Poet Sarah Kay

"If I should have a daughter, instead of 'Mom,' she's going to call me 'Point B,' because that way she knows that no matter what happens, at least she can always find her way to me."

So begins, well, probably a lot of what's been written about Sarah Kay, a spoken word poet and one of the coolest writers ever yall need to listen to her *coughs* and also her poem "B."

Sarah Kay is a poet. But before you think about dusty books and artistic angst, stop. Sarah Kay is a spoken word poet, drawing out sentences and phrases and puns into the thin air of auditoriums. Though she does have books out, they're composed of poems she's written originally for recitation, so the words are phrases that tumble around the edges of illustrations, not marshalled into anyone's ideas of sentence structure or brevity.

What really gets me about her poems is that you can watch her and see her put her whole body into it. Whether she's pacing around at TED stage or miming Whole Foods workers, you can tell she is speaking from the heart.

Whether she's working with her creative partner Phil Kaye, dipping in and out of perfectly planned unison and rhyme scheme as they discuss how they started writing together; or she's speaking into the middle distance, a hint of sadness in her voice as she talks about where she was on 9/11; or she's reciting love poems that aren't sappy, aren't angsty, just are slices of a life next to someone else: Sarah Kay is magical.

Even if you don't consider yourself a poetry person, I'd encourage you to check out her YouTube performances. Who knows, spoken word might become something you love just as much as she does. She tells us her poetry isn't an angry open letter; instead, it's a love letter to words and performance and loving what you do. It's beautiful to watch.

"When I'm inside writing, all I can think about is how I should be outside, living. When I'm outside living, all I can do is notice all there is to write about. When I read about love, I think, 'I should be out loving.' When I love, I think, 'I need to read more.' I'm stumbling in pursuit of grace." —from "Paradox" by Sarah Kay

Happy listening,
~Citali

Citali's Library

Have I mentioned I love libraries?

(a joke. That's a joke. I love libraries. I say this all the time.)

Like, a lot. Unironically. Unconditionally.

SO last summer I volunteered at my city library, and to be not cliché, it wasn't exactly life-changing. But it made me think things.

I worked in the children's section, as opposed to adult or circulation. However, they don't let volunteers sit behind the reference desk and answer questions and sign kids up for summer reading. Whether or not it seems logical, you need a master's in library science for that. I also wasn't shelving books, though I feel like I'd be good at that, being a longtime patron of the children's section (the wisdom of years: that the L-M and M-R shelves are where everything that's worth anything is. Pretty much). What I did was everything else. My fellow four volunteers were almost-not-quite found family; I figure that once you pick up speech patterns from someone, you've become at least a level 2 friend (a joke. That's a joke). There was a performance series where we volunteers would help set up stages for puppet shows and jugglers and science shows, then count the attendees—adults and kids—with little clickers. Memorably, we performed in one of them, as part of an opera, albeit a 30-minute one. We stamped summer reading achievement certificates with the librarians' seal of approval. We lugged boxes of the free books given out for summer reading. Memorably, we spent one afternoon session sanitizing laundry baskets full of baby toys (yes, the ones that little kids put in their mouths. It was fantabulous //s).

But what I spent the most time doing, well... it didn't seem like a very library thing to do. For hours of those afternoons, we voided books, removing them from circulation. Some of them were ripped, drooled on, oil-stained. Some were wholesale ripped from their bindings. But others? They looked like they've been gently used, still usable. Nevertheless, they were treated all the same: their barcodes blacked out, their library labels removed. They were Tetris-ed into circulation carts. And thrown (tossed. Stacked. Fine, placed). Into. Dumpsters (garbage! Trash cans! Or at least, bins).

To be fair: 1) Since they were library property, they were government property. And that means that when they're declared void (and when the library/government has to buy new books) they have to go. Otherwise librarians could void books randomly so that they could keep them. Or sell them. 2) I guess libraries have to toss out things sometime. Some of those voided books were pretty nasty. 3) And some of the books in better (read: spotless, imho) condition were Tetris-ed into boxes, not carts, and taped up and shipped off to libraries elsewhere.

However, those didn't really change the fact that, when I came out of my summer of volunteering, I thought ever-so-slightly less of my library.

But after the summer, I spent an unusual amount of time in other people's libraries: schools, other muni libraries. Whether it was spending time in the school library studying and not touching a page of fiction, or meeting up with classmates in the teen section of their municipal library to work on group projects, or even visiting a library comic-con, it made me think things.

