Brava! Brava!

Just one week left for the tea contest, so I am hard at work on reading Brava, Valentine. While I was initially worried I wouldn't be able to finish the book and review it in time, I'm finding Brava, Valentine to be a much more enjoyable read. Like the first book, it opens with a marriage; this time, Val's grandmother Teodora in Italy. Teodora throws Val a curve ball by giving her the family shoemaking business... but making her villainous brother Alfred the Chief Financial Officer of the company. The book continues many of the plot threads from the first book. While it's referential, you can probably enjoy the sequel without having to read the original. I think it's a true strength of the story. I'm off to Staten Island again tomorrow, so hopefully I'll finish the book and review this week. Be sure to follow my progress (and become my friend) on Goodreads.

I've been donating some of my graphic novels to the library, mainly to shorten my collection. It was getting kind of out of control. I might be doing a few retro-graphic novel reviews. The one I'm most excited about is re-reading Chuck Dixon's Robin Year One and telling you guys how awesome it is. If this would be helpful or something you'd like to read about, be sure to comment or send me an e-mail. School Library Journal has been sending me many graphic novels to review, so I'm sort of getting a feel for reviewing both the story and art within the texts. I mean, I always kind of did it in my head. So now it's nice to have a professional excuse.

With the Summer Reading season gearing up (and Book Expo America just around the corner! You KNOW I'm going!), I've been thinking about what I'd like to tackle for reading-wise. I'm probably most excited to read a book titled Countdown by Deborah Wiles. Scholastic provided me with an ARC. Other than that, I'm kind of open to reading the possibilities. Titles can be adult or young adult... heck, I'll even take children's literature suggestions. I haven't been keeping up with the publication news like I should be. A fellow librarian gave me Split by Swati Avasthi, so that may also be a contender after "Brava." What are y'all reading?

Summer Reading Blues... and Hope.

So, the Summer Reading Website, as of right now, still does not work. It was supposed to work at the beginning of May. It's almost the end of May now. I'm trying to hype people up teens at my library for it, but it's kind of hard when they want to sign up and they can't. The incentives still haven't come, and we keep getting e-mails about how there's less and less of them with each passing week. It's getting kind of sad. At least, fot his librarian right here.

Despite this bad news bear, I am still trudging along with summer reading plans. I have a host of summer events planned at my library, including some sponsored art programs and some movie nights. Still I'm planning more. I just e-mailed my supervisor a proposal for a "Teen Summer Reading Club" - sort of a forum for teens to sit in a small group and talk about what they all are reading. The club would have 7 official meetings, 5 of which occur early in the summer reading process, the final 2 being towards the end (near my planned ending party). I'm hoping my boss goes for it. I think it will be fun for everyone.

What am I reading? I know you're curious. Next up on the block is "Sophomore Switch" - another Candlewick Press book. In the fall I went to a publisher's presentation, and Candlewick's was the best. They made me want to read "Swim the Fly" and "Sophomore Switch". So far, my new book is much better than my last one. I'm really digging Emily, the English character. She is fun to read about. I'm alread over 100 pages into it. You'll of course get a review when I'm finished but I'm smelling a rave!