Kawaii: Cute Japanese Style Crafts

I first became obsessed with Japanese style (if you don't include my childhood love of Hello Kitty) when I came across a copy of Fruits, Shoichi Aoki's photographic study of Tokyo street style, which focused on young people in the Harajuku district.  (You might have also heard about Harajuku if you listened to Gwen Stefani's first album, Love, Angel, Music, Baby. Her song "Harajuku Girls" is where I first encountered the word kawaii - "'Cause it's super kawaii, that means super cute in Japanese!") I found these fresh & funky fashions amusing & delightful, & I became a dedicated follower of all things kawaii & Japanese style.  Happily, there are items in the ABC Libraries' catalog to meet my needs!

Some examples of Japanese (crafting) style:

Furoshiki Fabric Wraps: Simple-Reusable-Beautiful by Pixeladies

Omiyage: Handmade Gifts from Fabric in the Japanese Tradition by Kumiko Sudo

Temari: How to Make Japanese Thread Balls by Diana Vandervoort

A Japanese Touch for the Seasons by Kunio Ekiguchi and Ruth S. McCreery

Japan Crafts Sourcebook: A Guide to Today's Traditional Handmade Objects by Japan Craft Forum

The Beginner's Guide to Braiding: The Craft of Kumihimo by Jacqui Carey

Simple Modern Sewing: 8 Basic Patterns to Create 25 Favorite Garments by Shufu to Seikatsusha

Cut-Up Couture by Koko Yamase


Some examples of kawaii, mostly in crafting:

Hello Please!: Very Helpful and Super Kawaii Characters from Japan by Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amigurumi by June Gilbank.

Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts- Fuzzy Felted Friends by Saori Yamazaki

Stitchy Kitty Fuzzy Puppy: 60 Motifs to Stitch Everywhere by Ayako Otsuka

Fleece Dog by Nobuko Nagakubo

Amigurumi Toy Box by Ana Paula Rímoli

Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat by Kaori Tsutaya

Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi: More than 40 Itty-Bitty Minis to Knit, Wear, and Give by Anna Hrachovec

Happy Gloves: Charming Softy Friends Made from Colorful Gloves by Miyako Kanamori

Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves by Miyako Kanamori


Not Japanese, but totally cute!

Knit Your Own Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 16 Frisky Felines by Sally Muir and Joanne Osborne

Stupid Sock Creatures: Making Quirky, Lovable Figures from Cast-Off Socks by John Murphy

Closed for Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day, all ABC Libraries will be closed today, Monday, May 28th.  Normal hours will resume at all branches on Tuesday, May 29th.

Memorial Day History

Albuquerque Comic Expo

With the recent release of The Avengers movie, and the upcoming superhero movies The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, comic books are the hottest thing in pop culture. If you want to learn more about comics and other related genres, then head on over to the upcoming second annual Albuquerque Comic Expo which will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center on June 8th-10th. 

There are some great media guests scheduled to attend:

Kevin Sorbo from Hercules:The Legendary Journeys and Andromeda

Adam Baldwin from Firefly, Serenity and Chuck

Katee Sackhoff from Battlestar Galactica

Billy Dee Williams from The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and Batman

Peter Mayhew from Star Wars,Episode IV, A New Hope, Star Wars, Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars, Episode VI, Return of the Jedi and Star Wars, Episode III, Revenge of the Sith.  He also appears in a recent released horror film called Killer Ink

Julie Caitlin Brown from Babylon 5 and has also appeared in JAG, and Star Trek: The Next Generation

Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes from Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back.  An extra bonus will be Kevin and Jason doing a live show on Saturday evening at the Kiva Auditorium! 

Jim Kelly from Enter the Dragon and Three the Hard Way


From the world of comics there are over 50 artists that will be set up at the Artist's Alley.  Some of those attending are:  Joe Eisma--Morning Glories; Whilce Portacio--creator of the X-Men character Bishop, Hulk #18 with Jeph Loeb; Keven Gardener--12 Gauge Comics; Greg Horn--Artist on Emma Frost, Elektra and She-Hulk; and Len Wein--creator of The Swamp Thing, writer on several Marvel titles such as The Incredible Hulk and The Mighty Thor. The special guest from the world of comics is none other than Stan Lee, who helped create some of our favorite superheroes, Spider-Man, The Hulk, Thor, X-Men and Fantastic Four!