In the world we live in, every bit of government spending is being thrown into question. But libraries, public ones, seem like one of the best and at the same time craziest things you can do. My library isn't huge and urban, and yet I have to stop myself and appreciate what my citizenship gets me. A building with books and computers that you can use for massive blocks of time. Museum passes. Books that have come out mere weeks or even days ago. Wi-fi. Readings. Art. Summer reading. The Oxford English dictionary. An online catalog. A juggler. A Triwizard Tournament.

And that's not even counting what other libraries can do. There are libraries that lend out cake pans and shared seeds and sewing machines. 3D printers and virtual reality headsets. Hosting comic-cons.

My library is limited by the rules of a county system—it can never shut down an entire branch and host a comic-con, for example. But it's also empowered by the thousands of books it can hold in collection and retrieve from different libraries around the area. The catalogue might have been a little clunky. But the fact remains that there are so, so many books I can access with my keystrokes, even months before they're published, without the interlibrary loan. And I might have to disinfect a few baby toys. But for all those two- and three-year-olds who get to have those toys for that time while they're getting read to, sure.

I might have huge, grandiose thoughts-with-a-capital-T about libraries and sharing and whether that playtime and storytime with those disinfected toys will change a life or make a future author want to write. But honestly, even with all the slightly problematic destruction of books or the large quantities of baby saliva, libraries are so, so worth it. And I will be supporting them all the way.

Happy reading,
~Citali

Housekeeping

Hello, lovely readers!

Happy Thursday! As finals approach, we're taking a quick break from our ~regularly scheduled~ well-planned-out post programming to just give a bit of an update on what's going on at the Archives.

• Willow and I did NaNo together this past April Camp NaNo. For the first time, Willow captained our cabin, and for the first time, we both won Camp with our word goals of 10k. (I'm not saying those were related, but those were definitely related). 
• I also did a more loose Camp than I'm used to. Usually, it's a lot easier for me to write during Camp in April and July than it is in November, so I attempt my best writing in April. However, I realized that the story I was writing... wasn't really going a direction that was something I wanted to pursue for more plot events or for revisions. I did get to write 5k on a story that I really love, and that I want to keep writing, though!
• Don't worry, I'm still working on the Reading Without Walls challenge. There will be booklists!
• Free Comic Book Day was celebrated the first Saturday this May! I picked up some indie comics and also a v. cool graphic novel (which will feature in Reading Without Walls #2) for 20% off at my friendly neighborhood indie comic bookstore (which is, in fact, a real thing).
• One of the cornerstones of solarpunk lit for YA is The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson, set in futuristic Brazil. I recently started reading it, and am awed by the worldbuilding. 
• Some posts to come: Reading Without Walls, Camp NaNo reflections, an analysis of grammar in fiction inspired by St.Owl's blog, some thoughts on short stories/novelettes, and some vague ideas-that-aren't-posts-yet about libraries and communities (of course).

With luck, we'll have a proper bookish post next week.

Until then, happy reading!

~Citali

Dandelions and Dragons: Webcomic Fluff Dump

I've (Citali) been reading more webcomics lately! Here's my list + spiels.

1. Flowerpot: "A story about a boy who grows dandelions from his head because of a mysterious disease, and all the problems that entails. Ten years ago, Ben was the first person to be infected by a strange disease that causes flowers to grow from his body every spring and summer.  In a world where flowers have become frightening, Ben has come to accept that most people will want to keep their distance from his dandelions.  However, when an enthusiastic photographer arrives out of the blue and asks Ben to be a part of his project, Ben begins to discover what being a “flowerpot” really means."

Ben is Patient Zero for fleurine, a recent illness that causes flowers to grow from his hair. Flowers are feared as carriers of the infectious disease, and "flowerpots" like Ben must guard against people's prejudices. A fluffy comic with lots of friendship and flowers, not to mention some succulents, annoying relatives, and cuddly friends.

Some swearing (Eileen can get angry).

Read here: http://flowerpot-comic.tumblr.com/post/136451157935/flowerpot-title-page-extra-fleurine-pamplet

2. Always Human: "This is a story about nanobots, genetic engineering, and two girls falling in love. No matter how technology changes us, we'll always be human."

Sunati's always admired the one girl she always sees at the train station without any "mods," or genetic modifications like the ones she's always used to. Then she finds out the reason Austen isn't modding is because she can't; she has a syndrome that prevents her from living like everyone else does. Also super fluffy with friendship, representation to the nines, real-world problems (stress! failure! feeling like an impostor!). A watercolor art style that's super calming.

Some swearing in Spanish (from Austen).

Read here: http://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/always-human/1-i-guess-thats-why-i-admire-her/viewer?title_no=557&episode_no=1

3. Tea Dragon Society: "The Tea Dragon Society is about a young blacksmith apprentice, Greta, who is learning her craft but isn’t entirely sure what use it has in modern society. When she encounters a tea dragon and becomes closer to those who raise them and grow their tea, she learns about the dying art form and how it enriches the lives of those she meets—and eventually her own. With the experiences and the memories she makes, she begins to wonder if there’s a value in craft all of its own."

