Hear Ye Hear Ye!

Notice anything different?
Maybe the tabs at the top of the page?

Basically just the one that says "Books and Babes"?  Well, for anyone who is interested, I've started a page on here that contains a list of the books we've read for our book club.  I'd like to add more information to it eventually but I just have the basics on there right now...

Also, in case you're looking for some new book blogs, here's a list of some blogs I've wandered across lately
Booksidoneread.com
Sophisticateddorkiness.com
Bookshelfmonstrosity.blogspot.com
Shelfrenewal.com (full disclosure, I know one of these lovely ladies and I didn't "just" wander across this blog but I don't think I've mentioned it before)
 (just because it made me laugh)

Possibly Inspired

Inspired to pretend that vodka and tequila are prettier drinks than they really are?  Maybe.  But in all actuality, I'm potentially inspired to spread some holiday cheer in a more random way this year.  That may have been the most fluffy way I could have said that.  Let me clarify.

For every year of my life, my cousins and I have traded names and exchanged gifts.  Each year you were responsible to give one cousin a Christmas present and when I was younger, this was all fairly easy to do as we all were usually together for Christmas.  Fast forward 20 years and our group of cousins has grown by a significant number of cousins, cousins-in-law (if that's a term) and babies of cousins (2nd cousins?).  We've also branched out across the country.  Basically this means that trying to get the name exchange done, gifts purchased,and sent out was a bit of a process.  Some cousins were very good about doing this, others were not.  Which means some people didn't get presents and I  those people felt sucky.

This year, there is talk about changing how we celebrate Christmas and each other.  Some people want to send gifts, some people don't.  When the conversation came through my inbox this morning, I started thinking about what made sense.  What could we do that would be fun, would celebrate the holiday, and would still treat someone to something special?  I came up with the idea of performing random acts of kindness.

I suggested that we all take the $20 dollars (or more if possible) that we would have spent on a gift and instead found a way to perform a random act of kindness.  I'm not sure exactly what that could be but the ideas that have crossed my mind were donating needed items to an animal shelter, buying McDonalds gift certificates to hand out to strangers (in memory of trips with my grandpa to MickeyD's for happy meals), paying patron's library fines, handing out tacos to strangers on the street...I don't know...something...

I'm hoping my cousins are as excited about this idea as I am and being as I also suggested we document these random acts of kindness, I'm hoping I can show them on here! To be honest, I think I might just do it whether anyone will join me or not.  If you, o' readers I may or may not have, want to join me, feel free to email me a picture of your random act of kindness and I'll post it on Reckless Reading!

Happy Thursday

Bubbles and Bubbly

This is the sort of evening I want to have soon...a lovely bubble bath and a glass of bubbly...I don't understand people who say they don't like taking a bath...even men...clearly they just haven't done it right

If this picture doesn't inspire a girl to take a nice girly smelling bath and enjoy the crap out of it, I don't know what will...

Why I'm Not Writing A Novel

Because coming up with 6 word memoirs every day is HARD.

But here are the 2 I've come up with for yesterday and today:

Ralph Lauren makes awesome food. Who knew?

Day 1 of 5 miles. Barf.

Room To Read

Carnegie who?  John Wood is the founder of Room to Read and has opened 5 times as many libraries than Carnegie.  Wood has focused on opening libraries in the most poverty stricken, illiterate areas of the world.  His work is fascinating and inspiring.

NYT His Libraries, 12,000 So Far, Change Lives

Room to Read

Read his story, look at the website, and find a way to support the effort!  Especially when that means doing fun things like shopping and drinking!

Memoir Of The Day

Man peed in chair. Lucky librarians.

NaNoWriMo HeyYo

What the eff does that mean you say?

National Novel Writing Month. The point is to write a 50,000 word (about 175 page) novel in the month of November.  Anyone from authors to amateurs can do this (assuming you have that many words that make sense together sitting in your brain) and get the glory of being added to the winners page!

I won't be doing this.

I do not have novels of any length waiting around in my brain.

I do however think I'll challenge myself to write a 6 word memoir every day.

Sings Cher in the car. Loudly.

Anyone want to join me?

NaNoWriMo

Six Word Memoirs

Laugh On

True Blood Halloween

My beginning inspiration...


