Saturday, April 29, 2017

Dewey's Read-a-thon Mini-Challenge: One-Night Reads


Update: The randomly-selected winner is Book Bunny's Burrow. Since she is from Finland, I will let her pick a book from Book Depository! Congratulations!

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon: My Kazillionth Time!

Pre-pre-pre-readathon

Oh happy day! It's time for Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon!



I've got my books all ready. I'm going with a New York City Theme this time, since I'll be heading to BookExpo at the end of May.
I do have one little fun addition: I will have a sidekick! My granddaughter, Annie, will get to participate with me for her very first readathon. Woo hoo! She's almost eighteen months old, so this should be very interesting!

Hour 0: Opening Meme

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? 
I'm here in Alvin, Texas, between Houston and Galveston.

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? 

All my books about New York City.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? 
Coffee.


4) Tell us a little something about yourself! 
School librarian. Reader. Blogger. 
I love to read happiness books, travel stories, 
literary fiction and nonfiction, and children's books.

5) What’s one thing you’ll do different today?
I will read with my granddaughter, Annie.
It's almost time to start. Ready? Set? READ!



Hour 24


Closing Survey! 
1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Hour One? It is very tricky, trying to read with a toddler.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a reader engaged for next year? I will compile a list from my Mini-Challenge: One-Night Reads.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next season? No. I love it as it is.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? The warmups were fun.
5. How many books did you read? Just two. And they were both board books.
6. What were the names of the books you read? One was a board book of nursery rhymes. The other was Where is the Green Sheep. I also read a little in my book, Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Books as an Adult.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? Both Annie and I love Where is the Green Sheep. Annie was crazy about Sled Dog School, though she mostly flipped through the pages of it.
8. Which did you enjoy least? I loved them all.
9. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? Absolutely likely. I would like to drum up prizes for the contests. And I'd like to do more with Twitter.



Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Blood and Bruises

These are the lengths I go to in order to acquire free books at a library conference. Yes, those are bruises on my arm and blood that dripped from my finger onto my conference schedule, both the result of carrying 325 books from the exhibit hall floor back five blocks to my hotel.


For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.



Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy ReadsTo participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Words That Will Instantly Make Me NOT Want to Read a Book

I rarely read books like these.

Note: I am not standing in judgment of you if you love one of these categories. Read away. Please don't judge me either.

These are in order from slightly annoying to completely and totally avoided.

Graphic Novel...There's something about the sparsity of the text that disappoints me.

Sappy Children's Book...especially when the kid on the cover oh-so-badly needs a time-out.

Gothic Novel...My mom's favorite genre. I think I read every single gothic novel there is when I was a child.

Romance with Brawny Man on the Cover...Self-explanatory, I think.

Books in a Series. One of my odd pet peeves. 

Thriller. I'd go so far to say I don't really care for any books by male authors, but that sounds a little extreme.

Religious Fiction. And Preachy Religious Nonfiction.

TV or Movie or Toy Tie-in. I instinctively know: Not well-written.

Scary. I have never done scary. I will never do scary.

See also:



You might like Odd Things Other People Hate in Books:

Faces on the Cover  Rose Quartz Reads
Women Who Constantly Need Rescuing. Utopia State of Mind
Biker Gangs  One More Stamp
Short Sentences. Of. Only. One. Or. Two. Words.  The Fictional Reader


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!


Sunday, April 23, 2017

Pencil Pants: Back from the Library Conference

I just got home from an amazing library conference.

I am happily stacking and snapping my finds. More about that later.


I put on my pencil pants and plan to spend the day writing.



I'm reading (still) Hamilton, along with Anne Lamont's newest, Hallelujah Anyway, as well as The Not-Quite States of America, and my online book group's A Pair of Jesus Boots.

What are you reading today?



What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 
 It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now being hosted at The Book Date.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Art Night



My library assistant and I dressed up as famous artists for Art Night at our school last year. Can you name who we are? Any suggestions for who we should dress up as this year?

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Things that Will Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book

















Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!


Sunday, April 16, 2017

The Book Fair is Over and the Library Conference is Coming

What I'm Reading


What I Did Last Week
The Scholastic Book Fair!

What I'm Doing Next Week
The Texas Library Association Conference!

Whew! Need I say more?



Happy Easter, everyone!



What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 
 It is now being hosted here.


