tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2779698458186571832024-02-06T22:57:45.739-05:00Kristi ChadwickBooks, Yarn, Ink and Other PursuitsKristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-83703073467422054742020-11-01T11:10:00.001-05:002020-11-01T11:10:58.802-05:00It's Writing Time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErSiuTqyVkx5Qg1LwItlw7EfegorkAC2XeGINdIZHAjLvZj5zxSpoY5JV-Srr9wFx2WKbqLX-xW6l20TRiYAhVruiQ-bgjqChh4kDz7RekvtZS487BeD-B4J6IL2gej7qym3_tP7lchw/s224/nanowrimo2020.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErSiuTqyVkx5Qg1LwItlw7EfegorkAC2XeGINdIZHAjLvZj5zxSpoY5JV-Srr9wFx2WKbqLX-xW6l20TRiYAhVruiQ-bgjqChh4kDz7RekvtZS487BeD-B4J6IL2gej7qym3_tP7lchw/s0/nanowrimo2020.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p>To all of those who are starting this month excited and hopeful for NaNoWriMo - I am write (haha) there with you! </p><p>If you want to buddy up, you can find me on the NaNoWriMo site as <a href="https://nanowrimo.org/participants/booksnyarn" target="_blank">booksnyarn</a>. </p><p>All the best - and keep writing!</p><p><br /></p>Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-51055489972253421412020-10-07T09:03:00.002-04:002020-10-07T09:03:25.402-04:00Change is Inevitable<p> Hello again! In this dumpster fire we are calling 2020, I have decided to make some major changes to this site and make it functional again.</p><p>I debated making a clean slate, which I may still do at some point, but you will probably see the following:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>New Theme - Out with the old, yada, yada...</li><li>New Layout - I may change the landing page, but undecided</li><li>Writing - New and different content </li></ul><div>Over the last year I have pursued more creative writing. While I am not currently published (YET) there are some pieces that will end up here, for everyone to enjoy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Change is inevitable. </div><p></p>Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-71066745216391845842019-01-25T17:30:00.001-05:002019-01-25T17:30:02.034-05:00Bites of RealityI am already falling behind on my writing, which feeds into my anxiety -- hope do I expect to be a writer is I don't make time for it? How can I make time for this when I have "so many other important things" to deal with every day? This is reality, and it just so happens to be the prompt lined up for this post.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Sometimes life requires your full attention and writing needs to move aside to make room. Other times writing is a space apart from reality, a safe haven where you can breathe freely and recharge, so you can face reality with a little more dignity or strength.</div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Remember: it's not about choosing writing OR real life.</span></span></h3>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Both of these things can coexist, though there will often be an ebb and flow to which one takes precedence at any given time. Honoring reality means realizing that there is room enough for both things in your life.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Prompt: Tell a story about a time when you had to honor your reality.</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
Gabriela Pereira talks about being out of balance to find our equilibrium. I know for a long time I had a long sarcastic laugh for those who talk about "work/life balance" as I don't know if there is ever a time you can just stand still in a shifting reality. Last year I shifted a lot: I had both my older kids move out (<i>not necessarily by their choice)</i> and found myself with just my Little Dude at home. I found that nothing tied me to the house where I spent the last six years getting both children through high school, a pregnancy, a grandchild, and a job and a new relationship. So in the fall my girlfriend and I decided to move in together with Little Dude and look, more shifting!<br />
<br />
So what is truly in balance? I work, support a young child, am living with another adult for the first time in almost ten years, and trying to figure out what I really want to do next. Writing has always teased the corners of my soul for decades, and the truth is sometimes I am just too tired to want to do <i>something else</i>. Yet I cannot ignore it, just like I see the other things that feed my spirit, reading and knitting and plants and colors, starting to make themselves known to me again. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and it is up to me to do the things I want to do.<br />
<br />
So now is the time to honor my reality, to get my sea legs on the moving currents, and just follow.Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-50843094259361379072019-01-22T09:35:00.003-05:002019-01-22T09:35:59.138-05:00My (Writing) Origin StoryYesterday we got our first DIY MFA Book Club prompt:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<i>Writing is a superpower and every superhero has an origin story. What’s yours? When did you realize that you wanted to write? What motivated you to get started?</i></blockquote>
<br />
My origin story began in pictures.<br />
<br />
I was always someone who loved to draw. THAT is the person I remember. Although my father just recounted the fact that I was reading out loud at age three, and when I was tested for kindergarten I was reading at a fourth grade level.<br />
<br />
Color me shocked. Not really.<br />
<br />
But as I said, I loved drawing from an early age. My grandfather kept me supplied with reams of paper. Literally reams of it (<i>I apologize to the school he worked for in the seventies that must have wondered why they spent so much on paper supplies</i>), which I spent doodling and drawing the stories in my head. I know I did a lot of Thumbelina stories, with lots of mice living underground, and others. So, I always had stories in my head.<br />
<br />
When I was in elementary school I was one of those "gifted and talented" children. Luckily my school did a lot of enrichment work with those of us who tested that way, and I remember doing some story work as part of it. I think it was fifth or sixth grade when we actually got to work on creating our own book, written and illustrated! Putting two loves like that together was just ice cream and sprinkles for me. So was born my book <i>Super Apple and The Grape Twins. </i>I was definitely a Saturday Morning Superheroes fan at that age in the early 80s: SuperFriends was always a must-see for me, and I loved the Wonder Twins.<br />
<br />
Except for some marker bleeding doing the illustrations, it was stapled and bound with cardboard and clear Mylar covering, handwritten story. My first book. Plus I had the added bonus of it actually going into the elementary school library collection, and I remember working the circ desk (<i>another Gifted and Talented treat, little did I know that it foreshadowed my current career choice</i>) and having it checked out and returned.<br />
<br />
I did continue to write in junior high and high school. We had a literary magazine that I contributed to, along with being the editor. In college I left art and writing behind, except for furtive, angsty poetry that I didn't share with anyone.<br />
<br />
When I was taking my graduate classes I came back to some creative writing in my children's literature course, as for a final project we had a choice, write a paper or write a children's book.<br />
<br />
So guess what I did? Of course I wrote a book. A children's picture book, in fact. People in that class told me I should try to have it published, but instead it sits in a file with my master's degree diploma.<br />
<br />
I didn't believe in it - or in myself. But here I am 15 years later, thinking about all the moments that I did write, and did find people reading it. Which is why I am here today, once again.<br />
<br />
Thanks for following my journey with me.Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-64653790964693597872014-05-19T09:00:00.000-04:002014-05-19T09:44:19.490-04:00Reader's Advisory Unconference<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Friday I traveled with <a href="https://twitter.com/helgagrace" target="_blank">Anna</a> and another local colleague to the Darien, CT Library to attend a Reader's Advisory Unconference set up by <a href="https://twitter.com/bookavore" target="_blank">Stephanie</a>, Darien's head of Reader's Advisory. I have attended an unconference once before at Darien, on Programming, which was a big hit, and I expected no less for this one. As I work on planning continuing education for my new job at the Mass Library System, reader's advisory is definitely one skill I want to bring to librarians across the state. From the RA 101 sessions and </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://guides.masslibsystem.org/content.php?pid=559287&sid=4609814">genre overview webinars</a> by Joyce Saricks </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">we have been offering, and the start of the <a href="http://raroundtablewestma.wordpress.com/">Western MA Reader's Advisory Round Table</a>, it is definitely popular with library staff.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a somewhat slow commute down to CT, we arrived in time to listen to the end of author Emily St. John Mandel's talk on reading and libraries, and heard her read from her new book </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Station Eleven. </i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then the voting began! </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPDQhzttN9h3Imr5OuSYmu_VhaTxElZFYy4zE3ofJ5qzLPcBQ57SSlNPjT3OgxfbT5IOzLuIxZKElxv5Li1M1VGoSyw45HvWEJLiahGP_51AhOm-v2oCsMF42UGlj_iSElBPrV3IfYio/s1600/IMG_4604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPDQhzttN9h3Imr5OuSYmu_VhaTxElZFYy4zE3ofJ5qzLPcBQ57SSlNPjT3OgxfbT5IOzLuIxZKElxv5Li1M1VGoSyw45HvWEJLiahGP_51AhOm-v2oCsMF42UGlj_iSElBPrV3IfYio/s1600/IMG_4604.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had all submitted topics during registration, and Stephanie had us each use post-its to vote for three topics after asking if we had any additional requests. The top nine topics would be discussed during the different sessions of the day, three in each time slot. I was very grateful that only two topics I wanted to hear were scheduled at the same time; however, I decided to focus on those that would let me hear what library staff were looking to learn. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My first session was on Revitalizing Book Groups. We had a couple Darien Library staff members along to take notes and help lead the conversation. Topics such as Books in a Bag, topical/genre book groups, and supplying outside book groups were covered. One librarian talked about a Twitter Book Group that she knew about, another discussed short story book groups that were always full. Setting up outside the library, whether at a pub, a senior home, or bringing titles to a soccer game for the regular group of moms showed that libraries are not just going with the same "every month in the library" scenario. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then it was off to RA and Social Media. This one was interesting as the discussion was a little hard to pull out of library staff. There was definitely talk, but it seemed that (in my opinion) most librarians were there to see how to make it work. Social media is still tricky for a lot of libraries: who is doing it, when it is done, where it is done -- all of this contributes to an online profile that is just one more activity, albeit a very important one in this day and age. Important takeaways included: scheduling through clients such as Tweetdeck and Hootsuite can help a library use a single block of time to post, focusing on one or two areas instead of trying to be on top of every new social stream, and making sure to find ways to create two-way engagement online. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, in the lessons learned category: </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF0SzXj2up9d5PXXXeQ7amZcN3Isqk5Y2qdv1_LqUOgPWC-QvUCoo8yBS4_fRYY0G-0o7oKSaz4fGrVTgMNDFLXG0lrpdmqhtBBWDL_8ZeR1tKk8H24ofvSDMI4XaZ37fLIjCkmv3XhQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-18+at+11.42.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF0SzXj2up9d5PXXXeQ7amZcN3Isqk5Y2qdv1_LqUOgPWC-QvUCoo8yBS4_fRYY0G-0o7oKSaz4fGrVTgMNDFLXG0lrpdmqhtBBWDL_8ZeR1tKk8H24ofvSDMI4XaZ37fLIjCkmv3XhQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-05-18+at+11.42.32+AM.png" height="66" width="400" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">The final session I attended was Getting Staff Excited about Reader's Advisory. This, to me, is really important, not only as a trainer but for those within libraries trying to encourage staff involvement. We talked about staff genre study groups, although some noted that sometimes those that are considered key staff -- especially those at the circulation desks -- were the ones who did not consider it important, or "part of their job." There has been an attitude that reader's advisory is a reference staff issue, but most agreed that any and all library staff should be able to perform RA, and hopefully feel comfortable giving suggestions to patrons who ask for them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the last session, we gathered together to give quick snapshots of each session, which was nice for people like me who could not clone themselves in time to attend them all. My overall takeaway was that while there does not seem to be any new trend waiting around the corner for reader's advisory, it is something library staff are finding to really be entrenched in their work, and that it is an important part of customer service, engaging the community, and outreach.