Some of the other exciting events going on will include: an Anime Room; Tromadance New Mexico; Gamers Anonymous Retro-Gaming Tournaments; ACE Costume Contest, a huge event with the entire room filling up to see all the great costumes; gaming tournaments; and other panels, screenings and workshops. You can view the full event calendar on the website.

There will also be many exhibitors and artists all over the convention floor, including: 501st Dewback Ridge Garrison--the local 501st Stormtrooper unit; 7000 BC--Independent Comic Book Publishers; the Albuquerque Browncoats--the local Firefly and Serenity chapter; the Batmobile; Beeman's Rare Comics; Kaboom Test Labs and more!

The library catalog has quite a few comics, graphic novels. non-fiction works and videos to read and watch before heading off to the convention:

1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die by editor Paul Gravett

Stan Lee's How to Draw Comics: From the Legendary Co-Creator of Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, X-Men and Iron Man by Stan Lee

The Marvel Comics Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to the Characters of the Marvel Universe by editor Alistair Dougall

The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe by Scott Beatty

Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean by Douglas Wolk

Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes by Christopher Knowles

Star Wars: The Comics Companion by Ryder Windham and Daniel Wallace

Superhero Comics of the Golden Age: The Illustrated History by Mike Benton

500 Manga Heroes and Villians by Helen McCarthy

500 Essential Graphic Novels: The Ultimate Guide by Gene Kannenberg, Jr.

Secret Origin: The story of DC Comics-DVD

Comic Books Unbound-DVD

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

100 Bullets, First Shot, Last Call by Brian Azzarello

The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds

Hope you are able to check out the wonderful event!  And singletons-don't miss Sci-Fi Speed Dating! "Sci-Fi Speed Dating, the stars of TLC’s show Geek Love, are bringing their awesome speed dating event to ACE 2012! Sign-up now and stop looking for love in ‘Alderaan’ places! Check it out and sign up early!"

Get outside - a visual guide!

It's spring and a wonderful time of year to be outside.  Perhaps you are looking for ideas of where to go, for inspiration for a new hobby or project, or some fellow enthusiasts.

Whether you like gardening, bicycling, hiking, photography, or nature our visual guide will link you to books, resources, and people to help you pursue your passion.

Click here or on the photo below to get started.
It will take you to a site called flickr.
  



Get outside!

  
 

Dream Big: READ!

ABC Libraries' Summer Reading Kickoff is fast approaching!  Dream Big: Read! is the theme of this year's Summer Reading Program for kids (the teen theme is Own the Night & it's Between the Covers for adults).  The kickoff is June 1st - for a list of kickoff events, visit the Dream Big LibGuide Events page, or head over to the LibGuide of your branch of choice.

There will be different events for all ages at library branches from June 1st until the program ends on July 20th, including Ticklefish Dude, Drumfest, A Celebration of Drums!, Solar Telescope Viewing, & Magic with Animals with John Polinko - & that's just for kids!  Teen events include: Hacky Sack and Juggling; Mayan Calendar Workshop; Birds of Prey with Wildlife Rescue Inc.; & Designing Paquime Pottery with Explora! Adults can enjoy Un Viaje Por Mexico - Folkloric Ensemble or History of Rock and Roll or Introduction to Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, with Dr. Kimberly Workman or an Art Workshop with Micaela Seidel, just for starters.  Pick up an events calendar at your local branch or print one out from here.

Of course, it wouldn't be Summer Reading without reading, so make sure to sign up (not just kids - teens & adults, too!) to win weekly prizes by filling out reading logs throughout the program! Teens & adults will also be entered for the system-wide grand prize drawings at the end of the program - adult grand prizes include a $250 gift card from Southwest Airlines & a Kindle Touch, & teen grand prizes include an iPod Touch & a digital production class! 

Why take part in Summer Reading? It's not just about prizes. Studies have shown that children who read during the summer generally maintain their reading skills, and that children who see their parents read, or who read with their parents generally have scored higher on standardized tests.

