Local indie bookstores are the best. It’s a place where community events celebrate reading culture, books and tangential reading items can be purchased for personal delight or as a gift, and everybody knows your name? Yes, well there are a few booksellers at my local bookstore that I’ve known for years both in a professional capacity and a personal one.
I was delighted during a recent visit that Cheryl remembered my love for the manga series Witch Hat Atelier and she mentioned that the spinoff series Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen was coming out. She said she’d order one for me if I wanted. Absolutely!
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon. In chilly upstate New York weather I drove on over after getting the call and I’m now the proud owner of the first volume in the new series.
Thank you to The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza for being a friend! Plus, for the cheap seats in the back, local indie bookstores are the best.
More than a decade ago, I took on our high school’s Anime Club not knowing much more than I loved many of the students since they were library regulars and needed an advisor. This is when it was simply a club of otakus watching anime and needing a place to hang.
It has morphed more times than I can count over the last fifteen years including a name change last year to Japanese Culture Club. We were watching less anime and spending more time on other pursuits such as drawing, attending cons, and gaming. But there were years with plenty of Pokemon and others where we borrowed the gym to do some epic cosplay. We even survived a year and a half of virtual club during the pandemic (hello, Among Us).
During this time, my reading life morphed as well, as it does with most readers over time. I was reading more nonfiction for sure, but also diving headlong into graphic novels and manga mixed with YA fiction and children’s books. I have always enjoyed manga more than anime and like the best attempts at making a movie out of a fantastic book, I often do not watch the anime of manga I love for fear of the same issues that rear their head with books to movies. And in presentations with other librarians, I talk heavily about giving manga a chance for those that just “don’t get it.”
Enter my teenage son, Max. Both of my teen sons are bookish, but in different ways and this is evident in their divergent reading choices. Newfound friends, his love of origami, and a more popular culture lean toward anime and manga have driven him to copiously consuming both. He’s borrowing stacks of volumes of manga and squeezing in episodes of his favorite anime. He’s buying tshirts with iconography from his favorites as he moved into high school this year. He attended a Comic Con last year when I was there with a group of my Japanese Culture Club students. He wanted me to take pictures of our library’s manga collection to see if there are series he hasn’t read. He sought out the manga section of all thirty-six libraries that we visited this summer as part of a local expedition challenge in our area. And he’s definitely got thoughts on his high school library’s selections.
What matters the most are the conversations he and I are having about what we’re reading. If I borrowing a first volume of a series, I usually slide it over to him before I return it. He’s doing the same for me. And it benefits me in more ways because my clientele at school is now my son, just at a different school. I am indebted to him for making me look cooler than I am because he’s borrowing manga that I am now being asked to buy for my library. Plus, it’s the shared moments of dinner time or random conversations about plot, character, romance, or gore that I’m discovering more about him than I would simply by asking him how his day was.
Just because I work primarily with teens doesn’t mean I read only young adult titles. Actually, my work is stronger because I read widely.
My own kids are now going to be freshmen in high school, so we’re well out of reading picture books at bedtime, but I still read children’s books to learn from and stare at beautiful illustrations.
I don’t work in a middle school, but I know that some high school students are reading below grade level and there’s quite a bit of hopefulness in middle grade novels to be valuable to read when I need to be uplifted.
Yes, I work with teens, so I’m always going to read YA. Plus, the value of YA provides an opportunity to bring me reflect back to my teen days, allow me to remember what it’s like (the further I get away from it) in continuing to work with teens, and also to recognize the creativity of YA authors in their storytelling for this audience.
I’m an adult and I haven’t always read novels for adults, but in addition to being on a committee currently that is about reading a bevy of adult novels, it’s good to remember I am one. And then I get to talk about it with other adults.
Within the last week, here has been my reading widely rainbow (minus the adult book because I can’t share!)
Pulled from books read this month with one that hasn’t come out yet, how I think about the books in the context of Monday through Sunday.
Monday: Putting your best foot forward for the work week ahead on a Monday. Ann Lowe wanted to put her best foot forward the best dresses created by her hands every day. Only The Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe is a perfect Monday read to inspire you to tackle the week.
Tuesday: Well, did Monday run you or did you run Monday? It happens that the day doesn’t go well but instead of stewing in it for days on end, recognize it, put a rhyme to it, and move past it. Ode to a Bad Day helps you realize that it’s all temporary.
Wednesday: Hump day. Midweek. Squished, literally in the middle like Avery is squished in a family of seven kids without a room of her own. But you can be just as forceful but still sweet at she is to make it through.
Thursday: It’s the new Friday. It’s the comfort that tomorrow is Friday and you’ve made it through the week. The graphic novel adaptation of the original, the Fangirl volumes already released, one and two, are the adorably comfortable and vulnerable stories to keep you looking toward the weekend.
Friday: Friday Night Lights, synonymous with football. Greenwald hasn’t shied away from the dangers of football and in his newest, Dinged, he does it again. It’s entertainment and pride, but it’s also health and wellness. A good thought to keep in mind with the overindulgences of the weekend!
