NaNoWriMo

It's National Novel Writing Month!  Have you taken up the challenge to write a 50,000 novel in 30 days? The folks at the NaNoWriMo website make it so easy - sign up for free, track your word count, get pep talks from famous authors, attend write-ins locally, and, for those who find it hard to commit, you can even print out and sign a Month-Long Novelist Agreement and Statement of Understanding, acknowledging that "the the month-long, 50,000 word deadline [you] set for [yourself] is absolute and unchangeable."

Why NaNoWriMo?  You love writing.  You love the challenge (or could use a motivator).  Also, according to the website: "Over 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published. They include Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Hugh Howey’s Wool, Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, Jason Hough’s The Darwin Elevator, and Marissa Meyer’s Cinder."

If you have been participating your word count should be just past the halfway mark, around 28,000 words as of November 17th. Just two weeks left to go! We are participating this year, and we are running way, way behind at around 14,000 words.  One of our writing buddies, in Alaska, just did an 11-hour lock-in writing marathon.  It might come to that for us! Our region (USA: New Mexico: Albuquerque) has many helpful events scheduled, including Write-Ins at a variety of locations. There are also Word Sprints on Twitter, Virtual Write-Ins, and more - check the Official NaNoWriMo calendar.

If you are feeling like you could use some inspiration, there's a Get Inspired page on the NaNoWriMo site, or, consider checking a writing guide from the library catalog!  Some standouts include:


No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty [eBook]

The Writer's Portable Mentor: A Guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life by Priscilla Long

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott [eBook]

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King [eBook + eAudio]

Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life by Natalie Goldberg

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights by Ariel Gore 

Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story by Ursula K. Le Guin [eBook] 

Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers by Carolyn See 

Still Writing: The Pleasures and Perils of a Creative Life by Dani Shapiro  

On Writing by Eudora Welty 

Plotto: The Master Book of All Plots by William Wallace Cook [eBook]

A Kite in the Wind: Fiction Writers on Their Craft edited by Andrea Barrett and Peter Turchi [eBook]

Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Authors on How and Why They Do What They Do edited by Meredith Maran 

  

For more writing guides, try a subject search of "Authorship - Handbooks, manuals, etc." or "Authorship".

If you haven't been participating, there's always next year, or there are other NaNoWriMo-style events during the year - Playwriting Month, Gothic Novel Writing Month, 24 Hour Comics Day, Script Frenzy. 

Links

The NaNoWriMo Blog

Best Books for Writers [Poets & Writers]

#librarianproblems #rant

Does anybody else have the problem of checking out too many books at once - so that so many accumulate that you get overwhelmed and end up returning several that you've barely begun reading? I had to do that this weekend.  About 5 books that I decided I would probably never finish at this rate came back to the library.  I have to tell myself that if they're important enough, I'll remember them later. I don't even make a list of them, because that would just add to my overwhelm. Which is not really consistent with the fact that I have a running list of possibly hundreds of "to read" books.  I use it so that I can completely ignore all of the books I want to read.  I tell myself that if it's important enough, I'll have an urge to read it whether it's on the list or not, and that this list is just to refer back to in the event that I run out of things to read.  Like THAT will ever happen!  I'm a book addict working in a library.  But at least I borrow instead of buy - my house would be made of books and I would be completely broke if I did that. 

I know I have librarian problems,* but I'm also aware that my threshold is very low.  Because I know that I get overwhelmed when too many items are on my account, I try really hard to say no to most of the books I drool over as they pass under my nose at work.  (Thus, the "to read" list, which I'm realizing also makes me feel like someday I might read all of the books I've ever wanted to read... more wishful thinking.)  As I said earlier, I returned about 5 books, but all I had checked out were 11 in total at that point - which is relatively few in light of the 50 item limit that full privilege cardholders have.  But I don't have time to read 11 books at once!  And if I focus on just one, it will take me a month to finish it unless I become totally antisocial or stop doing the dishes.  (I may not read very much.)

