The 106 1/3 Books I Read In 2013!

I reached my nondescript goal of reading over 100 books in 2013! 

Now before you scroll down and say with a scoff or a sneer, "But, Alyse, 47 of those are picture books," let me share Jordan Sonnenblick's writing advice, found in the Q&A section of Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie:

"Read a ton. And don't just read one genre or format; read everything. The only way to figure out how to use the nuts and bolts of this thing called storytelling is to examine a lot of these complicated machines called books." 

This is not just great writer advice (which I still hope to be someday); it is also excellent librarian advice. 2013 marked my first full year as a certified information scientist (read: librarian). Although I didn't find a full-time job, I worked three long-term subbing positions in three different high schools, gathered and shared experiences along the way, and all the while had at least one book ready and waiting with a bookmark. The best part about being an [unemployed] librarian: Reading counts as professional development! 

I could go on and on about the other librarian-related experiences I had this year (I MET LOIS LOWRY!), but I'll save those for another time, as this post is going to be long enough with the book list. Like last year, I will share reviews (copied from Goodreads) of some my favorites from this year.

As for this new year we've just begun? I'm kicking off 2014 by refocusing my reading efforts on some adult literature (a.k.a. books I've been longingly staring at on my book shelf but putting off for the sake of keeping up with the ever-growing YA genre) and more non-fiction. Here's a photo of what I intend to be my initial (and quite ambitious-might-take-all-year) stack (and my turtle, Ninja).

2013 List

Fiction

1) Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

2) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

  I have a tendency to rebel against reading books that every book club on the planet is reading, however I've learned there's usually a reasoning behind it--the books are really good. Took me years to finally read The Kite Runner and The Help, for instance. Both wonderful. 

I'm rating Gone Girl 5 stars because I couldn't put it down, and I can't tell you the last time I've had that experience with a book (yes, I realize this is also the first adult book I've read in over a year). It'll totally screw with your head (as a lot of relationships do in real life) and keep you guessing and feeling betrayed, yet hopeful from cover to cover. 

3) Room by Emma Donnahuge

4) The Great Gatsby (audio) by F. Scott Fitzgerald

5) Where'd You Go, Bernadette? By Maria Semple

Is it a crime that I am a newly-ordained librarian and I fully admit to judging books by their covers? Probably. However, that is the exact reason I chose to read this novel: I love(d) the cover.
Add in a librarian friend's recommendation that she thinks I'd love the story because of its epistolary format (which is masterful, in my opinion, I must add), and voila! Jumped to the top of my to-read list.

Throw in consistently-outstanding character development, an enviable back-story, a missing-persons mystery, as well as facts and journeys to Antarctica, a magical place you don't tend to hear a whole lot about, and you've got yourself a prize-winning, 5-star novel.

One of my favorite lines in the book happened to be a parenthetical statement: "This is why you must love life: one day you're offering up your social security number to the Russia Mafia; two weeks later you're using the word calve as a verb."

I mean, right?
The interweaving points of view, the humor, and the quirky characters inspired me to start writing again. Thank you, Maria Semple. I can't wait to read your debut novel, "This One is Mine."

I will end this review with another underlined quote, a P.S. if you will:
"My heart started racing, not the bad kind of heart racing, like, I'm going to die. But the good kind of heart racing, like, Hello, can I help you with something? If not, please step aside because I'm about to kick the shit out of life." 

6) The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure 

I heard about this title at a Book Buzz event a few days before attending ALA and was so excited when I saw one of the publisher's booths at ALA giving away free ARC copies of it. It was recommended to people who like Ken Follett but enjoy reading about the WWII era.
When I excitedly asked if I could take one of the copies, the woman said, "Don't start it at 10pm like I did!" She was right. Although I enjoyed "Pillars of the Earth" by Follett, it was for way different reasons. I didn't have a hard time putting it down. In fact, I was often bored with the lengthy architectural descriptions of churches.
This book is nothing like that. The short chapters and the non-stop, bite-your-nails drama, made it hard to stop reading this, as I read it with constant battling feelings of hope, fear, love, hate, dread and awe.
"The Paris Architect" is about Lucien, a renowned architect in Paris, who is asked to build hiding places for Jews on the run from the Nazis. As he becomes more and more involved, his reasoning for agreeing to continue creating these hideaways changes when the situation becomes deeply personal.
The descriptions of the Gestapo torturing people for information made me squirm, and as with everything I've read and listened to about this time in history, I found myself once again flabbergasted that any of this really happened.
Historical fiction at its finest. I'd love to know if there was a real-life team like this back then who risked their lives to save their neighbors and outwit the Gestapo.
The back of the book sums this book up well: "The Paris Architect asks us to consider what we owe each other, and just how far we'll go to make things right."

7) Night Circus (audio) by Erin Morgenstern

8) Defending Jacob (audio) by William Landay

9) The Casual Vacancy (audio) by J.K. Rowling

10) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

11) Life of Pi (audio) by Yann Martel

Seemed to be the perfect audio accompaniment for a solo road trip. Phenomenal storytelling-- Religion vs. personal philosophies, vegetarianism vs. cannibalism, survival vs. escape, animals vs. people--this book was way more than I ever thought it would be.

Non-Fiction

12) Guns by Stephen King (Kindle essay)

It's not even worth me writing a review because if anyone follows me on Twitter (@LibrarianForYou), you'll see that I "highlighted" and "shared" more quotes from this essay than I have from any full-length novel I've ever read. So all I have to say (for now, while a blog post is drafting itself in my head) is Thank You, Mr. King. I hope everyone reads this and finally gets it.

13) Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

Here's what you need to know, bottom line: Factory Farms Are The Devil. I admit I probably have an unnatural affinity with the animal kingdom, but you don't have to even like animals to comprehend that what factory farms do to them is cruel and unnatural punishment and torture. Even the author, who I saw speak on this topic at the Chicago Humanities Festival last month, admitted his case for vegetarianism is not out of a love for animals but out of standing on moral ground against factory farming. He said, "It's unspeakably cruel. One doesn't have to love animals. I don't love animals. You don't have to love a pig to disagree that a pregnant pig..." I'll save you the gory details. It took me almost an entire year to fully read this book, and that was after owning it and staring at it on my bookshelf for about 3 years without opening it. I knew that this book would be a game changer (even though I've resisted most meat from my diet for the past 7 years already), and now that I've finally finished it--after being on the verge of crying or vomiting on every single page--I can honestly say, I don't know how, being the animal lover I am, I can morally continue to eat them. I could write an extremely long-winded anecdotal review of this book, but I'm constructing a blog post about it instead (and will post the link here once it's finished). Read it. And weep.

14) Point Your Face at This by Demetri Martin

15) The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez

16) 911: The Book of Help by Michael Cart (editor)

I read the intro to this book when I found it at the ISLMA conference last fall. It took almost a year for me to pick it up again and actually read it. The timing intentional, it's hard not for me to reflect on the difference between 9/10/01 and 9/11/01 around this time of year. Edited by Michael Cart, this book is broken up into four sections, titled: Healing, Searching For History, Asking Why? Why? Why? and Reacting and Recovering. Renowned writers, such as Naomi Shihab Nye, Walter Dean Myers, Katherine Paterson, and Sharon Creech [among many more], all contributed a poem, short story, or essay about 9/11 and its impact. This book was therapeutic in a sense because I felt like a lot of the contributing authors and I shared a mutual understanding of what happened and how important it is to form that into words that can help us grieve, make sense of, and deal with something that seemed completely incomprehensible. Here are some stand-out sentences I underlined along the way... "Art takes the pain and chaos of our broken world and transforms it into something that brings forth life." ~Katherine Paterson "You can see it all on the news, but when you stand on the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights, when you hear the roar of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway under your feet, when you look up at the Manhattan skyline and realize that the towers are really, really gone--then you know how much they took." ~Joan Bauer "When I think about the events of September 11, I'm torn between wanting to say nothing because no words can be enough--and wanting to describe everything that is still worth living for." ~Kyoko Mori "Even as I grieve the loss of our oasis, I want to welcome the opportunity to belong to the rest of the world...suffering create [a bond] between people past and present, here and there, and all over the world." ~Kyoko Mori "USE WORDS. It is the most helpful thing I have learned in my life. We find words, we select and arrange them, to help shape our experiences of things. Whether we write them down for ourselves or send them into the air as connective lifelines between us, they help us live, and breathe, and see...if people who are angry, or frustrated, could use words instead of violence, how would our world be different?" ~Naomi Shihab Nye

17) The Woman Who Wasn't There by Robin Gaby Fisher

18) With Their Eyes by Annie Thoms (play)

In preparation for speaking to high school students during Teen Read Week about what it was like to be a teenager in NYC during 9/11, I wanted to not just talk about my own experiences but recommend books for them to read more about that point of view if interested. I read this cover to cover during a good chunk of a weekend commute to MI. It brought back a lot of memories, a few of which I hadn't thought about in a really long time. This book is actually the script for a play performed by Stuyvesant students in February, 2002, based on transcripts of interviews the student actors recorded of other students and staff after the entire school population was temporarily displaced as the school was transformed into a triage unit. Some people don't like the fact that these transcripts include all the "uhs" "likes" and "umms," but I think for what it exists to document, it's a perfect way to do so. I liked the "staging notes" at the end. Really helped me visualize the production in all it's power with simplicity. I've never had a desire to direct a play until I read this.

19) Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (audio)

It was refreshing to listen to an audiobook that made me chuckle as I drove on my long commute, walked the streets of Chicago, and cleaned my kitchen. Mindy is super easy to relate to, and I enjoyed listening to her narrate her own text. Her love of comedy as a pre-teen/young adult was so in tune with how I was at that age (memorizing and acting out SNL skits, idolizing comedians, going on about the brilliance of Conan O'Brien etc.) that I found myself wondering how I never made it onto The Office as Kelly Kapoor's BFF. She described her "Amy Poehler moment" much like I describe mine. Kelly got invited out to drinks with the cast. Amy and I shared Paris Hilton-is-the-worst-host-ever musings in a quick elevator ride at 30 Rock. Same thing, right? I also enjoyed her list of 11 Favorite Moments In Comedy, most of which would also be on my own. Her observational insights about men, how no one has a nailed-down definition of "hooking up," and what it's like to "still be a nanny" while desperately wanting to contribute to the world of art and comedy really made me want to say, "You totally get it, Mindy!" 20) Nubs by Major Brian Dennis 21) Tarra & Bella by Carol Buckley

Young Adult

22) Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

23) The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I really enjoyed the "found" poems that begin and/or end chapters in this book. Those alone could have provided an intriguing peek into Lennie and Bailey's sisterhood, but Nelson did a great job of expanding on the poems by creating a whole novel of the Walker family in imaginary Clover, CA. Having a sister myself, I felt an immediate connection to the book because I can't imagine the world without her (spoiler alert: the older sister dies suddenly in the first chapter). I also read and loved Wuthering Heights when I was the same age as Lennie, and I think Catherine and Heathcliff have always camped out in the back of my brain. I enjoyed the quirky characters and memorable dialogue, and a line from page 152--"Each time a person dies, a library burns."--inspired a personal writing project as soon as I read it, while riding the blue line el train.

24) re-read The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

I just re-read this as an adult after I saw that a YA book club I randomly heard about was going to be discussing it. Still awesome. It's not the kind of book where you can't put it down because it's so engaging, but it's a quick read, full of adventure and great lessons ("...he'd certainly never realized how much he could do in so short a time."), awesome wordplay ("I'm the Whether Man...it's more important to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be.") and illustrations (by Jules Feiffer). It was memorable enough that I remember reading and loving it when I was in fifth grade. As someone pointed out last night at the book club, this text is way more complex than a lot of the YA material being written today.

25) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

26) Looking For Alaska by John Green (audio)
27) Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (audio)
28) Paper Towns by John Green

29) The Future of Us by Jay Asher

Remember a world with disposable cameras, YM quizzes, Looney Tunes, papasan chairs, beepers, Boys II Men, Discman, and screensavers made of pipes and brick mazes? Most importantly, remember those life-altering AOL discs with 100 hours of FREE INTERNET (just read my diary--I got grounded every other day for using up all the hours)?? Welcome to 1996! Emma and Josh, next door neighbors and best friends, get their first AOL disc in the mail and it turns their life upside-down because not only is it their first glimpse into the World Wide Web, but something called Facebook pops up and suddenly they're seeing profiles about themselves 15 years in the future.
"At some point in the future, *we* created it. I don't know exactly what it is, but it looks like interconnected websites where people show their photos and wrote about everything going on in their lives, like whether they found a parking spot or what they ate for breakfast."
"Why does it say she has three hundred and twenty friends? Who has that many friends?"
"Why would anyone say this stuff about themselves on the Internet? It's crazy!".
The chapters switch off between Emma and Josh's perspectives, and both of them try to alter their present lives to affect their futures based off what they see on their profiles. Drama ensues.

The book is full of funny quotes about our current tehnologically-drowning world as well:
"What's a blog?"
"What's an iPad?"
"What the hell happened to Pluto?"
after Emma sees her future Facebook status as, "Netflix + Glee = my life" she narrates, "I have no idea what I'm talking about, but if Netflix plus Glee equals my life, I'm hoping those are good things."

And of course, I had to chuckle at Emma's interaction with the librarian after asking if the library had any phone books available. "It's amazing, isn't it? The resources we have available today. You can plan your whole future right here."

Took a long hiatus from this book, when I was just past the middle, but for good reason...to get it autographed by the author when he spoke at my alma mater, Fremd HS, for Writers Week a few months ago (Thanks, Mr. Anderson!). Despite the hiatus, I read this book very quickly both before and after. I am a total sucker for 90s nostalgia, but I couldn't quite rate this 5 stars because I feel like no teens in this day and age (just call me Grandma) will have any connection to the AOL discs, and much less a world without Facebook.

30) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (audio)

31) The Diviners by Libba Bray (audio)

Imagine you're around a campfire and someone starts telling you a ghost story about a creepy demon named Naughty John. Now picture driving 100 miles each day and listening to a well-versed narrator tell you the 18-hour extended version full of life and death and memorable characters, as well as plenty of creepy moments to make your heart race at times. Libba Bray's commentary about the historical portions of her story (Fitter Families for Future Firesides, KKK, Chinese Exclusion Act, Pillar of Fire Church) in her author's note at the end provided an added chill: "Often, the monsters we create in our imagination are not nearly as frightening as the monstrous acts perpetuated by ordinary human beings in the aim of one cause or another."

32) Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (audio)

33) See You at Harry's by Jo Knowles

34) Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (audio)

35) Every Day by David Levithan

"Normal people don't have to decide what's worth remembering. You are given a hierarchy, recurring characters, the help of repetition, of anticipation, the firm hold of a long history. But I have to decide the importance of each and every memory...the only way I am going to see them again is if I conjure them in my mind...People take love's continuity for granted, just as they take their body's continuity for granted. They don't realize that the best thing about love is its regular presence." ~A, Day 5997 A is an ungendered person who embodies a new person's body every morning and detaches from them every midnight while asleep, only to wake up as yet another new person. A doesn't know any different, nor does it affect his/her life much until he meets Rhiannon while embodying her boyfriend Justin one day. This changes everything, and the book revolves around A's desire to keep Rhiannon in his/her life. As the reader, we get a glimpse of 40 of these days. I think I built up the concept of this book too much in my head. I liked it, but for a reason I can't quite put my finger on, not wholeheartedly enough for it to be a favorite. What I did love about it, though, was the subtext behind having a main character who doesn't have a defined gender, which brings about important questions about love, whether that love be between two girls, a boy and girl, two boys, or girl who identifies as a boy and is in love with a girl. The way these relationships are written about I would think (and hope) would make people question their own constructs of what it means to really love someone for who they are as a person. And for that reason, because it's a work of fiction (which, more so than non-fiction, the news, the media, and religion, a lot of times allows readers to imagine the world around them in a more positive framework), I think everyone should read this to start imagining what it would be like to live as someone else. You might reconsider how you approach people who think and act and love differently than you. "And once again I think about how people use the devil as an alias for the things they fear...But I see no sin in a kiss. I only see sin in the condemnation." ~A combined quote from pages 142 & 223 I know this review is already full of quotes, but I also thought it was worth sharing what David Levithan wrote on the cover page when I met him at ALA 2013: "To Alyse-- Live every day in wonder."

36) Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick

37) Miss Peregrine's Home of Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (audio)

I was drawn to this book because of the cover photo, the title font, and the title. Don't judge a book by its cover? This librarian disagrees. Sue me. I enjoyed this mystical tale of wonder, time loops, and an abundance of descriptively delightful characters and creatures, who the narrator of the audio version did a fantastic job of giving voices to. I have a physical copy of this book on hold at the library because although I really liked the audio format, I think seeing the photos included in the story will enhance it all the more.

