to make old-fashioned braided rugs.
-My husband is my best friend.
-My favorite vacation involved a three-day float trip down the Rogue River in Southern Oregon.

 4 Bloggers I am Tagging:

So many good blogs to choose from!  Here are some of my favorite blogs that cover kids/teens books:

 Tag, you're it!  Have fun with it.

-Pink Sheep Cafe
-Bibliosue
-Whatcha Readin'?
-My Reader's Block

WWW Wednesday

Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

* What are you currently reading?

* What did you recently finish reading?

* What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:  

1. They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti; 2. Old Filth by Jane Gardham.  

I've been working on both books for some time now.  The KKK book is obviously very heavy and I don't enjoy reading it at night.  Old Filth reads fast if I would just force myself to sit and do it. I should be reading it's sequel already for book club.

Recently Finished:  

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (audio-book).  

This book was very well done in audio format. Unfortunately I didn't have as much car time as usual this past week so it took me longer to finish than I wanted.  I'll write a full review tomorrow.

What I'll Read Next:  

1. Black Hole Sun by David Maccinis Gill; 2. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (audio-book)

Black Hole Sun is on my Mock Printz list and it is due back at the library soon.  I hope it is a fast read.  The Year of the Flood was recommended by another blogger.  My husband is currently enjoying it immensely on his daily commute.  

What about you?  What are you reading, have recently finished, going to next?

Ten Books I'll Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday

Never say never, right?  Well, I'm telling you that I will never read these books.  There are too many good books out there to bother with these.

1.  Anything written by Glen Beck.
     I don't agree with his politics nor do I like his style.
2.  Anything written by Rush Limbaugh.
     See #1
3.  100 People Who are Screwing Up America (and Al Franken is #37) by Bernie Goldberg
     The list is mostly left-of-center politicians, authors, and celebrities that Bernie doesn't like. Barbara Kingsolver? Howard Zinn? Jimmy Carter?  Oh please!
4.   Sarah Palin: Going Rogue by Sarah Palin.
      Guess you are starting to get the idea where my politics fall.
5.  The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
     This book has been terrifying people since it was first published in 1959.  I get scared and have nightmares with mild horror fiction.  I dare not try this one for fear it would scare me for life..
6.   Climategate: a Veteran Meteorologist Exposes the Global Warming Scam by Brian Sussman.
      Doesn't it seem like a lot of Americans are anti-science? Not me!
7.  The Terrorist's Handbook by Chaos Industries
     It seems almost silly to even mention this since it is no longer easily available on-line after the Oklahoma City Bombing, nonetheless I would never, ever read it.
8.  Jewish Supremachism: My Jewish Awakening by David Duke
     David Duke, a white supremacist/neo-Nazi, blames Jews for everything.
9.  Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
     I've read that this book is on the top-ten list for books used by college professors and it is in the bottom ten list by college and graduate students.  At a 1000+ pages that's good enough for me to avoid it.
10. This Gracious Season: Barry Bonds and the Greatest Year in Baseball (2001) by  Josh Suchon.
     It bums me out that Barry Bonds and others have wrecked all the baseball statistics by using steroids.


I had no idea that some of these books actually existed before I created this list.  I was actually looking for books to make my point and I think I found some real doozies. You won't be finding me reading any of these books.  What books would you add to my list?

Audio Book Challenge Complete!

Audio Book Challenge Here

I completed the 2010 Audio Book Challenge this week.

Here is my ranked list, based on the narration done by the reader. (The month I listened to this book.)

