Good news!

Recently I applied to be a reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA) magazine, and I was accepted as a provisional reviewer. I received a review book and wrote a provisional review. I am happy to announce that my provisional review was accepted, and I am now an official member of the reviewer team! So exciting! I won't be able to post any of my reviews for VOYA here on this blog, but you can read them online in the digital version of the magazine (available on the magazine's website). My first review will run in the August issue. My department head at work and I are huge fans of VOYA--we use it to help make collection development decisions, keep up on trends in YA, and get ideas from other teen librarians. So I'm very excited to be a part of the reviewer team. I'll only be reviewing 1 or 2 books a month for the magazine, so I'll definitely still have time to read other books and keep up with this blog. Just wanted to share my good news! :)

New YA Releases - 6/28/11

Need an excuse to shop for books? Here are a few new YA releases. 

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Read my review

Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut

This one is next on my to-review list. 

Until then, enjoy some reviews from To Read or Not to Read and Eating Y.A. Books. 

It's Monday: What Are You Reading? (36)

What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted over at Book Journey where bloggers gather to share what we have recently read and what we are currently reading. 

I finished: 

The Mostly True Story of Jack by Kelly Barnhill (ARC)

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

I am currently reading: 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (audiobook)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Next Up: 

Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

What are you reading? 

Library Love: 100 Reasons to Love Your Local Library (14)

I noticed that when I talk about libraries with friends and family members, they often say, "I didn't know libraries offered that!" I thought it would be fun to think up 100 reasons for people to use their local library. Some things I mention may be obvious to those of you you routinely use your public library, but others may be new to you. Either way I hope that this feature inspires you to visit and support your local library! 

14. Meet your favorite authors. 

Libraries often offer opportunities for patrons to meet authors. Author visits can include a prepared talk, a reading from the author's work, a question-and-answer session, a book signing, or more. It's a great chance for readers to connect with authors. 

Have you ever attended an author visit at your library?

In My Mailbox (52)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a time for everyone to share what books they acquired over the course of the week. I'll share what I received in the mail, bought at bookstores, downloaded to my Nook/iPad, or picked up from the library.

From the library: 

- Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (eBook)

Free audiobooks from Sync: 

- Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

(Click on one of the titles to learn more about Sync and download this week's free audiobooks!)

What's in your mailbox this week? 

Book Blogger Hop! June 24-27

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted over at Crazy-for-Books where book bloggers can   "connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!"

This week's question: When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life? 


Great question! One of my recent grad school assignments was to write a reading autobiography, and I ended up writing 6 pages (more than was required!). I can't really pinpoint a specific moment in which I realized reading was a passion. It seems like it's just always been a part of my life! Here are some significant reading memories I have: 

• Listening to my parents/family members reading bedtime stories
• Listening to my 4th grade teacher reading novels aloud in class 
• Playing "school" and "library" with my friend (I'd bag up my books and haul them to her house where we'd make fake library cards and ask her family members to pretend to check out our books); also, pretending like we were characters from our favorite books 
• Going to the library with my mom every couple of weeks and bringing home armloads of books
• Getting a paperback book as a reward for getting a good grade or being brave at the doctor/dentist
• Going to the downtown bookstore with my dad (which is closed now, sadly)
• Visiting famous bookstores with my uncle on family vacations (Shakespeare and Co. in Paris, Powell's in Portland, etc.!) 
• Having AMAZING middle and high school English teachers who were passionate about literature
• Majoring in English Education
• Studying abroad in England and Argentina and visiting many literary tourist attractions :)
• Going to library school to get my masters degree (best decision ever!)

It seems like reading has always been a big part of my life, and I've had some great reading role models who encouraged my love of reading along the way. People always told me I'd make a good English teacher or librarian, and I'm glad I listened to them! While classroom teaching wasn't the perfect fit for me, I love my new job as a teen librarian. Hopefully I can be a reading role model for the next generation! 

Library Links (2)

Library Links is a feature in which I share links related to libraries, technology, books, authors, and pop culture!


Reader's Advisor Online is now free
This is a great database for libarians who do reader's advisory. I used it a lot when we had a free trial in my class last semester. I'm glad a subscription is no longer required!


Goodreads and Novelist are teaming up
Novelist is one of my favorite subscription databases and Goodreads is one of my favorite social networking sites. Now they are joining forces? Awesome! 


Download free audiobooks with SYNC
Do you like audiobooks? Do you like free things? Do you like talking with other readers? Then you should definitely check out SYNC! 


Awesome People Reading
Pretty much what the title says. :) 


Pottermore
Squee! So exciting!

Review - Stiches: A Memoir by David Small

In graphic novel format, author David Small shares the story of his troubled childhood in Detroit. Small’s parents were cold and distant, especially his mother. Small had respiratory problems from a young age, and his father, a radiologist, believed that repeated X-rays would help improve his son’s health. Unfortunately, the repeated exposure to heavy doses of radiation may have caused Small’s cancer, which he developed years later. His parents kept the fact that he had been diagnosed with cancer from him, and they lied to him about the reasons that he needed throat surgery. Small woke up from surgery with a vocal cord removed which made him lose the ability to speak above a whisper. In haunting images that convey the intense pain and suffering Small endured, we watch his tragic childhood experiences unfold as if we are watching a movie. The story ends on a hopeful note as Small triumphs over the adversity he has faced. In Stitches, Small has taken his horrible childhood experiences and turned them into a beautiful work of art.

John Green!

Indianapolis has some pretty great local authors, and one of them is John Green. (Jealous?!) Last night I went to hear him talk at a local library. It was awesome (as expected). He spent some time talking about the process of writing and some of the projects he's abandoned over the years. He talked a lot about his upcoming novel (to be released next year - title coming soon) and even read us a sample chapter. I was hanging on every word of that chapter - I laughed, and then I got choked up...I think this is why I love his writing so much - he can make you really FEEL things and think deep thoughts and then turn around and start cracking up, all within the same page. He shared some wise words about the power of books and how they can change lives. Then he took questions from the audience and signed books too! I already had a few of my books signed when I met him last year, but I brought the others for him to sign. And then I decided to buy extra copies of Looking for Alaska and Will Grayson, Will Grayson to have him sign. I will probably tuck these away for a future blog giveaway or give them to a friend. Gotta spread the book love!

Here are some pictures from the evening: 

This is when he was talking about how awesome libraries are. Yes!  

Reading a chapter from his "zombie apocalypse" novel. 

Reading a chapter from his new novel! 

DFTBA!