Until I was told that the blood tears were too scary for the library....

So I've modified my plan and ended up with this...

I love my costume this year.....

That's My Line!

I TOTALLY SAY THAT!  (ok, so maybe I haven't said it lately..but I used to say it ALL THE TIME)

via Wicked Paper Co.

Worst Personal Ad Ever

(also a lousy ad)

I enjoy reading the personal ads in the New York Review of Books (it's pretty much the only thing I enjoy in the NYRB).  I generally find them entertaining in their lack of modesty while proclaiming themselves the most modest person alive.  However, the current issue contains a personal ad that I find so incredibly depressing that I'm trying to fight off the urge to email this woman myself just to tell her that she's officially labeled herself as the most pathetic, sad woman ever.

"LA. Formerly pretty, formerly slender 69 years retired woman, out of shape, overweight, never married, terrified of commitment, blue eyed, grey and brown haired independent woman seeks independent man.  I'd ask for fit and handsome but let's be real. Must have sense of humor, read a lot, passionate about eating, napping, my sweet doggie, and a low energy lifestyle."

WOW.  Who doesn't want to date that??  She's pretty much outlined why she hates herself and why any reasonable person might also.  But it's cool.  She's got her dog to keep her company.

Dear lady,
While you may have lost your figure and looks, you probably have SOME redeeming qualities.  Perhaps you are a fabulous cook? Enjoy discussing literature? Love a cozy evening in? Maybe you have such a free spirit that no one has been able to tame you?! I don't know! Those are the sorts of ways that you explain your lack of interest in moving off the couch and eating a gallon of rocky road each night!  Not by giving the world the mental picture of your poor Pomeranian being force fed cheetos while you watch Golden Girls reruns!
Please consider resubmitting when you stop hating yourself.
xo,
A now sad reader

Dec 21st

I hope they do the Swedish version, and the book, justice...

Seen on the Scene

In my weekend of lounging, my mom and I stumbled upon one of the best documentaries I've seen in a LONG time.  Bill Cunningham New York follows 80 year old Bill Cunningham as he rides his bike through the streets of NYC, attends 10+ gala events a week, and lives in a tiny office in the Carnegie Hall Studios.  He does all of this to capture the "street" fashion of New York city.  Not only does he catch trends before they break, he documents the most fabulously dressed of society.  The fashion he captures is featured in On the Street each week in the New York Times.  Bill is on his 29th bicycle, only photographs with film (digital be damned), has a makeshift cot for a bed, and rarely eats more than once a day.  Did I mention he's 80???  If you've seen The September Issue (or even if you haven't), you MUST watch Bill Cunningham New York.  It's a fascinating story of fashion and doing what you love for decades.  Find it at your library or it's available on Netflix Instant View!



NYT Bill Cunningham On the Street

NYT Bill Cunningham On the Street Video

Hey Boy

via Feminist Ryan Gosling

Skol Vikings

We might not be able to win squat this year but at least we don't have this guy as our QB

Super Bass Friday

Holy Moly little girl....

The Mani Cure!

I've noticed a lot of super pretty nail polishes on Pinterest lately and its been making me want to get a manicure every other day.  Which I haven't.  Because I'm just a poor little librarian.  However, I just had a patron comment on my (totally chipped should have been removed 2 days ago) polish job.  I used some Pinterest inspiration and painted my nails a nice fall red and did a french mani tip with silver glitter.  Fun.  However, she then told me that her obsession is nail polish blogs.  NAIL POLISH BLOGS?!?!  Whhhhhahaaaaaa??  I didn't know such a thing existed?  There are people who do entire blogs about pretty new nail polishes and the different brands.  I don't know why I'm shocked and excited about this but I am.  I'm also probably going to "like" Zoya on FB because they seem to have all my favorite new polish colors and  the woman who just opened the doors to nail polish Eden told me they have major sales and occasionally have really good giveaways.

My apologies to any of my male readers.

A giant "YOU'RE WELCOME" to the women in blog land.

Check out this blog Short 'n Chic

Iowa City's Newest Superhero

Captain-Save-A-Ho

I seriously have no words.

Sexy Librarians

Men of The Stacks.  It's a calendar.  With the exception of the picture above, it's not particularly sexy but it's definitely funny.