A soft lineless fantasy style: tea dragons are a notoriously finicky breed, treasured for their priceless tea. When Greta, a blacksmith's daughter who's more compassionate than plucky, rescues a jasmine green dragon, she learns about the wise elder Hesekiel and his old friend Erik who raise them. The fluffiest thing I've ever read—super calming, cute art, and worldbuilding to the nines!

Super family friendly, great for anyone at all who needs more cuddly dragons in their lives.

Read here: http://teadragonsociety.com/comic/chapter-1/

4. Mooncakes: "Long-lost childhood crushes Nova Huang and Tam Lang have reunited for the first time in ten years. They have a lot more to deal with this time than just being the only two Asian kids in school (who also happen to both have magical abilities). The comic focuses on their relationship as they struggle through bills, family, and weird horse demons in ways that only a witch and a werewolf can."

Super cool to find urban fantasy that's not grimdark and edgy! The worldbuilding in this one is great: the witchy bookstore that Nova's grandmothers own, Nova's own stellar fashion sense, the art style in general! It's a classic comics line style. Not to mention how diverse it is! As it's shaping up, it looks like this will be a fun fantasy adventure with a tinge of romance. Super diverse too: hard of hearing, LGBT+, and Asian American (!) characters galore!

A few swear words.

Read here: http://mooncakesomic.tumblr.com/

--

Yes, I read a lot of fluff. That's what comics are to me: they're short, so they're mostly for rereading value. I love the characters and the worlds, and I want everyone to have a happy ending! It's perfect for scrolling through on a bad day.

Happy reading!
~Citali

ICBD 2017

Salutations! Our apologies from having been away from the blog for a bit. I promise we haven't left this corner of the internet behind!

Happy April 2! It's fitting that the day after the good-natured (hopefully) fun of April Fool's Day is a day honoring the good-natured, hopeful, and good-clean-fun world of children's literature--International Children's Book Day!

The date, though, isn't related to April Fool's; it honors the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen, classic fairy-tale author.

Whether you're of board-book, picture-book, chapter-book, or middle-grade, or whether you've moved past the children's section to YA or beyond, I for one owe so much of my book-loving, fandom-crazy, "unironially enthusiastic" identity to the books I read and was read from that perfect children's sections. To those books, those authors, and their supporters--happy ICBD 17!

Happy reading!
~Citali

Star Wars Has a Women of Color Issue

Hey, everyone. Willow here! The title of this post is fairly self-explanatory, so. Yeah.

A month or so ago, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released. Citali and I went to watch it together, and came out trembling, emotional, in awe.

What makes Rogue One so great is that not only is it gorgeously written, it's also infinitely more diverse than any Star Wars movie has ever been.

Only one of the protagonists was white. The others-- each with a fleshed-out story arc and excellent characterization-- were all men of color. 

Excellent!

But.

The white character was Jyn Erso, only female lead and arguably the main character.

Look. Every time there has been a new Star Wars story, the main female character has been white.

Padmé Amidala. Leia Organa. Rey. And now, Jyn.

Star Wars has a WOC issue. Namely: there are none.

But Willow, you say. What about Steela Gerrera? Or Depa Billaba? Or Korr Sella? Or Breha Organa? Or--

Well, my dear reader, what do all those women have in common? Oh, that's right. They're all minor characters. And they're all dead.

Fine. But what about Sana Starros? Or that one Rebel from Rogue One?

Hmmm. Tell me, if you go up to a hundred random people, how many of them do you think would recognize the name "Sana Starros"?

The galaxy of Star Wars is bigger than just the movies, yes. There are animated TV shows and books and comics galore, but here's the thing. The movies are the most important part. They're the franchise's biggest, most popular branch. 

If you want diversity in Star Wars, you need it in the movies. And I'm not saying that Finn and Poe and Chirrut and Baze and Cassian and Bodhi aren't helping, but we need our WOC too.

So give me a Calrissian daughter, or Finn's mother, or Poe's cousin. Give me WOC Jedi and WOC Sith and WOC pilots and stormtroopers and civilians and bounty hunters. Give me queer WOC characters and trans WOC characters and old WOC and young WOC and--

Well. You get my point, no?

Willow

Happy Birthday, Jason Todd!

Jason Peter Todd, Batman's second Robin. Killed by the Joker at age 14. Came back to life; became the Red Hood.

Happy birthday, Jaybird.