For more information, such as how to sign up for the program, forms to fill out for teens ages 12-18 who'd like to volunteer during Summer Reading, & recommended Dreamy Books for Little Readers, check out the Dream Big LibGuide, or stop by a library branch near you!

Exploring New Mexico's Farmers' Market

Spring is in the air, summer is just around the corner, and farmer’s markets are beginning to stretch their legs. The last several weekends saw the Los Ranchos Growers' Market and Corrales Growers' Market become some of the first Albuquerque area farmers’ markets to open for the season. Over the next several weeks more and more markets will open around the city and around the state.

By now everyone is aware that buying fresh, locally grown foods is good for a variety of reasons. Doing so supports the local economy, encourages families to eat freshly grown fruits and vegetables, and helps ensure that local farmers and other food growers will continue to thrive. In addition, the hard work of the vendors, organizers, and managers of our local farmers’ markets give us plenty of other reasons to frequent the markets in our area. Many of them have demonstrations of how to prepare food, others have live music, and it is always interesting to talk to the people who work so hard to grow the food they sell. Growers are eager to share their knowledge and experiences. Workshops are offered at many locations. Often going to a farmers’ market will introduce you to new foods. You can visit the amazing website farmersmarketsnm.org for locations and hours of farmers’ markets around the state, as well as a calendar of events and information on how to use government programs like electronic food stamps and WIC at your local market.

Also, be sure to visit the library for cookbooks for your fresh market produce and guides on eating locally produced foods.  New cookbooks are always being added to the catalog, so check back often for the very latest! Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Cookbooks with recipes using fresh, seasonal foods:

Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can’t Wait To Make by Melissa Clark

The Harvest Eating Cookbook: More Than 200 Recipes for Cooking With Seasonal Local Ingredients by Keith Snow

Cooking In the Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes by Andrea Reusing

The Farm: Rustic Recipes for a Year of Incredible Food by Ian Knauer

Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source by Terry Walters

Books on local growing and sustainability:

Growing Roots: The New Generation of Sustainable Farmers, Cooks and Food Activists: Stories and Recipes by Katherine Leiner

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Local by Diane A. Welland

Happy Go Local: The Smart Mom’s Guide to Living the Good and Sustainable Life by Linsly Donnelly

Books to rethink food:

The American Way of Eating: Undercover At Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields and the Dinner Tables by Tracie McMillan

Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System for All by Oran B. Hesterman

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan

DVD documentaries on food:

Farmageddon

Dive! Living Off America's Waste


The Garden


Food Stamped (Features a scene filmed at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market!)


See you at the farmers' market!

Solar Event: Albuquerque's Ring of Fire

Who knew that Albuquerque would be one of the most desirable places to watch a mesmerizing solar event? The annular solar eclipse will be a major viewer’s attraction in the Southwest in general, but Albuquerque is specifically located in the direct path of the event. This means the show here can’t be beat anywhere else.

In Albuquerque, the eclipse will begin at 6:28pm on May 20th and last until around 7:38pm. Check out this list of viewing locations being set up around Albuquerque. Do make sure you will have some safety glasses with you as watching the eclipse can damage your eyes without the proper eye protection. View Space.com for safety tips for viewing the solar eclipse. 

The eclipse occurrence in Albuquerque will be what is known as an annular eclipse. This means the moon does not entirely cover the sun and a ring of light is still viewable around the moon's outline. That is where the term "Ring of Fire" comes from.

An annular eclipse will occur about once every 1 or 2 years and are usually only viewable to a small area or location located in their “path.” That means not everyone can see every eclipse that occurs and an eclipse will not be viewable from the same point on Earth again for an average of 375 years.

If you want to experience more solar events in Albuquerque then don't miss the Transit of Venus at sunset on Tuesday June 5th. The Transit of Venus occurs when Venus passes between the Earth and the Sun and is seen as a small dot moving across the sun's surface. This solar event will not happen again until 2117, making this our last opportunity to see this phenomenon in our lifetime.