1.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, read by Dick Hill. (July)

2.  Fire by Kristin Cashore , read by Xanthe Elbrick . (April)

3.  Graceling by Kristin Cashore, read by David Baker and the full cast family. (April)

4.  The Plot Against America by Philip Roth, read by Ron Silver. (August)

5.  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, read by Jane Entwistle. (February)

6.  The Color Purple by Alice Walker, read by the author. (September)

7.  Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, read by Alan Cumming. (January)

8.  Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, read by Trini Alvarado. (September)

9.  Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Jenna Lamia and David Ledoux. (October)

10. The Sky if Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, read by Julia Whelan. (August)

11. The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday by Alexander McCall Smith, read by Hilary Neville. (February)

12. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell, read by Caitlin Greer. (February)

13. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan, read by Anne Flosnick and Michael Page. (March)

14. The Lost City of Z: a Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann, read by Mark Deakins. (June)

15. The Maze Runner by James Dashner, read by Mark Deakins. (January)

16. Unwind by Neal Shusterman, read by Luke Daniels. (February)

17. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, read by Ari Graynor. (May)

18. The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt, read by Will Patton. (October)

19. Heist Society by Ally Carter, read by Angela Dawe. (June)

20. Wake by Lisa McMann, read by Ellen Grafton. (June)

21. Camilla by Madeline L'Engle, read by Ann Marie Lee. (June)

22. Numbers by Rachel Ward, read by Sarah Coomes. (July)

Just because a book is low on this list does not mean that I disliked the book, it just meant I didn't enjoy the recording as much as the books higher on the list.  In several cases I actually abandoned the audio book half way through because I wanted to "read" faster than the audio version would allow me. Huck Finn and The Color Purple really benefited from this format because they are written in vernacular.  In fact, I have recommended this format to several teachers who want to reread Huck Finn.

Enjoy listening.

Friday's Finest

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

Rules:
~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.

 
"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."---The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, pg. 11.


Besides the fact that I love the book and the story, I want to believe that my husband loves me so much that he wants to spend his whole life unraveling and discovering the essence of me (and vise versa!)

Friday!

Today I am trying out a new book blogger hop called Follow Friday.  It appears that the goal is to make some new blogging friends and to take a look at some other awesome blogs for new book selection ideas, blog promotions, etc.  If you are visiting my blog for the first time, welcome.  Please leave a comment so that I can return the favor.

Just a little about me...I am a high school librarian who came to reading late in life, so I always feel like I not only need to read the current YA books coming out but I need to read the old standards, too.  I want this blog to reflect my eclectic taste in books and in reading in general.  I launched the blog especially with my high school patrons in mind.  It was my hope that they would view my blog as a source of information to use when selecting their next reading materials.  After a year of trying I have determined that that goal hasn't worked, though I occasionally have a student remark about some book they saw reviewed on my blog. On closer reflection I have decided to just let the blog evolve into a form of communication between me and the world. It is also a journal, of sorts, just for me.  I crave comments that reflect that the reading has paused and reflected on something that I wrote.  With that in mind please take minute to look around. Let me know what you like and how I can improve.  And by all means, you are welcome back anytime.

-Anne

How Many Books Do You Take on a Trip?

Booking through Thursday

The Thursday Meme: 

When you travel, how many books do you bring with you?
Has this changed since the arrival of ebooks? 

I always travel with books even if my trip is to the dentist.  When I travel for an overnight I will only take one book, unless I am nearly finished with it, then two.  For a week long vacation I will usually take three books, but it depends on the type of vacation.  Last summer we vacationed in Whistler, BC.  I knew it would be restful, so I took five books with me...I finished three and a half, not counting the audio-book I listened to going and coming.

I don't own an e-reader, nor is it likely I will get one.  Everyone tells me that they are cheaper than books, but since I am a librarian I rarely pay for my own books.  I check them out from libraries.  I would probably make an exception if I were to travel by air a lot, which I don't, or if I planned a long, long vacation abroad.

I forgot to mention, I usually help my family pack their books, too.  Whenever anyone goes on a trip my first question to them is, "What books are you taking?  Do you need me to find you something from the library?" How book-codependant is that? I also bring along audio-books if we are going on a road trip.  So all-in-all I might be responsible for packing (or at least organizing) 10 books per trip.  Gulp! 