Thriftbooks.com: A Book(store) Review

Maybe you haven't guessed this yet, but I! Love! Libraries! So I'm usually not the one who, when a book gets recommended to me, says, "I'll go buy that!" Instead, I go, "I'll go put that on hold!" The last time I bought a book (before this) was the Iliad from a local bookstore. I had gotten it from the library, but let's be honest, I am definitely not going to finish the Iliad before I have to return it. Plus, it's a good book to own. At said bookstore, the Iliad was pretty expensive (though it pretty much always will be $20+ from any store.) And, well, this was a book I wanted to own. I'm still getting through it, but I think it was worth owning. I'll come back to it, someday, I'm sure. Many times.

While browsing the "wretched hive of scum and villainy" (Thank you, Willow and Obi-Wan Kenobi) of online, though, I came across a reference for the website thriftbooks.com. It does what it sounds like: sells books. Used ones. Cheaply. It's cited a lot as a good place to buy textbooks, which makes a lot of sense. The new books on here are pretty much the bookstore price, that is more than Amazon or other cheap e-retailers. But used books are almost crazily inexpensive.

And the first thing I saw was the Odyssey! Let me emphasize this: for Three. Fifty. Nine. I'm sorry, but that is one-seventh of the price if you bought it new. Almost nowhere, internet or otherwise, will someone let you have a copy of the Odyssey for that amount. Boom. I see why this site has such a good name.

After some browsing and some dithering, I end up with three purchases: The Odyssey, Artemis Fowl, and Fangirl. Which is a lot! More than $25. I'm excited to get these. The Thriftbooks website is, I think, well designed, considering how crazy their inventory must be. They've got a wishlist for saving books they don't have copies of at the time/yet, and their emailing is impeccable, with coupon codes and notifications. I have summer reading this summer, and I need to annotate my books, so I might be returning here again. While their blog is a teense threadbare, there is an extremely interesting video about their process.

Beyond the crazily inexpensive books, they do have lots of deals going on. There's a "Thrift Deal" for certain (a lot of different) books in acceptable condition, with 3 for $10. If you buy $10 worth of books, you get free 4-14 day shipping. And there are emailed coupon codes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My books were coming from three different places yet arrived all in a span of three days. The shipping estimate is 4-14 days; these books came in 9-10, so the estimate was correct.

The first arrivals were a new copy of Fangirl and the Acceptable-rated copy of the Odyssey. Thriftbooks reps their recycled packaging a lot: this is what it looks like. New books come in cardboard  boxes; used books come in branded pouches. They shipped well and I can't say too much went wrong. However, just remember that when buying used books to check ratings!

The acceptable Odyssey looks like this: highlighting, penciled annotations. That fits the Thriftbooks quality rating, so it's my fault for not checking up with that. It's readable, of course, just definitely different from a new book. I might buy a new copy later if erasing the annotations doesn't work, just because this is a classic I very well may reread and not an airplane novel paperback. 

No substantive comments on the Fangirl copy, mostly because a new book is a new book. No defects, I suppose. Thriftbooks new books don't come from the same warehouses, but from a different supplier. 

The next day arrived the Very Good-rated copy of Artemis Fowl. A Very Good book looks pretty much new inside. The spine is a little battered, but since I'm a reader who cracks new books intentionally before reading, this meant this copy was as good as new to me. Someone pickier might be bothered, but not me.

Verdict? I'll be shopping here for textbooks/English books in the future: books that will have a price advantage between new (Amazon, Barnes & Noble) and used. I like the quality of the Very Good rated books, so I'll shop for those specifically. Shipping's free for media mail, so to take advantage of that I'd be not ordering anything too urgent. Rating? 4.5/5.

Happy reading!
~Citali

Willow Liveblogs Watching Son of Batman

Hey everybody, it's Willow!

So I've recently gotten into DC Comics... (I know. Citali's first reaction was "You're cheating on Marvel!" No. No, I'm not. You can like both.) and since a movie called Son of Batman was on Netflix and I had nothing better to do, I watched/am watching it. Well, by the time this post is done I'll be done watching it... but I'm liveblogging it. Son of Batman, I'm guessing, is going to be a Damian Wayne origin story, because... duh. Apologies in advance for the all caps and squeeing.

(liveblog:  to post commentary about (an event) online while the event is taking place, typically in the form of frequent short blog updates)

Here we go!

W: Oh, hey, look, it's the **League of Assassins** in **Nanda Parbat**. I have to admit,  Nanda Parbat looks better here than it does in live-action, on Arrow.

W: Who's the old guy Talia calls "brother"?

W: Oh... okay then. Someone's attacking the League. Shouldn't world-class assassins be harder to take down? 

W: Oh, it's Deathstroke! Cool.

