Lari's Bookshelf

Libraries and library users love  Mango . I'm not talking about the fruit, but the awesome learning program that allows English speakers to learn a foreign language, and gives non-native English speakers access to valuable ESL courses. These services aren't free and libraries invest a lot of money to give their patrons access to these online courses. That is why many will be pleased to know that you can now download and install a free app on your smartphone that will allow you to use and access Mango, well, pretty much anywhere. Mango Mobile Before you'll be able to use this app, you will first have to set up a Mango Language account through your library's website using your library card number. If you've already done this, great! Once you have done that, do the following to get Mango on your mobile device: 1. Go to your app store, and search for "Mango Languages". 2. Select, download, and install "Mango Languages Library Edition."...

Today, I'm highlighting books about girls meeting the challenge of having everything, even their rights as a human, stripped from them. These books are about girls in captivity or slavery of some kind or another. The thing I appreciate about all of the following books, is that they are based on real experiences girls have faced in the past, and even today. While the African slave trade among European and American colonists is history, and World War II concentration camps are over, there are countless girls still caught in international sex trafficking rings  around the world , as well as girls being brainwashed to be plural wives to men much older than themselves in the United States. Each of these books has a protagonist with a unique background, but they all battle the challenge of oppression. Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper "Amari's life was once perfect. Engaged to the handsomest man in her tribe, adored by her family, and living in a beautiful village, she ...

Do you love Goodreads ? Are you a Chrome user? Then check out this pretty spiffy app I happened to find today. It adds a Goodreads button to book sites, allowing web users easy access to the book's Goodreads page. It was pretty simple to install. 1. In Chrome, hit CTRL+Tab to open a new tab. 2. Click on "Web Store" under Apps. 3. In the upper right side of the Chrome Web Store page, search for "goodreads". 4. Select "Goodreads Button - Kynetx for Google Chrome" in the search results. 5. Click "Add to Chrome" and select "Install" when you get the pop up. 6. This is what your browser window should look like upon installing it successfully. And you're finished! Goodreads Button on Amazon See? Easy as selling organic food to a hippie. Now, next time you are on a book site like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, you can access Goodreads from every book product page. I'm looking forward to better mana...

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...

Am I mad about Rover? Not at all. Sure he barked at late hours of the night, but he was a good dog. Am I mad the tiny, old woman next door poisoned him with tainted dog treats? Of course not. In fact, I’ve shown her my good will by making her a delicious cake. I left it at her front door for her birthday. I may have left a note saying it’s from a relative, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s made with sugary goodness . . . . . . and d-CON © .  By Lari For Chuck Wendig's Flash Fiction Challenge: 100 Words on the Subject of Revenge 

If I was a hipster, I'd be having major second thoughts towards my affinity of steampunk. The fact is, it's popping up EVERYWHERE. I still like it a lot, and find the detail and imagination that comes with victorian science fiction beautiful. Here are some videos that incorporate this fantasy element. The first is my favorite. It's modern with a traditional celtic flare. Magical to the very core. The next is more "pop."  The only thing I see about this one is that it is basically a regular modern pop song wearing steampunk clothes (if you don't include the 'mystical' sounding beginning and the mystical story in the video). Still cool, but not as cool as "The Islander." When it comes to films. There are quite a few that are also laden with steampunk-i-ness. There's a trailer for an upcoming Holme's inspired film here . And then, there's that dark, dramatic, subtle science fiction, The Prestige (based on the book ): ...

If you use blogger, you'll have the option to try a new blogger interface . I noticed when I logged on today, that there was a pop-up and a button encouraging me to try it out. I love the look! It looks so much cleaner and my Reading List is actually easier to read. Blogger Dashboard New Post Anyways, I thought I would share since it looks pretty cool. I know that the regularity of my posts have gone down in the past two weeks, but mainly because I've been undergoing a series of existential crises. Hahahahaha. No really. I plan on picking things back up to their regular pace today. Do you have blogger? What do you think of the new interface so far?