Lari's Bookshelf

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie My rating: 5 of 5 stars As someone who was born in Spokane and raised for a time in Coeur d’Alene, I really connected with the geography of the place in the book. Junior is a Spokane Indian and he makes the hard decision to leave the school on the reservation to go to Reardan many miles away. He has to hitch-hike and occasionally he misses school because his family is poor and has no money for gas. He deals with being an outsider both with his tribe and in his new, mostly white, school. The relationship between him and his best friend on the reservation becomes strained, and many in his tribe view him as a traitor, especially since he also plays on the rival school’s basketball team. But as the story progresses, Junior discovers things like what it means to be a part of a tribe, and how he personally comes to terms with the enormous amount of grief in his life. Beautiful book! One of my favorites for always. Will rea...

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sandberg's experiences, thoughts, and pontifications regarding women as leaders in today's job market are relevant and insightful. As a woman who is trying to find a job after staying home to have and raise a baby, I found some of her recommendations regarding how women should use language in a job hunt to be helpful. Some of the statistics were quite shocking and disillusioned me a bit. For instance, she talked about a striking salary penalty many women pay for choosing to leave work for home for even just 1 - 3 years. (Yikes.) It's helped me reassess a few things as I've been looking for gainful employment. I also liked her call to action for supervisors and leaders to make adjustments in how they conduct business and meetings so as to give women more opportunities for equal representation. Overall I found it to be more engaging and interesting than I thought it wou...

Web librarians, ebranch librarians, cybrarians and other similar terms are proliferating the literature of the library world. What exactly do these terms mean and when will librarians stay ahead of the curve and finally be able to provide the finished product of the best library website ever? There's the rub. They can't. What is relevant now will be obsolete before you know it. Technology changes a lot in just a few years, and sure, there are ways for librarians to create websites that can stay relevant longer (especially when taking UX and accessibility standards into consideration). But if websites aren't quick to adapt to what users want and when they want it, they will fail to provide a friendly user-centered experience. We have to start thinking about library web services as always evolving. Websites aren't buildings. When we think of a library's website in terms of a digital branch, we might think of the old brick and mortar concept of...

  Gnomes by Rien Poortvliet My rating: 5 of 5 stars I can’t believe I had gone through so many years, working in libraries, without discovering this gem until this past week. Since gnomes make up a big part of this year’s summer reading theme, I have a gnome display on the bulletin board in the children’s area. One of my coworkers and I started talking about the nature of gnomes, and she showed me this deluxe edition of “Gnomes” by Wil Huygen. Admittedly, I haven’t read many books about gnomes, but I would bet that this book is the ultimate and definitive guide to gnomes. It was easy to see why this book would and apparently does appeal to so many. The author was a physician, and this is reflected in his observant, scientific writing style. Gnomes become so fascinating, so interesting, and the world they live in is huge and magical and even real thanks to the author’s “field notes” about gnomes, their behaviors, and their environments. Rien Poortvelt’s illustrati...

Illustration from Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark Trilogy I asked my friends on Twitter, G+, and Facebook what books they considered to be their "scariest read." I got some answers and compiled them in a Prezi presentation. It was fun to see all of these displayed so nicely in a digital "book display" format. I liked playing with Prezi. Have any more suggestions? Leave a comment! Also, the presentation is best viewed in "full screen" mode (button at lower right hand corner after starting presentation) and by using the right and left arrows at the center bottom. Also, you can zoom in and out as needed. Have fun! "Scariest" Reads on Prezi

Click to view on Amazon Chi's Sweet Home   by Konami Kanata I'm not a manga person (not counting my brief, enthusiastic teen affair with Magic Knight Rayearth and Sailor Moon), but when I picked up Chi's Sweet Home for the first time a week back, I could not put it down. Chi is a lost kitten who meets a young boy named "Youhei" of the Yamada family. They decide to take the abandoned kitten home, even though pets are strictly NOT ALLOWED at their apartment complex. There are a lot of cute, quirky things about the kitten that make her endearing. Chi acquires her name when she answers to the Japanese word for urine. She also speaks in "meows" to the humans, but the translations of what he is saying are adorable, since she speaks in a cute-toddlerish-speech-impediment kind of way. As someone who owns a cat, I enjoyed the kitty antics immensely, as they reflect real things kitties do! I'm pretty sure if I didn't own a cat of my own, I wo...