So there's a taste of the struggles and joys we who work at the library (and/or love books too much) face day to day.  If you would like some books about working in a library atmosphere to take home or add to your "to read" list, I've listed some below for your browsing pleasure.  (Don't take them too seriously!)

 

Rex Libris: I, Librarian by James Turner

Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell

Librarian for a Day  by Julie Tibbott

At the completion of the writing of this post, I have already accumulated 6 more books that I will not have time to read.  But maybe I'll give myself a pass this once since I will be on vacation for a week very soon.  I would be making up some excuse to take them home even if I weren't, though - let's be real. 

*To honor my colleagues who are actual librarians, I will admit here that I'm only a paralibrarian - I did not work my behind off in school to achieve librarianhood.  When customers call me a librarian, I have to explain that I am not, in fact, that formally educated.

Beneath the Waves

We've been thinking a lot about maritime life in the past few years, dating back to when Paul the Octopus was predicting World Cup winners in 2010. More recently, we have been reading about attempts to save Australia's Great Barrier Reef, which is in poor condition due to pollutant damage, the continuing infiltration of plastic into the world's oceans, New Zealand's commitment in ocean conservatation in its creation of an ocean sanctuary in "an area twice the size of [its] land mass and 50 times the size of [its] largest national park", and the presumed demise of world-record-holding freediver Natalia Molchanova.

But generally, we wonder, what is the world of the depths like?We've come up with a list of titles that we hope evoke the sea in all its beauty and mystery.

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery

"In this astonishing book from the author of the bestselling memoir The Good Good Pig, Sy Montgomery explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus--a surprisingly complex, intelligent, and spirited creature--and the remarkable connections it makes with humans. Sy Montgomery's popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect," about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters. Octopuses have varied personalities and intelligence they show in myriad ways: endless trickery to escape enclosures and get food; jetting water playfully to bounce objects like balls; and evading caretakers by using a scoop net as a trampoline and running around the floor on eight arms. But with a beak like a parrot, venom like a snake, and a tongue covered with teeth, how can such a being know anything? And what sort of thoughts could it think? The intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees was only recently accepted by scientists, who now are establishing the intelligence of the octopus, watching them solve problems and deciphering the meaning of their color-changing camouflage techniques. Montgomery chronicles this growing appreciation of the octopus, but also tells a love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about consciousness and the meeting of two very different minds." -- Publisher's description.  

Ocean: The Definitive Visual Guide edited by American Museum of Natural History

"This dramatic, thought-provoking, and all-encompassing visual guide reveals the power and majesty of the seas and oceans, which cover more than two-thirds of the earth's surface. Navigate the mysteries and marvels of the deep, using a combination of breathtaking photography and expertly researched text."--book jacket. 

The Reef: A Passionate History by Iain McCalman

"A journey into the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, as experienced by explorers, scientists, and artists The Great Barrier Reef is the most spectacular marine environment on earth, a true wonder of the world. Yet the history of our encounters with it has long been elusive. In The Reef, the acclaimed historian and explorer Iain McCalman recounts in full the dramatic story of the reef and the people who have been captivated by it for two centuries. The Reef is a narrative told through the lives of twenty intrepid souls, from Captain James Cook and his voyage across a mysterious coral maze to the world's leading reef scientist, John 'Charlie' Veron, whose personal mission is to rescue the reef from catastrophe. The extraordinary individuals in the book--not only explorers and scientists but also beachcombers, photographers, divers, and indigenous peoples and the castaways they adopted--were drawn to the reef for different reasons, but all shared one thing: a passion for this vast coral country. As McCalman explores how the reef has been seen variously as a labyrinth of terror, a nurturing heartland, a scientific challenge, and a fragile global wonder, he argues that it is only by combining science and art that we will truly appreciate how this great gift of nature has shaped us and why it demands our attention. A classic work of romantic history, blending cutting-edge science with personal reflection and gorgeous images, The Reef is a beautiful book that will speak to broad audiences for years to come"-- Provided by publisher.  

