Alicia Abdul

Love: Uninterrupted audiobook time

In recent weeks, I’ve been able to get uninterrupted audiobook time during projects at work (the day after Onyx Storm hit shelves and my months-long hold for the audiobook queued that morning) and activities at home that only require movement and not necessarily brainwork. It’s always a bonus complimenting the traditional audiobook times like daily dog-walking that includes the audiobook, driving to and from work, folding laundry or doing dishes.

I have at least two audiobooks on my Libby and endless holds waiting to come in. Plus, I have a favorites list on Hoopla to pull from. They’re stacked just like my physical TBR.

Having a stretch of uninterrupted time in addition to the daily opportunities is a treat especially if my loans have become unruly or the task seems daunting without the extra distraction of being able to have my audiobook on.

Here is my last, current, and next audiobook queued.

Leave a comment

Posted by Alicia Abdul on February 7, 2025 in Audiobooks

Love: Book announcements and cover reveals

06 Feb

My bookish Instagram is all about following authors, publishers, and book-related creators to keep track of the social side of the business. There’s nothing more fun than stumbling upon an author’s tease about an upcoming project or cover reveal as was the case two days ago from an author I follow.

There are only a few great surprises left in the world. This is one of them!

Leave a comment

Posted by Alicia Abdul on February 6, 2025 in Events, Upcoming Releases

Love: Book covers

05 Feb

Love it or hate it, we’re a visual culture. And we do judge books by their covers! I can’t help but stare at evocative book covers. Do you have a favorite? Here are a few of mine:

Dunlap’s debut The Resurrectionist was a recent recommended read and I couldn’t have been more in love with the morbid cover.

When I’m doing readers advisory with my high schoolers, I lead with the breathtaking beauty of this cover of Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (the recent winner of the Margaret A. Edwards award at the Youth Media Awards).

I spent too much time being eviscerated by Ashley Hope Perez’s Out of Darkness and telling everyone I knew to read it before I bought it so I could own it and stare at a cover that in it’s simplicity summarizes the complexity of human existence and sends shivers down my spine every time I think about Naomi.

Were my eyes playing tricks on me? I didn’t really see this cover until days after I finished it and was staring at it again. Genius connection to the story in Jason Reynolds’ Long Way Down.

Speaking of second takes– both Schwartz’s first book Anatomy: A Love Story and her second Immortality: A Love Story have that creative illusion that highlights the heart and mind of the duology’s intelligent and daring heroine Hazel.

Leave a comment

Posted by Alicia Abdul on February 5, 2025 in Adult, Authors, Blogging, Cover Love, Fiction, Young Adult

Love: Readers, near & far

04 Feb

Yesterday I ran into a student in one of the offices at school. I haven’t seen her in a while and as we chatted, she said she was busy with after school activities, but that she was still reading but missed being in the library.

Over the weekend, I bought a gift card for a local convenience store to give to a student from us in the library to recognize her participation in our #ReadLikeAFalcon Day during testing week in which she came in and spent the ENTIRE DAY drinking hot chocolate and reading. We expected students to come in for an hour or two, but not the entire day. She didn’t need the gift card, the reward of reading all day was gift enough.

Last week, I talked on the phone with a former student (it’s been over a decade, so I should probably stop referring to her in this way) who I occasionally meet for tea and conversation about life and books but whose distance makes it easier now to catch up over the phone. Where did we end our conversation? What we’ve been reading. We started the conversation talking about a podcast she told me to listen to about libraries.

Cheers to the readers, near and far.

Leave a comment

Posted by Alicia Abdul on February 4, 2025 in Blogging, Miscellaneous

Love: Tea & books

03 Feb

Whether it’s a Sunday morning where I have my tea while reading a book after the newspaper or my nightly cup of tea and reading before bed, or frankly any time of the day that I’m reading, it’s always better with a cup of tea.

Or… is it that tea is better when reading a book?

Either way, they’re inextricably linked on my arm and it’s a winning combination.

Leave a comment

Posted by Alicia Abdul on February 3, 2025 in Blogging, Miscellaneous

Love: Visiting the public library

02 Feb

An avid user of libraries means weekly visits.

Currently, my public library is in a transitional phase as the old library had to be abandoned due to the overwhelming cost of structural repairs that was needed to make it safe for visitors. Our city decided to purchase an old bank building that had been vacant for many years right in the heart of our downtown, but it also needs significant structural repairs and a redesign but with a revitalization grant, it was a supported opportunity. In the meantime, the library has been in a small pocket of a senior center owned by the city. Our director and small staff has made the best of the situation.