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RbGccZ-OQqacHo3yHgjurYS6C1PbXTduvsM6pK1BP3ZfNqjQS6-Yi5FnWiw2QbHNSdwjqdVEvGgZ9GUJiqh9gT_fhzpWzKOX4HJHAabS8NXUY-t672Bt0ahunRcKRsx8Xks7VL9Peso/s1600/IMG_4607.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had a lot of people follow AND contribute on social media: our Twitter hashtag was </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&q=%23rauncon&src=hash" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">#rauncon</a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and Stephanie plans to collect them into a Storify. There will also be notes -- and from some sessions, book lists -- </span><a href="http://raunconference.tumblr.com/post/77924451972/introducing-ra-unconference" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">on the blog</a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It was terrific to be able to meet a lot of colleagues that I knew from social media, share ideas (and lunch!), and bring ideas back home.</span>Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-66236307489956769462014-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:002014-02-07T08:00:08.974-05:00The Art of ReviewingI recently finished a collection development article for the February <a href="http://libraryjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>Library Journal</i></a>, covering a couple of my favorite topics: urban gardening and homesteading.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLk9rkysp3oMi0Pbj8Yn3GUjclTHAzZlOPzU3vZZ5AduFoAtMLOczJbBntioSoWxgIrQ2TvbOGuUlWLMHm2-o-TbmD9HgBv6J8g2Pcu-3SKDW3GJ_LnkinB_22s_MfwswW3LCpn2aSns/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLk9rkysp3oMi0Pbj8Yn3GUjclTHAzZlOPzU3vZZ5AduFoAtMLOczJbBntioSoWxgIrQ2TvbOGuUlWLMHm2-o-TbmD9HgBv6J8g2Pcu-3SKDW3GJ_LnkinB_22s_MfwswW3LCpn2aSns/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Looking at this made me realize that I have been reviewing and writing professionally now for several years, and sometimes it is still amazing to me that I am actually doing it.<br />
<br />
Anyone who has followed this blog for a while will know it has taken a lot of different paths through the years. I started reviewing titles on the blog because I wanted to bring more of my professional interests into it, and because I wanted to share my thoughts on the books I read and was interested in.<br />
<br />
If you look at the archives, you will see a lot of science fiction and fantasy and LGBT titles, plus urban farming, gardening, and homesteading. A bit of an eclectic mix, I know, but I wanted to talk about what appealed to me, as opposed to keeping to one "theme" for reviews.<br />
<br />
In 2011, I saw a call from <i>Library Journal</i> for new reviewers for a brand new format: e-originals. Books that were only being published digitally were really taking off, and <i>Library Journal</i> knew that reviews would be needed for collection development. At the time, I still had my previous job at the network, which included working with our shared OverDrive catalog. As libraries were seeing demand for ebooks grow and the limits in effect by publishers who (at the time) were not providing access to a lot of the frontlist titles, a lot of titles were sitting under the radar. So, I joined a merry band of librarians to review digital romances. Since then, I have read and reviewed a range of romance from historical to fantasy to erotic, but have really enjoyed covering the LGBT titles, especially M/M, romances, of which there are certainly plenty.<br />
<br />
Not long after, I responded to another request (on Twitter, actually) by <i>Library Journal</i> for someone to write the <a href="http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2012/04/collection-development/crime-travels/" target="_blank">Mystery Preview for the April 2012 issue</a>, then jumped on the call for the S<a href="http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2012/08/books/genre-fiction/sf-fantasy/hungry-for-sf-genre-crossovers-retain-fans-and-attract-new-readers/" target="_blank">ciFi/Fantasy/Horror Spotlight in August.</a> These long articles really stretched my skills as a reviewer, as I was looking at trends more than actual titles. I know that without my wonderful editor, I would be up a creek without a paddle (and probably without a boat or life jacket either). I was honored to be asked back to write those same articles in 2013, plus I also ended up joining the science and technology reviewers, writing reviews of artisan cooking, beekeeping, and the like. All similar to the titles I loved reviewing on my blog and that are of personal interest to me.<br />
<br />
This has all led to some fun things, for example:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUx4zf3WGZc7iY8JZfiFDox7iPLLZVI7XTmdfPILObYgkz1Ra0LxqhhvVjqNuLguPPeSyiDeWCWHqw0kmQwe-EDNIQsOIQf7PSb1TE8wUna5TNQieIQk-GF5MQyBuZX7dVWdwFadWerc/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUx4zf3WGZc7iY8JZfiFDox7iPLLZVI7XTmdfPILObYgkz1Ra0LxqhhvVjqNuLguPPeSyiDeWCWHqw0kmQwe-EDNIQsOIQf7PSb1TE8wUna5TNQieIQk-GF5MQyBuZX7dVWdwFadWerc/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I was thrilled to be chosen as one of <i>Library Journal</i>'s Reviewer of the Year. To have this work that I do validated in this way really makes me believe that I am making a solid contribution to the profession.<br />
<br />
When I was young, I dreamed of being a writer. While this is not the bestselling novel I expected to publish, I am a writer, and happy to be one such as this.Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-82776238699879485782013-09-28T10:14:00.002-04:002013-09-28T10:14:54.559-04:00Programming Unconference NortheastFriday I drove down to Darien, CT, heading for Darien Library and the <a href="http://pun13.wordpress.com/">Programming Unconference Northeast</a>. This unconference brought together a lot of librarians from several states (CT, MA, NY, NJ, and RI were all represented) to discuss topics that we submitted at the time of registration.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNJjTwkKYrwBYo5UkzK9w7fjYxNMuSpirtLF78xeWbZKAmYmjw05r5fetPq2iTpINwnmeqVlfD1B4LidlehognjGfI1oEFiTimt426BV7XQK62X3cPzBYGtC9Y3s-O_2Xu7M2jk6q65o/s1600/IMG_3211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNJjTwkKYrwBYo5UkzK9w7fjYxNMuSpirtLF78xeWbZKAmYmjw05r5fetPq2iTpINwnmeqVlfD1B4LidlehognjGfI1oEFiTimt426BV7XQK62X3cPzBYGtC9Y3s-O_2Xu7M2jk6q65o/s320/IMG_3211.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0VlD86bD1WyQfnudIZxwk23byJpgGdu7yDahRHQwzNro3B6-AjxiPySu1AMBGf1kpSKmKvRRcTiiba7s63o12Wh2-neiKP5kVcJ3CBvrp-ln4v9R5j1uA9TDp4H3TlWKMVO9sqgf3NM/s1600/IMG_3202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0VlD86bD1WyQfnudIZxwk23byJpgGdu7yDahRHQwzNro3B6-AjxiPySu1AMBGf1kpSKmKvRRcTiiba7s63o12Wh2-neiKP5kVcJ3CBvrp-ln4v9R5j1uA9TDp4H3TlWKMVO9sqgf3NM/s320/IMG_3202.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wonderful Erin Shea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Our program was kicked off by opening words by one of the co-facilitators, <a href="https://twitter.com/erintheshea">Erin Shea</a>, who I was lucky to finally meet in person at ALA this summer. I find her programming at Darien to always be inspiring, so I wasn't surprised she brought this idea to her library.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgH6qjU0Zr8jZTYglAIvv9RzpvqpHUtC3rj9Zs6GzveKBKHB_gobxI6nI5lT6anBULtnsiOmlakW8jWimCUpczHGPoZqxs_wPmhxZDZMy1Hu5Ub6Ph7tQdMB8hHyahMdynK5Sn0FgDcQ/s1600/IMG_3204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgH6qjU0Zr8jZTYglAIvv9RzpvqpHUtC3rj9Zs6GzveKBKHB_gobxI6nI5lT6anBULtnsiOmlakW8jWimCUpczHGPoZqxs_wPmhxZDZMy1Hu5Ub6Ph7tQdMB8hHyahMdynK5Sn0FgDcQ/s320/IMG_3204.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy Woodworth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSO6bo8jmQTjubsy_o8BunHRcLU0c-pndSLg9uT81g005NTe3lXBc_mdeiJERplXR8tDtL_qfbEFY7GciWbNPcOKyj5_BcszePIdTZ8Q_YGPdIz1PcSqKSzhU5YSmvZFC7IrLu8jHslw/s1600/IMG_3205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSO6bo8jmQTjubsy_o8BunHRcLU0c-pndSLg9uT81g005NTe3lXBc_mdeiJERplXR8tDtL_qfbEFY7GciWbNPcOKyj5_BcszePIdTZ8Q_YGPdIz1PcSqKSzhU5YSmvZFC7IrLu8jHslw/s320/IMG_3205.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa Carlucci Thomas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Our other co-facilitator was <a href="https://twitter.com/wawoodworth">Andy Woodworth</a>, who was another Twitter colleague I got to meet finally. He also introduced our keynote, given by <a href="https://twitter.com/lisacarlucci">Lisa Carlucci Thomas</a>. Moving from academic libraries to her own consulting business, <a href="http://lisacarlucci.com/">Design Think Do</a>, Lisa gave an inspiring talk about programming in libraries needing three building blocks: Creativity, Community, Content.<br />
<br />
I tweeted some of what I thought were key points through her talk (check out Twitter hashtag #pun13), but one thing I put up on Twitter seemed to catch the eye of a lot of people.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlpeIMYkBo02Xyg2jWajSUlIv4nzJ3RXgpzijb7SpYWVtZC8ObKWvPDgNbJc4qWwTLx6G8ewWuZyxGdBs8GED9KQeKJQtdtB5vypGXv_FAMEcE575RMZCKo6E3zn3JhNVFdZd11oBOTI/s1600/IMG_3218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlpeIMYkBo02Xyg2jWajSUlIv4nzJ3RXgpzijb7SpYWVtZC8ObKWvPDgNbJc4qWwTLx6G8ewWuZyxGdBs8GED9KQeKJQtdtB5vypGXv_FAMEcE575RMZCKo6E3zn3JhNVFdZd11oBOTI/s320/IMG_3218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This statement actually came from <a href="https://twitter.com/joshlinkner">Josh Linkner</a>, who presented at<a href="http://rsquaredconference.org/"> The Risk & Reward Conference</a> (R Squared Conference). It's available online, so I am really intrigued to see the rest of his presentation. Knowing that youth have a self-perception about not being creative as they get older, it takes gatherings like this, networking, and all the other librarian peeps out in social media land to remember that we are doing good things.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjaA-UFQ-6ih3sumFJJwoOaoOXfT1LyZWXCu9-5WxrS8sRGv1rfQVXJrzsuYNUoSf9tojGrCoKlQAirH3U4GVd3i1DacotUEf5_Jp8552L1TZURe6Dhn-2k9G6i34uYgzlPNfVzm12Hw/s1600/IMG_3209-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjaA-UFQ-6ih3sumFJJwoOaoOXfT1LyZWXCu9-5WxrS8sRGv1rfQVXJrzsuYNUoSf9tojGrCoKlQAirH3U4GVd3i1DacotUEf5_Jp8552L1TZURe6Dhn-2k9G6i34uYgzlPNfVzm12Hw/s640/IMG_3209-001.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many good ones to choose from!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After voting for the top eight discussion topics, then came the decision of which two was I going to attend? That would be the worse part of this conference - I could not attend them all! I decided I wanted to see what other librarians were doing to "Collaborate with Community Organizations." With about fifteen of us in a room built for six, we still had wonderful discussion about programs with outside collaboration, how do we get groups interested in working with us, what kinds of things we are working on. From oral histories to seed libraries to microwave cooking class (no burners or open flame!), libraries are doing things that engage the community and the organizations that are within those communities.<br />