"Josiah is one part Grendel, one part philosopher, one part giddy school girl.  His body is a laboratory, not a temple.  He takes a lot of late-night walks.  He collects sound recordings of everyday things.  He is overly trusting.  He believes there is no art higher than friendship.

Raised in North Carolina, Josiah received a B.A. in Psychology and his M.L.S. from the School of Information and Library Science at beautiful UNC-Chapel Hill.  He is currently the Public Services manager at the Mohammed VI Library of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco.  No dogs were harmed during his photoshoot."

Pretty much sums up the majority of male librarians I know.  Although, I think someone should have gotten ahold of Russ from the Evanston Public Library (if he's still there...) I know of a number of people who wouldn't mind seeing him in this calendar....

Lazy Day Planning

Being as the end of the year is coming (somehow I feel like fall is flying by), I had to schedule my personal days off at the library so I didn't lose them.  I had 3 days to use and being as I'm not able to schedule them around holidays, I decided to plan completely random days off.  The first one will be October 21st.  Andy will be out of town on a manly mountain biking trip and I decided it would be the perfect day to do nothing but girl stuff.  All alone with my pups and the couch.  What does this have to do with the picture above?  Nothing except I saw that and immediately thought "I hope this is exactly what it's like outside that day".  I would love nothing more than to get up, listen to the rain in bed while I drink a cup of coffee and read, maybe take a lazy bath, and then watch girly movies all day.  I'll probably order junk food, drink wine, and stare at Pinterest too.

What's that you say?  You'd like to join me?  Sorry.  This is a 1 person party.  I'm more than happy to do other silly things the rest of the weekend but the 21st is all mine. It's gonna be awesome.

Well Hello, October

I can't believe it's October already.  Or at least it will be tomorrow.  That means it's like fall for real!

I'm pretty sure I like fall all the way up until there is something to scrape off my car in the morning and I feel the need to wear gloves.

In the meantime, I'm going to pretend like it's still nice out and do some outdoor stuff this weekend!



I'll be running in the Embrace the Race 5k tomorrow morning in always lovely downtown Highland Park.  We're encouraged to wear pink and/or teal and silly things like boas and tutus...I didn't think about this in time and I'm pretty sure I have nothing interesting to wear.  Whoops.  Whatever, I'm just hoping they don't make me run the killer hill by the lake.  I've yet to make it up that hill without feeling like I was about to die.

We'll also be hitting up the Kane County Flea Market this weekend.  I'm super excited about this because I heard about the flea market 2 years ago and haven't been until now.  I heard about it when I was in Madison and saw some AMAZING red doors that had formerly belonged to a bar/restaurant but were currently leaning against the side of a building.  I immediately pictured them being used as a seriously cool headboard and asked the owner of the shop they were leaning against about them.  He told me that he was selling them for $100 but I had just been beaten to the punch and they were being held for an interior designer who bought them for a client.  I was disappointed but gave him my number in case the deal fell through.  It was then that he told me that he got them at the Kane County Flea Market and went there on a semi-regular basis to find treasures for his store.  I never heard from that store, therefore never getting my hands on those gorgeous red doors, but I tucked the flea market info into my brain.  I have high hopes for some kick ass finds!

Other than that, I'm crossing my fingers the Vikings don't look like grade-schoolers compared to the Chiefs on Sunday, hoping to read a lot of my book, and probably drinking my first beer in 3 weeks.  We'll see.

Happy (almost) October!

Zombie Madness!

Zombies, RUN! is a new running app for the iPhone and Android that allows the user to become part of a zombie world.  Basically, from what I understand, you start it at the beginning of your run and use it in addition to whatever playlist you want.  As you run further/longer (not sure which), you go deeper into the story and collect supplies to aid you and the city against the zombies.  There are voice overs that interrupt your playlist and give you updates to the story as you go.  Each challenge is 20-30 minutes and the first series is 30 challenges long. 

I totally want to try it!  Granted, I never run with my iPhone so i'd have to deal with that...but I think it looks like fun...anything to keep me entertained while running! 

Zombies, Run

To Remember When I'm At The Gym

Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do!