I’m also lucky enough to have more intimate details about the running of the library after being appointed to the Board of Trustees, so I went from an avid user to an avid user and Board member. I encourage anyone who might have the time and energy to dedicate to this volunteer opportunity, to do it. Or simply volunteer, if that’s an avenue at your library. And if that isn’t available, attend the programs. Borrow the books. Check out other materials or if the library has one, their “library of things” or museum passes. Sit in the library for a spell to suck up the energy.

I’ll say what’s often repeated which is that the public library remains one of the last locations that doesn’t ask anything of its visitors. It equalizes access to things like the internet and resources. It provides community connections and aids for literacy.

Therefore, if you haven’t visited your local public library in a while. Now’s your chance.

2 Comments

Posted by Alicia Abdul on February 2, 2025 in Blogging, Miscellaneous, Reflections

Love: the YMAs

01 Feb

Blogging each day during a month has been a fun adventure to challenge me and I’ve decided February is a LOVE-ly month for another round using the theme of love. Have an idea for a post? Drop it in the comments.

This past Monday was the premier event in children and teen publishing: the Youth Media Awards. While it will undoubtedly look different next year without having a midwinter conference beforehand, it will continue to be an event to be viewed. It’s where winners of big awards that add seals to books get announced to the gasps, claps, and exuberance of all who are watching. There are years I’ve been “in the room” and years like this year that I was watching the livestream making audible noises and shaking my hands in celebration. Here were the titles that I was most excited to see come across the screen either because I devoured them (not having known about them previously in the days following the YMAs or precisely because I loved them leading up to the YMAs).

Leave a comment

Posted by Alicia Abdul on February 1, 2025 in Authors, Blogging, Childrens, Events, Fiction, Graphic novels, Illustrators, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Young Adult

Ourshelves

23 Jan

Ironic that I’m posting the day after Library Shelfie Day that looks to be the fourth Wednesday of January because yesterday was the day I should have taken a library shelfie! I was damn proud of spending a few days finishing up weeding nonfiction after having done a cursory weed of fiction about a month ago and the other section of nonfiction at the beginning of the year.

The work of actually deleting them from the system and moving them to free carts, teacher classrooms, donations, and new life in another library pales in comparison to the backbreaking (and knee burning) of the weeding itself. Plus of course the feeling of levity when the torn or yellowed pages, smashed spines, and seriously outdated books get tossed because no one needs to that on their shelf. It dulls the shine of the wonderful books on the shelves, so I’m glad they’re shining again.

Yet, like a tale or soap opera entitled “Ourshelves” it’s like laundry at home– the minute I think I’m done, there’s more to do. And in this case– the elegance of pristine shelves with all of the books sitting upright, sitting *just right* on the shelf, nothing backward or tipped over– will all be over as soon as students are back in full force on Monday. Do I wish it could last a few days? Of course, but then I wouldn’t be recognizing that the reason they’re messy is that they’re being used.

Leave a comment

Posted by Alicia Abdul on January 23, 2025 in Miscellaneous, Reflections

Favorite posts from 2024

31 Dec

With the last day of the year, what’s better than a quick post of my favorite posts from this year because they were often about amazing moments or reads from this past year.

The “best” lists from this year
My forty-book reread to celebrate turning forty
- Over this last year
Meeting authors and celebrating books
The best new comic series this year

And it wouldn’t be the end of one year and the start of another without having my last book of the year and first book of the new year lined up. Several hours ago I finished the National Book Award winner Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi. It’s clear why it’s a winner.

And as if Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan made a wish come true that I whispered into the ether or not, my first read of 2025 will be Saga #71.

There’s no doubt this will be the perfect way to usher in a new year of reading. If you haven’t hitched your wagon to Saga yet, make this your year.

Leave a comment

Posted by Alicia Abdul on December 31, 2024 in Adult, Comics, Events, Fiction, Graphic novels, Illustrators, Middle grade, Nonfiction, Reflections, Verse, Young Adult

Best of 2024: Adult

21 Dec

Finally, the caboose to this best-of train are books written for adults. A treat and indulgence for a high school librarian like myself. It’s evident that I lean heavily into nonfiction but have been known to get sucked into a vivid fiction too. Oh, and comics.