<br />
Then I went to "Makerspaces with No Space or Budget", which I admit was a topic I sent in (along with, I am sure, many other librarians). I have a small library, open floor plan with no community room. Yet, the idea of makerspaces is something that sets off the buzzers in my head, and I was hoping that others were creating them, using them, and willing to share their ideas. What was interesting was that some really didn't have any idea on what makerspaces were. So, is this one of those "jargon" words that many do not understand, even within our own culture? Or, as we began to discover, makerspaces can be outlets of creativity that do not need their own room, as some libraries have resorted to "flex walls", like are used by schools for portable space classrooms. You can put them up and take them down, adjusting the space to the people who are there. Makerspaces are more than just technology: button makers, embroidery and sewing machines, portable Lego and duct tape makerspaces (shout out to Karen at<a href="http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/"> Teen Librarian Toolbox </a>for sharing this info with me!). Got a big weeding project? Use those old hardcovers, VHS and books on cassette for recycled art!<br />
<br />
We gathered back after lunch to share what went on in the different sessions. I wish they could have been recorded, however hopefully the note takers in each room gets their notes over to Erin, who will be making them available to all who went.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLet6wpSLvylOmy78QVj6u8WTq9nj9UkMEhyphenhyphenjM21kdsbYYV9ojGtfE0NAhGqFJpzx0VBpbjTHjZW-2omzQSJq9SB_3p8M9Z-nGbXoimcHJi58cwgfPXxl3AWg0ICrZV7yLOmpYElmx4E/s1600/IMG_3210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLet6wpSLvylOmy78QVj6u8WTq9nj9UkMEhyphenhyphenjM21kdsbYYV9ojGtfE0NAhGqFJpzx0VBpbjTHjZW-2omzQSJq9SB_3p8M9Z-nGbXoimcHJi58cwgfPXxl3AWg0ICrZV7yLOmpYElmx4E/s320/IMG_3210.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how they do staff picks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvzAlOHihpFnkcPAZKKA5C5klmoiKFloOS_DYcRK2CGheeKTERstN8KJ5J5bLOK-4HsFgIrW1NklL2OcgwLwtykSdCsey9-rzsE3F25gC9BC177B18QM5JWiopdvb5_8mqvVhpeJdyF4/s1600/IMG_3213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvzAlOHihpFnkcPAZKKA5C5klmoiKFloOS_DYcRK2CGheeKTERstN8KJ5J5bLOK-4HsFgIrW1NklL2OcgwLwtykSdCsey9-rzsE3F25gC9BC177B18QM5JWiopdvb5_8mqvVhpeJdyF4/s320/IMG_3213.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patron Picks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcIx1SeOF0sNdmip37AKewFonR74rwctvWKJrpPU_wcBHslwIz6H_l-bArM0iFBJEKqo-PrY5Cz0o_AlFbiWF0wgYM0FmsB9jUrZE8oKiPlY5svPCFhLltWztPoQ1sWbznYwHaiGfFG4/s1600/IMG_3214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="87" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcIx1SeOF0sNdmip37AKewFonR74rwctvWKJrpPU_wcBHslwIz6H_l-bArM0iFBJEKqo-PrY5Cz0o_AlFbiWF0wgYM0FmsB9jUrZE8oKiPlY5svPCFhLltWztPoQ1sWbznYwHaiGfFG4/s320/IMG_3214.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TEA Room: 3D printer, music, a tracing board, Ellison Die cut and more!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6K1BhEMvy7PSTLLeMwv-uS8yuy0OFNTj59Bmk-mm2C_t894mlDz3LXX7o9hJ3g5fNircePLpNEu4JKOKIbRRzgw3rKCc86fylcEm0wbVoOcZfMVMhF-TnHuL3sK9yLDBMj05osCf2wo/s1600/IMG_3215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6K1BhEMvy7PSTLLeMwv-uS8yuy0OFNTj59Bmk-mm2C_t894mlDz3LXX7o9hJ3g5fNircePLpNEu4JKOKIbRRzgw3rKCc86fylcEm0wbVoOcZfMVMhF-TnHuL3sK9yLDBMj05osCf2wo/s320/IMG_3215.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of their Teen Room. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Along with all of this I still had to take a walk around the library. Besides being happily envious of the space, the aesthetics, the rooms! I enjoyed seeing how the Darien staff do passive programming through displays, through their newly opened <a href="http://www.darienlibrary.org/tearoom">TEA (Technology, Engineering, Art) Room</a> for kids, and just how available their collections and staff really are. It is a wonderful library.<br />
<br />
My final thoughts: Creativity, Community, Content. These building blocks that Lisa shared in her keynote are truly key points to creating programs. As few resources as I think I have to do programs with, I realize that my library has already done a lot. With our new strategic plan, and the community survey that accompanied it, I can learn what else people are looking for. I have staff that are passionate about the things they do, and I can tap into so much inside and outside of the library.<br />
<br />
I thought back to this August, during the women's conference I was leading, and attending a session about finding your personal inspiration and aspirations. We needed to cultivate an affirmation, a mission statement, if you will, for our own Self. Driving home I remembered what mine was: "I Celebrate My Creativity."<br />
<br />
I just need to remember that.<br />
<br />Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-59624919700037636702013-07-09T08:00:00.000-04:002013-07-09T09:09:14.986-04:00ALA Part Two: Presentation Day - All About ARCsSaturday. Saturday was filled with people and places and not enough food - but it was also filled with my presentations!<br />
<br />
My first presentation was "<a href="http://prezi.com/ml-jlfpva1pn/all-about-arcs/">All About ARCs: The Ins and Outs of Using and Abusing Advance Reader Copies</a>." I have always held a fondness for them, and when ARCgate hit last year (I am not even getting into it now, it's over and done and was covered by some much better than I), I believed that this could be a good topic for ALA. So did my co-presenters, Kelly Jensen and Liz Burns, along with Jennifer Childs from Random House and Victoria Stapleton from Little, Brown. These women all have their own uses for and perspectives on ARCs and galleys, and it was great to listen to them speak on this subject. I just wish that we had not been competing against some other great programs, because I think the conversations that came out of this program, not just from the presenters but from those that attended, were important to hear.<br />
<br />
Kelly complied all of the statistics into an amazing set of graphs based on two surveys that we conducted earlier this year, and placed them into Prezi. Unfortunately these were not shared during our program as we drew the ire of the technology gods who decided we didn't need an internet connection -- at least not on the presentation computer. All the other devices worked just fine. However, Kelly put up a <a href="http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/06/all-about-arcs-ins-and-outs-of-using.html">great review of what we learned during our surveys on Stacked</a>.<br />
<br />
My section was about digital galleys and ARCs and their growing use and importance. I joined both NetGalley and Edelweiss as they grew in popularity. As the adult fiction selector for my library and a reviewer for <i>Library Journal</i> e-original romances, I am a big user of digital galleys. Both of our publisher reps confirmed that print galleys, while still a major part of the publishing process, are being produced less and digital galleys are bring increased. With the lower cost point for distribution, and the DRM (digital rights management) included in most, giving an average 60 day window for reading, there is certainly a lot less paper out in the world. I have to admit, sometimes 60 days isn't enough time. You forget, you get caught up with all the other things you have to do in your life, and then all of a sudden, the title you wanted to read is gone. However, in most cases (in my own experience, mileage may vary) I find this window more than enough.<br />
<br />
I spoke of <a href="http://netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a> and <a href="http://edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com/">Edelweiss</a>, which are the two most well-known places to get digital galleys. If you read on a tablet or ereader and do not have accounts with these two places, get thee to the nearest computer and sign up! NetGalley was designed for "professional readers" -- librarians, bloggers, booksellers, teachers, etc. Edelweiss was developed as a digital catalog repository for publishers and booksellers, but having access to these catalogs can definitely enhance collection development for librarians. You can request digital galleys from the publishers, and it is very important that you include a complete profile! Publishers (as emphasized by Jen and Victoria) definitely take a look at those, and even if you do not have the time to write up reviews (which both NetGalley and Edelweiss allow you to do, which in turn are sent through to the publishers) if you explain how and why you use ARCs (collection development, reader's advisory) then you have a better chance of having your requests approved.<br />
<br />
I also touched on two new projects: <a href="http://www.firsttoread.com/">Penguin's First to Read</a>, which is their early e-ARC access to new titles. This one is being promoted to all readers, not just librarians and bloggers. With its emphasis on using Facebook for logging in (you can also create an account with an email address) and ways to acquire points for more benefits, it gives more of a gaming aura to acquiring digital galleys. I will be interested to see the success of this project.<br />
<br />
The other one is <a href="http://libraryreads.org/">LibraryReads</a>, which was announced at ALA Annual. LibraryReads is a new recommendation program that will highlight public librarians’ favorite new books and will launch in Fall 2013. This program is open to all public library staff, will serve as a kind of national “library staff picks,” and will list the ten adult titles each month that staff have read, loved, and cannot wait to share with their patrons.<br />
<br />
You can find a lot more information at the <a href="http://libraryreads.org/">LibraryReads website</a>, follow us (I am part of the social media group) on <a href="https://twitter.com/LibraryReads99">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://libraryreads.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LibraryReads">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://pinterest.com/libraryreads/">Pinterest</a>!<br />
<br />