How about you?  How many books do you usually take on trips?

Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt

The Water Seeker is the tale of a young man who is born with the gift of dowsing, or water-witching.  It is also, and I think more prominently, a tale of what it was like to grow up during the early 1800s particularly those living the pioneering life.

Young Amos Kincaid doesn't know his father well since he is gone trapping for many months each year.  He learns how to work hard from his aunt and uncle and his closest neighbors, after his aunt dies.  When is father finally returns with a squaw, Blue Owl, for a wife, Amos is forced to learn new skills when he moves with them.  One of those skills is a skill that his father also has, dowsing. When an opportunity to help  guide a Wagon Train to Oregon Territory arrives, the family picks up again. Along the treacherous 2000 mile journey Amos has many adventures and makes several friends.

Amos' mother, who died during childbirth, and birds played symbolic roles in the book, but the symbolism was lost on me.  I hate it when I don't see the meaning in literary devices used by authors. Though this book came to my attention as a possible Printz award candidate I think this book is really a middle level book, not one that would interest too many high school students. The drama hinted at on the book jacket about the conflict between father and son about  being a dowser seemed quite mild.  Though the journey across the prairie and mountains on a Wagon Train was well done, it didn't have the level of suspense or fast-pacing that most YA readers crave.  Perhaps this book would be a better Newbery candidate.

Though this review isn't very strong, I really did like the story.  I think younger teens who like reading historical fiction will find a lot to like in this story.

Top Ten Authors

The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Authors

(The first three are in order, the others are authors I like but not in order)

1. Barbara Kingsolver...I love everything she writes, fiction and non-fiction; she speaks for me on many issues or gives voice to my thoughts.  Poisonwood Bible; Bean Trees; Small Miracles, etc.

2. Jane Austen...I remember once being judgmental of a friend who was on a Jane Austen jag...that was before I went on my first Jane Austen jag!  I even read the Jane Austen knock-offs! Pride and Prejudice; Persuasion; Sense and Sensibility, etc.

3.  John Green (YA)...I met John a few years a go at a conference and he was just like I thought he'd be, whatever that means.  I devour his books the minute they are published.  He's a little too edgy for some of my students. Looking for Alaska; Paper Towns; Will Grayson-Will Grayson, etc.

4.  Libba Bray (YA)...With the award winning book Going Bovine Ms Bray showed her versatile talents as an author.  Love both styles I've read. A Great and Terrible Beauty series.

5.  Alexander McCall Smith...I am a huge, huge fan.  I've read books in all his series and adored them all.  I went to hear him speak and he is captivating and hilarious, and he was dressed like his picture.  A true gem. 44 Scotland Street series; #1 Ladies Detective Agency series, etc.

6.  Jon Krakauer (Non fiction)...Jon grew up in Corvallis, Oregon, as did I.  His writing is so mesmerizing that one forgets they are reading about a subject they care nothing about. Into Thin Air; Into the Wild; Under the Banner of Heaven, etc.

7.  David McCullough (Non fiction)...Reading anything by David McCullough is the most painless way to learn about history that I know of.  Better yet, listen to him read his own audiobooks.  (Check out the typewriter he is using!) He is a masterful narrator and a first rate historian. 1776; Johnstown Flood, etc.

8.  Chris Crutcher (YA)...A champion against censorship and book banning, Chris also understands the plight of the underdogs in school.  His stories are very real and very easy to relate to. Deadline; Staying Fat for Sarah Brynes; etc.

9.  Marcus Zusak (YA)...I love his books The Book Thief and I am the Messenger so much that I had to put him on my list.

10. Francisco X. Stork (YA)...The two books that I have read by Stork included issues that are difficult for all of us to deal with---death and learning disabilities.  I feel that his writing is done with the utmost of integrity. Marcelo in the Real World and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors.