W: Daaang, Damian! This kid is, like, ten, and he just stuck a sword through a guy's eye.

W: Aaaand the League is dead. Welp. Looks like Ra's [al Ghul] is dead too.

W: They're going to Gotham! Where Batman is! I wonder why? *sarcasm*

W: Hi, Bruce! *waves* Talia just saved his black-clad butt, BTW. Nice.

W: So Talia had time to change into a fancy dress and Bruce is still in his Batman costume? Hmm.

W: Yes, Bruce, you have a son. Gasp! Also: Damian is a brat and I love it. "Don't look so surprised, father. I thought you'd be taller."

W: Damian is tiny; how does he know how to drive?

W: Alfred Pennyworth is my jam. Sarcasm sounds the coolest in a British accent... wait a second. Wait a second. He just said "Master Dick." Does that mean... *gasp*

W: Ruh-roh, Deathstroke's back. Man-Bats, seriously? Oh noes, Talia!

W: Back to Gotham. Damian is chasing a dude named Ubu. Scratch that, beating up a dude named Ubu. Oop, he's trying to kill him...

W: YESSSSS!!! DICK GRAYSON DICK GRAYSON DICK GRAYSON YESSSSS!!!

W: *snorts* "Bruce, chill. What's he gonna do, swim there?" Yes. Yes, he is. Nightwing, I love you, but you really don't know Damian Wayne.

W: Climactic fight scene, Talia takes a bullet, yadda yadda yadda... more Man-Bats. Lovely.

W: Batman + his batarangs to the rescue! He just overloaded a bunch of overgrown Frankenbats with sonar.

W: Talia's with Bruce, and Damian's left to fight Slade.

W: DAMIAN VS DEATHSTROKE!!! This is a Very Good Fight Scene, and dang, Damian, you've got skillz! 

W: Seriously, though, kid can't be more than ten, and not only is he fending off Deathstroke, but he wins. The. Fight. Damian Wayne, everybody.

W: He won't kill Slade... why? "I am my father's son"? Damian, you literally just met the guy.

W: Talia knew Bruce would come save her? Please. This was a good movie if not for the awful characterization of Talia. She's the daughter of Ra's al Ghul? She drugged Batman once? She can handle herself.

W: End of the movie. Bad guys defeated, of course. Talia's going to rebuild the League, but Bruce wants Damian to stay with him and be Robin. Why? He's a (talented, but still) brat. And Talia just lets him take her son? *flips table*

W: Well, here we are.

The movie was pretty good.

• Damian kicked butt and was wonderfully bratty and arrogant.
• Alfred was appropriately dry and sarcastic, which I loved.
• Dick Grayson. 'Nuff said.
• That last Damian/Deathstroke fight scene was *perfect*.

However...

• Talia al Ghul should be a *villain*, not a *love interest*.
• The League was taken down too easily.
• This movie needed more Dick Grayson. I want that Dick/Damian fight scene!
• Where's Tim Drake? Or Jason Todd, for that matter? They're never mentioned.

That's the end of my liveblog. See you next time!

Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na, BATMAN!

~Willow

(Sorry, I had to.)

An Artsy Booksy Crafty Thing

It's a crime to throw away books, and I think that we can all agree on. Some of the institutions I agree with most are libraries, and they almost always accept books! Recently, my family cleaned out our collective book collections, ending up with a brown paper bag full of books. Whenever I go to the library, I'll browse the used books shelves, and I'm glad to think that some of the duplicate books I own will go to a good home!

In related news, my classes are clearing up too, especially damaged books so that they can order new ones at the end of the year. I'm a major reference books fan, so a thesaurus is always at my desk. It happened to be one that was stripped, with no front or back covers, but completely usable: underloved books for the win! However, since it wasn't perfect, it was destined for disposal. In the end, though, instead of in the trash can, it's with me at home, hanging out on my desk.

That brings my total of thesauruses to three: One giant The Synonym Finder, which is massive and too big for most uses except esoteric words; a Random House Roget's that I use sometimes; and the new/old one, Webster's Roget's. In other words, I probably own enough thesauruses for three people. (Not probably own, but do own.) And so the new/old thesaurus is sitting rather sadly on my desk. Until I found this craft online! It's a paper envelope to slip over book covers, which is better than the contact paper DIY fabric book ones that work better on hardcovers. Since my book doesn't even have the cardstock, this is perfect! I also have an abundance of scrapbook paper and wrapping paper, so here's my progress photos. It's all directly from this very excellent blog post: http://www.kittyandbuck.com/blog-lifestyle/2013/08/diy-japanese-paper-book-cover.