Top 10 Challenged Books 2010
1) And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson;
2) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie;
3) Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley;
4) Crank, by Ellen Hopkins;
5) The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins;
6) Lush, by Natasha Friend;
7) What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones;
8) Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich;
 9) Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie;
10) Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

10 years ago the most challenged books were:
2001: 1) Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling;
2) Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck;
3) The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier;
 4) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou;
 5) Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene;
 6) The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger;
7) Alice (series), by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor;
8) Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous;
9) Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers;
10) Blood and Chocolate, by Annette Curtis Klause

Does the lack of classics on the list now show any sort of improvement?  I find it interesting that #10 on both lists is a vampire book...Although, Blood and Chocolate is SIGNIFICANTLY better than Twilight...
I have to be honest, I have only read 2 of the books on this years list and I'm totally confident that the V.C. Andrews books that I found on the libary shelves in junior high blows both of those away...I also find it really sad that And Tango Makes Three consistently makes the list.  It's the true story of two male penguins at the Central Park Zoo who have raised an orphaned baby penguin as their own.  Instead of appreciating the sweetness and love of this story, angry parents have demanded it be taken off the shelves due to its "homosexual" themes.  Shame on you, parents.  Everyone else--buy it, read it, check it out, give it as a gift!

In the meantime, READ BANNED BOOKS!  And let your kids read whatever they want because I know from experience, it won't hurt them!
ALA Banned Books Week

Damn Straight Sister!

“You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn’t have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did. “Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea? God bless. Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.”

-Elizabeth Warren, Massachusets Sentate Candidate (D) and former White House Financial Reform Advisor
Huffington Post article

Mama's Got A New Pair Of Shoes!

Who's a hot librarian now?

Just Because

Lady Killer

Ok, so maybe this particular Chelsea Cain book isn't about her famous lady killer, Gretchen Lowell, but when it comes to writing good killin' spree thrillers, Cain has it down.  If you haven't read Chelsea Cain's previous three Beauty Killer books, I highly recommend them.  Heartsick is the first of the series and introduces us to Archie Sheridan, Susan Ward, and the evil Gretchen Lowell.  Archie tries to balance professional duty with his obsession with Lowell, the serial killer who can get away with almost anything by combining a manipulative personality and stunning good looks.  Susan Ward is the local reporter that becomes a sort of sidekick/pain in the butt for Archie.  Don't get me wrong, this synopsis may seem silly or suggest the book is a bit campy.  It's not.  Cain writes a serial killer that oozes sex appeal and you watch helplessly as it steam rolls everyone in her path. 

One of the reasons I loved Chelsea Cain's previous novels is because she did such a fantastic job of building the character of Archie over each book.  I was angry at him for most of Heartsick and grew to really care about him by Evil At Heart.  Heartsick, Sweetheart, and Evil At Heart were all smart, gripping, and chilling.  So when The Night Season came out, I was a bit disappointed to see that the story didn't focus on Gretchen's continuing reign of terror.  The Night Season is a standalone novel featuring Archie Sheridan and Susan Ward, as well as a number of other characters we've come to know.  The city of Portland is struggling with a flooding river and mysterious deaths.  Archie and Susan work together to determine the cause of death while dealing with personal blows of their own.  The premise of how the people are being killed off is a bit ridiculous but I was dying (no pun intended) to know how it worked. 

Overall, this was a satisfying story that kept me reading well past my bedtime each night.  I wasn't nearly as grossed out or intruiged as I have been by her previous novels, but I still felt like Archie and Susan held their own.  If you haven't read her other books, you can absolutely read this by itself without missing much.  I think Chelsea Cain is one of the most entertaining female thriller authors of the past couple years.  I will wait patiently for her next book (hurry up!) and recommend the current four to anyone looking for something new and fun!
p.s. if you read The Night Season and it doesn't totally work for you, don't give up on Cain! Go back and read the Gretchen Lowell books.  I promise, they are worth it.