This was just my morning presentation, wait until you hear about the afternoon!Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-88216608455572708582013-05-27T08:00:00.000-04:002013-05-27T08:00:07.313-04:00Show Me The Awesome: Strategic Planning<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LYJjcw9ezfGQOrg-PAGo87zLXfZjpLSqK8zk-pR8lHyDz5eMnUrXm9Xz5T0ZvMHtUNVs_2hAAUXa8eYeGRGe6yIMk_mO34GOaPvJUBnUpMFkXOcOb1_eds19kOKDMWHYTjcRi1DywvQ/s1600/showmetheawesome2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LYJjcw9ezfGQOrg-PAGo87zLXfZjpLSqK8zk-pR8lHyDz5eMnUrXm9Xz5T0ZvMHtUNVs_2hAAUXa8eYeGRGe6yIMk_mO34GOaPvJUBnUpMFkXOcOb1_eds19kOKDMWHYTjcRi1DywvQ/s320/showmetheawesome2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Artwork by John LeMasney, <a href="http://lemasney.com/" target="_blank">lemasney.com</a>."</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
"Show Me The Awesome!" was started by <a href="http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/04/show-me-awesome-30-days-of-self.html">Kelly</a>, <a href="http://sophiebiblio.tumblr.com/awesome/">Sophie</a>, and <a href="http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2013/05/26/show-me-the-awesome-week-5/">Liz</a> to give bloggers a chance to step up and discuss something special or that they want to promote. Today is my opportunity to discuss something that many may not quite think of as awesome, but is important to a lot of libraries: strategic planning.<br />
<br />
For those who may not know, a strategic plan is a document
that defines the library's vision of itself within its community and
outlines how it will achieve that vision through various goals. Those goals will
usually have related actions that follow, creating a template for building the library in a specific direction. Usually this document is structured around five years.
In Massachusetts, libraries <i>must</i> have a strategic plan, along with a yearly action plan, to qualify for <a href="http://mblc.state.ma.us/grants/lsta/">LSTA</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null"> grants administered by the state</a>. <br />
<br />
At the time I left a network position to become the director at my library, I was serving on the Strategic Planning Committee for the network. As a member of that committee, I had a voice in what I believed were the goals of the network and its constituents--member libraries. Switching from my "inside" job to running a member library meant that I had a unique perspective on the process, and I've appreciated the experience I gained when helping to develop the vision and goals for the network's next five years.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to this spring: with a full year as a director under my belt, I knew that one of my goals was to implement a new strategic plan. The last plan was woefully out of date--about ten years--and the library had gone through many changes since it was written, including automation. Needless to say, serving on a committee and being the person who is actually responsible for forming that committee are two different things. I believe that the public library should be an anchor in the community; to make sure that happens, we need key community members to help create a strategic plan. This means not only people involved with the library directly, like board members or wonderful patrons who use the library every day, but also people who may not step through our doors, but are in and out of doors throughout the city.<br />
<br />
So, I went after the big names: the Mayor, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, the heads of the School Committee, Council on Aging, and the Arts Collaborative. I sent them personal letters letting them know that the library needed their help. We need their perspectives from the community and their knowledge--or lack of knowledge--about the library. I wanted people that could see our past, but who would also have a vision of our future. <br />
<br />
I was extremely pleased when many of them responded positively! The Mayor, the head of the Senior Center, and a member of the Arts Collaborative are all on the committee. It also includes the Headmaster of the private secondary school in the city, plus a devoted library patron and a library volunteer. These people, along with board members, are all working with me to define the library's presence in the community and how it can provide support for people, businesses, arts, schools, and city government.<br />
<br />
While this can certainly be a long process, our regional office of the Massachusetts Library System has streamlined the process using <a href="http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=61">Sandra Nelson's New Planning for Results</a>, outlining a three-meeting system that is concise yet thorough. We complete a visioning exercise for the library and one for the community, conduct a public survey, and use information from all of these to develop the strategic plan. Once the library board approves the document, it goes to the Mass Board of Library Commissioners for approval. Each year we will also have to submit a revised action plan detailing what we will accomplish in the coming year.<br />
<br />
We had our first meeting earlier this month, outlining our process and participating in a SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) analysis to start building the library's goals. It was amazing to hear the perspectives of committee members, and hear what was already great about the library and what we can do better. I have no doubt I have the right committee for this work, and I am pleased that I didn't hold back from asking the people I really wanted to join us.<br />
<br />
What's your experience with strategic planning? Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-59745188253815960982013-04-15T08:00:00.000-04:002013-04-15T08:00:15.492-04:00ARC Use Survey for ALA Annual<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc__vGnIdKZW2ydKKdg2-RcpyYmu4yfVM-_TKH7Sy0c-IzOCjse5d02g8LT7KKg8kDH1_6061-5ekP7nFu-Y43PTXCr7XB04nDHPukvxxR4Smc35RLyZVRcHFzP-knCryMLsGb-pOZ9nk/s1600/help.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc__vGnIdKZW2ydKKdg2-RcpyYmu4yfVM-_TKH7Sy0c-IzOCjse5d02g8LT7KKg8kDH1_6061-5ekP7nFu-Y43PTXCr7XB04nDHPukvxxR4Smc35RLyZVRcHFzP-knCryMLsGb-pOZ9nk/s320/help.gif" width="232" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We need your help!<br />
<br />
If you are a follower of<a href="http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/04/survey-on-use-of-advanced-readers.html"> Stacked</a>, or <a href="http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2013/04/14/ala-and-arcs/">SLJ's A Chair, A Fireplace and A Tea Cozy</a>, you will have already seen this call for help, but for those that haven't...<br />
<br />
I am going to be presenting at ALA Annual this summer along with Kelly Jensen and Liz Burns on Advance Reading Copies. We did a quick little survey a few weeks ago about how authors see their books change from ARC or galley to final print/ebook, and now we want to know how librarians, teachers, bloggers and others acquire and use them.<br />
<br />
Please take a few minutes to respond to our survey and pass the link (<a href="http://goo.gl/vY3Vr">http://goo.gl/vY3Vr</a>) on to others that use them. All of your information will only make our presentation better.<br />
<br />
If you are heading to Chicago in June for ALA, we will be presenting "All About ARCs" on Saturday, June 30 at 10:30 AM.<br />
<br />
Thank you!<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BR3qZ8XLeKeldPDQRgKQR9tD8OdHGNJj5ip9yuTnNfU/viewform?embedded=true" width="600">Loading...</iframe>Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-85064164824405737862012-08-08T07:00:00.000-04:002012-08-08T07:00:02.914-04:00ARC Review: Ironskin by Tina Connolly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7H6zy66Z17njGxNsBd6kUuMnHp-P_aTcbtkQvWLvFkZlBl8S73xHcMUbW-7Qp3IwcLpfYVBB4_6lwLOA3YmYGwiPloYabugzdZUea86BCQF1fwOWUe_mjXFLLcxtGejVYMgjS3d3iGY/s1600/IRONSKIN-fall-2012.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7H6zy66Z17njGxNsBd6kUuMnHp-P_aTcbtkQvWLvFkZlBl8S73xHcMUbW-7Qp3IwcLpfYVBB4_6lwLOA3YmYGwiPloYabugzdZUea86BCQF1fwOWUe_mjXFLLcxtGejVYMgjS3d3iGY/s320/IRONSKIN-fall-2012.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
It has been five years since the Great War ended, but its tragic victims remain. For those marked by fey curses, the only way to protect others from harm is by encasing the damage in iron. For Jane Eliot, that means wearing an iron mask and having to get by on the remnants of her skills. When she applies for a governess job that alludes to a fey-cursed child, Jane is sure that she can help. What she cannot seem to help is the growing feelings she has for her young charge's father, or her concern about what is happening inside his studio...<br />
<br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
Alternate reality fantasy is a fun read for me, as it can be a terrific look at history through a different lens. In <i>Ironskin</i>, a Great War between humans and fey has dealt damage to England; the country still struggles in its aftermath of lost technology, and war victims try to live their lives with the damage that the fey bombs inflicted. Jane Eliot has dealt with the fey curse that mars her cheek by doning an iron mask, protecting others from its twisted power. Taking a job as governess to one that is also afflicted, Jane works to help both young Dorie control her powers, as she has worked to control the rage that can course through her -- and others -- without her iron shield. Dorie also works to stifle the feelings she has for Dorie's father, Edward Rochart. It isn't difficult at first, as both Jane's shame at her scars, and concern about Rochart's work, make it difficult to trust him. Rochart's studio is closed to most, but as ugly women walk in, beautiful women walk out. Women as beautiful as fey. Questions abound, not just about Dorie's power or Rochart's studio, but in the truth of how far Jane will go to find true love - and true beauty - again.<br />
<br />
<i>Ironskin</i> has been touted as a "<i>Jane Eyre</i> retelling", and I will have to presume that comparison as favorable as I have never actually read <i>Jane Eyre</i> myself - bad librarian! Even without that, I felt drawn into this Victorian fantasy where fey and human used to work together and where technology existed before the Great War and humans must rely (once again) on coal and steam to power things. Jane's character developed through the entire book, and while sometimes she was frustrating (as heroines in love are wont to be) there was a thread of strength and caring, not only in her relationship with Dorie, but with her sister Helen as well. I will say that the story took turns I was not expecting, and I am intrigued to discover what will happen in the next book.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: Ironskin<br />
