Since summer has finally arrived and is staying for longer than a brief spell to Spokane, I thought I would ponder a bit about the connection between summer and reading. Naturally, reading is an activity that can be enjoyed year round no matter what the weather, but somehow summer and reading seem to go together like hot dogs and beans, smiles and sunshine, a T-shirt and jeans...well, you get the idea. Go into Barnes and Noble or any other place where books can be bought or borrowed and you'll see displays advertising "Summer Reads," "Beach Reads," or something else of the sort. Have you ever seen advertisements for "Winter Reads" or "Books for the Slopes"? I guess reading while skiing would be a safety hazard compared to doing it while lounging on a beach.
For kids and teens, summer is a crucial time for reading. With school being out for 3 months, developing readers can postpone their progress or, even worse, lose the skills they've acquired during the previous year. Summer is a time when kids and teens can keep up their skills or even move ahead. It's also a time when they can read whatever they choose rather than read materials their teachers require them to read. I remember when I was a kid I couldn't wait until the school year was over so I could read whatever I wanted without worrying about writing book reports or taking tests. And in those days when you didn't have DVD players or even VCRs (wow--this is making me sound old!) and cable TV was something only the rich kids had, going to the library and getting a stack of books to read was a world of entertainment.
I realize that there are plenty of things to do nowadays to keep entertained, but (and maybe this is the librarian in me speaking) sometimes it's nice to unplug from all the technology and relax doing a real summer thing--lie under a shady tree or a beach umbrella with a good book.
2 cents from the perch.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Books, Movies, and Their Real-Life Settings
Did you ever stop and think how big a role the setting plays in a book or movie? Sometimes the setting is so huge it almost becomes a silent character, so to speak.
Many Japanese tourists for years have made a habit of planning trips to the real-life settings of popular books and movies. For instance, Prince Edward Island in Canada has been a popular tourist destination for the Japanese because it's the setting for Anne of Green Gables. Some people find that there's a certain energy or excitement going to the actual place where a book or a movie is set. There's just something about the tangible.
I confess that I enjoy traveling to the real-life places I read about in literature or see on screen in the movies. There was a certain thrill in visiting Malbork Castle in Poland where Adam Mickiewicz's epic poem Konrad Wallenrod is set, and as kitschy as it may sound, I felt like a giddy teenager when I went to Forks, La Push, and Port Angeles to do my own personal Twilight tour.
Over the past weekend, I did another of my book/movie setting trips. This time it was to Kootenai Falls in Montana, the place where Meryl Streep's The River Wild was filmed a number of years ago. When I watched that movie, I thought the scenery was absolutely beautiful, and when I heard that it was filmed just 3 hours away from Spokane, I had to make a point of going there. Of course, it was exciting to see for myself the area where the movie was made, but beyond that, the waterfalls and the river weaved their own magic around me. Add the Native American history and beliefs surrounding the waterfalls and I had a newly found awe, understanding, and appreciation for them and the area.
If you do have the chance to visit the real-life location of your favorite book or movie, I highly recommend it. You may go in as the casual tourist but come out with a greater wealth of knowledge and a more soulful experience than you imagined.
More later from the perch.
Many Japanese tourists for years have made a habit of planning trips to the real-life settings of popular books and movies. For instance, Prince Edward Island in Canada has been a popular tourist destination for the Japanese because it's the setting for Anne of Green Gables. Some people find that there's a certain energy or excitement going to the actual place where a book or a movie is set. There's just something about the tangible.
I confess that I enjoy traveling to the real-life places I read about in literature or see on screen in the movies. There was a certain thrill in visiting Malbork Castle in Poland where Adam Mickiewicz's epic poem Konrad Wallenrod is set, and as kitschy as it may sound, I felt like a giddy teenager when I went to Forks, La Push, and Port Angeles to do my own personal Twilight tour.
Over the past weekend, I did another of my book/movie setting trips. This time it was to Kootenai Falls in Montana, the place where Meryl Streep's The River Wild was filmed a number of years ago. When I watched that movie, I thought the scenery was absolutely beautiful, and when I heard that it was filmed just 3 hours away from Spokane, I had to make a point of going there. Of course, it was exciting to see for myself the area where the movie was made, but beyond that, the waterfalls and the river weaved their own magic around me. Add the Native American history and beliefs surrounding the waterfalls and I had a newly found awe, understanding, and appreciation for them and the area.