 These are all the supplies you need! The Roget's Thesaurus is pretty small, so I used one 12 by 12 inch piece of scrapbook paper. Then you need the book, of course, and some tools to mark straight lines. I folded down the sides until the top and bottom were flush with the book's top and bottom.

 I folded down the sides until the top and bottom were flush with the book's top and bottom.

Then a fold at the end so that a bit of a sleeve was formed where the edge of the book lies on the paper.

Sliding the front page (since there's no cover) into the sleeve made by the three folds.

All done! I think it looks very pretty, and might hold up for more use. I love papercrafts since they're so often quick, and this one was literary too! I can imagine doing this with blank kraft paper to be able to doodle on it later. This concludes Citali's Crafts Mode: Literary Edition. 

Happy reading!

~Citali

Happy Star Wars Day, Folks!

It's May 4th, and that means it's Star Wars day! Hooray! For those of you who don't know, on this day in 1973, Episode IV: A New Hope was first released.

May the Fourth (and Force) be with You Always!

~Willow

Just So You Know...

We won't be updating as often this month. Both Citali and I have Camp NaNoWriMo going on right now, so in the rush to get our stories done, we're kinda neglecting the blog. But that doesn't mean we've forgotten about it! Quite the contrary; we've actually got a TON of posts planned for the future. Just... the future after April. :-) Bear with us, please!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a couple thousand words to write.
~Willow

Willow's Library

Bonjour! C'est moi, Willow. (Translation: *Adele voice* Hello... it's me...) :-)

You've all probably already seen Citali's wonderful worldbuilding library posts, and I thought I'd just hop on her bandwagon like the unoriginal copycat I am. She's written about libraries in different alternate universes, but I'm going to write a short piece on my school's library, which, honestly, has become my home away from home in these two years. It's cozy and inviting, and the librarian is absolutely brilliant. If you're reading this right now, Ms. N-, this one's for you.

Here we go:

My library is a good-sized room, with several aisles of bookshelves, the books themselves ranging from biographies to graphic novels. I wander through the fiction section, pinpointing my favorite authors with practiced ease. Brightly lit, the library also hosts a set of tables and several computers. These are perpetually occupied by students reading, doing homework, or just chatting. There's a buzz of conversation throughout the room; never is there pin-drop silence. The TAs behind the counter work steadily, checking books in and out. The librarian herself ambles through her domain, stopping to greet students, to recommend books, and, occasionally, to shush an overly noisy group of kids. She'll direct you to books and authors you ask for with a smile and a pointed finger. Always helpful, always polite, and always friendly, Ms. N- is half the reason the library is always crowded. Enthusiastic about books and her job, Ms. N- is always willing to give you book recommendations, discuss books or movies in detail, or even just give you directions to anywhere on campus.

The last few years have been tough for my family. We've gone through a lot, and I've had to deal with it in the one way I know how: bury myself in fiction. Read book after book after book until the future seems a little less bleak. Laughing about jokes in movies, analyzing minor details in my favorite volumes, discussing character development throughout a series-- these things have kept me going. I owe a lot of that to the library. It has given me the opportunity to read, reread, and discuss the books I love. So to my library and everyone in it: thank you.

*Fin*

Okay, so maybe I'm not as good at Citali at this whole "describing libraries" thing, and this got a little more personal than I originally intended it to be. But I really do mean every word. My library means the world to me; I don't know what I'd do if it wasn't there.

Au revoir!
Willow

"My Mind is Blown, I Bet Yours is Too, Well, I Guess This is Doctor Who"

Okay, so you guys probably know that I'm (Willow here, hi!) the Archives' resident Whovian. I've been itching to watch Series 9 (more Twelve! more Clara! I  have a MIGHTY NEED!), but, unfortunately, I don't have cable. This is a S9 spoilers-free post, so don't worry about that.

Anyhoo, I recently discovered the wonder that is Chameleon Circuit. It's a band that writes primarily Doctor Who-themed songs, and they are all FANTASTIC! (Thanks, Nine.) While the band is on hiatus right now, it's got two albums out already: Chameleon Circuit and Still Got Legs. Their songs are all wonderful, and they give me all the FEELINGS. My personal favorites are "The Big Bang Two", "The Doctor is Dying", and "Exterminate Regenerate."

A lot of you guys probably know all this already, but for those of you who don't, here's a little fandom news for you.

Chameleon Circuit's music is on YouTube, so go check it out if you haven't already!

~Willow
P.S. DOOOOOOOO WEEEEEEEEE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :-)

Questions about Books, Willow Edition

So a while ago Citali wrote a post answering a questionnaire she found, and I (Willow here, BTW) was instantly inspired and/or envious. This post is going to be me, answering those exact same questions.