Further reading on solar events:

Eclipse: The What, Where, When, Why, and How Guide to Watching Solar and Lunar eclipses by Philip S. Harrington

Totality : Eclipses of the Sun  by Mark Littmann and Ken Willcox, Fred Espenak

A Dictionary of Astronomy edited by Ian Ridpath

Astronomy : A Visual Guide by Mark A Garlick


The Community Science Connections LibGuide also has information about the upcoming solar event.

Scenic New Mexico

As New Mexico celebrates its 100 birthday this year, road trips seem to be on my mind! I'm determined to discover and explore some unique areas of our beautiful state.  I recently took a road trip east of Albuquerque intending to stop in Santa Rosa to see the famous Blue Hole Lake, but found myself not ready to stop, so I kept going and finally stopped in Tucumcari.  After a quick lunch, and a study of my map, I decided to take the scenic byway at the Newkirk exit and take Highway 104 to Las Vegas.

I recently read the novel The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook which Las Vegas and Pecos are the main setting, and decided I wanted to try and get a picture of the old Montezuma Castle Hotel that was originally built in 1886.  It was completely refurbished in 2000 and 2001 to become a part of The United World College. The highway is a two-lane road and on this particular Saturday there were not very many cars to be seen.  If not for the blacktop you could almost transport yourself back in time as it seemed not much has changed through the years.  There are a sprinkling of small towns, ranches and farms, a couple of post offices and in the flat high plains area I saw a herd of antelope sunning themselves under the bright New Mexico sun.  I spied hawks riding the thermals looking for a meal, rock formations that looked like something from another planet and gorgeous fields of wildflowers.  After arriving in Las Vegas, I drove around taking in the flavor of the city, looking at the old houses, the University and the historic Plaza.  Time had slipped away and I was not able to make it to the Montezuma for my picture and had to head back to Albuquerque. 

I encourage you to try out this scenic road, or any of the other scenic highways of New Mexico.  Get in your car, take some snacks, lots of water, a phone and a map and check out some unique areas of the Land of Enchantment!

Here are some guidebooks that are available for checkout:

Signs & Shrines: Spiritual Journeys Across New Mexico by Sharon Niederman

By The Way--: A Guide to New Mexico's 25 Scenic Byways by Laurie Evans Frantz, Lesley S. King and Marti Niman

Breakfast New Mexico Style: A Dining Guide to More Than 100 Favorite, Fancy, Funky and Family Friendly Restaurants by Valerie Nye and Kathy Barco

Backroads & Byways of New Mexico: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions by Sally Moore

Day Trips from Albuquerque: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler by Nicky Leach

Culinary New Mexico: The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide by Sally Moore

100 Hikes in New Mexico by Craig Martin

Bike to Work Day

National Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 18th, part of the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Month, & you are invited to be part of Albuquerque's celebrations!

From the folks at Bike Hub New Mexico: "Get Fit, Look Good, Save Money on Gas: Bike To Work Day, brought to you by the City of Albuquerque and BikeABQ, is a morning of events to celebrate, encourage, and give a 'leg up' to people biking to work. Food stops will be located throughout Albuquerque and in Rio Rancho and Los Lunas, with goodies including T-shirts, leg bands, patch kits, cycling safety and commuter info and much more, while supplies last."


To read more about Bike to Work Day in Albuquerque, visit these sites:

Bike Hub New Mexico

Bicycling - from the City of Albuquerque website

To view items about bicycle touring, racing, trails, design, & more, visit the library catalog.

Happy Mother's Day!

How will you be celebrating Mother's Day today?  A card, flowers, a meal?  About.com has some nice suggestions for local Mother's Day specials, & there will be a Mother's Day Concert at the Biopark, if you need some last minute suggestions!

Regardless of your plans, whether you are a mother or a child, consider checking out one of of these books about motherhood & mothering from the library catalog!

