New & Novel: Soccer Books - ¡Olé, Olé, Olé!

The World Cup starts tomorrow! Perhaps, if you haven't starting warming up yet for this month-long soccer extravaganza, you'd like to start now by reading some background material?  Here's some reading recommended for soccer fans, or for people who want to understand soccer fans:

For Kids

Zlatan by Illugi Jökulsson (see also Messi by the same author)

My First Soccer Book by Clive Gifford

Betty Bunny Wants a Goal by Michael B. Kaplan

Maisy Plays Soccer by Lucy Cousins

Saving the Team by Alex Morgan

For Young Adults

Keeper by Mal Peet

Now Is the Time For Running by Michael Williams

Soccer: The Ultimate Guide by Martin Cloake ... [et al.]   

For Adults

More Than a Team A Father, a Son, and Barça by Vicenç Villatoro

The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Soccer is Wrong by Chris Anderson and David Sally

Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano


Spanish Language

Porque el fútbol importa by Pelé; con Brian Winter

Goles: imágenes y testimonios de los momentos más felices de nuestra vida by Luis Villarejo


eBooks

History of the World Cup, 1930-2010 by Clemente A. Lisi

Africa United: Soccer, Passion, Politics, and the First World Cup in Africa by Steve Bloomfield

Chasing the Game: America and the Quest for the World Cup by Filip Bondy

The World Cup: A Very Peculiar History - With NO Added Time by David Arscott
Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France by Laurent Dubois

Mad For It: Short Stories on Football's Greatest Rivalries: Part 1, Manchester Utd. v. Liverpool - Seeing Red by Andy Mitten
This Love is Not For Cowards: Salvation and Soccer in Ciudad Juárez by Robert Andrew Powell  
La Roja: How Soccer Conquered Spain and How Spanish Soccer Conquered the World by Jimmy Burns

Attacking Soccer: Mastering the Modern Game by Peter Schreiner & Norbert Elgert


Also, did you know that Albuquerque now has a minor league soccer team in the Premier Developmental League (PDL) of the United Soccer League? Visit the website for Albuquerque Sol F.C. for more information!

      

Young Adult Fiction and Adults

On June 5, an opinion piece was published on Slate's website, in which the author stated that adults who read young adult literature should be ashamed to do so. This article resulted in a Twitter campaign called #PromoteaYAinstead. Started by Lauren DeStefano, author of the popular young adult trilogy The Chemical Garden (which includes the books Wither, Fever, and Sever), the campaign has taken off; it was one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter in the United States:

GUYS LOOK. Thank you for making #PromoteaYAInstead a thing! Look at the power book love has over negative energy. pic.twitter.com/pzdfrjXqRt
— Lauren DeStefano (@LaurenDeStefano) June 5, 2014

Authors and readers have all been participating, sharing their favorite young adults books and why they aren't ashamed to read young adult fiction. Here is what some people have said.

#PromoteaYAInstead because I can love so much amazing #YA and also read amazing "adult" literature. pic.twitter.com/bCf1ex5ABx
— Michelle Runyan (@michelru) June 6, 2014

#YALit addresses so many issues in the world and does it in a relatable way for people of all ages. Lit is timeless! #promoteaYAinstead
— Morgan Olson (@munchie_11_) June 6, 2014

I read YA, my mom reads YA, my grandma reads YA. We are not "embarrassed." We are 3 generations of satisfied readers. #PromoteaYAInstead
— Markelle Grabo (@MarkelleGrabo) June 6, 2014

ABC Library staff also love reading young adult and middle grade fiction. I asked some of my colleagues why, and what books they would recommend. Here's what they said.

"Reading anything is an integral part of becoming a well-balanced individual. As a well-balanced individual myself, I enjoy a diverse range of literature, not limited to 'adult' books. While my reading repertoire includes the mature works of Dickens and Hawthorne, I'm by no means 'embarrassed' to have a YA book in hand at any given time. . . . I believe that any book can change your life, if you aren't ashamed to pick it up. I love exploring children's literature, because more often than not, they grab me emotionally and resonate with my own life experiences, more so than most 'adult' books. They are not all innocence and laughs, and my greatest enjoyment of reading comes from digging under the silliness and discovering the wisdom in the pages. I would easily read. . .Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, over and over again!"

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

"Because I can! But aside from that it's about simplicity. When you read a YA novel, you can expect it to be something you can move quickly through. You can enjoy the journey without getting hung up on things like lengthy scenarios or words that somebody scoured the thesaurus for. Life is full of things to do. Between work and school and kids, you don't always have time to devote to a tome. We want something fast and satisfying. I think one of the biggest points to be made in this discussion is Harry Potter, which tons of adults have read and are fans of the series. None of them seem to be embarrassed. It's due in large part to the fact that it is a fantastic journey and you watch the characters change and develop and the journey is nothing short of magical. And in that respect it is about Growth. It's about Change. It's about 'watching' a character fall in love for the first time, or catch their first dragon or discover the essence of who they are. Making friends and losing friends. The list goes on and on. It's about the lessons that the characters learn and the reminders that those lessons give us. I read picture books for those same life lessons and reminders."

If you're an adult and you read young adult and children's literature, don't be ashamed. Celebrate your interests and reading habits instead!

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars was released in theaters yesterday, and I'm really excited about it. I doubt I'm the only one; two years ago, when John Green was in Albuquerque for the book release, I went to the event, figuring I'd hear a reading from the book, followed by a question-and-answer session and book signing. Instead, John Green read an excerpt, and he and his brothers played music and performed skits, followed by a book signing. I wasn't expecting the event to be what it was, but what really surprised me was how many people attended the event. Hundreds of teens were there, and they weren't just passively sitting in the seats watching. They were singing along with John and Hank, dancing the aisles, and taking pictures.

