Super Librarian

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 7

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:13:00 +0000

I had a great final day of the Bout of Books Readathon! I listened to audiobooks while I was cleaning/organizing the house and walking the dog. Then I read in the evening.

Total pages read: 232 (Attachments by Rainbow Rowell)

Total audio listening time: 5 hours (3 hours and 45 minutes of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl; 1 hour and 15 minutes of Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor)

Books finished: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Overall this week, I finished 4 books, 1 graphic novel, and 1 audiobook. That's more than I usually read, so I'm happy with my progress! I plan to participate in the next Bout of Books Readathon, which you can learn more about on the official Bout of Books blog.

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:27:00 +0000

Here's my update for day 6! I was in more of an audiobook mood, so I listened while I was doing stuff around the house. I may try to finish my audiobook today!

Total pages read: 49 (Attachments by Rainbow Rowell)

Books finished: 0

Total audio listening time: 3 hours (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl)

What did you read?

Bloglovin

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:15:00 +0000

I just signed up for Bloglovin! Use the link below if you'd like to follow me there. I'm sad to say goodbye to Google Reader this summer, so I'm trying out the alternatives.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:40:00 +0000

Description: In the fall of 2007, twenty-year old college coed Amanda Knox left Seattle to study abroad in Perugia, Italy for one year. But that November 1, her life was shattered when her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher, was murdered in their apartment. Five days later, Amanda was taken into custody and charged by the Italian police; her arrest and the subsequent investigation ignited an international media firestorm. Overnight, this ordinary young American student became the subject of intense scrutiny, forced to endure a barrage of innuendo and speculation. Two years later, after an extremely controversial trial, Amanda was convicted and imprisoned. But in 2011 an appeals court overturned her conviction and vacated the charges. Free at last, she immediately returned home to the U.S., where she has remained silent, until now.

My Review: I'm only a few years older than Amanda Knox, and I also spent time studying abroad in Europe and South America during my undergraduate years. Knox's story caught my interest, and I watched a lot of the media coverage of her trial and acquittal. Recently, she has been giving interviews for the first time since being freed. She has also been back in the news after the Italian court called for a retrial. Knox is a very polarizing figure--almost everyone has a strong opinion on whether or not they believe she is guilty. I wanted to read her book to hear version of the events and learn about the actual evidence presented in the case rather than what the media was reporting. Knox tells her story in vivid detail and opens up to describe how this ordeal has affected her emotionally. She also discusses the effect it has had on her family and others close to her.

While the writing is not exceptional, it was better than I expected. I kept reading because the story was compelling and the events unfolded in an increasingly dramatic way. I read it quickly, even though it's nearly 500 pages long. Several color photographs are included to complement the writing. I recommend this for fans of true crime and for those who have followed the trial and would like to hear Amanda's story in her own words.

I also recently read a really interesting Kindle Single, Trial by Fury: Internet Savagery and the Amanda Knox Case by Douglas Preston. It's only 99 cents, and it's a quick read.

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 5

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:20:00 +0000

Here's my update for Friday! I worked most of the day and also watched a movie, so I squeezed in reading time whenever I could.

Total pages read: 103 (61 pages of Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore and 42 pages of Attachments by Rainbow Rowell)

Books finished: 0

Total audio listening time: 45 minutes (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl)

What did you read?

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:32:00 +0000

I had an okay readathon day. I would have read more, but I was glued to the TV watching the finale of The Office! We only get a few channels on our TV, and I'm glad that NBC is one of them. :)

Total pages read: 187 (This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith)

Books finished: 1 (This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith)

Total audio listening time: 1.5 hours (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl)

What did you read?

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:46:00 +0000

Day 3 was a little slower for me - I worked late and my husband was off work, so I got less reading done than days 1 and 2. Here's what I read:

Total pages read: 229 (This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith)

Books finished: 0

Total audio listening time: 1.5 hours (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl)

For Day 4, I will try to finish my book and listen to some more of my audiobook. What are you reading?

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:04:00 +0000

It was another great day of reading for me!

Total pages read: 312 (267 of Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel, 45 pages of Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore)

Books finished: 1 (Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel)

Total audio listening time: 3 hours (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl)

For day 3, I plan to continue listening to Beautiful Creatures and reading Bitterblue. I will also try to start and finish This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith. What are you reading?

Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:54:00 +0000

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

What are your picks?