The Extreme Life of the Sea by Stephen R. Palumbi and Anthony R. Palumbi

"The Extreme Life of the Sea exposes the eternal darkness of the deepest undersea trenches to show how marine life thrives against the odds, describing how flying fish strain to escape their predators, how predatory deep-sea fish use red searchlights only they can see to find and attack food, and how, at the end of her life, a mother octopus dedicates herself to raising her batch of young. This wide-ranging and highly accessible book also shows how ocean adaptations can inspire innovative commercial products--such as fan blades modeled on the flippers of humpback whales--and how future extremes created by human changes to the oceans might push some of these amazing species over the edge."

   
Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves by James Nestor

"While on assignment in Greece, journalist James Nestor witnessed something that confounded him: a man diving 300 feet below the ocean's surface on a single breath of air and returning four minutes later, unharmed and smiling. This man was a freediver, and his amphibious abilities inspired Nestor to seek out the secrets of this little-known discipline. In Deep, Nestor embeds with a gang of extreme athletes and renegade researchers who are transforming not only our knowledge of the planet and its creatures, but also our understanding of the human body and mind. Along the way, he takes us from the surface to the Atlantic's greatest depths, some 28,000 feet below sea level. He finds whales that communicate with other whales hundreds of miles away, sharks that swim in unerringly straight lines through pitch-black waters, and seals who dive to depths below 2,400 feet for up to eighty minutes--deeper and longer than scientists ever thought possible. As strange as these phenomena are, they are reflections of our own species' remarkable, and often hidden, potential--including echolocation, directional sense, and the profound physiological changes we undergo when underwater. Most illuminating of all, Nestor unlocks his own freediving skills as he communes with the pioneers who are expanding our definition of what is possible in the natural world, and in ourselves"-- Provided by publisher.  

The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins by Hal Whitehead and Luke Rendell

In The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins, cetacean biologists Hal Whitehead, who has spent much of his life on the ocean trying to understand whales, and Luke Rendell, whose research focuses on the evolution of social learning, open an astounding porthole onto the fascinating culture beneath the waves. As Whitehead and Rendell show, cetacean culture and its transmission are shaped by a blend of adaptations, innate sociality, and the unique environment in which whales and dolphins live: a watery world in which a hundred-and-fifty-ton blue whale can move with utter grace, and where the vertical expanse is as vital, and almost as vast, as the horizontal. Drawing on their own research as well as a scientific literature as immense as the sea—including evolutionary biology, animal behavior, ecology, anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience—Whitehead and Rendell dive into realms both humbling and enlightening as they seek to define what cetacean culture is, why it exists, and what it means for the future of whales and dolphins. And, ultimately, what it means for our future, as well.* 

An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of Seaweed by Josie Iselin

In her captivating new book, artist and avid beachcomber Josie Iselin returns to the seashore to reveal the unexpected beauty of seaweed. Produced on a flatbed scanner, Iselin’s vibrant portraits of ocean flora reveal the exquisite color and extraordinary forms of more than 200 specimens gathered from tidal pools along the California and Maine coasts. Her engaging text, which accompanies the images, blends personal observation and philosophical musings with scientific fact. Like her previous books, An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of Seaweed is a poetic and compelling tribute to the natural world and the wonder it evokes.*

*descriptions taken from Amazon.com. All other book descriptions are taken from the library catalog.  

The Enduring Appeal of Abraham Lincoln

The vast amount of literature on Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) is almost unmatched in the English language, behind only that on Jesus and William Shakespeare. Interest in the 16th president of the United States has never abated, but the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth (2009) along with the sesquicentennials of the Civil War (2011) and Lincoln’s death (2015) have spurred even more interest in his character and the consequences of his presidency.
~Randall M. Miller, "Lincoln, 150 Years On"

There's still time this year to observe the sesquicentennial of the death of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. There is indeed a wealth of material to delve into - besides the non-fiction list we've assembled below, there have been two recent related feature films, Lincoln and The Conspirator, there's a book and a movie about Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, and Jennifer Chiaverini, best known for her quilting novels, has been writing loosely related historical fiction set in the Civil War period which directly references the Lincoln family, most notably Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker. Our society's fascination with Lincoln extends to our presidents - earlier this year, The New York Times published an article called "Abraham Lincoln, the One President All of Them Want to Be More Like". His funeral train, his hat, his poetry - everything has been discussed, it seems.


The Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech That Nobody Knows by Gabor Boritt 

Lincoln's Gamble: The Tumultuous Six Months That Gave America the Emancipation Proclamation and Changed the Course of the Civil War by Todd Brewster

Abraham Lincoln and White America by Brian R. Dirck

Year of Meteors: Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Election That Brought On the Civil War by Douglas R. Egerton

The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America by Allen C. Guelzo

Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion by Harold Holzer

Writing the Gettysburg Address by Martin P. Johnson

Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer by Fred Kaplan

Tried By War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson

Mr. Lincoln Goes to War by William Marvel

Lincoln and the Jews: A History by Jonathan D. Sarna and Benjamin Shapell 

Lincoln and the Triumph of the Nation: Constitutional Conflict in the American Civil War by Mark E. Neely [eBook] 

Lincoln's War: The Untold Story of America's Greatest President as Commander in Chief by Geoffrey Perret  

Lincoln's Body: A Cultural History by Richard Wightman Fox 

Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass & Abraham Lincoln by John Stauffer 

The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words by Ronald C. White, Jr.

 House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, A Family Divided By War by Stephen Berry 

  

DVDs

You Are There: Abraham Lincoln's Great Moments 

The Address

Looking at Lincoln (J) 


For more new items in the library catalog, try a subject search of "Abraham Lincoln" sorted by date. 

Links

Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project 

This useful resource offers documents, articles, images, biographical videos featuring major Lincoln scholars and interactive resources on the president’s Illinois years.

Abraham Lincoln’s Classroom

Cartoons, biographies, articles, book excerpts, maps, quizzes, bio-sketches of Lincoln-era figures and his life.

App

Abe App

Available for Google Play and iTunes. For students of all ages, an interactive resource produced in conjunction with the Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.

     

   

Silence, Community, Solitude

I just got back from a three day silent retreat at a monastery. I was tempted after breaking the silence on the final day, to state my willingness to cook, clean, and work in their library in exchange for room and board. Then I remembered that the cat sitter needed to be relieved of duty and it was time to go home and resume my responsibilities. Eventually, I would also want to find out what was going on with my favorite TV show and catch up with my ungodly celebrity gossip. However, I am committed to finding a way to bring silence and depth into my daily life and the following books may tide me over until the next retreat, even though waking up at 5:30 a.m. has already slipped away.

An Infinity of Little Hours: Five Young Men and Their Trial of Faith in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order by Nancy Klein Maguire

Alone In Community: Journeys Into Monastic Life Around the World by William Classen

A History of Celibacy: From Athena to Elizabeth I, Leonardo da Vinci, Florence Nightingale, Ghandi and Cher by Elizabeth Abbott

Silence: The Power of Quiet In a World Full of Noise by Thich Nĥát Hanh

In Silence: Why We Pray by Donald Spoto

Nuns: A History of Convent Life, 1450-1700 by Silvia Evangelisti

And Then There Were Nuns: Adventures In a Cloistered Life by Jane Christmas

Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns by Cheryl L. Reed

Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO's Quest For Meaning and Authenticity by August Turak

The Monks and Me: How 40 Days At Thich Nĥát Hanh's French Monastery Guided Me Home by Mary Paterson

Fire Monks: Zen Mind Meets Wildfire At the Gates of Tassajara by Colleen Morton Busch

Chant: The Origins, Form, Practice, and Healing Power of Gregorian Chant by Katharine Le Mee
  

A Guide to Young Adult Fiction Part One: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

I've talked about young adult fiction so much on this blog that I thought it was time I do a series of posts on recommendations based on genre. If you're new to reading young adult books, you might find this especially helpful. I thought I would kick the series off with my favorite genre, and the genre that might be the easiest for people to get into: contemporary realistic fiction.