38) Cut by Patricia McCormick (audio)

39) Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (audio)

40) Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

41) Hate List by Jennifer Brown

I started reading this book, and the next day there was yet another school shooting in the news in Colorado. And I had several family members grimly inform me that the student was seeking out the librarian. And once again, like Columbine, the library was the scene of the crime. And I am currently sitting at the circulation desk of a high school library the morning after finishing this book in bed.

I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book because "Columbine" by Dave Cullen, a factual account from all different perspectives of that tragic and nauseating event, was so well-written and well-researched (and if you haven't read it yet--check it out immediately), that I didn't think I'd want to spend time reading a fictional account of a school shooting.

I was wrong. This is Jennifer Brown's debut novel and is masterly written for young adults. Valerie, the girlfriend of a boy named Nick who shoots up their school, narrates the story, which covers the day of and the aftermath when she returns to school months later. Already an outcast and nicknamed "Sister Death" before the shooting, now no one really knows how to handle her presence. Is she a hero? Was she in on it? Certain things trigger Valerie to recall happier times with Nick, the loveable boyfriend she knew, which Brown seamlessly weaves into the story, as though we're right there in Valerie's brain as she flashes between past and present.

This is a tremendous story about how we really need to "see what's really there" (as her expert psychiatrist, Dr. Hieler, advises), forgiveness, the immense toll these tragedies take on everyone involved, and what it means to mend and do our best to move forward.

42) An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

(This is the book I read a third of in April and didn’t pick back up and finish until the calendar had already turned to 2014.)

Children-Middle School Books

43) Gossamer by Lois Lowry

44) re-read Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

45) The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Clementine easily became one of my favorite characters when I read the original book a few years ago in my Children's Lit class. The Talented Clementine is its sequel, and I loved it just as much. This time Clementine is worried that she has no talents and therefore can't possibly take part in her school's "Talent-Palooza." She tries to keep up with her orderly, perfect-dressing, talent-ful friend Margaret, and also continues to be overprotective of her younger brother, who she still refers to as various vegetables (since she's named after a fruit). In the end, she becomes one of the most instrumental parts of the show and learns a great lesson that she is "one of a kind!" With lines like, "She [the school nurse] always looks bored, as if she's just killing time until a really good disease hits the school," and "The Ritz is the fanciest restaurant in Boston. It is very expensive, probably because it costs a lot to make all those crackers," you'll surely love this quirky, sassy 8-year-old as well.

46) Clementine’s Letter by Sara Pennypacker

47) Counting By 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

"It's sort of tragic that we can't remember the earliest of the early years. I feel as if these memories could be the key to the whole 'Who am I?' question." (page 15) This is another ARC I received for free at ALA (and got signed by the author!) after hearing high praise--"The 'Wonder' of 2013"--at the Harold Washington Book Buzz event a day prior. It's hard not to love Willow and the way she interacts with all living people and creatures, be it a Vietnamese family, her guidance counselor, a taxi driver, hummingbirds, and every array of plant life that can feasibly grow in Bakersfield, California. This book, narrated by all of the aforementioned characters, covers tragedy, grief, cultural differences, science, and family (albeit unconventional). Definitely teared up at the end. As all the reviews I'm sure are already stating, I think this will be a great read for middle school-aged students, especially those dealing with the feeling of being lost in the shuffle. And, really, haven't we all felt that way one time or another? Willow and her growing fan club will help you feel otherwise. Guaranteed. As a P.S.- Had a neat occurrence on p 152 when Willow makes reference to "the classic book where two kids run away from home and go to hide in a museum in New York City," as I had just finished re-reading "The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" for the first time as an adult right before starting this book. I feel like Willow would have appreciated that. Also on that same page she tells us that "books = comfort." I wholeheartedly agree.

48) When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (audio)

49) re-read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

 Poetry

50) October Mourning by Leslea Newman

I've had this book on my "to-read" list since I heard Michael Cart talk about it at the ISLMA conference last October. When I saw Mr. Anderson rated it 5 stars a few days ago, it shot to the top of my to-read list. I checked out a copy from the library this morning and finished reading it in less than an hour. Everyone should read this book of poetry, which, as a collection, is called a "song for Matthew Shepard," the 21-year-old college student who was kidnapped, beaten, and left for dead tied to a fence in rural Montana in October, 1998 all because he was gay. These poems, which are each written from a different point of view (including the moon, the fence, the killers, the cops, etc.), are incredibly moving, nauseating, and powerful. Newman uses a variety of poetic forms and includes an explanation of those forms in the back of the book, in addition to a list of relevant resources. I have a lot more to say about how meaningful these poems are, but I'm going to save those thoughts for a blog post, so for now I will leave you with a paragraph taken from the author's Afterword: "I have tried my hardest to imagine the last hours of Matthew Shepard's life before he lost consciousness. It is impossible to fathom the raw fear he surely felt as he begged for his life. As a poet, I know it's part of my job to use my imagination. It's part of my job as a human being, too. Because only if each of us imagines that what happened to Matthew Shepard could happen to any one of us will we be motivated to do something. And something must be done." Longer review on blog: http://alyseliebovich.blogspot.com/2013/08/october-mourning-song-for-matthew.html

51) The Lightning Dreamer by Margarita Engle

52) Cinnamon Girl by Juan Felipe Herrera

53) Sold by Patricia McCormick

Graphic Novels

54) Drama by Raina Telgemeier 

55) Mom's Cancer by Brian Fies

A story of hope. Made me feel so grateful that, although my mom had lung cancer, she never had to go through radiation (or chemo). Loved the illustrations and that this book was picked up by medical professionals to better understand how patients and their loved ones feel during the entire cancer "process." Fies's mom wrote the afterword, which really added to the real-ness of what everyone went through, especially since she was the patient (and survivor). I loved her last paragraph: "Cherish rest, laughter, friends and prayers. Trust in yourself and make a peace treaty with your High Power. Have a Hero to never let go of and help you through terrifying nights. Take frequent baths to get ride of the scent of toxins. Watch a lot of comedies. Keep your mind and hands busy. Then just breathe for as long as you can, knowing others are helping to hold you up."

56) Electric Girl, Volume 1 by Michael Brennan

57) Mother Come Home by Paul Hornschemeier

58) A Game for Swallows by Zeina Abirached

59) Wilson by Daniel Clowes  

60) Primates by Jim Ottaviani

61) 9/11, Vol. 1: Artists Respond

62) Building Stories by Chris Ware

Disclaimer: Think twice about reading if you have a general tendency to get depressed by the redundancy of everyday life, especially by anything listed below.

This box contains:
Relationship disintegration
Marriage regret
Giving up on your own dreams
Pet loss due to forgetfulness due to having a human child replacement
Bees
Spending most of your 20s making sure someone else's life is running smoothly instead of your own

I bought this as a gift to both myself and my boyfriend for Valentine's Day earlier this year. I thought it would be a unique activity to explore this box full of stories, in 14 different pieces (newspaper, pamphlet, game board, etc), together, like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" for grown-ups. The box has been sitting upright on top of our low-rider bookshelves all year, like a piece of 3D art.
I finally took it down and ended up binge-reading all of the pieces by myself over the past two days because I wanted to finish it before the end of the year. And now that I'm finished and truthfully kind of depressed from the material (a few of the scenarios hit a little too close to home), I'm glad we didn't indulge in this together. In fact, I'd venture to say it was probably the worst Valentine's Day gift I've ever given.

But. I am not rating it on its potential as a V-day gift, and with that aside, I loved the concept and design, and despite how depressed I felt while doing so, I did enjoy piecing this woman's life together. I chose where to start and where to continue at random. Interesting that you can either read it chronologically (is that possible? I'm not sure.) or you end up having the added heaviness of foresight and hindsight as you plow your way through.

For a way better and more comprehensive review, including thoughts on the significance of the words "building" and "stories," please read Gary Anderson's review on his follow-worthy blog, "What's Not Wrong?": http://whatsnotwrong.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/review-building-stories-by-chris-ware/

 63) Abelard by Renaud Dillies

Picture Books

64) This is Not My Hat by John Klassen

65) Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

66) No T Rex in the Library by Tony Buzzeo

67) I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

68) Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett

69) Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue

70) I, Too, Am America by Langston Hughes

71) September Roses by Jeanette Winter

72) Under the Big Sky by Trevor Romain

73) The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard

74) The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy

75) Elmer by David McKee

76) 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore by Jenny Offill & Nancy Carpenter

77) Tuesday by David Wiesner

78) Thank You, World by Alice B. McGinty

79) Pingo by Brandon Mull

80) re-read Imogen's Antlers by David Small

81) Moosetache by Margie Palatini

82) Tomas and the Library Lady by Pat Mora

83) Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk

84) Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo by William Joyce

85) Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio

86) Bugs! by David T. Greenberg

87) Big Anthony by Tomie dePaola

88) Pickles to Pittsburgh by Judi Barrett

89) Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

90) Tiger Who Wore White Gloves by Gwendolyn Brooks

91) The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane and Herm Auch

92) Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

93) The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter

94) Verdi by Janell Cannon

95) If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano

96) A Long Way Away by Frank Viva

97) The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

98) Big Appetites by Christopher Boffoli

99) Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd (get it?)

100) Abe Lincoln's Dream by Lane Smith

101) Goodnight Keith Moon by Bruce Worden

102) Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds

103) Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

104) Blackout by John Rocco

105) Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell

106) Aziz the Storyteller by VI Hughes

107) Matzo Ball Moon by Lesléa Newman

What books did you love in 2013? What books should we steer clear of reading? Any reading goals for the new year?  

World Book Night!

Before I rave about how amazing World Book Night is, please note that the applications to be a 2014 Book Giver are due by this Sunday, January 5th!
Here is the link for More Information and the APPLICATION.

Now on to my musings...

Two years ago, in World Book Night's inaugural year, I applied to be a Book Giver but didn't make the cut. I don't remember my 3rd choice (but it was probably Hunger Games, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian or The Book Thief), but my first two were:

1) The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
2) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
(both 5-star favorites, must read if you haven't already)

Last year I eagerly applied again, saying in the short-answer questions that, if chosen, I would give away my 20 books in Wicker Park, and that I wanted to participate because I had officially just become a librarian and wanted to spread the love of reading to neighbors I have never met before, who may have less access to free reading materials.

My top 3 choices:
1) The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
2) Bossypants by Tina Fey
3) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
(also all 5-star favorites)

This time I got accepted AND got my #1 pick! The next step was choosing a pick-up location. There were limited places in Chicago, so I chose Barrington, since at the time I was commuting to Crystal Lake and could easily swing by there on my way home. Plus, the Barrington Public Library happens to be the backdrop of my earliest memories of being an avid reader and probably the initial seed planted that eventually led to me becoming a librarian 25 years later.

A few days later I received a confirmation of my pick-up location, which just said Barrington Public Library...can you guess where this is going? When I arrived at BPL on pick-up day, I got several confused looks from the librarians behind the circulation desk when I excitedly said I was there to pick up my World Book Night box. Turns out there's a Barrington in New Hampshire, and my books were 1,000 miles away. After a few e-mails back and forth with Amy, their library director, she said they often get holds requests from both Illinois and Rhode Island and offered to mail me my box. The awesome thing about librarians: They're always there to lend a helping hand and to help solve problems. So here's a public shout-out to Amy in NH! She sent me the box, I sent her a thank-you note with a check to reimburse the shipping cost, and I was back in business just in time to participate on April 23.

Except I was sick. And it was raining in Chicago.
A week later, it was bright and sunny, I was over the bug, and I was ready to finally distribute 20 copies of Phantom Tollbooth to other people enjoying the neighborhood. I proudly stuck my "I am a Book Giver" sticker to my shirt and gave one to my friend and fellow librarian, Stephanie, who offered to accompany me.

I felt uncomfortable at first because I realized people probably thought I was trying to pass out religious material (and, let's be honest, I'd be pretending to look the other way too if the roles were reversed), so instead of approaching people on the street and asking if they'd like a free book, I changed my approach to, "This is one of the best children's books, and it's celebrating its 50th anniversary! Want one for free??" We gave one to a pilot, one to a new mom, two to college students, four to a group of elderly women, one to a couple, one to a girl eating lunch in the park, a guy selling fruit, a few train passengers, a few people waiting for the bus, and a man with a dog. Some people were hesitant at first, mostly not believing that there wasn't a catch to the book being free of charge.
I sure hope they all find the book as magical and clever as I did, both at ages 10 and 30.

Me: "I wish I had an endless supply of free books to give away to people!"
Stephanie: "But you do...You work in a library!"

And that, friends, is the summation of why World Book Night and libraries are equally awesome!
Spread the literature love, and become a Book Giver!


Here are some of the portraits I took of the happy new book owners.
Click here to view the full album on Flickr.

At the bus stop on Damen at Milwaukee

At the same bus stop. Notice the previous man in the background is already reading!

Fruit stand on Damen outside the Blue Line station

Last copy went to a man and his dog! I'd like to think he read him the story :-)

My 2014 Top 3, you ask? 
1) Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple
2) Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
3) Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This Is What I Remember

Standing on Fifth Avenue.
The girl next to me sobbing into a cell phone.
"He’s in there and people are just standing here taking pictures!"
And I kept shooting.

Talking to Jenny on the phone.
The Pentagon exploding on my TV screen.
"We’re at war! I don’t want to hang up with you!"
And I hung up the phone.

Anticipating a love letter.
The emptiness of my mailbox.

Returning a VHS to Hollywood Video.
Staring at face masks on the way.
"Am I the one in a movie?"
But I also can’t breathe.

Jumping over a puddle the night before.
Giggling while wondering out loud,
"What would happen if lightning struck a skyscraper?"
But an airplane?

No. An airplane never crossed my mind.

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman

 

This book of poetry had been on my list to read since last October when I heard Michael Cart speak briefly about it, with tears in his eyes, during his Best of 2012: 60 books in 60 minutes book talk at the ISLMA conference. When I saw more recently that a highly-regarded teacher-friend of mine, Gary Anderson, rated it 5 stars on Goodreads, calling it a "masterpiece," I immediately requested it from my local library.

While walking back to my apartment (I live virtually right across from the local branch, which is super convenient), I turned a corner quickly and literally ran into a guy who resembled Matthew Shepard so much that after apologizing I had to do a double-take to see if I was imagining this person. He had blonde-ish hair that fell at an angle across his face, and he was remarkably pale. He smiled shyly, also said "Sorry," and continued on his way.

This encounter alone haunted me, and I felt compelled to sit down as soon as I walked in the door and read all 68 poems in a very short amount of time. 

In short: Everyone should read this book of poetry, which as a collection is called "A Song for Matthew Shepard," the 21-year-old college student who was kidnapped, beaten, and left for dead tied to a fence in rural Montana in October, 1998 all because he was gay. These poems, which are each written from a different point of view (including the moon, the fence, a deer, the killers, the cops, etc.), are incredibly moving, nauseating, and powerful. 
Lesléa Newman, who was scheduled to be the keynote speaker for Gay Awareness Week at the same university Shepard attended only a week after his brutal murder, uses a variety of poetic forms and includes an explanation of those forms in the back of the book, in addition to a list of relevant resources. She now works closely with the Matthew Shepard Foundation. For more information, visit their website: http://www.matthewshepard.org/ 

And please watch and listen to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's song, "Same Love."

If you have some extra time, here are some further, more personal thoughts on the subject.

When I was about 13 or 14, during the early years of AOL, I remember chatting with a guy friend who I'd known since preschool. I don't remember how it came up, but he decided to "come out" to me over an instant message. I remember being surprised but mostly just curious. I asked him who else knew. And I asked him if he thought he'd get made fun of just because he happened to like boys. I don't remember the specifics of the conversation, except for this detail: He told me he didn't like how often he heard the offensive word "fag." I admitted to him that I called my little sister that all the time and had no idea that it was such a bad word; it was just the current trendy insult. I vowed to never utter the word again.
A few years later Matthew Shepard's murder made national headline, being labeled as a hate crime. I thought back to the conversation I had with my friend and how he had felt uncomfortable and scared to let anyone know his "secret identity."

In high school I had a handful of friends who were gay, which I imagine wasn't the easiest label to deal with amidst the homogenous, A&F-wearing suburbanites. Early on in my senior year (2000), one of our fellow classmates, also a member of the glorified football team, made and wore a homophobic t-shirt to school, while pretending to talk in a lisp all day. I believe the culprit was one of the same boys who had walked behind me several times in those same halls pretending to sneeze but saying "a-jew."

(I thought of this when I read the poem on page 51 called "The Frat Boys." A fraternity at Colorado State University sponsored a Wizard of Oz-themed float in their homecoming parade with a scarecrow that had "I'M GAY" spraypainted on it. Matthew Shepard was discovered by a runner, who at first stated he thought Shepard was a scarecrow tied to the fence, on October 7. This appalling act took place a few blocks from the hospital where Matthew laid in a coma on October 10, only two days before he succumbed to his injuries.)

When I was asked to speak on "Character" at the National Honor Society inductions, I mentioned this in my speech. I didn't mention his name because that wasn't the point. The point was to draw attention to the fact that something needed to change at that school because there was no excuse for acting that way toward fellow classmates (or anyone for that matter). 

Afterward, a friend of mine approached me in the auditorium and said how much he liked my speech but that he had to correct me on something; I used the term "sexual preference," and I learned then that the correct term to use was "sexual orientation." This is not something that people choose, they're born this way (cue Lady Gaga). I was embarrassed. Here I was trying to make a statement and stand up for my friends, and I probably came across just as ignorant because of my lack of thoughtful word choice. But I never forgot that moment and have taken it upon myself to correct people whenever I hear someone refer to homosexuality as a choice or a preference. (Lyrics from above video, "Same Love," The right wing conservatives think it's a decision/And you can be cured with some treatment and religion/Man-made rewiring of a predisposition/Playing God/America the brave still fears what we don't know/And God loves all his children, is somehow forgotten/But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago/I don't know) 

Soon after I gave that speech the homophobic guy (the one who made the t-shirt) and I happened to be at the same party one night. Even though I had refrained from mentioning him by name, I only called out his actions, he was beyond pissed. More than a decade later I don't recall exactly what he screamed at me through gritted teeth, but I can picture his reddening face as he grabbed a nearby bar stool, flipped it over, and started swinging at me in a drunken rage. He didn't succeed in hitting me, and it was over almost as soon as it started, thanks to intervening bystanders.

Something had to be done. My guidance counselor at the time mentioned that he and a few other staff members and concerned students were looking into starting a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and asked if I'd want to help. I eagerly agreed. There wasn't a lot of time before I graduated to make much of a difference, and although the group survived under various aliases over the years, I found out today that it apparently was never officially recognized by the school nor the district. The good news: This is the first year, under a more general all-encompassing alias, that it is finally--12 years later--being granted official club status. It took entirely too long in my opinion, however I'm still proud to have been part of the initial group that helped pave the way for some reality bubble-bursting. Also, I really like the direction its evolved, which is "celebrating the human experience and issues of acceptance for all members of the community." Perfect.

Moving on to college... 

I arrived back home via Amtrak after my first year as a student at New York University (where, by the way, being a gay guy was the norm) to find my dad and my best friend, Abbi, waiting for me at Union Station. When Abbi and I were alone, she confided that while she was waiting with my dad he asked her, "Is Lyse a lesbian?" She laughed and replied, "No...she's not a lesbian. What made you think that?" His only reasoning, or at least the only reason he told Abbi, was that I didn't have a boyfriend in high school. The natural assumption being: she must like girls then. Abbi told him that was a ridiculous conclusion, that hardly any of our close friends had boyfriends in high school. 
Then he said something to her that meant the world to me: "...because I wouldn't care if she was [a lesbian]. I just want her to be happy." If my dad, who is notorious for belting "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof at any given moment and who views the world through a formulaic lens, can be so unconditional with his love, anyone can muster the same.

When I was 28...

I went on a roadtrip with my friend, Dana, and we ended up at a line-dancing saloon in Nashville on our first night. Just in time for a hula-hoop contest. I won second place. When I returned to our table, some men standing nearby congratulated me. I smiled and thanked them. One of those men, a few minutes later, started laughing with his buddy and called out: "HOMO!" Horrified, I turned to face them to make sure I'd heard right, and sure enough they were watching the one guy on the floor, out of a sea of hip-twisting females, doing a swell job of keeping his hoop a-twirlin'. Again, the man beside me called out something at the boy on the dance floor using the word "homo" all the while cracking up with his friend.
I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me. Can you please stop yelling the word 'homo'?"
He looked at me, startled. "What makes you think it's appropriate to use that kind of language directed towards another human being?" I continued.
He genuinely seemed like he had no idea that yelling "homo" at someone was an offensive act. "Well he's obviously a homo because men shouldn't be that good at hula-hooping," he explained. 
"Ok, first of all, can you please stop using that word?" I went on to explain to him that it doesn't matter whether he's gay or not, it's inappropriate to yell that word because not only might you offend him, you never know who you're offending within earshot. He glanced at Dana, probably assuming that she and I were "homos" as well, but then surprised me by sincerely apologizing, saying he wouldn't do that again. 

If you haven't yet read October Mourning, I encourage you to check out a copy from your local library. Share it with friends and family. And if you're a teacher, recommend it to students.
To borrow Gary's description: It's masterful.

I will leave you with some strung together pieces of the poet's Afterword:

"...the phrase I can't imagine repeated itself over and over in my mind. So many people I'd spoken to in the last twenty-four hours had said the same thing: I can't imagine. And yet we must imagine, because the truth is, what happened to Matthew Shepard and his family could happen to any one of us...I have tried my hardest to imagine the last hours of Matthew Shepard's life before he lost consciousness. It is impossible to fathom the raw fear he surely felt as he begged for his life. As a poet, I know it's part of my job to use my imagination. It's part of my job as a human being, too. Because only if each of us imagines that what happened to Matthew Shepard could happen to any one of us will we be motivated to do something. And something must be done...To quote John Lennon: Imagine." 

And remember...

(patch purchased at the Mynabirds merch booth at Empty Bottle, October, 2012)

I'm baaaaack...with an MLS!

Hello Force Field readers (a.k.a. Amy)! Recently I had an opportunity to answer some pretty thought-provoking questions about how I choose to live my life and why (I will reveal where these questions came from and why if I make it to the "final round"), which was enough motivation to bid farewell to this many-year hiatus of not consistently posting and start being disciplined about writing again.

I also happen to have a lot of time on my hands these days given that I am finally done with my Masters degree (after twice as long and incurring twice as much debt as initially planned) in Library and Information Science...and have yet to find a full-time job.

 

I am officially a Librarian/Media Specialist, or what I like to refer to as an Information Scientist. With Special Collections and K-12 certificates. I am currently seeking a position as a middle or high school librarian. When I tried to put into words why I want to be a school librarian, here is what I came up with:


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When I started down the path to become a librarian, I did so because being a voracious reader in my developing years helped to form my beliefs, shape my dreams, and set my values. One of my favorite books from those developing years is The Giver by Lois Lowry because the story changed the way I looked at and interpreted the world around me. Even as I reread the book recently, I felt a sense of awakening with each page I turned. Earlier this year I finished Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick, and I was mesmerized by the intertwining stories. Both of these books illustrate why I want to be a school librarian; through literature and our ever-evolving technologies I want to help students look at the world with a new sense of understanding like Jonas and to help connect the past with the present like Ben and Rose.

(Note to readers: If you (or your kids) haven't read either of these books, do yourself and your brain a favor and check them out from your local library immediately!)

To complete the K-12 portion I had to create an "assessment portfolio" to showcase my philosophy of education, artifacts accompanying explanations related to all of the Illinois standards, as well as a summary of my impact project. I worked really hard on this, all of its components individually but also structurally and aesthetically so that it would be a visually appealing artifact in itself to page through. 
Here it is, ladies and gentleman, the summation of 4 years of grad school: Alyse's Assessment Portfolio

It probably comes as no surprise that while studying to be a librarian I rediscovered my love and desire to voraciously read and recommend books. You can follow my book reviews and be my friend on Goodreads here: Alyse's Goodreads Profile
My intention is to refocus this blog to be mostly about everything related to books, reading, literacy, etc. in hopes that I can share the love with all of you and that this blog can serve as more of a virtual conversation with fellow lovers of lit. So don't be shy! I want to hear from YOU!

What are you reading? What is your favorite book? What book do you hate? Tell me, I want to know!

 

(Seriously, why do I not own something with this phrase on it?)

Another intention while I'm at it: Create a kickass, creative business card like one of these: Awesome Librarian Business Cards

Dear Mr. President...

Dear President Obama,

Congrats on your second term. Since I can't be there again tomorrow, I thought I would share my thoughts, photos, and a video [albeit terrible quality] I compiled after semi-spontaneously attending your first inauguration 4 years ago: force field: the inauguration

Thank you for taking promising steps towards fixing our country's absurd healthcare system and eradicating gun violence. May the next 4 years be filled with much-improved healthcare (both physical and mental), less war (both nationally and abroad), peaceful streets, and calmer minds.

Love,
Alyse

P.S. Do you need a librarian/dog walker at the White House?

100 Books in 2012

First of all, it's good to be back. I took an inexcusably long break from writing, pretty much for the entire 3.5 years I was attending grad school. Here's the good news: I am now an Information Scientist (a.k.a. librarian), and over the last year I've been reading like a fiend. Nothing like reading 100 books in one year to get you re-inspired to start writing again. In fact, I was so proud of this personal accomplishment that I am dedicating my first blog post [of 2013] to the complete list.

Most people's responses when I bragged that I read 100 books this year were something along the lines of: "Yeah, but all you read are kid books." First of all, did YOU read that many books this year? Second of all, yeah 20 or so of the books listed are picture books, and most of the novels listed are categorically "YA (Young Adult)," but they're still books. And I learned just as much, if not more, from Mo Willem's Leonardo, The Terrible Monster than The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

So here they are, loosely in the order I read them. Some have reviews I copied and pasted from what I wrote on Goodreads. I am distinguishing picture books, audio books, and graphic novels with parenthetical statements for those who are interested in format. Books I'd highly recommend are preceded by 2 stars (**).

(NOTE: After closer examination, my tally was technically 99 and 1/3 books, as I still have yet to read the remaining 2/3 of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.)

**1) Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Took 2 days to read. Everyone, especially if you have any relation to education (teacher, administrator, student, parent, counselor, librarian, etc.), should read this. You'll fall in love with August and have an eye-opening look to how, not just classmates, but their parents (atrocious!), try to act like he's not good enough to be part of the school just because he has a facial deformity.

**2) Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
I really liked this book. Definitely made me think a lot about how kids with disabilities are treated, especially in an "inclusion" school setting. I loved seeing the world from Melody's perspective. I can't think of an alternate ending, but I wish her class would have been chastised more for leaving her behind on the big day. 

3) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
This book held my attention for about 100 pages around 400-500. Other than that, don't get the hype.

4) The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
The sequel was better than the first, however the American version of the first movie ruined the entire mystery of the second book, so I predicted everything WAY sooner than I should have.

5) [1/3 of] The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

**6) The Giver (re-read)
This book changed my life when I read it in 5th grade. I recently read it again as an adult, worried that I wouldn't feel the same attachment. It was still there. Fantastic, thought-provoking read. 

**7) The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

8) Divergent by Veronica Roth
I liked this and futuristic Chicago as the setting, but I wanted to like it more than I did. I'll definitely still read the rest of the trilogy. 

9) Feed by M.T. Anderson
I wanted to and expected to like this book more than I did. I liked the concept behind it, but I didn't find it a super compelling read. With that said, I think there are some extremely thought-provoking sentences, paragraphs and ideas throughout.
Also, I felt very connected to Violet's desire to meet at least someone (in this case a boyfriend, who she [sort of] finds in Titus) to know and understand her. I can identify and empathize with the pain of discovering someone has blatantly chosen not to read pages and pages of thoughts that one chooses to share. It made me think about all the times in college when I would send novella-length e-mails home to a group of people that I thought might care, trying to make connections. What if most of those just ended up in the virtual trashcan?
Throughout the book, I felt the same feeling I felt in the middle of watching Wall-E in a dark theater full of people staring at a giant screen... in a downspiral of depression.
It reminds me of a Wilco lyric: "...our stories fit into phones..."
Although I actively participate in all these social networking "feeds," I always feel somewhat guilty and am worried for the future of kids who only know of human interaction involving some form of a screen. It's scary.
And this was written almost a decade ago before every social networking site had what they now call "[news] feed." Crazy.
Maybe this deserves an extra star for making me think so much, despite not loving how it was written...

10) The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

11) The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
I really liked the beginning and ending of this book but thought the middle was kind of slow. However, Calpurnia reminded me so much of myself as a little girl, that I'm leaning towards rating it higher than 3 stars. 

**12) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
13) Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
14) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

15) Holes by Louis Sachar
I didn't think I was going to like this as much as I did in the end. Mostly due to Sachar's mastery of eccentric characters, and I also think it poses a good first experience for kids who are just learning to "fill in the holes" in the more complicatedly interwoven stories they're reading. 

16) Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff by Jennifer L. Holm
I was expecting to like this more and wish it was more reader-interactive, but it served as a good example when talking to 8th graders about the journal-as-genre to show how a journal doesn't have to be just pages of written text. 

17) The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett
18) The Calder Game by Blue Balliett

**19) A Thousand Splendid Suns (audio) by Khaled Hosseini
Captivating story of interwoven lives in Afghanistan spanning several decades. My heart sped up as the story got closer and closer to 2001. Although this is a work of fiction, I liked feeling as though I was getting a better understanding of how senseless war is on the other side of the world. I listened to this as an audiobook on my commutes to/from work, and I often didn't want to get out of my car. 

20) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon

21) You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah! by Fiona Rosenbloom
I started off reading this on a Sunday morning and finished it two hours later. The language cracked me up and I found myself wishing I had written this book during my own bat-mitzvah season 16 years ago. The chapter titles alone made me giggle. There's not a whole lot to the story beyond a typical best-friend breakup over a boy, but it's a lighthearted easy read, and I really enjoyed the characters, the humor and the Jewish references. 

22) The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues #1) by Rick Riordan
I was expecting to like this book and the concept of this series a lot more than I did, but it left me not really interested in reading beyond book 1. Also, the website is not easily-navigable and you can't participate unless you have the trading cards, which will rarely be included in the library's copies of the books.
Also, I think the fact that each book is written by a different author is kind of jarring and doesn't bode well for the consistency of Amy and Dan's adventures... especially with the number of characters involved.
Despite not being blown away by it, after I did a presentation about the series in my School Media Center class, lots of seasoned YA librarians said their students love the series, and that it's especially well-received by reluctant readers. Hence the 3 stars.

23) Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin
A compelling, interesting and super fast read. I learned a good amount of Stalin's regime and the relentless fears of the Russian people by viewing the communist happenings through the eyes of young Sasha.
The illustrations help convey a time of fear and darkness as well.
Was surprised it ended where it did but ultimately thankful.

**24) Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
I started reading this en route to MN not knowing that half the story takes place there. I also had no idea that the last page would reveal that the book is dedicated to Maurice Sendak, who just passed away yesterday. Librarians, sign language, the feeling of first discovering New York City and an unraveling story of self-discovery. Loved it. Possibly even more than The Invention of Hugo Cabret. 

**25) Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst
I picked this out based on the cover illustration, which I know you're not supposed to do, but it's worth mentioning because they carry on throughout the story.
Cute, easy read. Definite option for story hour- lots of potential for emotion and voices and Viorst provides 3 different endings, which could be fun to do with kids as well. 

**26) Lulu Walks the Dogs by Judith Viorst
Love Judith Viorst and loved Lulu and the Brontosaurus, so I was pretty excited to see there was a new Lulu book. And this one is about her being a dog walker. Everything about it made me smile :) 

27) I am a Pole (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
28) Rules (audio) by Cynthia Lord
29) The Pillars of the Earth (audio) by Ken Follett
 
**30) The Glass Castle (audio) by Jeannette Walls
This was my first audiobook experience, as I needed something to look forward to on my long commutes.
It's really hard to imagine that the story is real.
I loved it. 

31) Will Grayson Will Grayson (audio) by John Green and David Levithan
I liked this story, and I loved being familiar with the setting of Chicago, Evanston and even one of my favorite music venues: The Hideout!
I gave it an extra star because listening to it (aside from the grating repetitiveness of the narrators reading the screen names in internet chats one too many times) on Playaway during my commute as opposed to reading it, made it really come to life. I loved the voices the two narrators gave to the characters, especially Tiny Cooper's, and hearing the renditions of the songs in his musical made me laugh out loud in the car. 
The story has a lot of great messages and lessons about being a teenager (whether gay or straight), love, life and the true meaning of friendship: showing you care about and appreciate people. 
And get this--when the audio ended, I turned on the radio, and guess what was playing! TINY DANCER!
Burning Question: Did Lady Gaga write "Born This Way" for Tiny Cooper??

32) Tell No One (audio) by Harlan Coben

33) The Boss Baby (picture book) by Marla Frazee
Same illustrator as the Clementine series with really humorous illustrations. Recommended by Kathy, who said she likes to give it as a gift to new parents. 

34) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
35) Blankets (graphic novel) by Craig Thompson
36) Queen of the World! (Babymouse, #1) (graphic novel) by Jennifer L. Holm
 
**37) The Fault in our Stars by John Green
Let's just say there are few books that have caused me to actually shed tears. As readers who get a glimpse into the love- and my oh my isn't it the love we all long for and deserve- between Hazel & Augustus and the importance each of us has to someone else in this crazy world.
Halfway through I was enjoying it but wasn't sure I was buying into all 5-star hype. By the end, though, I was filled with so many overwhelming feelings--not just sadness, but also heart-bursting love for the world and the people in it--it's hard not to praise the work fully.

38) Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
39) Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
**40) The Help by Kathryn Stockett (The movie is *terrible* and totally cheapens the book.)

41) Swallow Me Whole (graphic novel) by Nate Powell
I admit it--I chose this book solely based on its cover. However, I had a hard time following the story. I thought all the themes the description touched upon made it sound like something I'd enjoy, but I didn't follow what was happening at times. In addition, I didn't find any of the drawings nearly as captivating as the cover art (everything else is in black and white), and a lot of the text bubbles were hard to read... I'm sure this was on purpose, but it only left me kind of bored and frustrated. 

**42) Smile (graphic novel) by Raina Telgemeier
A great message for girls about inner beauty. Lots of laugh out loud moments that hearkened back to my love of the '90s (Bart Simpson shirts, The Little Mermaid, Teen Spirit deodorant). Also conjured up relatable memories of all my own teeth issues, most memorably when I had minor gum surgery and everyone addressed me as "chipmunk" in my freshman yearbook. 

43) American Born Chinese (graphic novel) by Gene Luen Yang
I was supposed to read this book for my YA Lit class last year, but CPL never got a copy for me in time. Definitely a quick and fun read. I really enjoyed the 3 interchanging story lines but when they finally become interwoven in an ah-ha moment near the end, it ends I abruptly and left me thinking, "wait- but then what?" 

44) Ghostopolis (graphic novel) by Doug TenNepal
45) Tommysaurus Rex (graphic novel) by Doug TenNepal
**46) My Monster Burrufu by Alberto Corral

**47) 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
I was nervous to read this book. Two and a half years ago (although it seems like hardly any time has passed) I lost a close relative to suicide. I still don't understand the circumstances, and every time I think about him and the taboo subject, my stomach twists and I want to rewind time and recognize the signs. What could I have done to show I cared more? What could I have said to convince him otherwise (even though I didn't know that was ever remotely a possibility until it was too late)? It kills me, still, that I saw him 36 hours before it happened. I still haven't been able to write about it. All that's in my journal on a blank page is: "My mom called and in a panicked voice said, 'Are you sitting down?' All I could think was, 'Oh no. Her cancer came back.' But when I sat down on the closed toilet and hesitantly said, 'Yeah,' my heart racing and breaking, I was shocked when what she actually said was, 'J is dead...He killed himself.'"

I really enjoyed the format of the book and the double narrative. It evoked a lot of different feelings as I read it. Hannah's voice (at least how my brain made her sound) even pervaded my dreams last night. Every time I fell back to sleep, my dreams were narrated in her voice. Haunting.

I was going to rate this book 4 stars, but after reading the last two pages and reading the author interview about how this book has [positively] affected his teen reader audience, I'm knocking it up to a 5 out of 5 because that kind of power behind a piece of writing deserves the best praise.

I think this is an important book for teenagers to read. As the author, Jay Asher, says in an interview at the back of the book in reply to the question, "Were you ever worried that this book would be hard for people to get through because of the serious issues it deals with?"
"...Some people, primarily adults, would rather there be no books dealing with controversial subjects, even if those books help start a dialogue between teens and adults. Thankfully, I've heard from a lot of parents and teachers and librarians who are using this book for that very reason."

48) Stitches (graphic novel) by David Small
I liked this graphic novel and thought it was interesting that it's also labeled as a "memoir." I think the "where are they now?" type blurbs with accompanying photographs in the back of the book helped me appreciate the story even more because it helped the reader understand the context of the storyline that much more. 
 
**49) Rupunzel's Revenge (graphic novel) by Shannon and Nathan Hale

50) Meanwhile (graphic novel) by Jason Shiga
I didn't follow all 3,856 story possibilities, however I enjoyed following a few of Jimmy's adventures. Reminded me of the Choose Your Own Adventure book series I used to adore as a kid. Fun to see something like that in a visual, colorful map-type format!

51) Zebrafish (graphic novel) by Peter H. Reynolds

52) Auschwitz (graphic novel) by Pascal Croci
It's hard to say that you "liked" a book of this sort. Croci doesn't hold back with his often violent depictions/illustrations of the terror at Auschwitz. It's gut-twisting to look at, and I found myself, at times, only focusing on the text bubbles and only glossing over the illustrations. The interview at the end [with Croci], which includes excerpts of letters from survivors interviewed for the fictional depiction, was interesting and eye-opening. 

53) Green (picture book) by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
54) Zombies in the Library by Michael Dahl
 
**55) The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by Chris Barton
Loved how the use of neon colors were used more and more throughout the book as the brothers got closer and closer to fully utilizing their discovery.
I liked the illustrations and the story (which is pretty interesting!) was laid out simply for young readers. Definitely a unique text for young readers looking for a non-fiction book to read. 
 
**56) Inside Out & Back Again by Tanhha Lai
I loved this book. Two of the reasons can be found in the author's note at the end. 1) "I extend this idea to all: How much do we know about those around us?" and 2) "I also hope after you finish this book that you sit close to someone you love and implore that person to tell and tell and tell their story."
This book is written in short, eye-opening poems and spans the year of 1975. The story is told from the perspective of Há, a Vietnamese girl who flees Vietnam with her family, near the end of the war, and ends up in Alabama. The fact that it's written in poetry works really well because a lot of the details are based off the authors own memories, so it flows really well in the way that short bursts of detailed memories often do. It's hard not to empathize with Há's desire to go back to war-torn Vietnam, when none of the kids are nice to her, their evangelical neighbors practically force them to get baptized, English is impossible to learn, and she has no idea whether or not her father is still alive.
Having just traveled to Vietnam this summer, I particularly felt a strong tie to this book because of how it felt to be an American there only 40 years later.
Highly recommended. For all ages really.

**57) Bridge to Terebithia (re-read) by Katherine Paterson
I haven't read this book since I was probably 11 years old, almost 20 years ago, but I remember the story made a great impact on me and how I've continually valued friendships over the years. Now that I'm working in a school library, grade 3-5, I decided I should re-read it as an adult, in addition to the fact that I forgot to adjust my Netflix queue and got the movie in the mail a week ago. I kept wishing I misremembered the tragedy that's weighed on my mind as the single memory from the book, but it still happened and my feelings didn't waver. The book subtly addresses religion and what happens (or doesn't) in the afterlife based on one's beliefs. Judging by the time of my life that I first read this, I understand now another one of the reasons why I felt so strongly about this story.

**58) Halloween (picture book) by Jerry Seinfeld
Got to play Seinfeld narrating his own book, while showing classes the illustrations in the book. It was hilarious. 

59) Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
60) A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein

**61) Animal Heroes: True Rescue Stories by Sandra Markle
I read this book in preparation for this Thursday night's non-fiction book club at the school where I'm student teaching. I am a total sucker for animal stories, especially ones where they save people. There are 10 stories about pets saving their owners and wild animals saving people in their natural environments. The first story is about a guide dog who lead his blind owner out of the World Trade Center on 9/11. That alone hit close to home, so I was hooked and read the rest of the stories pretty quickly. There are text boxes with easy-to-read facts about natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes) and health issues (e.g. hypothermia) that add important information for kids to fully understand the extent to which the animals helped the humans.

**62) Wallace's Lists (picture book) by Barbara Bottner
Cute book about deviating from life's lists, something people even a lot older than Wallace could learn how to do.

**63) Leonardo, the Terrible Monster (picture book) by Mo Willems
Loved the visual design, both text and illustrations. Leonardo is adorable (although he'd probably hate, at least in the beginning), if I described him that way. Quick, simple read with a great message.

64) When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry (picture book) by Molly Bang
 
65) Teammates (picture book) by Tiki Barber and Robert Burleigh
This book didn't really grab my attention, but I also don't really care about football that much. I do think it's neat that the authors are real-life football stars and friends, which I didn't realize until I tried searching for this picture book on Goodreads. 

66) Strange and Wonderful Tale of Robert McDoodle: The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Dog (picture book) by Steven Baur
Cute concept.

67) Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen (picture book) by Cari Best
This book was cute, but I didn't love it. I liked the ending. 

68) Oh yeah! (picture book) by Tom Birdseye
Two boys who "one-up" each other about how scared they're NOT going to get sleeping in a tent outside. Liked illustrations more than the book as a whole.

69) A Frog Thing (picture book) by Eric Drachman
Easy reader picture book with a positive message about being happy with who you are.