Author: Tina Connolly<br />
Publisher: Tor<br />
Date: October 2, 2012<br />
Read: Print Advance Reading Copy Provided by the PublisherKristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-76492038127968573762012-08-01T07:30:00.000-04:002012-08-02T08:51:15.696-04:00Review: Black Blade Blues by J. A. Pitts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoMU8bvGHqjFTehSKOJHjkuSOa6WvsM3dH0kO7Lmyrk23O4FX5ZoObWaH0pqQGfvuo2YrLDvmVN2T2CLgUqArLIlauqpjkSjR479llAAvqYDBtceU5bu0YgOBxOz1C_TYjGPTpOJ1lqc/s1600/black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoMU8bvGHqjFTehSKOJHjkuSOa6WvsM3dH0kO7Lmyrk23O4FX5ZoObWaH0pqQGfvuo2YrLDvmVN2T2CLgUqArLIlauqpjkSjR479llAAvqYDBtceU5bu0YgOBxOz1C_TYjGPTpOJ1lqc/s1600/black.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
Sarah Beauhall is a blacksmith, but since that kind of work doesn't really make ends meet, she also works nights as a props manager for her friend's low-budget fantasy film. When the lead breaks her favorite sword on set, Sarah agrees to reforge it so the shoot won't stretch on longer. One of the dwarf extras offers his help, but it seems he has a lot of incredible news for her, like the fact he is an actual dwarf. And her blade is magic. And she is supposed to kill a dragon. Before Sarah can say shape-shifter, things really start to get weird, and fantasy becomes fact as Sarah must go from behind the scenes to playing a very real role of heroine charged with saving the world.<br />
<br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
I was impressed with <i>Black Blade Blues</i> on a couple different levels. Pitts brings Norse elements into the storyline very cohesively. Sarah is a very fleshed-out character from the beginning, strong and sure in her work, but a bit hot-headed and struggling with her feelings. Being told that the fate of the world is in your hands would be difficult for anyone to handle. As a young woman who is a SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) member and who creates weapons for sale at fairs and cons, it would seem logical for Sarah to be a believer off the bat. But she doesn't buy in -- and that resistance mirrors the other thread of her story that goes through the book.<br />
<br />
Sarah is a not-out-of-the-closet lesbian in a relationship with Katie, who is quite comfortable with her orientation. Sarah's outward life -- her work, her relationship -- is diametrically opposed to the her childhood belief system. Obviously this creates tension and clashes between Katie and Sarah. So, not only do we get to see Sarah work to believe in her role in the world's salvation, to believe that dwarves and dragons exist, but we also see her struggle with caring for another woman and the feelings she has to process to believe in her relationship with Katie.<br />
<br />
Ultimately this is a story about being the heroine who is charged with "slaying the dragon." Sarah has more than just the live one threatening her world to deal with, however, she also has the one created from her fears. Pitts does a good job balancing this urban fantasy with Sarah's struggle to find her sexual identity, and neither storyline overshadows the other's importance. The book is the first of a series, and I have the sequel, <i>Honeyed Words, </i>sitting on my TBR Pile. Probably not for long.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: Black Blade Blues<br />
Author: J. A. Pitts<br />
Publisher: Tor<br />
Date: April 2011<br />
Read: Library Mass Market Paperback<br />
<br />Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-67078377308969775792012-07-11T08:00:00.000-04:002012-07-11T08:00:00.273-04:00Review: The Taken by Vicki Pettersson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjCDRRFvQcebwhqfcskwoabCOWsF9Zsxw6rWWSs9Q1OWrxLh2sZBbW_T9ZEk_o5UEBzHUNrHwkc5F4N2s8C9EbOlAgbhHPEAcXfDmTV-HlhIDEZHg8K6gWr-uxsHoWyC2PqoIY_1Gfhs/s1600/taken.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjCDRRFvQcebwhqfcskwoabCOWsF9Zsxw6rWWSs9Q1OWrxLh2sZBbW_T9ZEk_o5UEBzHUNrHwkc5F4N2s8C9EbOlAgbhHPEAcXfDmTV-HlhIDEZHg8K6gWr-uxsHoWyC2PqoIY_1Gfhs/s320/taken.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
Griffin Shaw was a P.I. back in the day -- fifty years ago. Now, he's an angel who has been helping souls cross over to the Everlast. Griffin is forced back into a mortal body to bring the soul of one Katherine Craig over, due to his interference with her friend Nic Rockwell. Yet Griffin has skirted the rules long enough to know that the gorgeous journalist may just be able to figure out the one case he never solved: who killed him and his wife? Protecting Kit may be more than this gumshoe can handle, especially with his growing attraction to her and the forces working to stop them.<br />
<br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
Those who are thinking "oh, another fallen angel story" should think again: this book has all the elements of a hard-boiled mystery, layered with urban fantasy. The Taken introduces Griffin Shaw, a "Centurion" angel who assists souls that died violent deaths into the Everlast -- or wherever else they may be going. Fifty years ago Shaw met his own untimely demise in Las Vegas and has been trying to figure out who killed him, along with his wife, Evie, while safely - if not always kindly - guiding souls to their own everafter.<br />
<br />
This time his actions with journalist Nicole Rockwell change Fate, which earns him a ride back into mortality and back to Sin City, along with the task of bringing Katherine Craig's soul over before he can have his wings back. Kit is a rockabilly gal working at her family newspaper and never expected that her best friend would be killed while investigating a prostitution ring. With her sleuthing sights set on finding her friend's killer, Kit and Griffin team up, discover a conspiracy far larger than they expected, and find themselves targeted by souls both mortal and not.<br />
<br />
There is just <i>something</i> about this book: its genre-bending premise should please both mystery and fantasy enthusiasts. The added details of Kit's rockabilly lifestyle bring an interesting twist to the developing personalities, especially because Griffin was actually alive and in his prime during that time. Both characters are smart, and a little damaged, and all the more believable with their stubborn focus on the cases at hand. While some of the angel-born vs. bred trope is a little over the top, Pettersson envisions a Heaven that seems as complicated as life on Earth. I was drawn into the plots, both the immediate one and those hinted to come.<br />
<br />
As I noted in <a href="http://www.booksyarnink.com/2011/05/review-neon-graveyard-by-vicki.html">my last Pettersson review</a>, I was not as pleased with the ending of her last series as I could have been; those who wanted a smoothly wrapped-up ending didn't get it with Joanna and her story. It was raw and real and made me shake my head and wonder "Is this it?" Pettersson is just the kind of writer that will leave strings dangling, but that tendency will certainly keep me waiting for the next in this series.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: The Taken (Celestial Blues, #1)<br />
Author: Vicki Pettersson<br />
Publisher: <span style="background-color: white;">Harper Voyager</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Date: July 2012</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Read: Library Trade Paperback </span><br />
<br />Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-63822090718892464502012-03-14T09:02:00.002-04:002012-03-14T09:18:04.679-04:00Review: The Lavender Lover's Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pcnhk9JtPzHniHbwellTf2-WxjXofTjlGMGZcdKgo-yjR0AdrNlP-My9GAsZG1TMNsPquCRpEP51W8FV2yvcMuWvyq2AlZ-IKlNfXxwhL8LN8U3FpseFHmUyo0pu7Vu6fCuI0m7Xu9w/s1600/lavender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pcnhk9JtPzHniHbwellTf2-WxjXofTjlGMGZcdKgo-yjR0AdrNlP-My9GAsZG1TMNsPquCRpEP51W8FV2yvcMuWvyq2AlZ-IKlNfXxwhL8LN8U3FpseFHmUyo0pu7Vu6fCuI0m7Xu9w/s200/lavender.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
Fragrant and beautiful, lavender has been a part of gardens for decades. Whether you are just looking for a new variety for your bed, or needing more information on its many uses, <i>The Lavender Lover's Handbook</i> will show you the way.<br />
<br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
I love lavender. As my gardening skills have grown these past years, this is one plant I always make sure to have. While my planter at my old apartment thrived with huge blooms, the plants that are now in my flower bed are small and woody. Needless to say I was thrilled to pick up this title so that I could learn more about it.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sarah Berringer Bader has turned her her own passion for this herb into a successful career growing and selling them through her business, Lavender at Stonegate. I knew there were a lot more types than the <i>Grosso</i> I have picked up at the local nurseries, but Bader highlights 100 varieties, giving details on how the plants deal with weather and planting conditions. Other practical notes such as recipes for culinary use and dried crafts show that Bader has a broad understanding of this versatile plant. Terrific photos throughout showcase landscapes and herb gardens, where lavender adds a more than just its namesake coloring: dark blues, bright pinks and white all intermingle with a full range of purples. You can even find lavenders that are bi-color, green or silver.<br />
<br />
A field guide, growing guide and craft guide all in one, <i>The Lavender Lover's Handbook</i> has something for anyone who loves this plant. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>The Ink:</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Title:</b> The Lavender Lover's Handbook: The 100 Most Beautiful and Fragrant varieties for Growing, Crafting, and Cooking</div>
<div>
<b>Author:</b> Sarah Berringer Bader</div>
<div>
<b>Publisher:</b> Timber Press</div>
<div>
<b>Date:</b> April 2012</div>
<div>
<b>Read:</b> NetGalley ebook provided by publisher</div>
</div>Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-29900742092446755802012-02-22T07:00:00.000-05:002012-03-14T09:18:16.985-04:00Review; The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Z3R26LPJ-sxf_Ln9nFaO1TR9hUGL9RX39CcApeOWAwQKkRGy5O9E9SVEfjBa7PKHq1E7lqsJ3xi3go32F2EvhjcYGwNSNV-HbPy_JTV_UPEtaqnYXdNUMEmKEsa7M4-YbE2vggxz1Lo/s1600/ency.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Z3R26LPJ-sxf_Ln9nFaO1TR9hUGL9RX39CcApeOWAwQKkRGy5O9E9SVEfjBa7PKHq1E7lqsJ3xi3go32F2EvhjcYGwNSNV-HbPy_JTV_UPEtaqnYXdNUMEmKEsa7M4-YbE2vggxz1Lo/s200/ency.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