Click to view on Amazon My Friend Dahmer  by Derf Backderf This is a horrible story. It really is. But My Friend Dahmer is a graphic novel written and drawn extremely well. The author/artist recounts his interactions with Jeffrey Dahmer in high school. Dahmer typically goes unnoticed by his teachers and peers. Sure, he is weird. He has this knack for acting like he has cerebral palsy and yelling in the library just to get the librarian riled up. (Note: I did not particularly enjoy the author's portrayal of the librarian, but I digress.) Dahmer likes to collect dead animals he finds, and strip them to the bone, just to see what's inside. But he also enjoys the company of friends at school. The bizarre interactions between him and his friends further illustrates just how strange Dahmer is, even though he is beneath everyone's radar. The story follows his family problems, dark fantasies, and his alcoholism in high school. He tries to numb the darkness within...

Click to view on Amazon Leaving Fishers by Margaret Peterson Haddix Dorry has just left her small town, the only home she's ever known, and moved to the big city because her father was laid off at his factory. She is completely alone. No one seems to acknowledge her existence at her new high school, and she is readily ignored and even insulted when she tries to approach other teens. No one bothers to get to know her, except for a tight knit group of kids who call themselves "Fishers." They invite her to sit with them at lunch, and then proceed to invite her to their church activities. They shower her in love and acceptance and call her "friend." Dorry is so happy to have some friends, so she doesn't mind that they are a little odd. She tries to not feel uncomfortable when they pray over their food at school, and how they constantly talk about religion and God. Eventually Dorry finds herself at a Fishers retreat, where, she is unwittingly "wil...

I thought I'd give those who follow me here a little update on a few things that have been going on. Books and Beer For those following me on Google Plus , you may already know about last week's " Books and Beer Hangout " hosted by Epublish Unum's Evo Terra and Jeff Moriarty . My co guest was everyone's favorite bad astronomer Phil Plait . The subject of the show: writing and publishing science based books  (hence, the reason my last post was a booklist for the non-science reader ). It was my first public hangout, and it turned out to be such a blast. The post-show hangout, or "Hang Over," allowed for people to come into the hangout and ask us questions. I was so happy that peeps were interested in libraries and librarianship. There was also some discussion as to the future of publishing and the need for traditional publishers to re evaluate their business strategies with ebooks. We also ruminated on the possibility of a zombie apocalyp...

Here is a booklist (that is currently, by no means, comprehensive) of books that are non-fiction (for the most part), with a particular focus on science related issues. The goal of this list is to highlight some good "crossover" books to readers who generally don't already read science books, or to the layperson interested in learning something new. I am trying to keep the list limited to books that have been published in the last decade, but preferabely published in the last 3-4 years. If you would like to make a suggestion to add a book to the list, please leave a comment. I also will be listing some crossover appeals/genres that might pique a non-science reader's interest. (Ordered by most recent pub year.) Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth by Jon Chad (2012) "Intrepid explorer Leo Geo is heading off on a mission into the unknown. With science as his sidekick, he intends to tunnel his way to the center of the...

Things have been crazy lately. But that doesn't mean I haven't stopped thinking about things, or that I haven't been reading... entirely. I've been on a graphic novel binge, so I thought I'd share some graphic novels that have caught my eye. I also had the opportunity to share some of these with elementary and middle school age kids on my school visits to promote summer reading. So a few of these are geared for younger audiences, but I found them quite appealing as an adult.   Laika by Nick Abadzis This one stuck with me. Yes. It's one of those sad, dog books. But it's so much more. I became fascinated with this doomed little animal that was to be the earth's first biological organism to survive, albeit briefly, in space. It blows my mind that they put together the Sputnik II mission in less than a month, to ride off the positive publicity of Sputnik the First. The narrative was well done, and the visuals of the first and the last panels were s...

Image: Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Some have pontificated that the future of all education will be free . Others have said this future is "already here." I think we're still in transition, since so many are still not bought on the idea, even though resources may be available. The Problem Education is expensive. With rising tuition costs and the fact that student debt is at over a trillion dollars in the US, the idea of going to college for free sounds too good to be true. But what if it is a feasible reality for more than the average Joe in the future? And what if "this problem" exists or is aggravated with our perceptions of what education is or what it should be? The Potential Solution I don't even want to attempt to compile a list of free educational resources and courses after seeing this amazingly awesome post at Mark and Angel Hack Life . (Seriously, if you get a few moments check out this fabulous resource.) I will reco...