Staff Recommendations

A Life's Work: On Becoming a Mother by Rachel Cusk

Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott

Confessions of the Other Mother: Non-Biological Lesbian Moms Tell All edited by Harlyn Aizley

From Harvey River: A Memoir of My Mother and Her Island by Lorna Goodison

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson


Motherhood

Making Babies: Stumbling into Motherhood by Anne Enright

Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps edited and with an introduction by Dave Isay

Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: The Lighter Side of Life as a Mother and Daughter by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella

The Lives Our Mothers Leave Us: Prominent Women Discuss the Complex, Humorous, and Ultimately Loving Relationships They Have with Their Mothers by Patti Davis


Memoirs of motherhood & mothering

Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel

My Mother's Clothes: An Album of Memories by Jeanette Montgomery Barron

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller


Recent & controversial!

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman


There is also a large selection of books to share with children about mothers under the subject heading "Mother and child - Juvenile fiction".

Words Without Borders

Courtest of DGaston7564

Sometimes our minds are limited by our language and we can only explore as far as that will carry us. Unfortunately, this can close us off to other ideas and ways of thinking and ultimately hinder our intellectual development. Discouraging thought for those who wish to expand their minds without these limitations.

Words Without Borders is an organization dedicated to tearing down these literary walls between cultures. They specialize in translating works from all over the world into English so that writers can reach new audiences and readers can gain a new perspective into other worlds and other minds. There have been over one thousand pieces published from 80 different languages and 114 different countries.

Several anthologies have been published including Words without Borders: The World through the Eyes of Writers and The Wall in My Head: Words and Images from the Fall of the Iron Curtain. They also publish a monthly magazine full of book reviews and works from international writers, including poetry, prose, essays, short stories, fiction and non-fiction. Subscribe here to their newsletter and book review list.  

Click on the book covers to check out some of these books by Words Without Borders:

                                     

Something for Nature Lovers



Courtesy of D.Eickhoff

 New Mexico is a beautiful place to be in the spring. If you would like to maximize your appreciation and knowledge of nature in New Mexico, you might want to consider checking out the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park.  

Regular nature walks are offered to view the wildlife and geology of the bosque. Moonlight tours offer a quiet, serene getaway, perfect for an affordable evening outing with that special someone. All tours are led by nature center staff and volunteers.

Bird walks are offered every Saturday and Sunday morning for a chance to view the different migrating species throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Among the different birds to be seen at the nature center are warblers, meadowlarks, hummingbird, woodpeckers, great-horned owls, various waterfowl and many others.

To experience the big bang of events at the nature center come to this year’s Herbfest 2012 presented by the Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center. On May 12^th and 13^th from 10am to 4pm. There will be arts and crafts, native plants for sale, live music, demonstrations for wool dying and composting, a presentation for healing with herbs and much more.

If your a nature lover, check out these titles from your ABC library:

New Mexico Wildlife Viewing Guide by Jane Susan MacCarter

Wildflowers of the Sandia and Manzano Mountains of Central New Mexico by Larry J. Littlefield and Pearl M. Burns

A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque by Jean-Luc E. Cartron

Birds of New Mexico : Field Guide by Stan Tekiela.

Cooking by the Book (& Sometimes the Film) for Kids

Maybe you've got a kid you'd like to see help out more in the kitchen.  Maybe you've got a voracious reader who's a picky eater.  Maybe you've got kid who loves Harry Potter (or Star Wars, or the Little House books, or the American Girl series) & is just dying to try Pumpkin Pasties! (I know as a child I was intrigued by the food prepared in Little House in the Big Woods.)  Here are some cookbooks that might interest your child, or might be of use if you are throwing a themed children's party.

The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories  by Barbara M. Walker

The Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook (recipes inspired by Dr. Seuss) concocted by Georgeanne Brennan

Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes recipes compiled by Josie Fison and Felicity Dahl

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory--More than 150 Magical Recipes for Wizards and Non-Wizards Alike by Dinah Bucholz

Once Upon a Time in the Kitchen : Recipes and Tales from Classic Childrens Stories by Carol Odell

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook for Young Readers and Eaters fairy tales retold by Jane Yolen ; recipes by Heidi E.Y. Stemple

Fancy Nancy Tea Parties by Jane O'Connor

The Star Wars Cook Book: Wookiee Cookies and other Galactic Recipes by Robin Davis

