Beating the Winter Blahs

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm so winter-weary it's not funny.  It seems like winter started in November with frigid temps which were soon followed by one snow storm after another, and here we are 4 months later with no end in sight.  If you're a snow bunny, then I guess this must be your dream winter, but what about the rest of us?  What should we do to beat the winter blahs until the crocuses start poking up?

Well, here's your friendly neighborhood perch librarian to offer you some ideas to help you make it to spring.  In no particular order (and with, perhaps, some slight bias):

• Go to the library
• Read a book
• Watch a movie
• Listen to beach music
• Knit or crochet
• Draw or start a new hobby
• Take a yoga class
• Hang out at a bakery cafe
• Walk outside (even though it's cold)
• Cook a new recipe
• Try a new restaurant
• Get a massage
• Sleep or nap
• Work on a puzzle
• Do that home reno project
• Visit the local museum
• Have a 1-night getaway out of town
• Get together with some friends
• Take a bubble bath complete with candles and wine
• Get some extra Vitamin D (either natural or pills)
• Do some aromatherapy
• Meditate
• Eat some dark chocolate
• Clean your house
• Keep a gratitude journal
• Turn on more lights
• Plan your next vacation
• Play old-fashioned board games
• Color an adult coloring book

I'm sure there are other things that can be added to the list.  Maybe you have some ideas of your own?  If you do, please share!

Wishing you early and warm spring wishes from the perch.

Gifts from the Heart

Believe it or not, Valentine's Day is looming on the horizon, just a week away.  Maybe you've already gotten something for your sweetie.  Maybe you've already made reservations for that popular restaurant.  Maybe you've got something special planned to demonstrate your love.  If you're all set for V-Day, that's great and we're happy that you don't need to read the rest of this post.  If you still don't know what you're doing, then read on.

Perhaps you're a little short on cash or you just want to do something from the heart.  Homemade Valentine's Day things are the way to go!  Remember when you were a kid and you made Valentine's Day cards in art class to give to your mom or that special crush in your class?  Who says that a homemade card isn't something that would make your sweetie melt?  After all, it's something YOU made that can't be bought in any store.  Not too creative?  Take a look at some of these samples for ideas.

Want to make a homemade gift to go with that handmade card?  There are plenty of things to make that your sweetie would absolutely love because it's from you!  Personally, I think the love rocks and coasters are great things that even the artistically-challenged can make, but there are a lot of different ideas.  If those ideas don't do anything for you, maybe some of these might do?  Or perhaps these?

Remember, Valentine's Day is all about telling that special someone how much you care.  It doesn't have to be about how much you spent.  Heck, probably the best thing you can give your sweetie is just some time and affection.

Wishing you warm and fuzzy feelings this Valentine's Day from the perch.

Author! Author!

Not too long ago, one of our library patrons wanted to self-publish a book, which she eventually did not once but twice (and counting).  It got me thinking that there may be more budding authors out there interested in publishing their books but have no idea where to start.

Once upon a time, you wrote a book and then tried to get an agent who would present your book to publishing houses that would hopefully accept it for publication, put out X many copies of it, get it into bookstores, market it, etc., etc.  That still happens today, but with the increasing costs of publication, fewer and fewer publishers want to take a risk on a new and unknown author.  This is where self-publishing comes in.

Self-publishing allows new authors a way to publish their books easily and without the middlemen of agents and publishers.  Some famous writers have done it, including Edgar Allan Poe, Beatrix Potter, Mark Twain, and Virginia Woolf.  More recently, Lisa Genova and Christopher Paolini self-published Still Alice and Eragon, respectively.

It does take a bit of work to self-publish because you have to edit, revise, and format your book yourself, rather than have others do it for you.  However, you have more control over your product and get a higher royalty.  There are a number of authors who have even switched to self-publishing some of their books, such as Stephen King and J. K. Rowling (but keep in mind that they published traditionally first and no longer need to market their names).

If you're interested in self-publishing a book you wrote, there are a number of self-publishing platforms available to give you a start.  The following are just a few of the platforms out there:

• CreateSpace
• Light Switch Press 
• Lulu
• Smashwords
• Xlibris 

So, good luck to all you budding authors out there!  I can't wait to see some of your work!

Wishing you literary success from the perch.

A Book Called Heartwarming

I have to tell you about Fredrik Backman's book, A Man Called Ove.  It's a wonderful book that surprisingly moved me to tears (and your neighborhood perch librarian rarely cries when she reads a book).  In the midst of so much Scandinavian noir, it's nice to have a Swedish literary export that's an ordinary story about an ordinary person.

At face value, Ove is a grumpy old man who gripes about everything.  The price of flowers, drivers who can't back a trailer, and proper home maintenance, for instance.  The author, however, takes us deeper into this character, peeling away layer after layer of Ove's past to show us the different events in his life that turned him into a grumpy old man.

A Man Called Ove is extraordinary in its ordinariness.  It can be the story of anyone you know.  Someone who's experienced heartbreak and joy, loneliness and companionship, loss and gain.  Ove is a regular man with values that belong to a another era when rules were rules and when people prided themselves on honesty, decency, and a job done well.  In the beginning, he isn't the most likeable character, but as you get to know him you see there's much more to this grumpy old man than what meets the eye.