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now being hosted at The Book Date.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Annie Shares a Flower


For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy ReadsTo participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

The Most Unique Books I've Read (Part Deux)

I did what I consider a definitive post about the most unique books I've read back in 2014. But I love unique books, and I can always, always come up with a few more odd books for a unique book list. Here, then, is The Most Unique Books I've Read (Part Deux):


Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet (my review)
Yes, it's the story of the author of Charlotte's Web, written for children, but it's the fascinating mementos from White's life included in the illustrations here that might surprise you.



Songbook by Nick Hornby (my review)
Nick Hornby shares stories of his favorite songs. We passed this book around some years ago, along with a CD of the songs from the book.



The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Of course you know this one. I wonder why so many of the unique books I've read are for children....


The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman
Maira Kalman is that wonderfully surprising combination of beautiful illustrations along with deeply human philosophy.



Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton (my review)



Rhoda: A Life in Stories by Ellen Gilchrist (my review)
Not a novel. Not short stories.



Woman: An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier (my review)
You'd think a woman would know her body. Well, not really.



Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure edited by Smith Magazine (my review)
Yes. Your life in six words. Read these. Then it's your turn.



The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World
One page about every country in the world with all the info you really need to know, especially the most important books from each.



This is Not a Book by Jean Jullien
My most favorite board book this year.



Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
A perfect first scary book.



Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman 
The first graphic novel I read. It's the story of the Nazis (cats) and the Jews (mice). Very powerful.



How to Be Perfect: Poems by Ron Padgett (my review)
Delightfully readable poems.



Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction edited by Lex Williford and Michael Martone (my review)
Every piece unique.





Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.







Sunday, April 9, 2017

Two-Hour Readathon: Warm Up for Dewey's

Readathon Warm Up

Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon is coming at the end of this month. At the request of readers, the Goodreads group for the readathon has scheduled a couple of warm-ups before the event. The first was yesterday, and it was a simple two-hour readathon.

Now, who couldn't read for two hours?

It's actually harder than you might think.

I decided to read-at-will with the huge stacks under my bed. Once I settled in, with a Geoff Dyer's White Sands, a little French music, and a cup of coffee, it went well.


Of course I couldn't stop after two hours and ninety pages....I had to read on to the end. If you've never read Geoff Dyer, you are missing out. White Sands has Dyer visiting great spots for travelers, but if you are thinking the Grand Canyon and the Eiffel Tower, you are way, way off. Dyer takes you to places you'd never think of yourself and shares his odd random thoughts along the way, thoughts you'd never think of yourself. It's a fun trip. 

Sign up for Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon scheduled for April 29th here.

What Else Did I Read This Week?


Windows by Julia Denos 

Have you read any of these?


Bookboxes

I can't remember when I last received a bookbox. I used to get them in several times a month. What happened to change that? Foreign postal rates went sky high. And e-books.

I still love bookboxes. There is something terribly fun about receiving a mysterious box of books in the mail, books you can keep, if you want.

I received the Bookbox of Things yesterday. Lots of yummy narrative nonfiction, each book centering on a thing. I chose A Gentle Madness (thing: books); Just My Type (thing: fonts); and Glass Paper Beans (thing: ordinary things).

Later in the day, I received the Virtual Bookbox. If anything, a virtual bookbox is even easier than a real bookbox: you don't have a physical box to cart to the post office. You can choose a book. Or not. Easy peasy.

Love bookboxes. Are you a bookbox person?

Final Thoughts: Obsessions
Are readers more likely than others to become obsessed?

I'm pondering this question as I contemplate my latest pair of LulaRoe leggings.

Yes, these have trees on them. Trees.

I also have sunflowers. And pencils. And, of course, books. And many, many more.

I really, really must rein myself in.





What is the Sunday SalonImagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 
 It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now being hosted at The Book Date.







Wednesday, April 5, 2017

The Moth Night: Powerful Storytelling

I read The Moth Presents All These Wonders: True Stories about Facing the Unknown last week, and it was an awesome read. It's a book of true stories told at storytelling events all over the world known as The Moth. 

I remembered as I read that I'd attended The Moth storytelling night a few years back, but the photos were so dark that I never posted about it. 

Oh well, I decided. Bad photos were no excuse not to post about fabulous stories.


Do you know how The Moth works? Each night has a theme. If you want to tell a story onstage that relates to that theme, you draw a number from a cup. Some numbers are randomly drawn that night, and you are given five minutes to tell your story. There are also a random group of judges, and poems are rated like Olympic activities. In Houston, there is a Moth StorySlam once a month. There is also a Moth Radio Hour, if you can't make it to a live event.

At least that's how I remember it. 


Here is a photo of my librarian friends and me at The Moth. We want to go back soon.