Addy's Cookbook: A Peek at Dining in the Past with Meals You Can Cook Today edited by Jodi Evert [from the American Girl series - see also Felicity's Cookbook, Kirsten's Cookbook, Molly's Cookbook, Samantha's Cookbook]

The Boxcar Children Cookbook by Diane Blain

The Redwall Cookbook by Brian Jacques

The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook: Inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh and the House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne by Virginia H. Ellison

I'm in the Mood for Food: In the Kitchen with Garfield created by Jim Davis, with recipes by Barbara Albright

The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook: From Lamb Stew to "Groosling" -- More than 150 Recipes Inspired by the Hunger Games Trilogy by Emily Ansara Baines

You can also find more children's books with cooking storylines using a subject search under "Cooking - Juvenile".

Got a reluctant teen reader? Have them give these books about everyday & epic dangers a whirl!

Sometimes it's hard to get teens reading.  They read for school, & then when they're not at school, they have so many other activities!  If you have a teen who's reluctant to crack open a book that's not assigned, some librarians recommend hi/lo fiction, particularly if  the teens "read below grade level and can’t find books they can read that interest them".  Also you might consider the titles listed below, recommended by Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) magazine. Some titles may also be available in alternate formats (eBook, audio). Notes by the title such as "eBook only" refer to ABC Libraries' holdings. As always, concerned parents may want to preview the book's subject matter to test its appropriateness for their teen!

Not for the Faint of Heart: Rude Language, Challenging Authority, Physical Violence

"And now I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons - in the form of words and ideas - that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed." ~Sherman Alexie


The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

One Hundred Demons by Linda Barry

Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

The Curse of the Wendigo by William James Henry; edited by Rick Yancey

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi


*Most books in this post were suggested by articles in Voya magazine (2/12, vol 34, # 6)

Featured Author: Gail Carriger

Q: What do you get when you mix paranormal romance, steampunk, Victorian fashion, adventure action, humor and parasols?

A: The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger.

"Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

"Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

"With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

"Soulless is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking."

-- from the back cover

The Parasol Protectorate series gives readers a clever, cheeky, saucy romp through an alternate Victorian London where airships soar above, vampires are Lords, and army officers are werewolves. Alexia Tarabotti is a heroine well before her time, busy dealing with her own special nature, the restrictions of "proper behavior for a lady", and the challenge of staying fashionably dressed while having extraordinary adventures. Author Gail Carriger is herself something of a fashion statement, known for attending events in authentic 1950s ensembles. Her website is an entertainment all by itself and worth a visit, full of information about Victorian London, links to steampunk sites, and of course fashion advice.

• Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate, Book the First)


• Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate, Book 2)


• Blameless (The Parasol Protectorate, Book 3)


• Heartless (The Parasol Protectorate, Book the Fourth)


• Timeless (The Parasol Protectorate, Book 5)

The PostSecret Universe



Courtesy of TylerIngram

The PostSecret phenomenon began in 2004 when Frank Warren began leaving blank post cards in public locations asking people to mail in their secrets. This small-scale community art project launched into a worldwide movement almost immediately.



Courtesy of Foxtongue



So far there are 5 published books full of secrets written on homemade post cards. There is a certain type of therapy that can come out of sharing a difficult secret or burden. Some read these interesting books for entertainment while some read them for self-help. Even in the library catalogue they vary in what their classifications are.

In the ABC library The Secret Lives of Men and Women : A PostSecret Book is catalogued under the call number 155.6 which is classified as the sub-topic of differential psychology.

Another book titled PostSecret : Confessions on Life, Death, and God is shelved in 741.683 with books about paper crafts and post card making.

Two other books, My Secret: A PostSecret Book and PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions From Ordinary Lives are shelved in 615.8516 with books about therapy through writing.

Whatever your reason for checking out the PostSecret books your sure to be entertained, shocked or enlightened.

If you find yourself wanting to delve deeper into the PostSecret world, there’s a lot of things you can do in the PostSecret Community. The movement is also currently on tour, check out these upcoming events.

Check out some more PostSecrets...



Courtesy of TylerIngram



Courtesy of Wageslaves



Courtesy of whatmegsaid



Courtesy of Tortillamask