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:29:00 +0000

I'm off to a great start with the Bout of Books readathon! I read as much as I could before and after work and at lunch (I have an hour lunch break). I'm not participating in any of the challenges or chats -- I am already distracted enough by social media when I should be reading! ;) So this week is just about reading as much as I can and reducing my TBR pile with no specific goal.

Total pages read: 361 (the final 30 pages of Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr, 27 pages of Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, and 304 pages of Ten by Gretchen McNeil)

Books finished: 1 (Ten by Gretchen McNeil)

Total audio listening time: 2 hours (Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl)

My husband worked tonight, so that gave me a lot of free time to read. We'll see if I can keep up the momentum for the rest of the week!

Stacking the Shelves (2)

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Sat, 11 May 2013 11:27:00 +0000

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Here's my second attempt at a vlog. My dog decided to hang out in the background!

Borrowed

For Review

Purchased

What did you add to your shelves this week?

What Learning Leaves by Taylor Mali

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:06:00 +0000

Description: YouTube search “What Teachers Make” and witness almost 5 million views. It’s not a video about teacher’s salaries; it’s a poem performed by New York City poet and four-time National Poetry Slam champion Taylor Mali, the world’s most popular, passionate teacher turned full-time poet. His new spring release, What Learning Leaves, is an eloquent and entertaining poetry collection centering on his experiences as a middle school teacher.

My Review: It's Teacher Appreciation Week, so I thought I would highlight a teaching-related title I read recently and really enjoyed. During my previous career as a teacher, I remember watching Taylor Mali recite his poetry on YouTube, and I even purchased some audio versions of my favorites. I saw this title on NetGalley and couldn't resist requesting it and reading it right away.

This collection includes several of my favorite poems:

"Like Lilly Like Wilson"

"What teachers make"

"The the impotence of proofreading"

"Totally like whatever, you know?"

"Falling in love is like owning a dog"

Mali is one of the few writers who can make me laugh on one page and cry on the next. He really has a gift for capturing the experience of being a teacher, and he writes beautiful poems about love, life, and grief as well. I definitely recommend picking this one up, especially if you are a teacher (or if you need a gift for a teacher!). To learn more about Mali or purchase his work, visit his website, taylormali.com.

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:04:00 +0000

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Alienated by Melissa Landers

From Goodreads: "Interplanetary relations have never been more exciting! The first in a funny, romantic YA sci-fi series."

What are you waiting on?

Bout of Books 7.0 Sign-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:32:00 +0000

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.
- From the Bout of Books team

I'm excited to participate in the Bout of Books Read-a-thon, and I hope to get through many of the books in my TBR pile. I haven't decided yet if I'll participate in the challenges and Twitter chats, but I'll definitely be doing as much reading as I can when I'm not working.

Join us if you want some extra motivation to tackle that TBR pile!

Stacking the Shelves (1)

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Sat, 04 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Borrowed

For Review

Riffle: A new social media site for book lovers!

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:30:00 +0000

I know, I probably already spend way too much time on social media between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogger, Goodreads, YouTube, and Pinterest. But when a new book-related social media site came around, I couldn't resist signing up!

Riffle is an independent site for readers, librarians, bloggers, publishers, and authors. I first heard about Riffle a while ago, and I had actually forgotten about it until I got an email reminder today reminding me to sign up. I logged in with my Twitter account (but you can also log in with your Facebook account if you prefer). From there it was very simple to set up my profile and get started!

I've heard Riffle being called "the Pinterest of books". It does appear to have some similarities in that you can follow people and see a visual feed of their updates when you log in. I like that you can make lists of books easily - by theme, genre, or whatever other topic you can think of! For example, I saw that one user I follow created a list of all the YA Kindle books on sale for $3.99 or less this month. Another created a list of YA new releases for this week. I can see librarians using this to create readalike lists. These lists can be easily shared on other social media sites.

There are also bookish questions you can answer which will display on your profile (such as What were your favorite books growing up?). You can see how other users have answered these questions, too.

On your profile page, you can display what you're currently reading and what you've read. You can also use the site to keep track of what you're interested in reading and recommend books and lists to your followers.

Another nice feature is that you can choose your "expertise" - I chose Young Adult since that's what I mainly read and recommend.

While I will continue use Goodreads to track my read/currently reading/to be read information, I think I will use Riffle mainly for the lists feature. This will definitely come in handy for me as a librarian and book blogger. It will also make it easy for me to recommend books and to find books recommended by other readers (which I prefer over the recommendations automatically generated on Goodreads or Amazon).

I'm not sure how to link directly to my profile, but I'm signed up under my blog name.