If you do have the chance to visit the real-life location of your favorite book or movie, I highly recommend it. You may go in as the casual tourist but come out with a greater wealth of knowledge and a more soulful experience than you imagined.
More later from the perch.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Choosing a New Book
The other day I talked about the books I'm in the middle of reading at the moment. On a similar note, I'd like to talk about how do you pick your next read, which sometimes can be a science in itself.
Some people like reading books by the same author, some people like reading books on a particular subject (i.e., World War II, the Titanic), and some people like reading books according to genre (i.e., romance, mystery, fiction, western, etc.). Speaking for myself, I choose my personal reading according to place and time. In other words, I ask myself, "Where do I feel like going (in my mind)?" and "Which time period do I feel like visiting?" Do I feel like going to Elizabethan England, present day Brunei, the American frontier, or somewhere else?
There are also websites to help you choose your next read. My particular favorites are bibliotravel and whatshouldireadnext. The first offers suggestions based on the settings of a book, while the second provides titles based on a book you enjoyed.
So, my question to all of you is how do you choose your next read? :-)
To be continued from the perch.
Some people like reading books by the same author, some people like reading books on a particular subject (i.e., World War II, the Titanic), and some people like reading books according to genre (i.e., romance, mystery, fiction, western, etc.). Speaking for myself, I choose my personal reading according to place and time. In other words, I ask myself, "Where do I feel like going (in my mind)?" and "Which time period do I feel like visiting?" Do I feel like going to Elizabethan England, present day Brunei, the American frontier, or somewhere else?
There are also websites to help you choose your next read. My particular favorites are bibliotravel and whatshouldireadnext. The first offers suggestions based on the settings of a book, while the second provides titles based on a book you enjoyed.
So, my question to all of you is how do you choose your next read? :-)
To be continued from the perch.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
1000 Awesome Things
I'm sure we all get those "blah" days from time to time. You know, those days when you just feel like curling up under the covers in your bed and hope the rest of the world will pass by without noticing you. Today is one of my "blah" days; maybe it's the chilly, gloomy weather that's doing it.
Anyway, I was thinking what to blog about today when I remembered a good website for blah days--1000 Awesome Things. The website was created by Neil Pasricha, who was going through a difficult time in his life, and to pick up his spirits he reflected on the small but good everyday things that we often take for granted, like the smell of fresh bread in a bakery or the opening of a new checkout line at the store. He also published a book (which I gave my cousin last year as a high school graduation gift) called The Book of Awesome that was followed this year by The Book of (Even More) Awesome.
I don't know about you, but I love those books that give little day-to-day wisdom, the ones that make you stop and think about the obvious things that you give little or no attention. Above my desk hangs an apt quote from Coleridge: "The happiness of life is made of of minute fractions." How true. It's the little things that are important, not always the big things.
Later from the perch.
Anyway, I was thinking what to blog about today when I remembered a good website for blah days--1000 Awesome Things. The website was created by Neil Pasricha, who was going through a difficult time in his life, and to pick up his spirits he reflected on the small but good everyday things that we often take for granted, like the smell of fresh bread in a bakery or the opening of a new checkout line at the store. He also published a book (which I gave my cousin last year as a high school graduation gift) called The Book of Awesome that was followed this year by The Book of (Even More) Awesome.
I don't know about you, but I love those books that give little day-to-day wisdom, the ones that make you stop and think about the obvious things that you give little or no attention. Above my desk hangs an apt quote from Coleridge: "The happiness of life is made of of minute fractions." How true. It's the little things that are important, not always the big things.
Later from the perch.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Native American and Northwest Items
Hello and good afternoon to everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the beautiful weather wherever you are in the Spokane area. Although I'm not outside, I'm still enjoying the great day gazing out the large windows near my perch as I work.
It seems that quite a few people are interested to know what a librarian reads, so let me share with you what I'm in the middle of reading at the moment. I'm actually reading 2 books: Between Earth and Sky by Joseph Bruchac and Phantom Waters by Jessica Amanda Salmonson. The first is a children's book with stunning pictures about a number of Native American legends, while the second is an adult collection of legends connected with various lakes, rivers, and shores of the Northwest (I particularly like the legends about Lake Crescent and the Seattle Waterfront). I recommend both titles.
I find the wealth of Native American culture and local legends surrounding natural Northwest landmarks to be truly fascinating. This part of the country is blessed with a diversity of resources and history. If you're new to the area, get out and explore what is around; if you've been here for a while, take another look at what's here and learn about the area.
