Lari's Bookshelf

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

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

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

This post is my entry in the Book Nerd Out giveaway hosted by Book Riot: Reviews, Recommendations, and Commentary about books and reading (but, you know, fun). When I was studying my undergrad, I experienced the beginnings of what would become an existential experience. Many times I was confused and lost as I wandered around campus, since I was constantly deep in my thoughts.  Then one day I discovered a copy of  Meditations  by Marcus Aurelius in the library. This book was instrumental in pulling me out of a dark place and my introduction to stoic philosophy. I wrote a poem this morning about that experience: In the labyrinth of a library, Sanctuary is a small hardbound work, A dead emperor gives comfort, Words sweet like the plumeria, Musings echoed through millennia, Brittle pages redolent of weathered wood, Learning to live as bees that make honey, My own place in the universe,  Accepting what I cannot change, White steps cradle and c

If you're a neurotically indecisive reader like me, you probably need some help when trying to figure out what to read next. Here are some websites that go above and beyond generic recommendations. These tend to offer a dynamic and user friendly interface for someone solely seeking book or author recommendations. 1. YourNextRead.com Simply search for a book you like, and a little map of related titles will pop up. It saves a history of the books you browse during your session, and provides easy access to websites where you can purchase the book or find more reviews. You can even create an account, make your own maps, and share them. If you like this you may also want to check out YourNextFilm.com and, if you're a gamer, YourNextGame.com . 2. Whichbook.net I'm a huge fan of this website's user interface. It allows you to browse books based on what you "feel" like reading at any given moment. You can choose if you want something long or short, v

Banned Books Week started yesterday. I always love this time of year because it reminds everyone that it is always important to be vigilant against censorship, and strive to maintain access to all information within a free society. Here is some information on the most frequently challenged books in the 21st century. That's right folks, in a so called "free society" there are people who think that they have the right to deny other people access to materials they don't like reading. The following is the top ten list for 2010 : And Tango Makes Three , by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson  Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian , by Sherman Alexie  Reasons: offensive language, racism, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence Brave New World , by Aldous Huxley  Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, and sexually explicit Crank , by El

Okay, so a lot of people say that e-readers never will replace print because they just, well, love paper books so much. I get it. When I get a new hardbound book and crack open the cover for the first time, the smell is intoxicating. I swear publishers put some kind of drug in the book binding glue to make it so addictive. But I also love my e-reader, and have been using it more and more... and in some cases, I'm preferring it over some paper books (because it isn't as heavy). Also, in June 2011, adult paperback books plunged 64% from last year, while e-book sales went up 161 percent . This suggests that while many hardcover books are still being purchased (though it dropped 25 % in the same month), people who just want to read a book for the sake of the words, and not the format (i.e. paperback readers), are starting to gravitate towards e-books. Libraries have growing digital collections, and some libraries have already started lending e-readers . I think in the future,

This week, I wrote about some techie stuff and had a typical censorship rant and shared some books about girls in captivity. Here is the rundown of this week's posts: Rating Systems, Censorship, and I CAN'T SHUT UP Google Chrome Goodreads Button Young Girls in Captivity | Wednesday Reads Mango is Now Mobile New Symphony of Science Vid and "The Grand Design" If you are a new follower, please visit my " About " page to learn more about me and the blog. Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one? I know some may hate me for saying this, but Bella. Hands down. I couldn't even get through New Moon . The inane whining over Edward drove me nuts, and I was just rooting for some vamp to come tear her throat out and do a favor to all humanity. I'm sorry but she is probably the worst protagonist to become a household name in the history of writing. Vacant, and without any motivation other than being some dude-

I've been participating in a discussion online regarding teen books and profanity. I believed the premise of the discussion was based on a false dichotomy, and therefore, a lot of things that were said started to make my spidey senses tingle that censorship lurking was lurking somewhere in between the lines. The question posed at the beginning of the discussion was this: Profanity in Books? Necessary or Bothersome? A false dichotomy is when someone is presented with an idea and only two choices on how to act or think. Now while the original poster (who I much appreciate for starting this discussion) commented that she did indeed find some profanity in books as "necessary." However, I disagree. For instance, from my point of view, to have a book, it isn't NECESSARY to have profanity. Necessary adj. Required to be done, achieved, or present; needed; essential Sure, a book could artistically be better off or a character could be better developed with profa

Please check out my guest post for Library Crush week on the blog Just a YA Girl ! Thanks a ton to Trish for giving me the opportunity to share. Also, I will be posting my review of "Ashfall" this week. Things have been crazy lately, so I need to get my act together and organize my ever growing reading list. It's starting to become overwhelming. Speaking of books, I love this recent picture book by Lane Smith called, "It's a Book." The trailer is pretty darn cute too. Bibliophiles will appreciate it.

So I have a little collection of autographed books. Here are three of them: I got sledding hill when I was at BYU, right after hearing Chris Crutcher talk about censorship . This hardback copy of Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors I got through paperbackswap.com . I kid you not. PAPERBACKSWAP. Imagine my surprise when I opened up the book and found the autograph of the late Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan inside! :O~ There's no way in Hades I'm letting anyone get their hands on this. IT'S MINE. BUT after two months of serious book blogging, and after much thought and consideration, I decided I want to show my appreciation to my readers and my new followers, by giving away my autographed copy of Shannon Hale's bestseller and Newbery Honor book, Princess Academy : FOR REALZ. To enter all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. That's it! If you would like one additional entry, BE a GFC follower (old and new followers get one point). Just

As a librarian, normally I'd be appalled to someone taking sharp objects to books and cutting up precious pages of text and illustrations. However, when I see the work of artists like Brian Dettmer , I see something stunning and beautiful. Far from a vulgar desecration of the written word, these repurposed books have gained new life as visual art: Music of the World Altered Vintage Encyclopedias Altered Copy of Brave New World New Books of Knowledge ROTC Manual Science in the 20th Century Then there is this video which was produced for the New Zealand Book Council . The animation used to bring this book to life is amazing. And, yes, it looks like they had to cut up a book to make it. But isn't it beautiful?

My friend Becky sent me a link to some instructions of how to open a new book. I am sharing it here: ...Ah the good old days. Sometimes I fear the modern ways of opening a book have become a little too complicated . (But I still love my eReader.) Also, I couldn't share this without sharing this hilarious video of a medieval help desk. A medieval "techie" helps a person with brand new technology, the book: So what do you think? Do you have any rituals, traditions, or habits you engage in when you open a new book for the first time?