Have you tried Riffle yet? What do you think of it so far?

April Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:00:00 +0000

I had an awesome reading month in March, and the trend continued in April. I finished 15 books. This puts my 2013 total at 51 books read so far toward my goal of 100. (I may have to up my goal if I keep reading at this pace!) Of the books I read, 4 counted for a genre challenge. I read 2,234 pages and listened to 53.98 hours of audio in April.

Amazon.com Widgets

5 Star Reads

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

The Giver by Lois Lowry (re-read)

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy

What Learning Leaves by Taylor Mali

4 Star Reads

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

It Takes Balls: Dating Single Moms and Other Confessions from an Unprepared Single Dad by Josh Wolf

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

3 Star Reads

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot (review)

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

In other news, this month my husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary and his birthday! Also, I attended a library conference this month and learned about using Zinio for digital magazine lending, using Pinterest for libraries, opening a library technology center with digital creation suites, and using Google Docs/Drive for library statistics and ready reference. I always tend to choose the technology-focused sessions!

How was your April, and what did you read?

Friday Reads (1)

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

I can never seem to read just one book at a time! I also tend to read in multiple formats so I usually have at least one print book, eBook, and audiobook going at the same time so that I'm never without a book.

Here's what I'm currently reading:

I just started Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series wraps up!

I checked out Saving June by Hannah Harrington from the library's digital collection. I really like it so far.

I'm enjoying this biography of Thomas Jefferson by R.B. Bernstein, but I'm just reading a chapter here and there when I feel like picking it up, so it may take me awhile to finish.

I bought Days of Blood and Starlight in hardcover when it came out, but I'm actually listening to the audiobook from the library instead. I love the narrator!

For some reason, I just prefer listening to Sarah Dessen books on audio. I started listening to Someone Like You on my phone's Audible app this week.

What are you reading this weekend?

Size 12 And Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Description: Summer break . . . and the livin' ain't easy! Just because the students at New York College have flown the coop doesn't mean assistant residence hall director Heather Wells can relax. Fischer Hall is busier than ever, filled with squealing thirteen- and fourteen-year-old girls attending the first ever Tania Trace Teen Rock Camp, hosted by pop sensation Tania Trace herself--who just happens to be newly married to Heather's ex-boyfriend, heartthrob Jordan Cartwright. But the real headache begins when the producer of a reality TV show starring Tania winds up dead . . . and it's clear that the star was the intended victim. Grant Cartwright, head of Cartwright Records, wants to keep his daughter-in-law (and his highest-earning performer) alive. So he hires his oldest son, black sheep of the family and private investigator Cooper Cartwright--who just happens to be Heather's new fiance. Heather should leave the detecting to Cooper. But with a dorm full of hysterical mini-divas-in-training, she can't help but get involved. And after Tania shares a really shocking secret with her, this reality suddenly becomes more dangerously real than anyone ever anticipated.

My Review: Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors, and I was lucky enough to get to meet her when she came to Indiana on her latest book tour! Size 12 and Ready to Rock is the fourth book in the Heather Wells mystery series. The best way I can think to describe the series is part chick lit/part mystery. The latest book could be read as a standalone since a lot of the plot points from previous books are summarized, but I would recommend reading the other three books anyway because they are so much fun! Plus, it's always interesting for me to see characters grow over time and their relationships with other characters change. Heather is a charming, quirky character, and it's satisfying to see her overcome some hurdles and find happiness in her personal life. I felt that a few plot points in this one were predictable, but I was able to overlook that because I loved the characters and I enjoyed watching them unravel the mysteries.

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Description: "Author of Catching Jordan, Miranda Kenneally’s Racing Savannah, about an underprivileged girl training to be a jockey while working in the barn at a high-stakes horse farm whose on-again, off-again relationship with the owner’s son has an upstairs/downstairs effect on race day."

I've loved everything by Miranda Kenneally so far, and I'm sure this one will also be great! And it comes out the day before my birthday. :)

What book are you waiting on?

Top Ten Books I Liked More/Less Than I Thought I Would

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Interesting topic! Like other bloggers, I'm going to split my list in half and share five I liked more and five I liked less.

Books I liked LESS than I thought I would

I really wanted to like this one. I read it once in print and then tried it again in audio, and it was just not a very enjoyable read for me. I decided not to continue with the series.

I think the only reason I finished this one was because I had a 19 hour layover in an airport in London, and it was helping me pass the time. I mean, it was mildly entertaining, but it didn't live up to all the hype.