Click to view on Amazon Genre:  Science Fiction - YA  (Going towards the   2012 Genre Fiction Challenge !) The question, "What would you do if everyone was no longer safe on the planet earth?" is answered by a scientist who concludes that the only hope for humanity is to send a bunch of teenagers into space. That is essentially the premise of The Comet's Curse (Galahad Series Bk. 1). The earth is casually orbiting the sun, when a comet, like a proverbial black cat crosses its path, showering the earth and a cloud of comet dust. Many find the phenomenon to be beautiful, but it turns out to be deadly, as the dust somehow contaminates the atmosphere and introduces a wholly foreign virus to the human race. The virus only seems to infect those who are 18 or older, and civilizations crumbles as people realize their days are numbered. When a scientist proposes the plan to send young colonists into space with a mission to colonize a potentially habitable plane...

Click to view on Amazon The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson Genre:  Historical Fiction - YA  (Going towards the  2012 Genre Fiction Challenge !) I listened to this book on my new commute to my new job as a librarian with a large library system in Western Washington. (Yes, I've moved to a new state and started a new job, and yes, that is why I haven't been updating recently.) Anyways, this book pulled me in a few different directions.  I'll admit that I knew very little about it going in, so at first, I thought I was listening to some kind of dystopian, speculative fiction novel. We have this boy, Octavian, who is raised in this household called the Novanglian College of Lucidity. He is told that he is a prince and his mother is a princess, and he is surrounded by men who teach him latin, music, and the classics and who dress him in all sorts of finery. Also, except for he and his m...

Click to view on Amazon A Great and Terrible Beauty By Libba Bray Release Date: December 9, 2003 (U.S.) Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Pages: 403 ISBN-13: 978-0385730280 (hardcover); 978-0385732314 (paperback) Genre:  Romantic Suspense - YA  (Going towards the  2012 Genre Fiction Challenge !) Interested in something with magic, adventure, secret sisterhoods, love, betrayal, sinister forces, and more?   A Great and Terrible Beauty a young adult novel which has all of these, and it is an interesting blend of different elements of genre fiction. It is the first of a three part series. The novel is set in Victorian England, and it follows the story of Gemma Doyle. It begins in India, where Gemma lives with her parents. It is her 16th birthday, and she is in the market with her mother. They have a fight after Gemma becomes angry that her mother does not want to return and take the family back to England. Gemma becomes lost in the market ...

So how well do you know your genre fiction? Would you like to have a better comprehensive knowledge of the different genres of fiction? Are you an avid bookworm? Do you find yourself only reading one or two genres and would perhaps like to refine and expand your literary palate? Well, in keeping with the tradition of creating resolutions and goals on the new year, I'm going to try a brand-spankin' new reading challenge I have never tried before, and I'd like to invite you to try it with me! To win this challenge, one must read five novels of every genre of genre fiction in 2012. You can also win "Genre Apprentice" status by reading one book from each genre in 2012. The books can be targeted for young adults or adults and the genres are as follows*: Adrenaline Genres Adventure : This genre is action-packed and has a hero on a mission. Pacing is brisk and there is an obvious hero protagonist. There is a sense of danger and physical obstacles for the p...

Habibi by Craig Thompson Release Date: September 20th, 2011 Publisher: Pantheon Pages: 672 ISBN13: 9780375424144 Craig Thompson doesn't fail to impress with yet another beautifully crafted graphic novel. Habibi is the story of Dodola, who at the age of 9 is sold as a child bride into a marriage with a scribe. While the tragic circumstances that came with this marriage were difficult for the reader to come to terms with, Dodola is able to learn how to read and write from her husband. At the age of 12, her husband is murdered and she is taken captive into a slave ring. This is where she meets Zam, whom she  calls "habibi." He is three years old when they meet, and she is able to escape with him and they live in a boat in the desert. This story doesn't take place in any one era, and the settings vary between medieval and modern eras. As Dodola and Zam face a harsh world, the magic of stories and cultural mythologies is what keeps them together, and give...

Existentialism One of the main themes of early to mid 20th century, is this theme of the existential crisis of the individual. While planes and cars and the radio connected societies, individuals who went off to war were stripped of their humanity. World War I and II offered technological horrors never before seen, and men and women were trained to live as cogs in a military machine that was indifferent to human interests. This caused a huge internal conflict within many. There is a fabulous speech by Charlie Chaplin in the film, "The Great Dictator." Someone uploaded this and matched it with a song from the Inception soundtrack, take a few minutes to watch this: The part of the speech I want to highlight, is the part where Chaplin depicts the general sentiments that I'm trying to illustrate regarding technological advancements vs. the isolation and brutality of humanity in the first half of the 20th century: "We have developed speed, but we have shut ...