What is contemporary realistic fiction? Author Sara Zarr defines it this way, as found on the Young Adult Library Services Association blog The Hub: "A story that takes place more or less in the present in which nothing happens that could not feasibly happen in our world and nothing occurs that might violate the time-space continuum."

While I do sometimes enjoy a good horror story or mystery, and in rare cases, a good fantasy story, I'm drawn to contemporary realistic fiction more than any other genre. It's easier to relate to, which is important to me, and it offers so many possibilities in the stories that can be told.

If you're new to young adult fiction, you might want to start with a lighter contemporary realistic novel.

Something Real by Heather Demetrios
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, both by Stephanie Perkins

If you're looking for something a little more serious, darker, or literary, there are some great options.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Lately, I've found myself wanting to read novels about older teens, in particular, teens who are transitioning from high school to college, but I want stories that don't feel like new adult books. If you want a young adult book that feels more grown up without being new adult, here are some books to try.

City Love by Susane Colasanti
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Golden by Jessi Kirby
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

The next post in this series will focus on YA fantasy. If you have any suggestions for that list, let me know in the comments!

Graphic Novels to Make You Think

The notion that graphic novels are too simplistic to be regarded as serious reading is outdated. The excellent graphic novels available today are linguistically appropriate reading material demanding many of the same skills that are needed to understand traditional works of prose fiction. Often they actually contain more advanced vocabulary than traditional books at the same age/grade/interest level. They require readers to be actively engaged in the process of decoding and comprehending a range of literary devices, including narrative structures, metaphor and symbolism, point of view, and the use of puns and alliteration, intertextuality, and inference.
~Robin Brenner, "A Guide to Using Graphic Novels with Children and Teens"

Graphic novels - they're not all just superheroes and manga, although those might be the most popular offshoots of the genre. These days you can learn about history, science, the media, and more from graphic novels - educators say "I wouldn’t assign a graphic novel to get specific dates and events in the heads of, say, a history student. But I would definitely assign a graphic novel...in conjunction with a textbook. A student can read it quickly, and it makes distant events live and breathe.” It's even a category on Goodreads! These days, publishers often put out a children's version of an adult book (The Omnivore's Dilemma For Kids) or a graphic version of a book (A Game of Thrones: Volume 1, The Graphic Novel), so it's unsurprising to see topics covered using the graphic novel format.

We've compiled a list of graphic novels for adults and young adults that will, hopefully, pique your fancy and perhaps slake your thirst for knowledge on a particular subject, from the science that brought you the Difference Engine to histories of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression and beyond. Like the educator quoted above, we probably wouldn't recommend any of these books be your only source of information about these topics, but we bet they help the events and issue that they chronicle come alive for you!

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown [YA]

The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown [YA]

Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm  

The Age of Selfishness: Ayn Rand, Morality, and the Financial Crisis by Darryl Cunningham  

Hip Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua

Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle

Journalism by Joe Sacco

Bohemians: A Graphic History edited by Paul Buhle and David Berger with Luisa Cetti

Climate Changed: A Personal Journey Through the Science by Philippe Squarzoni

The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media illustrated by Josh Neufeld

The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression - Graphic Edition by Amity Shlaes

A Most Imperfect Union: A Contrarian History of the United States by Ilan Stavans 

Gandhi: My Life Is My Message written by Jason Quinn

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani & Maris Wicks [YA]

Best of Enemies: A History of US and Middle East Relations by Jean-Pierre Filiu & David B

The Hammer and the Anvil: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the End of Slavery in America by Dwight Jon Zimmerman

Bad Girls: Sirens, Jezebels, Murdereresses, Thieves & Other Female Villians by Jane Yolen [YA]
 

In the library catalog, you can also find graphic (or "visual") biographies, such as American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, a National Book Award finalist in 2006, 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente, and the loosely autobiographical The Silence of Our Friends, about a civil rights related sit-in at Texas Southern University in 1968.

If you love graphic novels, be sure to check out Lomas Tramway's Graphic Novel Club! For more graphic novels from the library catalog, try a subject search using "graphic novels".