Saturday: The weekend is here and it’s all about fun and games like Jennifer Lynn Barnes skillfully does in the Hawthorne Legacy series ending with The Final Gambit. Winner does take all.
Sunday: When you need the umph to get fired up for the week, turn to characters like Perry in Warrior Girl Unearthed— she knows who she is and what she wants. Her sights are set on a way forward even if it means stepping into danger. But her internalized stickwithitness is a solid feeling to have that we can all make it!
Last week was spring break. Naturally I planned a lot of reading time into each day along with other relaxing activities, plus housework and to-do list items. There are the quick reads, the fast-paced reads, the slower reads, the savory reads, the brain breaks, and the in-betweens. Based on my interest level or mood, I can tell pretty quickly what kind of book it’ll be.
I had been sent a galley copy of Ali Hazelwood’s YA due out this November called Check & Mate. This is where I confess that while I’ve seen Hazelwood’s books for adults everywhere, I haven’t read one yet, but a YA, now that was music to my high school librarian ears. And it’s punny chess title was also a bonus. Another confession- I’m not an avid chess player, I can rarely hold my own against my teenage sons, but I do play a little. I also watched The Queen’s Gambit. And I have joyously celebrated the return of raucous chess matches in our library (years ago that’s all our teens did was play chess, we had 5-6 that went out per period, then there was a die-off, but now it’s back again).
Back to the book. I picked it up off the pile and thought it would be an enjoyable stopover before the next book. What I got was an intense sprint/marathon battle for the next several hours. I literally wanted to sprint through it to know how it all ends (of course I knew how it HAD to end, but just in case). And I literally wanted to pace myself too because I didn’t want to it to end because if it ended it would be over and I couldn’t go back again.
I loved the prevalence of chess in the story– not too much, not too little. I fell in love with Mallory and her family, especially her littlest sister and the indifference when readers meet Mallory at the beginning of the story. Cue Nolan. Then came the witty banter, the sly hints about the past, the tournaments amplifying the pressure. It was exactly what I wanted. It was exactly what I needed. And when I found out I would have to stay up WAY past my bedtime to pick up my sons returning from a trip, I continued to sip my tea and read. I brought it in the car as I waited in the parking lot. I was thisclose to the end. The boys were back home and it was close to midnight. Do I wait until morning to finish it just so I can extend it a few more hours?
No. I must finish it.
And that I did. I fell into bed tired and book drunk. Is that a thing? It needs to be. The enemies to lovers trope won’t ever get tired in the capable hands of Hazelwood. Nor will romance ever be dead. The last thing that I want to give credit for is the topic of sex in the book, from the humorous scenes to the serious ones. It’s an age relevant topic and I want more of this in YA.
It’s not out until November, so you have plenty of time to sign up for publisher giveaways and preorder it, but put it on your list.
Last week I posted about Of sleepless nights and grey hairs about our upcoming author visit. That even though we’ve been doing them for a decade, it’s still stressful each time. However, like childbirth, you forget the pain and realize that you’d be willing to do it all again. I was certainly frustrated in the days beforehand because our school is currently experiencing a spate of pulled fire alarms, the business office surprised me with additional paperwork that put the visit in jeopardy, and while advertisements were everywhere, students were still surprised when I talked to them about the visit. The Zits comic from about a week prior sums it up:
While some are expected, like the fact that most people wait until the last minute to do anything, so signs ups were fast and furious up until literally minutes before the events started, others were unpredictable. I had prepped Candace Fleming ahead of time of the possibility of a fire alarm and announced the protocols for students during the visit that when it did not actually happen, she was a little disappointed. But I’d rather lower my expectations and be pleasantly surprised than caught off guard.
Ultimately the three presentations went swimmingly. Not only were students fascinated by her topics and pictures and stories, they spent time afterward hanging around her to get their books signed, chat, and take selfies. With a small break after the first presentation, I organized a small lunch with a few female students under the umbrella of finishing Women’s History Month with our female author with female power players in our school (one from our literary magazine, one the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, and one that belonged to the Women’s Empowerment club). It came together with donations from community organizations and a little money from the school and prep work with teachers to engage the students in their classes, particularly from our science department and of course, true crime fans since Candace Fleming’s newest book is the YA Murder Among Friends about the infamous murder of a fourteen year old boy by two eighteen year olds, Leopold and Loeb.
But in the end, the impact of the visits for how few or how many students come is often unseen. I’ll use this example, serendipitously about a month ago, I received an email from a student who graduated ten years ago. He was writing to seek out the librarian to tell her about the impact an author visit at the school had on him because of the turmoil in his life that he was able to meet this author, was gifted a book to have signed by the author, and to share that the library in general was a safe place for him. He wanted to thank that librarian. To borrow a Taylor Swift line, “Hi, it’s me.” This email came a decade later.