I had to read this one for a literature class in undergrad. Not only did I not enjoy it, but I also had to discuss it and write essays about it. Blah!

My friends and I read this as a book club pick, and none of us liked it. It confused me more than anything. I would like to watch the movie adaptation to see if I understand the characters/plot better.

Teens convinced me to read this, but it was painful to get through. I couldn't stand the main character!

Books I liked MORE than I thought I would

I wasn't expecting much from this one, but it pleasantly surprised me. I read it really quickly.

I know, I know, I joined the Harry Potter bandwagon WAY too late. But when it first came out, I didn't think I would like it because I didn't read much fantasy fiction. I'm so glad I gave it a try! Now I'm obsessed with both the books and the movies, and I read a lot more fantasy novels than I used to.

This is another one that I didn't think I would like. But everyone kept saying it was awesome, so I picked it up and started the series right before the final book came out. Loved it!

My husband actually bought this one, and at first I didn't think I'd want to read a book about a school shooting, thinking it would be too disturbing. Well, a lot of it was disturbing, but the book was so well-written and well-researched that I couldn't put it down. It dispelled a lot of the myths around what happened.

This was a book club pick that I probably would have never picked up on my own. It was really enjoyable, and I have since picked up other books by this author.

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:38:00 +0000

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds.

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want?

Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.

I just finished Time Between Us so I was really excited to learn there is another book coming out that continues the story of Anna and Bennett! I can't wait to read it.

March Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 02:42:00 +0000

I had a REALLY good reading month in March! I finished 20 books. This puts my 2013 total at 36 books so far toward a goal of 100. I read a total of 4,379 pages and listened to 33.74 hours of audiobooks in March. That seems like a lot, but remember that we don't have cable, and I do a lot of reading while my husband is working nights or away at drill for several days a month. Plus this month I used an Amazon gift card toward a Kindle Paperwhite, and I think my fascination with my new gadget helped me get much more reading done!

Of the books I read, 6 counted for the genre challenge. I didn't read any presidential biographies, but I am starting one on Thomas Jefferson for April. Other informal goals I've been working on are reducing my pile of owned books that I need to read and catching up on favorite series.

Amazon.com Widgets

5 Star Reads

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Homeward Bound: Why Women are Embracing the New Domesticity by Emily Matchar

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (re-read)

4 Star Reads

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era by Jessica Fellowes and Matthew Sturgis

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by

Erik Larson

Burning the Page: The eBook Revolution and the Future of Reading by Jason Merkoski

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Butter by Erin Jade Lange

3 Star Reads

Life As I Blow It: Tales of Love, Life, and Sex...Not Necessarily in That Order by Sarah Colonna

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

That Summer by Sarah Dessen

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron

The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons

Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph

In other news, my niece was born in March!

And my Doberman pup is getting huge!

What did you read in March?

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

noreply@blogger.com (Super Librarian) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Description: An account of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 relates the stories of two men who shaped the history of the event—architect Daniel H. Burnham, who coordinated its construction, and serial killer Herman Mudgett.

My review: I’ve been meaning to read this one for a few years now, and I finally picked it up. I love Chicago, history, and true crime, so it’s no surprise that I liked this book. I didn’t know much about the 1983 Chicago World’s Fair before reading this, but the book provided plenty of details about the planning and construction of the fair. The book alternates chapters about the architect, Burnham, and the serial killer, Mudgett. Sometimes I found myself hoping that the sections about the architect and the fair would move just a little faster so I could get to the parts about the serial killer because they were more intriguing. I enjoyed Tony Goldwyn's narration of the audiobook, and I think listening to the audio version helped hold my attention better than reading the print book would have, especially during the extremely detailed chapters about the fair.

I recommend The Devil in the White City to readers for its well-researched historical information mixed with an engrossing account of true crime. Some parts of it read almost like a novel, so even those who don’t normally enjoy nonfiction should give this one a try.

Super Librarian

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 7

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 6

Bloglovin

Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 5

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 4

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 3

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 2

Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

Bout of Books Readathon - Day 1

Stacking the Shelves (2)

What Learning Leaves by Taylor Mali

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

Top Ten Books to Read When You Need Something Light and Fun

Bout of Books 7.0 Sign-Up

Stacking the Shelves (1)

Riffle: A new social media site for book lovers!

April Reads

Friday Reads (1)

Size 12 And Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

Top Ten Books I Liked More/Less Than I Thought I Would

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

March Reads

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson