As some of you may know, I’m reading Twilight right now. As some of you may also know, Twilight might be an easy read, but it isn’t a short read. There is something like 500 pages in the book! Trying to read through the book in a week was going to be crazy with school and other things, so I decided I’d give myself two weeks to read it. But, that obviously leaves a week with no book unless I read a short book in the interim. Enter Graphic Shakespeare Othello from Graphic Planet to the rescue! This graphic novel was adapted by Vincent Goodwin and illustrated by Chris Allen. There are many graphic novel adaptations of classic literary works, so I figured I would read an adaptation of a play that I admired.
Othello is one of Shakespeare’s most respected tragedies. Desdemona is a beautiful young woman who marries a decorated general named Othello. Seems that there wouldn’t be a problem until we find that Othello is a Moor, a man from Northern Africa, who has darker skin. Even though her father objects to the marriage, Desdemona loves Othello and will not leave his side. Enter Iago, a soldier who was just passed up for a promotion under Othello. Fueled by jealousy of Othello, Iago wants to ruin him, and he knows no better way of doing that then turning Othello against his wife. Through a terrible and ingenious plot, Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona is sleeping with one of Othello’s lieutenants. The outcomes of that plot bring this play to a tragic end.
The play itself is a powerful tale of what can happen when jealousy and envy get the better of us. It also shows that once we are viewing a situation from a certain angle, it is very difficult to change our perspective. Although I enjoy graphic novels, I don’t know if I enjoyed this particular one. After reading the play, Othello, you are filled with rage and loathing for Iago, and pity and anger toward Othello. Although the basic plot mechanisms and actions were portrayed in the graphic novel, it didn’t have anywhere near the feel and emotional catharsis of the tragedy. This might have something to do with the brief nature of the graphic novel; it compressed the dialogue into fifty pages of graphic novel. In addition, even though the characters were expertly illustrated, they didn’t line up with how I had imagined the characters in my mind.
But, having said all of that, there is some good coming from this graphic novel. Just before I headed off to work, my teen-aged brothers were flipping through the pages. If the play, Othello, was sitting on the couch, they probably wouldn’t have picked it up; but because it was a graphic novel, they couldn’t help but glance at it and get a feel for the story. Yesterday at the library I noticed another similar situation. A new graphic novel version of Frankenstein was one of our display books in the juvenile literature. A young guy couldn’t resist the artwork and began to read it. Even though I don’t think the graphic novel lived up to the play, it might get some readers interested in the story, and might make Shakespeare a little closer to the rest of us.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Books with Beat!
Well hello again everybody. Another week has come and gone, and here we are on Friday again.
The life of a programming librarian can include many meetings, and this week started with one. I had a chance to sit down with the secondary education librarians from the Coeur d’ Alene school district. We chatted about the Hayden library’s upcoming October programs and ways to support each other and stay in contact. I love meetings when everybody is on the same page and want to move toward the same goal.
Wednesday brought the Inland Northwest Blood Center bus to the library. The bus has been coming to the library for the past two years, and staff members and patrons have consistently donated blood. This blood drive was the third time I’ve donated on the bus, and the first time I’ve had any problems. The donating went fine, the standing up afterward went fine, the walking to the back of the bus to eat some treats and drink some juice went fine. What didn’t go fine was a couple minutes later when all color literally ran from my face and a snowstorm was playing in front of my eyes. Turns out that donating blood on an empty stomach isn’t a good idea. This is something that I know, but didn’t practice this time. But, the blood center has a few units of my blood, and I have my color back.
Last week, I mentioned a few programs that were coming up in October, and I wanted to expound on them a little bit. Alysun Sanders, a graduate from Lake City High School, has published a book called “Talli’s Tale.” She is going to be at the library on October 15 from 6:30-7:30pm. Although she only has one book published, Alysun has enjoyed writing and telling stories for her entire life. She is going to be discussing being an author, getting published, and writing.
The next Friday, October 22, we are having Airband Awesomeness from 7:00-9:00pm. October 17-23 is Teen Read Week, a national event put on by the young adult arm (YALSA) of the American Library Association every year, and the theme this year is, “Books with Beat.” We were scratching our heads looking for a fun program, and Karen remembered something hilarious that she did when she was in high school. She told me about airband competitions that were held at her school, and I thought that we had to try it. So, pick a song, divide up the parts (vocals, drums, guitar, etc.), and come rock out with nothing but air. My thought is the more you put into it, the more fun it is going to be. So go all out with costumes, hair, makeup, and the style that the band plays in. If you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited about it.
Something else to do with Teen Read Week is the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. This is an event put on by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association), Mattel, and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). It involves students from grades 5-12 pledging to read five books between Teen Read Week and April 2011. It also involves students submitting a creative project about literary characters and WWE superstars. The grand prize is ring side seats to WrestleMania 27 in Atlanta! If you are interested come by the library to get the pledge and project sheets, and return them by October 25, 2010.
Don’t want to take up too much more of your time, so I’ll see you on Wednesday.
The life of a programming librarian can include many meetings, and this week started with one. I had a chance to sit down with the secondary education librarians from the Coeur d’ Alene school district. We chatted about the Hayden library’s upcoming October programs and ways to support each other and stay in contact. I love meetings when everybody is on the same page and want to move toward the same goal.
Wednesday brought the Inland Northwest Blood Center bus to the library. The bus has been coming to the library for the past two years, and staff members and patrons have consistently donated blood. This blood drive was the third time I’ve donated on the bus, and the first time I’ve had any problems. The donating went fine, the standing up afterward went fine, the walking to the back of the bus to eat some treats and drink some juice went fine. What didn’t go fine was a couple minutes later when all color literally ran from my face and a snowstorm was playing in front of my eyes. Turns out that donating blood on an empty stomach isn’t a good idea. This is something that I know, but didn’t practice this time. But, the blood center has a few units of my blood, and I have my color back.
Last week, I mentioned a few programs that were coming up in October, and I wanted to expound on them a little bit. Alysun Sanders, a graduate from Lake City High School, has published a book called “Talli’s Tale.” She is going to be at the library on October 15 from 6:30-7:30pm. Although she only has one book published, Alysun has enjoyed writing and telling stories for her entire life. She is going to be discussing being an author, getting published, and writing.
The next Friday, October 22, we are having Airband Awesomeness from 7:00-9:00pm. October 17-23 is Teen Read Week, a national event put on by the young adult arm (YALSA) of the American Library Association every year, and the theme this year is, “Books with Beat.” We were scratching our heads looking for a fun program, and Karen remembered something hilarious that she did when she was in high school. She told me about airband competitions that were held at her school, and I thought that we had to try it. So, pick a song, divide up the parts (vocals, drums, guitar, etc.), and come rock out with nothing but air. My thought is the more you put into it, the more fun it is going to be. So go all out with costumes, hair, makeup, and the style that the band plays in. If you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited about it.
Something else to do with Teen Read Week is the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. This is an event put on by YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association), Mattel, and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). It involves students from grades 5-12 pledging to read five books between Teen Read Week and April 2011. It also involves students submitting a creative project about literary characters and WWE superstars. The grand prize is ring side seats to WrestleMania 27 in Atlanta! If you are interested come by the library to get the pledge and project sheets, and return them by October 25, 2010.
Don’t want to take up too much more of your time, so I’ll see you on Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Principled Action
I have to say that I really, really enjoyed the book I read this week. Although it wasn’t on the list of books that I want to read, it caught my eye when I was over in the YA section, so I picked it up. Have you ever wondered what your favorite genre of books is? I’ve thought do I like fantasy, sci-fi, mysteries, or thrillers? Although I enjoy most books I read, I think I might lean toward thrillers. There is something amazing about a heart-pounding adventure where a hero gets out of impossible situations in a believable way.
The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan opens with a high school student strapped to a chair with men outside the room talking about killing him. The first things he notices are the cuts, bruises, and burns that are covering his body. He had been tortured! Now if he was a secret agent, spy, or military personnel, this scenario might make sense. But, as far as Charlie West knows, he is just a normal high school student who went to bed last night after writing a history paper. While waiting for the men to enter the room, Charlie strives to remember what could have brought him to this point, and he cannot come up with an answer. After escaping from the compound, Charlie has to elude these same men, and later the police, while trying to figure out what he has gotten himself into.
For anyone who liked the Bourne Identity, this book is awesome. What do you do when you can’t remember why the bad guys are after you? Since Charlie can only remember a normal high school day before all of this happened, the mundane and the adventure make for an interesting contrast. You get Charlie’s feelings about his parents, about Beth, a girl he really likes, about his karate teacher, about his dreams and aspirations, and then you are dropped back into the action as Charlie has to survive a lot of bad guys trying to get him. Also through the entire book, there is a discussion of knowing the truth from lies, choosing your friends, believing in God and country, and pushing forward even though it is difficult. The Last Thing I Remember was my kind of thriller novel; one that mixes the action with a principled lead character. This book is the first in a trilogy called The Homelanders. For that reason, there is still plenty of action to have, and plenty of questions to be answered.
The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan opens with a high school student strapped to a chair with men outside the room talking about killing him. The first things he notices are the cuts, bruises, and burns that are covering his body. He had been tortured! Now if he was a secret agent, spy, or military personnel, this scenario might make sense. But, as far as Charlie West knows, he is just a normal high school student who went to bed last night after writing a history paper. While waiting for the men to enter the room, Charlie strives to remember what could have brought him to this point, and he cannot come up with an answer. After escaping from the compound, Charlie has to elude these same men, and later the police, while trying to figure out what he has gotten himself into.
For anyone who liked the Bourne Identity, this book is awesome. What do you do when you can’t remember why the bad guys are after you? Since Charlie can only remember a normal high school day before all of this happened, the mundane and the adventure make for an interesting contrast. You get Charlie’s feelings about his parents, about Beth, a girl he really likes, about his karate teacher, about his dreams and aspirations, and then you are dropped back into the action as Charlie has to survive a lot of bad guys trying to get him. Also through the entire book, there is a discussion of knowing the truth from lies, choosing your friends, believing in God and country, and pushing forward even though it is difficult. The Last Thing I Remember was my kind of thriller novel; one that mixes the action with a principled lead character. This book is the first in a trilogy called The Homelanders. For that reason, there is still plenty of action to have, and plenty of questions to be answered.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Wally World
How’s it going everybody?
Anybody else noticing that there was a chill in the air today? Kind of feels like fall is coming on, and I say that with the highest respect for summer I can. Guess we’ll have to hang on to the last weeks of summer and get ready for a great fall!
How have your school weeks been finding you? Back into the routine yet? I’m getting there. Even though we often look toward summer because it is supposed to be less busy, I often find that it is almost exactly the opposite. Why is that? We do get a break from our normal routines, but I found that I filled the time away from the regular routine with things that didn’t run on a routine, but still take just as much time. Needless to say, the last couple weeks of summer were very busy, and it is almost a relief to be back into the routine of school and work.
A few of you are probably wondering why this post is being posted so late. Turns out that I was at a Wal-Mart opening event today. There is a new Wal-Mart store that opened this week in Hayden, and Wal-Mart graciously donated grant money to Hayden businesses that were giving back to their communities. The Kootenai-Shoshone Libraries was one of the recipients. For this reason, we brought out the bookmobile and some foam photo frames and headed off to the Wal-Mart parking lot. Today was kind of windy, and kids were in school, so not too many people came knocking down our door. But, books were still checked out, someone got a library card, and we got to see some familiar library patrons. Not to mention that just spending time with library staff can be way too much fun!
The other big thing I’ve been working on this week is Teen Read Week, something that I’ll be mentioning until it comes from October 17-23. The Idaho Commission for Libraries is doing a statewide contest for promoting Teen Read Week. They called for libraries to submit a storyboard for a Teen Read Week PSA for a chance to win a digital photo frame. I decided to enter into the contest. I have also been a part of the Teen Read Week Coordinating Committee, and they were also looking for ways to promote Teen Read Week. They came up with the idea of committee members making a PSA, so I actually made the PSA, and I also submitted a storyboard for the same PSA.
Teen Read Week is going to be pretty busy with programs. Alysun Sanders is going to be joining us on the Friday before Teen Read Week, we are doing Airband Awesomeness on the Friday of Teen Read Week, and we are also participating in the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. Even though I don’t have time to go into details on those events now, just know that they are going to be awesome!
I’ll catch you on Wednesday for a Book Blurt on Andrew Klavan’s The Last Thing I Remember, which is starting off running, and seems to keep getting better. Blog you later!
Anybody else noticing that there was a chill in the air today? Kind of feels like fall is coming on, and I say that with the highest respect for summer I can. Guess we’ll have to hang on to the last weeks of summer and get ready for a great fall!
How have your school weeks been finding you? Back into the routine yet? I’m getting there. Even though we often look toward summer because it is supposed to be less busy, I often find that it is almost exactly the opposite. Why is that? We do get a break from our normal routines, but I found that I filled the time away from the regular routine with things that didn’t run on a routine, but still take just as much time. Needless to say, the last couple weeks of summer were very busy, and it is almost a relief to be back into the routine of school and work.
A few of you are probably wondering why this post is being posted so late. Turns out that I was at a Wal-Mart opening event today. There is a new Wal-Mart store that opened this week in Hayden, and Wal-Mart graciously donated grant money to Hayden businesses that were giving back to their communities. The Kootenai-Shoshone Libraries was one of the recipients. For this reason, we brought out the bookmobile and some foam photo frames and headed off to the Wal-Mart parking lot. Today was kind of windy, and kids were in school, so not too many people came knocking down our door. But, books were still checked out, someone got a library card, and we got to see some familiar library patrons. Not to mention that just spending time with library staff can be way too much fun!
The other big thing I’ve been working on this week is Teen Read Week, something that I’ll be mentioning until it comes from October 17-23. The Idaho Commission for Libraries is doing a statewide contest for promoting Teen Read Week. They called for libraries to submit a storyboard for a Teen Read Week PSA for a chance to win a digital photo frame. I decided to enter into the contest. I have also been a part of the Teen Read Week Coordinating Committee, and they were also looking for ways to promote Teen Read Week. They came up with the idea of committee members making a PSA, so I actually made the PSA, and I also submitted a storyboard for the same PSA.
Teen Read Week is going to be pretty busy with programs. Alysun Sanders is going to be joining us on the Friday before Teen Read Week, we are doing Airband Awesomeness on the Friday of Teen Read Week, and we are also participating in the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. Even though I don’t have time to go into details on those events now, just know that they are going to be awesome!
I’ll catch you on Wednesday for a Book Blurt on Andrew Klavan’s The Last Thing I Remember, which is starting off running, and seems to keep getting better. Blog you later!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Past or Present (both, please?)
As you all know, life is busy. I mentioned to Karen that I had actually read a book a week for two weeks in a row, and she was presently surprised. The last couple weeks of summer were so busy that I didn’t have a chance to do much YA book reading. But, I’m getting back into the swing of reading a book a week; partially because I enjoy it, partially because it helps me become familiar with the collection which is part of my job, and partially because you guys will know if I don’t read a book a week.
The first book I read for my Book Blurt was Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, and I’ve wanted to read the companion novel Love, Stargirl, since then. But, I must warn you; if you haven’t read Stargirl then this book blurt will be something of a spoiler.
Stargirl was written entirely from Leo’s perspective, and the book ended with Stargirl vanishing off of the face of the earth. She was there one day and gone the next. This book picks up from Stargirl’s perspective, and tells her story after moving from Arizona. Since her high school experience wasn’t the greatest, her family thought it would be best if she was homeschooled again. She still has a pet rat, and still washes her mind by meditating. She also still has a knack for finding people who are just a little bit not normal to help out. This book introduces us to a young girl named Dootsie, a troubled tween named Alvina, and an agoraphobic middle aged lady named Betty Lou. This isn’t to mention Perry, the guy who she keeps running into even though she really doesn’t want to. But, something is missing for her, and his name is Leo. Stargirl has to decide if she is going to let her despair over losing Leo keep her happy wagon down on pebbles, or if she is going to live for today and not dwell in the past.
Love, Stargirl is written in the same quirky, down-to-earth, every-day-sort-of langauge that Stargirl was written in, and it is a wonderful continuation of the story. Just like the first novel, Stargirl’s oddness helps her reach out to the oddballs, and makes us wonder if we can do the same thing. The book also keeps you interested by mixing Stargirl’s love for the present with her love for Leo (who is in the past). Even though you want her to move past her heartache, you also can’t help hoping that someday in the future Leo and Stargirl will be reunited, and Leo will finally realize what a treasure Stargirl really is.
The first book I read for my Book Blurt was Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, and I’ve wanted to read the companion novel Love, Stargirl, since then. But, I must warn you; if you haven’t read Stargirl then this book blurt will be something of a spoiler.
Stargirl was written entirely from Leo’s perspective, and the book ended with Stargirl vanishing off of the face of the earth. She was there one day and gone the next. This book picks up from Stargirl’s perspective, and tells her story after moving from Arizona. Since her high school experience wasn’t the greatest, her family thought it would be best if she was homeschooled again. She still has a pet rat, and still washes her mind by meditating. She also still has a knack for finding people who are just a little bit not normal to help out. This book introduces us to a young girl named Dootsie, a troubled tween named Alvina, and an agoraphobic middle aged lady named Betty Lou. This isn’t to mention Perry, the guy who she keeps running into even though she really doesn’t want to. But, something is missing for her, and his name is Leo. Stargirl has to decide if she is going to let her despair over losing Leo keep her happy wagon down on pebbles, or if she is going to live for today and not dwell in the past.
Love, Stargirl is written in the same quirky, down-to-earth, every-day-sort-of langauge that Stargirl was written in, and it is a wonderful continuation of the story. Just like the first novel, Stargirl’s oddness helps her reach out to the oddballs, and makes us wonder if we can do the same thing. The book also keeps you interested by mixing Stargirl’s love for the present with her love for Leo (who is in the past). Even though you want her to move past her heartache, you also can’t help hoping that someday in the future Leo and Stargirl will be reunited, and Leo will finally realize what a treasure Stargirl really is.
Friday, September 10, 2010
My August in September
Hello again, everyone! This is Nick officially starting the blog postings back up. How were the rest of your summers? Mine was crazy busy but too much fun!
As I mentioned in my last blog post (which was last month, weird) I had a lot of things going on those last couple weeks of summer. That first week of August, I was finishing up my online classes that I was taking through Lewis Clark State College. Even though the fall and spring semesters are going to be easier because I’ve gotten some credits out of the way, I don’t like to do school work in the summer.
The second week of August I was up on Lake Pend Oreille at Inland Northwest Camp. I was one of the game staff, so I got to play games with a bunch of middle schoolers all week. It was a blast!
The third week of August I was supposed to have a surgery done to finish my orthodontic treatment. Turns out that it was actually going to be more expensive than I originally thought, and the insurance didn’t come through on it. Needless to say, I’m still waiting on the surgery.
The fourth week of August I headed off to the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo and then did a Karaoke night the following evening. Although the wind was really kicking, we made some fun cowboy and horse hats and gave away some free stuff. Our Karaoke night also went really well. We had people of all ages singing anything from “Beat it,” to “Life is a Highway.” Way too much fun!
So there is my August in a nutshell, and now on to September! The past week I’ve been getting back into the library groove; moving summer boxes into storage, updating Facebook, sending out emails. A big part of my last week has been getting ready for Teen Read Week, which is a nation wide event put on by the American Library Association every year. I have been a part of the Idaho Coordinating Committee for Teen Read Week, and I’m also entering a contest that the Idaho Commission for Libraries is putting on. The contest is creating a storyboard for a library PSA that talks about TRW. Although I’m not finished with it, I’m thinking it should be pretty cool when it is finished.
Well that’s about everything for now, so have a great weekend and I’ll see you on Wednesday!
As I mentioned in my last blog post (which was last month, weird) I had a lot of things going on those last couple weeks of summer. That first week of August, I was finishing up my online classes that I was taking through Lewis Clark State College. Even though the fall and spring semesters are going to be easier because I’ve gotten some credits out of the way, I don’t like to do school work in the summer.
The second week of August I was up on Lake Pend Oreille at Inland Northwest Camp. I was one of the game staff, so I got to play games with a bunch of middle schoolers all week. It was a blast!
The third week of August I was supposed to have a surgery done to finish my orthodontic treatment. Turns out that it was actually going to be more expensive than I originally thought, and the insurance didn’t come through on it. Needless to say, I’m still waiting on the surgery.
The fourth week of August I headed off to the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo and then did a Karaoke night the following evening. Although the wind was really kicking, we made some fun cowboy and horse hats and gave away some free stuff. Our Karaoke night also went really well. We had people of all ages singing anything from “Beat it,” to “Life is a Highway.” Way too much fun!
So there is my August in a nutshell, and now on to September! The past week I’ve been getting back into the library groove; moving summer boxes into storage, updating Facebook, sending out emails. A big part of my last week has been getting ready for Teen Read Week, which is a nation wide event put on by the American Library Association every year. I have been a part of the Idaho Coordinating Committee for Teen Read Week, and I’m also entering a contest that the Idaho Commission for Libraries is putting on. The contest is creating a storyboard for a library PSA that talks about TRW. Although I’m not finished with it, I’m thinking it should be pretty cool when it is finished.
Well that’s about everything for now, so have a great weekend and I’ll see you on Wednesday!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
A long, long time ago...
Haven’t blogged you guys in a while. How’s it been going?I’ll get into what I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks in my weekly update on Friday, but for now, how bout we do some Book Blurting? This week’s book is from a local author named Alysun Sanders, and the title is Talli’s Tale. Alysun will actually be joining us at the Hayden Library on Friday, October 15 from 6:30-7:30pm, so I figured I would read her book before she came down.
The prelude of the book describes six siblings who peacefully ruled the world thousands of years ago. They were called the Rules of Unity, and each of the six children ruled one of the six continents (Antarctica, was a place of banishment). These children had a loving father, and their father had three advisors. Greedy for power, one of his advisors planned to take his place on the throne, and would have succeeded if another advisor hadn’t warned the king. Banishing the evil advisor proved disastrous as the advisor’s sister, who served the king herself, turned on the king when she found her brother dead. She cast a spell of hatred on the six siblings and forced them to separate. The only hope for a united world again was the spell that the loyal advisor cast to counter the sorceress’s incantation. She prophesied that a hero would be born who would unite the siblings once again.
The story then jumps forward several thousand years to Talli Curran. For the rest of the book, we watch Talli grow from a newborn baby through her college years. After her parents are murdered, Talli is left in the care of her adopted Uncle Arnaud. He tells her the story of the Rulers of Unity, and Talli believes that the tale is real. Although she believes the legend, she can never imagine her own part in it. When tragedy strikes, Talli has to decide if she actually believes the story, and what she is going to do with that knowledge.
As it turns out, this book is only the beginning of the story. It largely deals with Talli’s years growing up, and doesn’t concern itself a whole lot with the Rulers of Unity. But, there is still plenty of story left to tell. Alysun started writing this tale when she was fourteen, finished the novel in her sophomore year, and immediately started writing the sequel. Alysun is turning twenty only two days before she comes over to the library, and I’m excited to hear what she has to say about Talli’s Tale and her next book.
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