Then, there might be the immediate results of the impact. My favorite image is one we shared on our social media after her last session wrapped up. These boys stayed after to have her sign their phone cases and take pictures and were beaming about the connection. It was unexpected. Yet, a joyous reminder that books and human connections are what we all need.
I’ll add, if you’re looking for a visit worth your while, consider Candace Fleming. Her range of picture books through YA meant that when I booked her, several other local librarians jumped on board. In three days, she went to one elementary school, one middle school, and our high school. And the majority of her work is nonfiction, which is what resonated with our students. As she said, she doesn’t have a person light a cigarette in her book, unless she knew it to be true in her research. As an obsessive reader of nonfiction, I love her attention to detail and the stories she chooses to share. She’s also a fabulous human being. We need more Candace Flemings in front of our kids sharing about curiosity and facts. She nor I will likely ever know, but I do hope one or two teens were impacted by her visit and the things she shared.
In just a few short days, our school will host our first in-person author visit since the pandemic hit. And as much as I’m excited to bring a live author back to our school, it’s also the most nerve-wracking experience.
It’s not like this is new. Our school has hosted at least one author each year since 2011. Yet each and every time I have sleepless nights and sprout a few extra grey hairs. The planning and preparation is one thing, from signing the contract and fundraising for the cost (since our school does not support the full cost of author visits, we always seek outside support) to having books for purchase and finding the avenues to get teens excited about the visit.
This year has included a lot of transitions in both our district office and the library’s new space that we moved in to during our major capital improvement project for our campus. These factors add to the nervousness that everything will come together. It never gets easier. Plus, for these high schoolers, this is the first experience with an author visit because of the pandemic. I want to pack the library, but I want the students to want to be there. I want to inspire reading, which is usually the case after the visit. In the meantime, I’m running a reading challenge because of the authors breadth of titles.
As I said, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The elation of the connection between the author and students cannot be substituted, but it’s the responsibility the librarian carries throughout the process that always gets me.
What things do other librarians and hosts do to quell the sleepless nights and reduce the grey hairs before a visit?
Continuing with the theme of Women’s History Month, I want to give a shout out to influential women authors through the lens of my reading experience.
Probably forever, Ruta Sepetys will always be at the top of the list. Having had the pleasure of her company in person does add an additional layer of appreciation for her, but her books themselves mine hidden histories which are captured with elegance and an emotional capableness to reach through the pages of the book to reach the reader on another level. She’s simply the best.
Mary Roach is the queen of curiosity for me. All of her books from the science of the military to cadavers have endlessly fascinated me. Years ago I wrote that she would be an author I’d love to have lunch with just to pick her brain. She’s got a fascinating array of subject areas, but I’ll follow her wherever that curiosity leads.
There is no one more Instagram-poet famous that Rupi Kaur. I follow her as do many of my high school students to see what new and old poems she drops there. Then I scrambled when she publishes a collection to get my hands on a copy and then make sure I have a handful in our library too. I confess to also following her social media to see what dress she’s wearing and to celebrate that this poetess sells out arenas to read her poetry. She’s an experience.
Sarah Andersen of Sarah’s Scribbles fame makes me laugh– every.damn.time. Her humorous take on the extraordinary and the mundane in her comics (but I’d be remiss not to gush about Fangs too) gave me a boost in the mornings when I would read a few pages from her comics with my cup of tea. She’s more than just a writer, she’s a creator.
And when I think about books whose settings and writing envelope me, I think about the atmospheric writing of Cat Winters. She pulled me in with In The Shadow Of Blackbirds and kept me there with all of the other books (and short stories) that she’s written. She’s the ultimate spooky YA writer.
One for the money, two for the show, three to make ready and four to go.
I was thinking about this children’s rhyme when I was contemplating what type of reading goals I could set for myself for 2023. As a practice, I don’t make goals because there’s usually a committee, reviews, and general work around reading (even though it’s never really work) that I’ll always be reading anyway. And I read widely already. So I thought I would highlight each month a children’s book, a middle grade, a YA, and an adult that I read. Here’s January’s books via rhyme–
One for the money: An Immense World by Ed Yong
It made so many best lists for 2022 which is why I added it to my TBR for January and it did not disappoint. Yong, take all my money because as a lover of science titles, this one was lyrical, moving, and insightful for a general adult audience.
Two for the show: How You Grow Wings by Rimma Onoseta
Sisters who grow up disparately loved by their mother, the choices that are made ultimately separate then reunite them in a moving story that brings them full circle. Clever, clever book for young adults.
Three to make ready: Ancestor Approved edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Short story collections are one of my favorite categories to explore and each of these short stories featuring Indigenous characters can be mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. All of the stories drew from a wealth of experience, storytelling, and heart.
Four to go: The Sun is Late and So Is the Farmer by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin Stead
This children’s book includes a cast of animal main characters, including the four pictured on the cover wondering where the sun is and thus where the farmer is. The vibe of the cover art and title exactly matches the book itself.
Readers Be Advised 