Backman's book shows that we all need love and understanding.  We need compassion for each other whether we're old, young, disabled, gay, or from another culture.  At the root of all things, everyone is human and the world is a better place when we help and are there for each other.  Even the simplest thing, whether it's reading a story to a child or bringing someone dinner, makes a big difference and goes a long way.

I'm not going to tell you how the book ends, but I will say I cried like a baby while reading the last few pages.  Maybe you will, too?  And if you watch the movie version of A Man Called Ove, you won't be disappointed.  It does justice to the book and features one of Sweden's leading actors in the title role.  If you're looking for a heartwarming story, come to the library and check out A Man Called Ove.  We have both the book and the DVD.

Ever sincerely yours from the perch.

Gifts for Book Lovers

The holidays are almost here!  Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa (or Chrismahanukwanzikah, as I like to call it) are just around the corner!  Still don't know what to get for that book lover on your list (besides books, of course)?  Well, here is your friendly neighborhood perch librarian to the rescue! Ta da!

Believe it or not, some bigger library systems have online stores that sell all kinds of things for bibliophiles that you can't find anywhere else.  There are date due socks and banned books bags.  There are various mugs, stickers, and of course, bookmarks displaying the logo of a particular library.  I know I love my New York Public Library magnet and my Seattle Public Library rubber duckie!

So, here are some places you can shop for the book lover in your life:

• Library of Congress
• Los Angeles Public Library
• New York Public Library 
• San Diego Public Library  
• Seattle Public Library   

Still not sure what to get?  Then try these websites with all kinds of good bookish things:

• 22 Affordable Gifts for Readers
• 24 Insanely Clever Gifts for Book Lovers
• 50 Best Literary Gifts for a Modern Day Book Lover
• 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Librarians and Book Lovers
• The Best Non-Book Gifts for Bookworms
• Unique Gifts for Readers 

Hopefully, these websites will give you some good ideas on what to get your bibliophile, perch librarian, or yourself for the holidays.

Readings greetings from the perch!

Turn to the Spiritual Side

The most wonderful time of the year?  How about the most stressful time of the year?  Turn on the radio...there's holiday music.  Go online...there's holiday sales.  Drive to town...there's holiday traffic.  Everything is holiday, holiday, holiday.  It's enough to make anyone anxious...unless you make time for some self-care.

By that I mean meditation, and not necessarily the kind that makes you sit crossed-leg on the floor and chant "om" (unless, of course, that's the kind you prefer).  Meditation is all about taking a short break to calm yourself and your mind.  It's about putting a little time aside for yourself to feel peaceful and able to handle the different things that pop up in your life.

I don't know about you, but my mind is usually all over the place like a caffeinated squirrel, and during this time of year my mind goes into overdrive.  I feel I barely have enough time or energy to do all the things I need to get done.  Five minutes, however, isn't a lot of time.  So, every morning I set the timer on my phone for 5 minutes, I sit down comfortably on a cushion, close my eyes, and focus on my breathing.  I breathe in; I breathe out.  That's basically it.  I give myself permission not to think and stay in the moment.  And guess what--it works!

Perhaps sitting down for 5 minutes by yourself in silence is too daunting?  Maybe you need a little more guidance?  Not to worry.  We have meditation CDs at the library that can take you through a guided meditation, and we have books that can offer advice on meditating and starting your own personal practice.

Experts say that besides reducing stress, meditating can strengthen your immune system, help you sleep better, and make you happier in general, among many other benefits.  That's a pretty fruitful five minutes a day, don't you think?

Wishing you peace and a stress-free Holiday Season from the perch.

Attitude of Gratitude

Gulp.  It's here again--the holiday season.  I know some of us are real holiday people.  You probably know some of them.  The ones who start playing Christmas music after Halloween, put up the tree before Thanksgiving, and have their cards sent out by Black Friday.

Then there are those of us who dread the holidays.  The ones who are afraid to go anywhere near the mall beginning the week of Thanksgiving, do all their Christmas shopping online, and try to hibernate in bed or on the sofa until after New Year's.

Whether you're holiday-centric or holiday-phobic, there's one thing everyone can do around the holidays to make them feel better--have an attitude of gratitude.  That's right.  Rather than thinking about all the things to do, pause for a moment and reflect on the things for which you're grateful, the things you already have.

Keeping a gratitude journal is great for stopping and thinking of the things that make you feel grateful.  Get a notebook and simply list the things you're grateful about.  And don't list material things.  List the things money can't buy, like a beautiful sunset, a stranger's smile, or a friend calling to say hello.  You can do this daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever you want.  Experts say that taking the time for gratitude actually helps your physical and psychological health, among having other benefits.

There are also books that promote gratitude (hey, you know I have to plug some library items).  Oliver Sack's aptly named book, Gratitude, is comprised of four essays in which the author expresses his gratitude.  David J. Pelzer's Help Yourself focuses on the rewards gratitude can bring.  Even Julie Andrews and her daughter introduce the concept of gratitude to younger readers in The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude through a school Gratitude Day.

So, no matter which side of the holiday fence you're on, make some time for a little gratitude.  You'll be grateful you did.

Ever gratefully yours from the perch.