Now that the movie out, I've decided to re-read The Fault in Our Stars, and I'm loving it the second time around just as much as I loved it the first time. I've also decided to a do a library program celebrating the movie release, and in preparation, I've stumbled across a lot of amazing fan art. The fan art includes sketches of Hazel and Augustus, the book's two main characters, but much of the fan art is also based on quotes from the book--and this is a book that has a lot of great quotes. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book, in fan art form. All images are from The Fault in Our Stars Wikia.

"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities."

"My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations."

"You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful."

"Okay? Okay."

Call the Midwife

Have you been watching the delightful series Call The Midwife on PBS? Season 3 has recently concluded, and filming for Season 4 has just begun. The series is "based on the best-selling memoirs of the late Jennifer Worth, [and] tells colorful stories of midwifery and families in London’s East End." Nurse Jenny Lee (based on the author) has been the main character and narrator as she navigates life at Nonnatus House, a nursing convent, in the 1950s.  The cast of characters includes the nuns of Nonnatus (Sisters of the Anglican Community of St John the Divine)* and Jenny's fellow nurses, who work alongside the nuns in the community.

We have really been enjoying this series, though it often leaves us in tears! Much of the story has been taken from Worth's memoirs, although "[s]creenwriter and executive producer Heidi Thomas...received Worth's blessing to continue into series three and beyond, even though the memoirs had run out of material by the end of series two."**

Season 4 will premiere Spring 2015...here a few items to keep you entertained until then!


Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth [also available as eAudiobook]

Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth (Book 2) [also available as eBook and eAudiobook]

Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth (Book 3) [also available as eBook and eAudiobook]

The Life and Times of Call the Midwife: The Official Companion to Season One and Two by Heidi Thomas [eBook]

Call the Midwife DVDs: Season One and Season Two


You Might Also Like...

Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block

Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth From the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank by Randi Hutter Epstein

Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born by Tina Cassidy

Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years With a Midwife in Mali by Kris Holloway

Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent

Birth Matters: A Midwife's Manifesta by Ina May Gaskin


Links

Call The Midwife quiz [The Mirror]

Vanessa Redgrave to star onscreen in Call the Midwife [BBC]**
May contain spoilers!

Nuns from the order that inspired 'Call the Midwife' never miss a show [The Telegraph]*

Best Food Books

We've compiled a list of some of the most highly-rated food books - from cookbooks to journalism to fiction - from various lists we found online. What do you think of the list?  Are there food books you think should be added?  Let us know in the comments!

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser 

French Country Cooking by Elizabeth David

How To Eat by Nigella Lawson

The Physiology of Taste by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

The Man Who Ate Everything: And Other Gastronomic Feats, Disputes, and Pleasurable Pursuits by Jeffrey Steingarten

The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The Kitchen Diaries  + The Kitchen Diaries II  [ebook] by Nigel Slater

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

A Long Finish by Michael Dibdin 

Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop 

Judgment of Paris: California vs. France And The Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine by George M Taber

The Tummy Trilogy by Calvin Trillin

The Gastronomical Me by M. F. K. Fisher

Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang

The Food of a Younger Land: A Portrait of American Food - Before the National Highway System, Before Chain Restaurants, and Before Frozen Food, When the Nation's Food Was Seasonal, Regional, and Traditional, From the Lost WPA Files edited and illustrated by Mark Kurlansky

The Flower Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo

The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti

A Tiger in the Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family by Cheryl Lu-lien Tan

Links

10 great meals in literature 

14 Books Every Food Lover Should Read

The 10 best food and drink books of all time

Best Books for Food Lovers

Great Books: the Top 25 Must-Read Food Memoirs of All Time

James Beard Foundation Awards
Covering all aspects of the industry—from chefs and restaurateurs to cookbook authors and food journalists to restaurant designers and architects and more—the Beard Awards are the highest honor for food and beverage professionals working in North America. The awards are presented each spring at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Spark a Reaction! / ¡Enciende una Reacción!

Our Summer Reading Program begins tomorrow, Saturday, May 31st, and runs until July 25th! There will be kick-off parties at many branches tomorrow - check our Summer Reading events tab for listings or call your local branch.

Summer Reading is for everyone! Click on the links below for lists of events, prizes, and more! You can even register online.

• Children
• Tweens (a new age group this year)
• Teens
• Adults

Please note that this year, tweens and teens will receive a weekly incentive when they bring in their reading logs, and can earn grand prize drawing entries by attending special events held at library branches.

Even if you miss the kick-off, all ages can still sign up for Summer Reading any time during the program, collect weekly prizes, attend events, fill out a "library passport" (visit different library branches and get entered to win a fantastic family prize), and get entered in our grand prize drawings for tweens and older. Visit our Summer Reading guide for more information.

It's going to be a great summer! Please join us!

P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E

It's that time of year again.  Time for the Scripps National Spelling Bee!  Started in 1925, this annual tradition is going strong with 281 finalists this year.  The last winner from New Mexico was Blake Giddens in 1983 with the word "Purim".

Photo Credit

You can explore behind the scenes with the Oscar nominated documentary Spellbound, which follows competitors of the 1999 spelling bee through preparation and the finals.  There's also the more mainstream Akeelah and the Bee.

The spelling bee can draw on words from all languages, but if your interest is whetted, the library has a number of books on etymology, including:

Spell It Out: the Curious, Enthralling and Extraordinary Story of English Spelling
Spellbound : the Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: the Untold History of English
and
Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 pages.

Lastly, there's always The Professor and the Madman about the collaboration which led to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Last year's winning word was "knaidel".  Tune in to ESPN at 6 p.m. (or watch the live stream) to watch the finals and root for this year's stellar spellers!