1. Favorite childhood book

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A.Milne. I've always loved that little fat bear.

2. What are you reading right now?

The Weapon of a Jedi by Jason Fry, Convergence by Stan Lee, Stuart Moore, and Andie Tong, and A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

Wonder by R. J. Palacio.

4. Bad book habit?

Leaving my books all over the place.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Princess Leia #1 (by a whole bunch of people), Wake by Lisa McMann, Sidekicked by John David Anderson, Death Sworn by Leah Cypess, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull, and Sabriel by Garth Nix.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

Nope. I have an app on my tablet, though. It's got Jane Eyre and Anne of Green Gables on it.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

Just one at a time. That doesn't stop me from reading several at the same time, though.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

Not really...

9. Least favorite book you read this year so far?

Um... lemme think. Maybe the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. (It's not that they were bad, just the rest of the books I read were better.)

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, hands down. I mean, wow. That is one amazing book.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

Like Citali said: anything, everything.

13. Can you read in the car?

No. I already get motion sickness really easily; reading doesn't exactly help.

14. Favorite place to read?

On the old sofa. I've had it for years, so it's kind of my go-to reading spot at this point.

15. What is your policy on book lending?

As long as the book is returned to me in the same condition, I'm fine with it.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

Not really.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Only when I've had to do annotations for school.

18. Not even with textbooks?

See #17.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?

English. While I can speak Bengali fluently, I can't read or write it.

20. What makes you love a book?

A good plot, humor, writing style, and three-dimensional characters.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

Basically what I wrote in #20.

22. Favorite genre?

Fantasy, fantasy, fantasy.

23. Genre you rarely read but wish you did?

Nonfiction, to be honest.

24. Favorite biography?

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Does that count as a biography?

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

Nope.

26. Favorite cookbook?

Ummm... next question, please?

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

28. Favorite reading snack?

I dunno, spicy chips, maybe?

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I expected much more from it.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Often, actually.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

If I don't think the book is all that great, I'll say so. Bluntly.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

Either Latin or Sanskrit. Like Citali said: classics!

35. Favorite poet?

Does J.R.R.Tolkien count?

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

Five to ten.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

Very rarely.

38. Favorite fictional character?

Ooh, that's a hard one. Ginny Weasley, or Eragon Shadeslayer, or Natasha Romanoff, or the Tenth Doctor, or Ahsoka Tano. (What? I literally JUST SAID it's a hard one.)

39. Favorite fictional villain?

Honestly, I like antiheroes better than villains. Does Loki Laufeyson (from the MCU) count?

41. The longest you’ve gone without reading?

I honestly don't know. A few days, maybe?

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. I mean, I finished it eventually, but the heavy-handed religious allegory kind of ruined it for me.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

The Lord of the Rings. The movies were amazing.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

Eragon. Pathetic!

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

999 rupees, on a three-volume graphic novel adaptation of the Mahabharata. So worth it.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

I usually flip through to get a glimpse of what the writing's like.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?

If it was inappropriate, or boring, or stereotypical.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

I do, yeah. My bookshelves used to be a mess, but now I've got them organized pretty well, if I do say so myself.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

Keep, always. I could never give away a book, unless I really hated it.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

Legend by Marie Lu. I've heard a lot about it, but it seems kind of cliched.

52. Name a book that made you angry.

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. The blatant racism put me off. Calling another religion's deity a "hag" is not cool.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger. It was... meh.

55. Favorite guilt-free pleasure reading?

Comics, especially Star Wars or Marvel.

Happy reading!
~Willow

Questions About Books!

Hello everyone! This is just a bit of trivia to get to know me better... also it's just a ton of fun to fill out! I found these questions on the blog of Corina Dawn, a person I know from CB. Here goes!

1. Favorite childhood book

When I was really little, Chrysanthumum by Kevin Henkes. It's a beautiful story!

2. What are you reading right now?

Divergent by Veronica Roth and Tiny Pretty Things by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra and Winter by Marissa Meyer.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Sherwood Nation by Benjamin Parzybok.

4. Bad book habit?

I eat while I read. I also don't own a lot of bookmarks, so I set a book down open with something on it, or upside down with its pages splayed.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

It's a long list, so here are a few: Fairest by Marissa Meyer, Pirate Emperor by Kai Meyer, and Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

I do not, but I have the Kindle app. I have Enchanted by Alethea Kontis and The Princess Bride by William Goldman on it, since they're both classics I love to reread.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

Several at once: usually one for school, one that's new, and several that happen to be next to my bed and I just reread randomly to calm myself down before bed.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

Yes, actually. I think more about the characters and themes, and how I'd review the book. I read more first books of series rather than rereading, though I certainly still do that a lot.