Do you know where the "alula" is on your chicken? Do you have an Andalusian or an Aracuna? Are you trying to figure out if you chicken has "omphalitis"? Do you even know what any of these words mean? With <i>The Chicken Encyclopedia</i>, you will have the definitions to all of these and more at your fingertips.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b><br />The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
Gail Damerow is a well-known name when it comes to chickens, having written the <i>Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens</i> and <i>The Chicken Health Handbook</i>. In <i>The Chicken Encyclopedia</i>, Damerow gathers an A to Z guide for chicken owners and enthusiasts. At over 300 pages, this book is a comprehensive reference to terms used for breeds, anatomy, disease and more. Special highlights on some topics, such as "beak trimming", "droppings" and "self-sufficient breeds", plus color illustrations provide an expansive overview to everything chicken.<br />
<br />
While maybe not a book that you will spend leisurely reading cover to cover, <i>The Chicken Encyclopedia</i> is a must for those owning chickens. There is always something to learn, and Gail Damerow has provided a bright, accessible and informative reference.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: The Chicken Encyclopedia: An Illustrated Reference<br />
Author: Gail Damerow<br />
Publisher: Storey Publishing<br />
Date: January 2012<br />
Read: NetGalley e-ARC (provided by publisher)<br />
<br />Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-74380444301791719152012-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:002012-03-14T09:18:27.245-04:00Review: The Fresh Egg Cookbook by Jennifer Trainer Thompson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaQFpBJM4FaV-6LNCEiukbROmZeU5QykwvV-Mjjg9ZjvgQCcfK0NCrlMb2Y5DTAFd5VfcF1M-ePuyCon9XtdbtIWeq8iXkrd1hoTvdI9zcv7wW7qIoEz382_x3zbvyVsyWUAxov3e-jI/s1600/fresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaQFpBJM4FaV-6LNCEiukbROmZeU5QykwvV-Mjjg9ZjvgQCcfK0NCrlMb2Y5DTAFd5VfcF1M-ePuyCon9XtdbtIWeq8iXkrd1hoTvdI9zcv7wW7qIoEz382_x3zbvyVsyWUAxov3e-jI/s200/fresh.jpg" width="155" /></a></div>
<b><br />The Book:</b><br />
<br />
With the prevalence of backyard chicken owners, farmers markets and local farms, having access to fresh eggs is much easier than it has been. In fact, if you own chickens, sometimes you wonder what you can do with all of them. Fear no more, as <i>The Fresh Egg Cookbook</i> will take you "From Chicken to Kitchen" and give you a wealth of recipes to choose from.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
<i>The Fresh Egg Cookbook</i> comes at a time when more and more people are becoming chicken owners and finding themselves with a surplus of eggs. In her introduction, Jennifer Trainer Thompson details her journey to becoming a chicken owner in Western Massachusetts. Before launching into recipes, Thompson discusses good breeds for eggs and other questions about eggs that others may have.<br />
<br />
The chapters outline the "Classics" of egg use in condiments like mayonnaise and Bearnaise sauce, then onto the meals. The ranges of soft- to hard-boiled eggs to the Tex-Mex<i> migas, </i>fried egg sandwiches to a wild mushroom ragout with poached eggs will please many. Thompson also gives ideas for what to do with those big excesses, with recipes for deviled eggs and pickled eggs. Chapters on vegetarian dishes and desserts round out the recipes. Interspersed in the chapters are vignettes about her own experiences with raising chickens. Colorful photographs of both family and food provide a great backdrop to the text.<br />
<br />
<i>The Fresh Egg Cookbook</i> is a welcome addition to specialized cooking manuals. By no means exhaustive, a nice range of recipes is included. While most of the text is devoted to the meals that can be made, the personal stories are fun and make a great addition to an already lovely cookbook.<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: The Fresh Egg Cookbook: From Chicken to Kitchen: Recipes for Using Eggs from Farmers' Markets, Local Farms and Your Own Backyard<br />
Author: Jennifer Trainer Thompson<br />
Publisher: Storey Publishing<br />
Date: February 2012<br />
Read: NetGalley e-ARC (provided by publisher)<br />
<br />Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-8069537261288732862012-02-08T07:00:00.000-05:002012-03-14T09:18:37.532-04:00Review: Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixShnEbHy_kTGsoOYCCturRr-YWTXQffYwTrojAqjNR-9GOMMgw29IdUGZUPThk3OCTVaAuJ_6w0lskdLHgagbvaSmPuOu-REJc2XFO2Vd7RENRJJ9wCujJMBWh0F3B_ISjyoz-bpyP_Y/s1600/chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixShnEbHy_kTGsoOYCCturRr-YWTXQffYwTrojAqjNR-9GOMMgw29IdUGZUPThk3OCTVaAuJ_6w0lskdLHgagbvaSmPuOu-REJc2XFO2Vd7RENRJJ9wCujJMBWh0F3B_ISjyoz-bpyP_Y/s200/chicken.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
It would seem that chickens and gardens should go hand-in-hand (<i>or leaf-in-wing?</i>) but of course you do not want your flock to eat every piece of bounty that will come through the seasons. In <i>Free-Range Chicken Gardens</i>, Jessi Bloom addresses how to create a space where both your flock and your vegetables can co-exist peacefully and beautifully.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
<i>Free-Range Chicken Gardens</i> is, at its essence, a how-to book both for managing a small flock of chickens in your backyard and make your backyard gardens chicken-friendly. Free-ranging provides a healthy diet for chickens, but there are a lot more plants than I realized that are poisonous or otherwise detrimental to chickens. Bloom gives coherent lists on both those and the best kids of plants to have with your birds. Chapters such as "landscape materials for chicken gardens" and "plants with purpose" will give a broad overview for any gardener ideas for their garden beds. Integrating your chickens into the backyard garden takes more than just plants, and her chapter on "innovative chicken housing" not only gives the basics, but does extra duty on how to install a greenhouse chicken coop and other garden-friendly ideas. Beautiful full-color photos of Bloom's backyard space, along with several others, gives support and inspiration to readers.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://gardenfowl.com/" target="_blank">Jessi Bloom</a> is an experienced landscape designer and chicken owner, and her knowledge comes across in a accessible and easy way in this book. While free-ranging chickens may not be practical (or in some cases legal) for many backyard gardeners, <i>Free-Range Chicken Gardens</i> provides a comprehensive overview and I believe will be a great addition to any urban homesteader or gardener's shelves.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: Free-Range Chicken Gardens<br />
Author: Jessi Bloom<br />
Publisher: Timber Press<br />
Date: January 2012<br />
Read: NetGalley e-ARC (provided by publisher)Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-65224489100192688042012-02-01T07:00:00.000-05:002012-02-01T07:00:01.043-05:00Review: Barnheart by Jenna Woginrich<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a class="vt-p" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajakJvnssFHaKLKPPT19vGvvH8J_BHUObTpEM9-12Xi9MEP3MdCyzbtQkZOP3mbgkOIWccJYIn3R8pZjeoJJt-XfBxYvTcadyKWm7BeOyCLmgH4wRT1JeBCmA8lKaRwpBi7Z11rUhyphenhyphenZs/s1600/barnheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajakJvnssFHaKLKPPT19vGvvH8J_BHUObTpEM9-12Xi9MEP3MdCyzbtQkZOP3mbgkOIWccJYIn3R8pZjeoJJt-XfBxYvTcadyKWm7BeOyCLmgH4wRT1JeBCmA8lKaRwpBi7Z11rUhyphenhyphenZs/s200/barnheart.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
While many people are content to dabble in gardening, maybe raise a few chickens, there are some that find it just scratches the farm itch. Being able to act on those desires can take a great leap of faith. Jenna Woginrich made that leap, from Idaho to Vermont to New York. For all of those who feel the same way, the author admits this is an illness that can only be cured by sun, dirt and the sounds of the barn. This, my friends, is Barnheart.<br />
<br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
I first heard of Jenna Woginrich with her first book, <i>Made From Scratch</i>, and have been reading her blog, <a class="vt-p" href="http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/">Cold Antler Farm</a>, since then. Farming has become chic to a lot of people; urban homesteading is growing by leaps and bounds, as you can see from any bookstore or libraries' shelves. However, there are many who are not doing it to just be part of the culture that it has become, but because their lives need it.<br />
<br />
<i>Barnheart</i> chronicles Woginrich's journey back to the East Coast and her time in Vermont, plus her acquisition of the homestead she has now in upstate New York. Farming is not an easy life, and Woginrich does not back away from the lean times, the solitude, the mistakes, the fear that came with her decisions. Failure is always a possibility; failure happens. (Anyone who has followed <a class="vt-p" href="http://homegrown.org/blog/2011/12/why-we-farm-the-final-chapter/">Neysa's journey on Homegrown.org</a> will know it does.) Beyond this, there is success also, and Woginrich shares the joy of walking the path to achieving her dream, her life goals, one step at a time.<br />
<br />
What I really enjoyed was the changes in writing from her first book to this one. There is an amount of self-revelation that Woginrich has given her readers which was not evident in the first book. While this would definitely not be considered a Photoshopped version of farming, there is a depth of self-awareness and analysis in <i>Barnheart</i> that I do not remember from <i>Made From Scratch</i>. What<i> Barnheart</i> emphasizes is the perseverance, even knowing the failures and downsides. Because as Woginrich points out time and time again, <i>Barnheart</i> is not about a pastime - it is a way of life.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: Barnheart<br />
Author: Jenna Woginrich<br />
Publisher: Storey Publishing<br />
Date: December 2011<br />
Read: Purchased copyKristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-32344557387285277792011-12-28T08:00:00.000-05:002011-12-28T08:32:40.582-05:00Review: Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead (Plus Dark Swan Giveaway Winner!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxACJHVlxT_dmkhViZTnOZ6Lslv4KgKmagHGIVJJ9Bsvf0o-q-fmnwBoJbmlI_yXEFndJtflUM7l6FSkOEGJ8tOl8bIkNp0Hu9kcjMWKj-R19jgGEGbeESYXHzL24xFWZAwLDjZbsID0/s1600/heir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxACJHVlxT_dmkhViZTnOZ6Lslv4KgKmagHGIVJJ9Bsvf0o-q-fmnwBoJbmlI_yXEFndJtflUM7l6FSkOEGJ8tOl8bIkNp0Hu9kcjMWKj-R19jgGEGbeESYXHzL24xFWZAwLDjZbsID0/s200/heir.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