11. and, of course, Bill Bryson (Non fiction)*... Bill Bryson is phenomenal.  He can take any subject and make it fascinating and hilarious at the same time. Take for example his book A Short History of Nearly Everything which is essentially the history of science.  Sounds boring.  Not in the hands of the master, Bill Bryson.  I was completely captivated while I  learned all kinds of new bits of information. In a Sunburned Country; A Walk In the Woods; etc. 
*late addition to the list.

I just looked over the list and think I was leaning toward older, white guys.  Sorry.  If I made the list tomorrow it would probably have a very different look to it.

Authors of Banned Books Speakout

This has been an amazing week in the GKHS library.  Many teachers are bringing their students in to the library the make their free-choice book selections and I've talked to every class about the implications of banned books and what it means to them.  The last group I worked with was the most rewarding.  30 eager honors students from an English class, they wanted to know all about Banned Books and literally booed when I mentioned that To Kill A Mockingbird is often at the top of the list.  They read that book as a required read last year.  They all wanted to read Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak after I told them about the controversy right now over that book in Missouri. They moaned about the idea of some adult telling everyone they shouldn't read the book just because he doesn't like it.  Bravo for this generation.  They understand how important it is to stand up for their freedom to read.

With that in mind I found a few choice quote from authors about their experiences with book banning.

Carolyn Mackler, author of The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things from an article found on ilovelibraries.org:

So The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things has made it onto the Top Ten list again... The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things is the story of Virginia, a curvy fifteen-year-old girl who has been made to feel terrible about herself by her not-so-curvy family.  But when her “perfect” – quote, unquote – brother falls from grace and the family is propelled into crisis mode, Virginia is forced to reevaluate everything.  She ultimately learns to feel good about herself, even to celebrate herself, as she is, without losing weight, without hurting her body.

Over the years, I have gotten hundreds of letters and emails from teenage girls who have read The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.  They tell me that they, like Virginia, have always felt lousy about themselves.  But after they read my book they were inspired to take control.  They tell me that my book helped them stop hating their bodies.  They tell me they were depressed or bulimic or cutting themselves and my book encouraged them to get help.  They tell me that The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things was the first book they’ve ever completed and now they’re passionate about reading, and they tell me that this book was their sole support as their father was dying, and it showed them that even though times are tough there will be brighter days in the future.

And yet The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things is frequently banned from schools and libraries.  I write about teenagers as they are, and my characters sometimes curse, and they hook up, and they confront their parents when they feel they are being wronged.  This, I suppose, is upsetting to people who don’t want their child exposed to these things.  While I sincerely doubt that my book will be someone’s only exposure to such content, I respect a parent’s wishes for their children.  Their children, I emphasize.  Not everyone else’s.

This is what I think about when The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things is removed from libraries.  I think about all the letters I’ve received from readers, and I wonder about the teenagers who will never have access to my book.  And I wonder if, because of this, they’re going to feel that much more alone.

As soon as I read this piece by Mackler I ran to my computer to see if nay of my copies of the book were in.  Nope.  It's been a good week for banned books at GKHS and both copies were checked out.  Now I will have to wait my turn.

Ray Bradbury author of Fahrenheit 451 found in the Coda of the book:

...I discovered that, over the years, some cubby-hole editors at Ballantine Books, fearful of contaminating the young, had, bit by bit, censored some 75 separate sections from [Fahrenheit 451]. Students, reading the novel which, after all, deals with censorship and book-burning in the future, wrote to tell me of this exquisite irony. ("Coda" 1979)

Books don't have to be banned to be rendered useless.  Just edit all the bad bits out and leave behind the milk toast. Blah!  Or as Bradbury says: "There is more than one way to burn a book."

Judy Blume, one of the most frequently banned or censored authors, reminds us that parents can help avoid the need for censorship merely by talking to their kids:

"Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear.”

 

Thank you Judy for all you've done for young women and for all of us in terms of understand the dangers of censorship!