9. Least favorite book you read this year so far?

That's super hard. I don't hate many books. Anthem by Ayn Rand, I think.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

Winter by Marissa Meyer. I would fangirl crazily here but this is a really long post already; I'll just say it's an absolutely divine ending to a series and perfect endings for characters I love.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

Anything, everything.

13. Can you read in the car?

Yes. I can even read by the light of a phone in the car. I only get headaches (and not major ones) if I read for more than an hour on winding roads.

14. Favorite place to read?

In the car, actually. Because you can't do much else, so you might as well read and find another world while you're traveling!

15. What is your policy on book lending?

All the time. I love books with splayed-out pages and broken spines, and it feels so readerly to have them. I have a copy of Bluestar's Prophecy that was lent to four different people and is certainly well loved, and I recently lent out my The Sword of Summer to a friend.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

No. I do break the spines, though, if I know I'm going to love them. Also see #4.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Yep. For school. I've come to love it, except when I feel it's messy. But the books I reread, I reread even if they have messy annotations.

18. Not even with textbooks?

See #17.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?

I only am fluent in English.

20. What makes you love a book?

Great characters, humor, worldbuilding, and ideas.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

Same as #20.

22. Favorite genre?

Sci-fi, but I have a weakness for any kind of genre remix: fairy tale/sci-fi, history/sci-fi, classic/fantasy, et cetera.

23. Genre you rarely read but wish you did?

History, I think. I'd like to find mainstream history that makes things interesting. Books like 1492 are interesting, but I'd like non-minority history to be that fun to read.

24. Favorite biography?

My Life With the Saints by James Martin if that counts; otherwise Mother Teresa by Maya Gold.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

Nope. I've read religious books and writing advice books though.

26. Favorite cookbook?

The Test Kitchen Cookbook. It has a ton of cool side notes about the science!

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

My Life With the Saints by James Martin.

28. Favorite reading snack?

Popcorn or shrimp chips or gummy bears. Yummmmm.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

The Sword of Summer. To be honest, it didn't /get/ that much hype, I just was expecting a lot from it, since Rick Riordan's other books are awesome. And it's not bad... I just expected more. And the cultural appropriation didn't help. Although my standards may be too high.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Pretty often. I think I actually like more books than the critics do.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

I'm pretty stingy with bad reviews. Three is very low in my opinion, and most books I review get a 5.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

Latin or Greek. I'd want to be able to read the classics in a classical language.

35. Favorite poet?

e. e. cummings, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, or Emily Dickinson. Yes, I'm very indecisive.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

About seven to ten. Right now I have 22, though. I went on a library spree.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

I used to, a lot, but now that I have more time to read, only about one to three books a year.

38. Favorite fictional character?

Linh Cinder or Luna Lovegood. See #35 about being indecisive.

39. Favorite fictional villain?

I don't have a particular favorite, I guess. Maybe Queen Levana from The Lunar Chronicles.

41. The longest you’ve gone without reading?

I don't know. Maybe... 3 weeks?

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. It got more inappropriate and I just didn't think that the awesomeness of the reading made up for it.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Not much, actually, but really really bright sunlight or windy roads.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

I haven't watched many, so I'll say the Harry Potter books.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

I haven't watched enough, and I love Harry Potter, so none.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

I don't spend a lot of time or money in bookstores specifically. My library has book sales, though, so I've bought about 5 books at one time... but they were pretty cheap. Maybe $7 altogether? But the most I've spent on one book was $22.99 on Winter by Marissa Meyer, which I preordered.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

I rarely do.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?

Often when they're inappropriate. See question 42.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

Yes. I am pretty Type A about this. I have shelves for nonfiction, fiction, crafts and other guidebooks, boxed sets, and textbooks. They started out organized by author last name and have drifted apart, but they are still on their categorized shelves!

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

I keep most of my books. However, I have given away some of the ones like "The Adventures of Super Penguin" because... well.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. But now I kind of want to read it so I can attack it like a good Potterhead while still following John Green's advice that "I hereby do solemnly pledge not to praise or criticize books I have not read."

52. Name a book that made you angry.

Anthem by Ayn Rand. See #54 below.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. I am now a fervent John Green fan but at that time I'd only read TFiOS and the teen-y-ness of Abundance of Katherines put me off. However, I really love the central message of the story.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

Anthem by Ayn Rand. I'd read The Fountainhead before and liked it, but Anthem isn't chiming with me.

55. Favorite guilt-free pleasure reading?

Graphic novels and comics. I recommend Page by Paige, Sisters, and The Rise of Scourge.

Happy reading! What are your favorites? Answer these questions on your own blog!

~Citali