Eugenie Markham will do everything she can to protect her unborn children, but knows that it is getting harder and harder to avert the forces striving to make sure the Storm King's prophecy goes unfulfilled. As she struggles to make sure that both the mortal realm and the Otherworld lands stay safe, she faces the ultimate challenge when a blight strikes her Thorn Land and many more in the Otherworld. Eugenie realizes that only she will have the courage to find the way to protect all those she loves, whatever the cost.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
It was so hard to believe this is the last of the <i>Dark Swan </i>series. Eugenie has faced a long road becoming Queen of the Thorn and Rowan Lands, yet stay connected to her shamanic heritage in the mortal realm. As she works to protect the children that many are trying to destroy, another force brings a horrible blight upon her lands. In usual Eugenie headstrong fashion, she heads off to the place where the trouble originates, not knowing that this will be only one stop along a trail of trouble.<br />
<br />
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series since the beginning. Many difficult topics are faced during these books, especially revolving around the prophecy of the Storm King's first grandson. Eugenie is headstrong as always but still vulnerable, having to fight against many who would either kill or use her not-yet-born child. Her relationships with both Dorian and Kiyo are addressed on different levels, as Eugenie must make decisions that not only affect her and her children, but those who live on both sides of the Gate between the two worlds.<br />
<br />
Eugenie has had to face a lot of tough challenges through the series (no spoilers this time!), and faced disagreement with those she loved because of them. I will say there was disagreement in this reader with some of the choices she has made, however there has not been one that I did not respect, even if I did not agree. I believe that this actually made this fantasy more "real", as you can see definite parallels with choices that Eugenie makes with those faced by others during life. To me, that makes a believable protagonist in a story. When I start thinking "Would I have done what she did?", then I know that I not only empathize with the character, but I have been pulled wholeheartedly into the story. I can see that some of the sequences may not please every reader, and I felt a lot of "But what is going to happen <i>now</i>?" at the end of <i>Shadow Heir</i>.<br />
<br />
Mead did not skimp on the emotional turmoil of her protagonist, but it is these feelings that connected me to Eugenie through all of the books. Mead has successfully built an intricate world with the Otherlands, and I will definitely miss it.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: Shadow Heir (Dark Swan, #4)<br />
Author: Richelle Mead<br />
Publisher: Zebra<br />
Date: December 27, 2011<br />
Read: ARC Provided by Publisher<br />
<br />
<b><i>DARK SWAN GIVEAWAY WINNER!</i></b><br />
<br />
Congratulations go out to SKYLA11377. Skyla11377, you have won the first three books of the Dark Swan series (Storm Born, Thorn Queen, Iron Crowned)! I will send you an email shortly to verify your information, then send that on to the publisher to mail your books out. Thanks again to Kensington Books for supporting this giveaway.<br />
<br />
Happy Reading!Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-22251840378765415462011-12-14T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-14T07:00:17.431-05:00Review (and Giveaway Winner!): Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgYiGlB1N-CSIuKPDw1Flfa8xw3igAXYRQNt2CuSJmZg2_HOoXESKQ48rgtdmK2kj-dqAn_7BdT7mLl8Ty6cWkVluo8z6bJ-kAklPVRlLfXu5Gp-NOlFtpGjEf6clvhuvktystC3AHTQ/s1600/kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgYiGlB1N-CSIuKPDw1Flfa8xw3igAXYRQNt2CuSJmZg2_HOoXESKQ48rgtdmK2kj-dqAn_7BdT7mLl8Ty6cWkVluo8z6bJ-kAklPVRlLfXu5Gp-NOlFtpGjEf6clvhuvktystC3AHTQ/s320/kiss.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
After battling Reapers of Chaos, mythological creatures and all-around evil classmates, Gwen Frost just wants to survive the rest of her semester at Mythos Academy. Learning how to use weapons seems like a good start, even if that means being taught by her unrequited crush, Logan. Maybe Daphne's suggestion of attending the Winter Carnival will turn things around and let her move forward? However, there is more than snow, boys and fun awaiting Gwen and her friends at the ski resort; Gwen will have to face the past once again and fight for her life.<br />
<br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
<i>Kiss of Frost</i> opens not long after <i>Touch of Frost</i>. Gwen works on improving her fighting skills after her fight with the Reaper Jasmine. Against the Spartans, Amazons and others at Mythos Academy, she seems at a serious disadvantage. However, her Gypsy gift of psychometry once again shows Gwen is not as limited in power and skill as she may seem, and Gwen discovers more about her role as Nike's Champion, maybe more than she bargained for! Even with this power and goddess-given mantle, Gwen is still dealing with her own sadness from her mom's death and Logan's rebuff of her feelings. While you definitely know you are dealing with teens, powers and battles aside, the emotions of the characters stay true to age and you can see true growth in them without belief-suspending leaps.<br />
<br />
I have really enjoyed Jennifer Estep's adult <i>Elemental Assassin</i> series, and <i>Mythos Academy</i> brings a lot of the same elements: a strong female lead; family interactions and issues; developing powers - all leading to a delightful book that makes me anxiously await the next in the series. Gwen is finding answers to some of the questions that were asked in <i>Touch of Frost</i>, good and bad, that will definitely push the storyline forward. There were some definite moments that were revealed far too early, but Estep countered those with some surprises towards the end. I believe some of the best parts of these books are the secondary characters: Daphne and Carson are back in the thick of things, and the introductions of Oliver and Kenzie, along with Morgan hints at some intricate relationships for Gwen and the future.<br />
<br />
Estep gives the "teen outcast" storyline a fresh twist with the <i>Mythos Academy</i> series. I will be waiting for the next book, <i>Dark Frost</i>, when it appears on shelves in June 2012.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy, #2)<br />
Author: Jennifer Estep<br />
Publisher: Kensington<br />
Date: November 2011<br />
Read: Purchased Nookbook<br />
<br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">KISS OF FROST GIVEAWAY WINNER!</span></i></b><br />
<br />
Congratulations goes out to <b>JenniferK</b> for winning a copy of <i>Kiss of Frost</i>! Jennifer, I will be sending you an email to confirm details. Many thanks to Kensington Books for supplying the book to the winner.<br />
<br />
And stay tuned, as I will be announcing another giveaway next week!<br />
<br />
<br />Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-38070973336460229172011-12-07T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-07T07:00:00.509-05:00Review: Highland Bride by Hannah Howell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_diOzoO3vcC3lxbqO-LtmYGtUl6Y2JEleWPWEZnBFP6mZLuwVgdnp7x9zqEOwpcPvV-8AvnPLjB6pB5oPIkgoQi0tw57M_vx8ekBXElQD6ZwQOPfbqB4peTtNhUsOO16IpNW7tYF4CMQ/s1600/bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_diOzoO3vcC3lxbqO-LtmYGtUl6Y2JEleWPWEZnBFP6mZLuwVgdnp7x9zqEOwpcPvV-8AvnPLjB6pB5oPIkgoQi0tw57M_vx8ekBXElQD6ZwQOPfbqB4peTtNhUsOO16IpNW7tYF4CMQ/s320/bride.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
Gillyanne Murray holds her own lands, and decides it is time to visit them before she begins courting. Unfortunately upon her arrival Gillyanne finds not one, not two, but three lairds (with adjoining property) waiting to lay claim to it - and her. To prevent a battle, she chooses Sir Conor MacEnroy, a knight as handsome and bold of action as he is quiet of words. Gillyanne is not one to flee from a challenge, however, and as she fights to find a place in her husband's keep, she hopes to also find one in Conor's heart.<br />
<br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
How can you not enjoy a romance in the Scottish Highlands? Hannah Howell brings us another of <i>The Murrays</i> with <i>Highland Bride</i>. While the typical plot of first-comes-marriage, then-comes-love is in play, Gillyanne is a strong, spirited young woman who is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in, facing off against the suitors. She is also willing to give in to protect what is hers, as she marries Conor to stop the battle that would destroy the peace the land so needed to keep. She needs all of that strength to try to keep up with a husband who really does not know how to woo the wife he needs to keep.<br />
<br />
Humorous and poignant, Howell delivers a sweet Highland romance that will please her readers.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: Highland Bride (The Murrays, #6)<br />
Author: Hannah Howell<br />
Publisher: Zebra Books/Kensington<br />
Date: August 2011 (First Printing: October 2002)<br />
Read: Mass Market Provided by Publisher<br />Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-30446402447753124432011-11-16T07:00:00.000-05:002011-11-16T07:00:00.240-05:00"Mistress" Mini ReviewsA mistress is a fine thing - especially in the times of Regency England. Scandal and passion and love all meld together. Here is a look at two delightful titles.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0zj3VM4uihquqsd21CnZpwplY-fCQjdjbI2hHJfBqINu_fJmAoWR7F02Q0ADQP1Cw54fXEwx1BOlSkWoE6FAAbBzhcAoi1_xU8LZNMQyBadLefUssAurUWVW-8kPTceHWK8Oq8hzzwM/s1600/marriage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0zj3VM4uihquqsd21CnZpwplY-fCQjdjbI2hHJfBqINu_fJmAoWR7F02Q0ADQP1Cw54fXEwx1BOlSkWoE6FAAbBzhcAoi1_xU8LZNMQyBadLefUssAurUWVW-8kPTceHWK8Oq8hzzwM/s320/marriage.jpg" width="213" /></a>A whirlwind courtship can be every romantic couple's dream, but when reality sets in, Baron Edward Christie knew his marriage to Caroline Parker was a mistake. Beautiful and scandalous, not even her banishment to the notorious Jane Street diminished her. Caroline and Edward meet for one night each year, on their anniversary, to give into the painful, glorious passion they have for each other. Yet both know that it is only a matter of time before they must admit it is time for divorce. So why is it so hard to finish what should never have been started?<br />