Mrs. Robinson

It would be easy to describe The Kingdom of Childhood by Rebecca Coleman as a literary Mary Kay Letourneou story.  But that doesn't quite describe it.  The main characters are a middle-aged woman named Judy MacFarland and a 16 year old student, Zach Patterson.  They are introduced when Zach's mother offers him as a volunteer to help get ready for Judy's school fundraiser.  Their relationship starts off much like any teacher-student relationship but soon begins to cross a line.  There is a conversation between Zach and Judy that happens near the beginning of their relationship about the song Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel.  Zach believes (as many do) that the song is about a younger man being seduced by an older woman.  Judy explains that she believes it to be about a woman stuck in suburbia going crazy.  While I picked this title up expecting more of a doomed romance, I found myself feeling more like I was reading a psychological thriller.  Their relationship is certainly doomed but will they both mentally unravel first?  Zach is a hormonal teenager with no real concept of the emotions that come with physical relationships.  Judy is suffering from a lack of any emotion besides resentment in her household.  Together, the combine to make a Molotov cocktail of sexual intentions. 
I found myself at the end of this novel feeling negatively about all the characters involved.  I hated what they had done, how they had treated each other, how sloppily they had covered it up, and how self righteous they came across.  But at the same time, I couldn't stop thinking about how this stupid fling had turned into such a deeply emotional car wreck.  I couldn't stop thinking about how immature Zach was and how Judy lost any sense of reality.  I wanted to understand them.  I wanted to shake them.  I wanted to warn them.  Which I think really speaks for my feelings on The Kingdom of Childhood in the end.  I have to admire a book that makes me really feel for the characters and question their decisions for a week after I've finished reading.  Rebecca Coleman may not have written characters that I have affection towards, but she did a fantastic job of writing characters that kept me thinking.  It will be published in paperback at the end of the month and I think it's the perfect fall read.  I definitely recommend it.  A good read to get your mind working while letting the rest of yourself get used to the chill of fall. 

I'm Once Again 14

Because I desperately want to see The Lion King in 3D.  I can't believe I was even 14 when that came out! It feels like forever ago and I feel like I was so much younger...Anyway, I'm dying to see it.

17 Things You Might Not Have Known About The Lion King





I also definitely had this SUPER cute talking Simba

I think there's a chance I still have him....but I'm not positive...in fact, I'm real scared that he might be gone...

Poetree

A wonderful person (or group of people?) has been leaving book sculptures across Scotland's libraries.  They are so pretty that I wish I could see one up close.  Visit the Deerfield, Secret Leavers of Beautiful Library Art!
Mysterious Paper Sculptures

Libraries Are Not Quiet

Especially when I have to shout in the phone to Dave my 83-year-old library boyfriend.

Our latest conversation (after he's made about 6 silly jokes about how I should stay just the way I am after asking me how I am)

Dave: "I'm looking at a topigraphical map of Cuba and I see something that looks like coral reefs or an island or something.  I need you to translate a word, it's spelled j-a-r-d-i-n-e-s"

Me: "That means 'grounds'"

Dave: "What? Drunks?"

Me: "No, Dave. GGGGRRRROUNDSSSSSS"

Dave: mumbling random words

Me: "G-R-O-U-N-D-S!"

Dave: "J-R-O? No!  J-A-R-D-I-N-E-S!"

Me: "Dave! I know! I'm telling you what that means! Jardines means GROUNDS!"

Dave: "Trounds?"

Me: head in hands "NO! GROUNDS! G-R-O-U-N-D-S"

Dave: "T?"

Me: "NO! G! As in 'GOOD', 'GROVER', "GARBAGE'"

Dave: "Ooooooohhhh G! Grounds.  Oh. hm. So guess it's their word for islands."

Me: "Yup"

Dave: "HA! YUP!"

Me: "Ok, bye Dave"

Dave: "Bye my dear! Stay sweet!"

So frustrating, yet comically ridiculous...Meanwhile I'm yelling this across the library as people laugh at me.  Also keep in mind, this happens approximately 3 times a day. 

Oh Dave....

Newly Inspired

Well, I'm back from my kicked-ass-so-hard-I-don't-know-if-it-will-ever-be-topped trip to Vegas!  I'll have to work on summing up the trip in a later post because I'm pretty sure you all need to read this RIGHT NOW. 




Pick your fights wisely

Best idea EVER

HOLY COW I Suck At Blogging Right Now

Because you aren't all as lucky as me and don't get to be swanky at the Bellagio in like 24 hours, here's a list of other things that I'm excited about! 
























  
(sweet potato donuts)


















ok, I think those are all the things that I'm enjoying or looking forward to that I can think of right now..Back atcha after Sin City!