70) The Perfect Nest (picture book) by Catherine Friend
71) When Randolph Turned Rotten (picture book)by Charise Mericle Harper

72) The Incredible Book-Eating Boy (picture book) by Oliver Jeffers
I loved the collage-like illustrations in this book, as well as the storyline. The bite taken out of the back corner also gives it that extra humorous, visceral touch. Want to add this to my own growing personal library and check out the other books by Jeffers. 

73) Michael's Golden Rules by Deloris (picture book) and Roslyn Jordan
I didn't love this book, despite the intro being written by the great Michael Jordan. But, again, sports books really don't hold my attention, so it could be the perfect book for a young boy (or girl) struggling at Little League, etc. 

**74) Hippo-not-amus (picture book) by Tony and Jan Payne
Another great, humorous and colorful picture book about learning to love who you are, even if you have to try being other species to reach that level of appreciation. 

75) Pete's a Pizza (picture book) by William Steig
76) Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (picture book) by Mo Willems

77) Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity (picture book) by Mo Willems
I can relate to having a favorite stuffed animal and knowing when a similar one is not yours (or when your mom promises she won't was it but does anyway). I really liked the illustrations, set atop real black & white photographs. My one question, though, is that one of the photographs is of the real Arc'd'Triumph in Paris, but the story takes place in Brooklyn, so you'd think a picture of the arch, would be the one in Washington Square Park in Manhattan... details, details. 

**78) Library Lion (picture book) by Michelle Knudsen
Animals in the library? Yes, please! 

79) I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (picture book) by Lauren Child
As someone who was quite the picky eater growing up, I loved reading this book about how Charlie gets his sister Lola to eat various foods she refuses to eat by giving them imaginative names and backstories (e.g. referring to tomatoes as MOONSQUIRTERS)! I also really liked the use of moving text and the cute illustrations. 

**80) Little Rabbit and the Meanest Mother on Earth (picture book) by Kate Klise
Now that I'm an adult, I want to give this book to my mom. 

**81) Ish by (picture book) by Peter H. Reynolds
**82) The Dot (picture book) by Peter H. Reynolds 

83) The Adventures of a Nose (picture book) by Viviane Schwartz
Loved the illustrations, showing that the nose subtly completes a face no matter where it goes. 

84) I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed (picture book) by Lauren Child

85) Just a Dream (picture book) by Chris Van Allsburg
Scary that this was published in 1990. Like Wall-E, it makes me nervous that this is where our world is quickly headed if people don't start caring about the Earth and its resources. Good lessons with dreamy illustrations.

**86) Scaredy Squirrel (picture book) by Mélanie Watt
Like, Wallace's Lists, this book has another great lesson about breaking routine and exploring the unknown. 

**87) Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
I loved that is based off the author's grandmother's own immigration story. The integration of Spanish is great. I actually wish there was more. I liked how the chapter titles are types of fruit (written in both languages) instead of numbers and how each fruit related to the story. Esperanza changes from her rich rancher mentality to a more humble and understanding person after experience life as a new U.S. immigrant.

88) The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder by Mark Cassino and Jon Nelson
I thought this book was boring and the visuals too repetitive. 

89) GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka

**90) Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer
This book totally tricked me! I knew the concept was poetry from "mirroring" perspectives, but I didn't catch on that the side-by-side poems were the exact same text reversed until a few pages in! When I finally caught on, I thought, "Wow! This sure shows how much punctuation can changed the meaning of a sentence!" Each page is a different fairy tale and the two poems are from 2 different character's perspectives. Interesting and clever concept with colorful, engaging illustrations. 

91) Baloney (Henry P.) (picture book) by Jon Scieszca

92) There's No Such Thing as a Chanukah Bush, Sandy Goldstein by Susan Sussman
"That afternoon we practiced Christmas carols. I just mouthed the words. I didn't know if Jews were supposed to sing the words "little Lord Jesus" and "'ron yon Virgin." I did sing "Jingle Bells" and "White Christmas." They seemed safe." I feel like Sussman translated my kid thoughts about celebrating Hanukkah when it seemed like all the focus was on Christmas into a children's book. Also, I love the title of this book. 

**93) Thoreau at Walden (graphic novel) by John Porcellino
I first learned about Henry David Thoreau and his beliefs in Gary Anderson's American Studies English class when I was a junior in high school. I immediately became obsessed with him and his ideologies. I just discovered this graphic novel version of some of his collected thoughts and spent the last 15 minutes reading it. I really enjoyed the introduction as a memory jog. I think the graphic novel portion does a good job of accomplishing the book's stated goal, which is to get the reader interested enough [meaning the books is fairly short and doesn't touch on ALL his thoughts, etc.] to seek out further information and writings by Thoreau. In the back of the book there are "panel discussions" which provide additional and interesting information anecdotes about some of the quotes included within the graphic novel.
 
**94) Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan 
It's hard to say whether I would have rated this book so highly had I not experienced 9/11 first-hand. But because I did and because I feel like Levithan had some kind of psychic ability to transcribe my inner-most thoughts regarding the range of feelings during that time (as well as passages that sounded they were ripped straight out of my 2001 journal), I had to give it a full 5 stars. I found myself wanting to underline practically every other paragraph, but it was a library book. I think I'm going to have to buy a copy now. I'm not sure if the everyday reader (meaning anyone not in NYC on that day) would feel as connected to the story, but I could be wrong, given that he does a fantastic job of describing what it felt like from 3 different points of view, of 3 teenagers whose paths cross because of the circumstances.

95) Ruth and the Green Book (picture book) by Calvin Alexander Ramsey
96) Redwoods (picture book) by Jason Chin
97) Houdini: The Handcuff King (graphic novel) by Jason Lutes
98) The Inside Outside Book of Libraries
 
**99) Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick
I knew about a movie titled The Killing Fields for years, but never knew that the movie was about one of the world's worst genocidal atrocities. This past summer I spent some time in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Cambodia during a month-long backpacking trip through Southeast Asia. We went to the Killing Fields at the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, and I walked around in a stunned silence as I listened to the audioguide in my ear describe what I was looking at: The Killing Tree, where the Khmer Rouge slammed babies head-first against its trunk before throwing them in a ditch, enormous ditches that marked mass graves of almost 9,000 people at that one site, how bone fragments and shreds of cloth still surface after the rainy season and a Buddhist stupa (memorial) filled with human skulls, many of which have marks of being assaulted by an ax.
Never in my life have I felt like more of an ignorant American. How did I never learn about such recent history (1975-1979...people are just NOW being brought to trial for their involvement) in school?? The whole experience was so incomprehensible, this is actually my first attempt to put any of it into words.

So when I heard about this new YA novel, based on the true survival story of Arn Chorn-Pond, a few months after I got home, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy in hopes of better understanding what I saw and learned about at Choeung Ek.

It's hard not to give this book 5 stars, even though it was really hard to read. I wanted to cry or throw up after reading practically every page, and it's the first book I've read where I actually found myself questioning whether the material is "appropriate" for a young adult audience. Then I frequently reminded myself that this is, for the most part, Arn's story. This is what he really lived through in his attempt to survive the Khmer Rouge through his musical ingenious and pure luck. And everyone, young and old, should read his story so we can better understand what human beings are capable of, what they can survive and how we need to prevent history like this from ever repeating itself.

**100) It's A Book by Lane Smith
            Perfect.

Books I'm currently reading in 2013:
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins (finished)
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Gossamer by Lois Lowry
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky


What were your favorites of 2012?
And what are you excited to read in 2013?

Get Involved: 9/11 & Memory, a Collaborative Effort

As we approach the 10-year marker of September 11, 2001, I've been thinking a lot about that day.
And what I remember.
And what other people I've encountered remember.
And everything that's happened since then.
Ten years later, I still haven't fully comprehended or come to terms with it all.

I am interested in what YOU remember.
Where were you that morning? How did you hear the news? What was your reaction?
Consider these questions a prompt and answer them in a tangible manifestation.

Some Suggestions:
Write down what you remember (a word, a phrase, a detailed account of the day...)
Have someone interview you on camera
Interview someone else
Make a collage
Design a postcard
Write a poem
Photocopy a journal entry from that day

When you've completed your piece of the project, please mail it to me.
(E-mail me for my address: alyse.liebovich@gmail.com)
And, as an incentive, I will send a 5x7 photo, taken by yours truly, to everyone who participates.

Please feel free, in fact I encourage you, to pass this project prompt along to anyone you think might be interested. Re-post this post, forward my e-mail, Tweet about it, etc.

At this point I'm unsure of the final product, however I'd definitely be interested in finding a physical space to share the project and further the collaboration and dialogue.
For now, though, it'll be a collection of memories.
To prevent forgetting.