<br />
Romances where the couple is already married are such a treat, even when the story is about falling in love all over again. Edward and Caroline clash with their opposing ways: she is brash and forthright, he is composed and stiff. Neither feels they have to change for the other, nor are they willing to admit the other may be right. A twisting tale of rediscovering love and assumed betrayal, Robinson brings two engaging characters to life with strong wit and dialogue.<br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> Mistress by Marriage (Courtesan Court, #3)<br />
<b>Author:</b> Maggie Robinson<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Kensington<br />
<b>Date:</b> September 2011<br />
<b>Read:</b> Trade paperback supplied by publisher<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpQ3M_1vlOFiLnUT2scYrdh_svBmHqAIhb1LzSCo3sD9rWq1dMwTG1V3YKD89wmO47BeKxoUdFMAoQ3gyq9boa2Q3TiLAwx5Y_P51tXpkflWBq0bABT2CtVPlQ5S8QgpUl2L4UM5FwTk/s1600/christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpQ3M_1vlOFiLnUT2scYrdh_svBmHqAIhb1LzSCo3sD9rWq1dMwTG1V3YKD89wmO47BeKxoUdFMAoQ3gyq9boa2Q3TiLAwx5Y_P51tXpkflWBq0bABT2CtVPlQ5S8QgpUl2L4UM5FwTk/s1600/christmas.jpg" /></a></div>
Lady Veronica Smithson has been a widow for the last three years, and a very happy one at that. She knows that she would love to feel the touch of a man once more, but also realizes her independent nature abhors the thought of getting married again, even to the handsome explorer Sir Sebastian Hadley-Attwater. Sebastian needs to prove himself worthy of his inheritance, and a wife would do just that if Veronica was not so stubborn. Veronica has no qualms about becoming his mistress, now if only Sebastian didn't have other plans...<br />
<br />
This book engaged me from the start. Veronica knows exactly what she wants (or so she thinks), and Sebastian is bowled over that a woman would not be desiring to tie herself to a man such as him. While obviously ego starts the walk down the path to love, both Sebastian and Veronica are willing to play the game the other sets up. The hilarity increases when Sebastian's family shows up for the holidays. If you enjoy the Christmas romances, definitely take a look at this one.<br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> His Mistress By Christmas (Sinful Family Secrets, #1)<br />
<b>Author:</b> Victoria Alexander<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Kensington<br />
<b>Date:</b> October 2011<br />
<b>Read:</b> ARC provided by publisher<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-17963150794200675522011-10-05T06:00:00.000-04:002011-10-05T06:00:07.345-04:00Review: It's Always Been You by Victoria Dahl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a class="vt-p" href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1310530223l/11837214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1310530223l/11837214.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
Aidan York has spent the last ten years running away from the past. The love of his life was lost to him, first by an argument then by her death. While his life has been filled with business deals and women, nothing will stop the emptiness in his heart occupied by his Kate. But when he steps into that coffee shop only to be faced with Kate - as alive as can be - will Aidan's heart heal, or will Kate's secrets destroy whatever is left?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
When Aidan York and Kate Tremont parted ten years ago during a lover's quarrel, neither expected circumstance to turn it into such a dramatic parting. Kate has escaped from a forced marriage in Ceylon to become a businesswoman in England. Aidan, told Kate died all those years ago, has used work, alcohol and women to fill the space losing Kate has left. After a chance reconnection, Aidan knows that his feelings are as strong as ever. Yet Kate insists there can be nothing between them. What is Kate hiding, and how will Aidan handle when her past comes to confront them?<br />
<br />
Beyond the incredible "of all the coffee shops in all the coastal towns of England we run into each other here" point of meeting, Kate and Aidan's story is romance at its core. Torn away by fights and family, presumed dead, a past to hide from and secrets to be discovered. All of this wound around two people jaded by their last ten years of life, wanting to believe in love but having to overcome the walls of hurt.<br />
<br />
<i>It's Always Been You</i> is a light historical romance with a dash of intrigue. Those who are familiar with Victoria Dahl's contemporary titles will find this a change of pace, but a nice addition to the <i>York Family</i> series.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: It's Always Been You (York Family, #2)<br />
Author: Victoria Dahl<br />
Publisher: Kensington<br />
Date: August 2011<br />
Read: Mass Market Paperback (Provided by publisher)Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-41753761805380716372011-09-30T06:00:00.000-04:002011-09-30T06:34:02.752-04:00Review: One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a class="vt-p" href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312045992l/10783217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312045992l/10783217.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
<i><b>Note</b>: References to plot from previous books.</i><br /><br />
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
October Daye is settling in to her new role as a countess in Faerie, she is dating again, and all seems relatively calm. So of course it is time for things to go wrong.<br />
<br />
The children of the regent of Saltmist have been kidnapped and the Queen of the Mists stands accused. In three days the Fae of land and sea will go to war, unless Toby can find the missing boys. While there are those who will stand in the way of Toby, there are others who will always stand with her.<br />
<br />
But in a time of war, not everyone survives.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
After being saved by her mother in<i> Late Eclipses</i>, Toby is now working on finding balance again: with her stronger Fae abilities, with her new title as Countess of Goldengreen, and with her reblooming relationship with Connor. When the news comes that the sons of the Saltmist Duchy have been taken, Toby is tasked with discovering where they are before war begins between land and sea. When the task becomes personal, Toby will stop at nothing to save the children - no matter the cost.<br />
<br />
I thought that it would be difficult to top <i>Late Eclipses</i>, but I should have known better. This book builds upon everything that Toby has been through the past stories and keeps leading her down the path of change. This is definitely a pivotal book, as relationships with many characters begin, end, and transform. McGuire's ability to make Toby strong and vulnerable shines in <i>One Salt Sea</i>, and her continued relationship with children, her own and others, show the parallels to Toby's own views on her relationships with her mother, her foster families, and the one she is creating around her.<br />
<br />
It isn't only Toby that amazed me in this book. The triangle of Toby, Connor and Tybalt comes into play and demonstrates how she can feel so "differently the same" about two men. The Luidaeg, Quentin, Sylvester, May and others all are woven into a strong story of how one person can be tasked to stop a war between races, but can continue to find others to fight. The hints at the end of what we will see in the next stories leave me anxiously anticipating <i>Ashes of Honor</i> next fall.<br />
<br />
I admit I am a total fangirl of <a class="vt-p" href="http://www.seananmcguire.com/">Seanan McGuire</a> (<i>and <a class="vt-p" href="http://www.miragrant.com/">Mira Grant</a>, her other writing alias</i>). If you have not started this series yet - do it. You won't be disappointed.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: One Salt Sea (October Daye, #5)<br />
Author: Seanan McGuire<br />
Publisher: Daw Books<br />
Date: September 2011<br />
Read: Library Mass Market PaperbackKristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-277969845818657183.post-47385861692894961682011-09-28T06:00:00.000-04:002011-09-28T06:00:14.548-04:00Review:Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a class="vt-p" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-m0pbMJTIaAvEzLaLOA7fe724CsRZUeH4XuZnpmnNwnE3gUCZNTXzI2S_NCjhDRX1Jbv8kn6Lu2cjXvwphkOXVSSfD2TRt4qDPSdXcdDPKZOdKtjqYHWb9YddmJtAzoq91rzpzYGlh8U/s1600/frost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-m0pbMJTIaAvEzLaLOA7fe724CsRZUeH4XuZnpmnNwnE3gUCZNTXzI2S_NCjhDRX1Jbv8kn6Lu2cjXvwphkOXVSSfD2TRt4qDPSdXcdDPKZOdKtjqYHWb9YddmJtAzoq91rzpzYGlh8U/s200/frost.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>The Book:</b><br />
<br />
Welcome to Mythos Academy, where teenagers are being prepared for the world not only with a first-class education, but with the skills for battle and magic. When a student is murdered and a magical relic stolen, Gwen Frost is determined to find out who is behind the deeds. Especially since she was supposed to be the victim. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>The Yarn:</b><br />
<br />
Gwen Frost may attend Mythos Academy, where even the geekiest kid is descended from a mythical warrior, but she is still an outsider. However her power to see scenes when touching objects does help to keep her out of too many peoples' ways. When one of her classmates is killed and a powerful object is stolen from the library, Gwen discovers that she may not be as much of an outsider as she thought.<br />
<br />
As a fan of YA books dealing with "underdogs" in school, I was not disappointed by Estep's book. Mythos Academy has the feel of many private schools, with a lot more Valkyries and Amazons thrown in. Gwen is fully formed, dodging bullies with her power while still being subjugated as a library staff worker. She shows an idealism that makes Gwen a strong, if flawed, young woman and her discoveries through the book about not only the murder of her classmate, but of her own heritage, present a lot of room for Gwen to grow. I really enjoyed the secondary storylines that set up Gwen's relationships with Daphne, Carson and Logan and I am excited to see where it goes next.<br />
<br />
Fans of the <i>House of Night</i> series by P.C. and Kristin Cast and Rachel Caine's <i>Morganville Vampires</i> will enjoy this.<br />
<br />
<b>The Ink:</b><br />
<br />
Title: Touch of Frost<br />
Author: Jennifer Estep<br />
Publisher: Kensington<br />
Date: August 2011<br />
Read: Trade Paperback (Provided by the publisher)Kristihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00209813611833340226noreply@blogger.com0