Not trying to put a plug for our library (okay, I'm trying), but one of the gems we have is the Northwest Collection. Almost everything you wanted to know about the Northwest but were afraid to ask is in this collection, from travel and recreation to wildlife and geology, and more. When I first moved to this area, this collection was a treasure of information that helped me learn more about the Northwest and become more comfortable here. I imagine this collection will help others as well.
More later from the perch.
It seems that quite a few people are interested to know what a librarian reads, so let me share with you what I'm in the middle of reading at the moment. I'm actually reading 2 books: Between Earth and Sky by Joseph Bruchac and Phantom Waters by Jessica Amanda Salmonson. The first is a children's book with stunning pictures about a number of Native American legends, while the second is an adult collection of legends connected with various lakes, rivers, and shores of the Northwest (I particularly like the legends about Lake Crescent and the Seattle Waterfront). I recommend both titles.
I find the wealth of Native American culture and local legends surrounding natural Northwest landmarks to be truly fascinating. This part of the country is blessed with a diversity of resources and history. If you're new to the area, get out and explore what is around; if you've been here for a while, take another look at what's here and learn about the area.
Not trying to put a plug for our library (okay, I'm trying), but one of the gems we have is the Northwest Collection. Almost everything you wanted to know about the Northwest but were afraid to ask is in this collection, from travel and recreation to wildlife and geology, and more. When I first moved to this area, this collection was a treasure of information that helped me learn more about the Northwest and become more comfortable here. I imagine this collection will help others as well.
More later from the perch.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Canadian Literature and Americans
For the record, I didn't see the new Harry Potter movie this weekend. The thought of the throng in the cinema with someone sitting behind me kicking my chair and someone sitting in front of me doing the wave during an interesting part of the movie kept me away. Plus, the gorgeous summer weather beckoned me, and so I had to get out my bike and revel in the sun for awhile. But fear not--I'll definitely pay Mr. Potter a visit soon!
Now on to today's food for thought. I'm an American who happens to be a Canadaphile (see definition at Urban Dictionary). I've been one since my first visit to Toronto 10 years ago when I realized that despite Canada being the country next door, I (and I suspect many of my fellow Americans) know embarrassingly little about our neighbor to the north. And also being a bibliophile (big surprise there), whenever I travel my souvenirs tend to be books written by local authors rather than those kitschy thingamajigs that are sold on every street corner. So, over the years I've picked up books by the following Canadian authors: Adele Wiseman, Constance Beresford Howe, Mordecai Richler, Michael Rose, and Gabrielle Roy (my all time favorite!), to name a few.
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to go to Victoria, BC, the birthplace and home of Canadian icon Emily Carr. In addition to being a talented Expressionist painter of the First Nations and Northwest landscapes, Carr was a noteworthy writer who wrote about her experiences at the turn of the 20th century (I had read 3 of her books--Klee Wyck, The Book of Small, and The House of All Sorts--before going to Victoria). Unfortunately, The Emily Carr House (where Carr grew up) was closed on Mondays (and I really, really, wanted to see it) so all I could do was take pictures of the outside. I was able, however, to see a special exhibit of her paintings, writings, photographs, and other items from her life at the Royal BC Museum. If you're heading to the Peninsula this summer, do drop into the museum for the exhibit--it's worth it! And avoid high tea at the Empress, which in my very humble opinion is overrated and overpriced.
More from the perch later...
Now on to today's food for thought. I'm an American who happens to be a Canadaphile (see definition at Urban Dictionary). I've been one since my first visit to Toronto 10 years ago when I realized that despite Canada being the country next door, I (and I suspect many of my fellow Americans) know embarrassingly little about our neighbor to the north. And also being a bibliophile (big surprise there), whenever I travel my souvenirs tend to be books written by local authors rather than those kitschy thingamajigs that are sold on every street corner. So, over the years I've picked up books by the following Canadian authors: Adele Wiseman, Constance Beresford Howe, Mordecai Richler, Michael Rose, and Gabrielle Roy (my all time favorite!), to name a few.
