1+2+5=8

So my three day vacation to Sedona was a success! I read 5 books while I was there and it was amazing. Now that I'm back I haven't really read anything, but I've been working on a Tom Selleck cross stitch (I love me some Tom Selleck) instead. I'm take a break from the cross stitching though to get some reading done before the semester starts.

Speaking of school, it starts Wednesday! EEK! I'm excited, although I'm sure that will wear off soon. I'm really busy between the two jobs and trying to keep a social life. I'm sure the social life is going to tank during the semester but I think that's how it goes. Work at the public library is the same, same crazies, same questions. The kids at school are keeping me busy and this coming week I am going to the county of education branch meeting. I'm excited to meet other librarians and network a bit.

Now for my books that I've read!



Witch Baby by Francesca Lia Block
Continuing with the characters from Weetzie Bat, Block tells the story of Weetzie's adopted daughter, Witch Baby. We learn why she is so conflicted and she in turn learns about her family and why she should accept their love and return it.








Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys by Francesca Lia Block
Ah!!!! The kids are all grown up! Cherokee Bat, Witch Baby, Raphael and Angel Juan all form a band while their parents are out of town filming a movie. They learn the hard way about temptation and spiral quickly out of control. Yet, of course, the spell breaks and they realize the harm they are doing to their spirits and bodies.




The Girls by Lori Lansens
Fascinating book about conjoined twins. Rose and Ruby have lived their entire lives conjoined, sharing vital organs that made it impossible to separate them. The book is written from both of their perspectives and Lansens does a fantastic job differentiating between the two. They have great voices and great stories and I couldn't read this book fast enough.





A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future by Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox is a favorite actor of mine. I've read all of his previous books, mostly biographies and memoirs about his life and his disease. This book was different, mostly advice and positive ways of looking at life. Fox dropped out of high school and only got his GED after his son asked him why he didn't have one. It was fascinating to hear his take and I love his writing voice. I can actually "hear" him as I read his words.



The D.U.F.F. by Kody Keplinger
A first novel by a teenager, Keplinger's "The D.U.F.F." was a quick and fun read. It reminded me of high school reality and even though many people thought it was too sexual or not well written. I thought it was great. I'm not sure if I would recommend it to my students due to some of the decisions that the characters make, but I found it refreshing to read someone writing about high school reality.

Two books

So I've been reading reading reading! Or at least trying to anyways. I love YA books because I can get through them really quickly.

This week I read Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin. I really enjoyed this book. It's written from the perspective a middle school boy who is autistic. The reason I really liked it is that I had never read anything written in that perspective before. It gave me a great understanding of what issues autistic kids might be dealing with and how their thought processes might work. Anyways I really liked it and I think it would be a good read for kids and adults who might have questions about how autistic kids process things.

I also read Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. I'll be honest and say that I've read all of her books before, but it has been years since I've done so. Weetzie Bat was published in 1989 and deals with issues such as deal, gay relationships, AIDs, love, loneliness and more. It's the first in a series of books about the same characters and it's a favorite of mine. I LOVED these books as a teen and I love them more now. It's whimsical and realistic and sad and happy all at the same time. When I was younger I felt really connected to these books. I wanted love and happiness and to live a whimsical life. Now, a bit older, I still want that and I still feel that when I read these books.

I leave for Sedona tomorrow on my annual girls trip with my mom. I have over 20 books checked out on my library card and plan to get a TON of reading done. The good thing about YA books is that they are short :) But I do have some adult books on my list as well.

Things are looking good so far.

My Goal for 2011

I'm not one to embrace resolutions. If there is an activity or habit that I want to stop or continue I will. But this year I have a goal. A real goal that I am going to share with you all and hopefully that will keep me on track.

My goal is.....

To read 100 books in 2011.

I know. It's not that lofty of a goal, but if you think about it it's about two books a week. I work six days a week between my two libraries and I have a lot of shows that I enjoy watching on TV but I'm really going to focus on reading more. Also, since I've started at the school I'm increasing my YA reading a bit so I can be more familiar with what my students are reading. I actually read about five YA books in the last few days of 2010 but I can't count those towards my total :( So far I've already finished one and am in the middle of two others so I'm hoping to get those done within the next couple of days.

So here is my list so far:

1. The Seventh Witch by Shirley Damsgaard
I started this series because it was about a librarian and it had that super natural feel to it. I heard that this is the last one in the series and that makes me a bit sad. I enjoyed the characters and it's a really fast read. I love historical familial ties of magic that run through Abby and Ophelia and I especially loved that the characters go back to their home towns and we can really see their heritage.

WOOT one down! :)