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to go to Victoria, BC, the birthplace and home of Canadian icon Emily Carr. In addition to being a talented Expressionist painter of the First Nations and Northwest landscapes, Carr was a noteworthy writer who wrote about her experiences at the turn of the 20th century (I had read 3 of her books--Klee Wyck, The Book of Small, and The House of All Sorts--before going to Victoria). Unfortunately, The Emily Carr House (where Carr grew up) was closed on Mondays (and I really, really, wanted to see it) so all I could do was take pictures of the outside. I was able, however, to see a special exhibit of her paintings, writings, photographs, and other items from her life at the Royal BC Museum. If you're heading to the Peninsula this summer, do drop into the museum for the exhibit--it's worth it! And avoid high tea at the Empress, which in my very humble opinion is overrated and overpriced.
More from the perch later...
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Harry Potter and Stoning
Now that I've started blogging, there are two things I'd like to post about since we're nearing the weekend.
The first thing is the opening of the new movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. I hate crowds for the most part (the crowds in the malls at Christmastime do nothing to make my season bright), but I may just brave them this weekend to see the last Harry Potter movie. After all, this is the end of an era. For the past 10 years, many of us have been following the movies that are based on the wildly popular and successful book series that began in 1997. Thanks to Harry, books became the "in" thing with kids again and brought families together to share in a good read. Even though I may not be a kid myself, I have to admit it's sad to say goodbye to Harry and the whole world J. K. Rowling imagined.
The second thing is the movie, The Stoning of Soraya M. I started watching this movie last Monday night expecting to watch only the first half hour of it; I planned to finish watching it the following day. Once I started, though, I couldn't stop. I was mesmerized and shocked by the true story of a woman in Iran who was stoned to death in 1986 for adultery. Her husband, who wanted to marry a 14-year old girl but was unable to support two wives, needed to get Soraya out of the way. He did this by implicating that Soraya was having an affair with a widower for whom she worked as a housekeeper. How can anyone--woman, man, child, or any other living creature, for that matter--be treated the way Soraya was treated by her husband? How can anyone put aside his humanity and throw stones at an innocent, defenseless person buried up to her shoulders? It's hard to believe that such things happened and are still happening in some parts of the world.
The first thing is the opening of the new movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. I hate crowds for the most part (the crowds in the malls at Christmastime do nothing to make my season bright), but I may just brave them this weekend to see the last Harry Potter movie. After all, this is the end of an era. For the past 10 years, many of us have been following the movies that are based on the wildly popular and successful book series that began in 1997. Thanks to Harry, books became the "in" thing with kids again and brought families together to share in a good read. Even though I may not be a kid myself, I have to admit it's sad to say goodbye to Harry and the whole world J. K. Rowling imagined.
The second thing is the movie, The Stoning of Soraya M. I started watching this movie last Monday night expecting to watch only the first half hour of it; I planned to finish watching it the following day. Once I started, though, I couldn't stop. I was mesmerized and shocked by the true story of a woman in Iran who was stoned to death in 1986 for adultery. Her husband, who wanted to marry a 14-year old girl but was unable to support two wives, needed to get Soraya out of the way. He did this by implicating that Soraya was having an affair with a widower for whom she worked as a housekeeper. How can anyone--woman, man, child, or any other living creature, for that matter--be treated the way Soraya was treated by her husband? How can anyone put aside his humanity and throw stones at an innocent, defenseless person buried up to her shoulders? It's hard to believe that such things happened and are still happening in some parts of the world.
Welcome to my blog!
Hello, everyone! I'm excited to start my new blog, and I'm hoping that over time I'll have more visitors (besides my mother) reading my posts.
Some of you may already know me as the Reference Librarian at the FAFB Library (I'm the blonde sitting at the left side of the desk on my "perch," as I like to call it).
I'm planning to post on this blog information about books, movies, and other items that I like (or don't like--let's hope there won't be many of those!) as well as materials my colleagues find particularly interesting. I'll also be posting news of what's going on at the library, and who knows what else! :-)
So, I hope you'll be a regular visitor here, and please feel free to either e-mail me at thelibrariansperch@gmail.com or tweet me at @PerchLibrarian
See you in the library! Be sure to stop by my perch and say hello!
Some of you may already know me as the Reference Librarian at the FAFB Library (I'm the blonde sitting at the left side of the desk on my "perch," as I like to call it).
I'm planning to post on this blog information about books, movies, and other items that I like (or don't like--let's hope there won't be many of those!) as well as materials my colleagues find particularly interesting. I'll also be posting news of what's going on at the library, and who knows what else! :-)
So, I hope you'll be a regular visitor here, and please feel free to either e-mail me at thelibrariansperch@gmail.com or tweet me at @PerchLibrarian
See you in the library! Be sure to stop by my perch and say hello!
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