Hello and welcome to my September & October 'Book Babble' :-)
It got to early October and I realised I hadn't posted my September blog, and actually I hadn't even written the 'Babble' part of the blog. Woops! So rather than rush to post a simplified September Book Babble I've combined the two months.O.M.Freaking.God!!! Do you know how close Christmas is???? Do ya????? Aaarrgghhh!!!
I was asked by our principal if the student librarians would like to decorate a wooden Christmas tree. Started in 2014 as a Community Art project it has 'taken off'. Last year I remember walking down the street and admiring the creativity of the school students in decorating the trees ... yeah OK so some weren't to my standards, but you've got to admire the kids for trying.
So I was really excited when I was asked ... and of course said yes without asking the kids - 'cause ya know ... holidays already!!! And the first thing that popped into my head for decorating .... I'll give you a clue .... I work in a library!!!!! You guessed it .... recycled book Christmas decorations!!! How awesome would that be? So I spent some time during the Term 3 break and created some templates to show the student librarians. It is soooo hard cutting up books :-( But they are going to a better life, and the ones I had at home were old ones other people had thrown out.
And the student librarians when they were told were (mostly) really excited as well. I've been spending morning tea times with whoever chooses to come in showing them how to do all sorts of Christmasy type crafts that we can put on the tree ... when it blimmin arrives!!! We are now into week 4 and it still hasn't arrived. We are going to make heaps of extra decorations because they thought it would be cool to decorate our library with them ... yay for eager student librarians!!!
I will hopefully have images of the finished tree to share with you all in my next blog post (fingers crossed).
Term 4 is also a time when many of us perform our stock takes. Gah!!!! Last year I didn't close our library. Rather I did a running stock take scanning sections of the library when the visiting classes weren't using it. This worked really well and I am planning on doing the same this year ... well I was!!! It's now week 4 and I've yet to actually start!!!! Aaarrrggghhhh!!!! And I have a Scholastic book fair running over week 7 & 8 which has to be in our library as there is no other space in the school. Actually the library is the best place to host a book fair as it is another way of promoting our gorgeous library to our school community. Unfortunately for my stock take it means I can't get to our shelves as the pop-up bookshop shelves are in the way. Oh well, I'll figure something out.
And of course part of performing our stock takes, or at least making it easier to scan our resources, is the dratted WEEDING experience. As a lover of all things books I find it quite hard to dispose of any book, however to keep our collections fresh and easily accessible by our users I just have to 'put my big girl panties on' and do it! There is lots of information out there to help you determine just what you should weed, and how often, but at the end of the day you need to do what is right for your school library. Some libraries don't keep anything older than 10 years, and in some ways this makes sense. After all, if we only keep purchasing resources and only ever disposing of those that are badly damaged our collections will become overly large, unmanageable and uninspiring.
We want to provide an environment that tempts our young visitors to try something new or delve into an adventure of the written kind. If our shelves are overcrowded and our resources are old and manky looking how can we create displays to showcase the awesomeness that books are? How can we help promote a love for reading in our students and a willingness to be adventurous if we don't keep our collections fresh and funky? Weeding is a necessary evil and you just have to determine what is important for you library and what is best for your users.
One of the hardest decisions I find is the weeding of underused resources ... especially those that I have actually purchased ... well not me personally, but those I chose with the idea that our students would enjoy them and want to read them. Books that are falling apart, or are out of date are certainly easier to weed :-/ but they are only a small percentage of what needs to be weeded. The ones that really get to me are the nearly new books that look like they've been through a war-zone. You know the ones - only been issued one or two times and they've had gross food spilt in it, or the younger sibling has ripped it / drawn in it, or the new pet has used it as a chew toy, or O.M.God ... wet swimming togs. Don't get me started on wet togs!!!!! Just because the books don't have feelings doesn't mean that we don't feel for them and the short lives they lived spreading only a small percentage of the joy and excitement they could have given :-(
Of course one of the other problems we often have with the weeding process is actually disposing of our weeded items. Teaching staff, parents and students have the best intentions when they see piles of books being 'chucked out' and they try and save them. Having to justify this part of our job can be quite tiresome and problematic and often causes us to be secretive with the process. Having the caretaker on your side certainly helps :-P And having a clear policy on what, when, why, how etc will definitely make it easier for you to make those weeding decisions and cause less angst when you find you self having to justify what you are doing ... which I'm sorry to say will happen :-/
Just to annoy you all and give you something to get stuck in your heads at the end of my BookBabble here is a little ditty I came up with to get me through the weeding process ... :-
How many books would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck books?
A woodchuck would chuck a 'whole' (or insert appropriate rhyming word :-o) lot of books if a woodchuck could chuck books!
#SozNotSoz ;-P
Just to annoy you all and give you something to get stuck in your heads at the end of my BookBabble here is a little ditty I came up with to get me through the weeding process ... :-
How many books would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck books?
A woodchuck would chuck a 'whole' (or insert appropriate rhyming word :-o) lot of books if a woodchuck could chuck books!
#SozNotSoz ;-P
And in other news last and this month ...
- Hawkes Bay Book Talk didn't have a book discussion gathering in term 3. Rather we attended the 'Battle of the BookClubs' event that was organised by Wardini Books on September 15th in Havelock North. This fantastic event was to raise money for CanTeen, a really truly worthwhile cause. Having never attended before and being a group of C&YA librarians we were expecting to do terribly ... hence our team name ... 'Destroyers of the Universe'. We had such a blast, and unbelievably were leading most of the way through the evening!!! We 'may' have also been the noisiest group there!!! We ended up coming 3rd by 5 points which was blimmin awesome (also 6 of us to the other two teams 10). Our downfall ... the 'Inappropriate Actresses' round - where two absolutely amazing ladies acted out scenes from different books ... in a way that was totally off-putting and hilarious. Note for next time ... listen for the clues!!! Well done to Gareth & Lou for your fantastic organisation and a truly memorable evening, with over $3,000 raised for CanTeen.
So here is WIBR during September and October ......
NOTE: ** Denotes sexual content (school librarians use your discretion)
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Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion / Alex T. Smith [Paperback]
5 stars
Picture Book 0-6, Alternative Fairy Tales
This is a great twist on the 'Little Red Riding Hood' tale.
Set in the jungle, Little Red goes to visit her sick Auntie, and along the way encounters a cunning Lion. And of course manages to outwit him!
A great story to share on its own, but it would also be a great one to read after the traditional 'Little Red Riding Hood' and then get students to write their own twist on the tale.
FYI ... I LOVE Alternative Fairy Tales ... if you hadn't already guessed :-P
Picture This / Alison Jay [Paperback]
5 stars
Picture Book 0-6
This is an absolutely amazing picture book.
I have a few of Alison Jay's other books and all her illustrations are done in a way that makes them look like old dried paintings. Simply stunning!!!
The concept of this book is so simple ... one word and an image to teach children what it means (dog, hill, ball etc).
But this is not simply a book for young children to learn to read with. Oh no!!! It is soooo much more. Each illustration leads onto the next and has so much more depth to it than simply depicting the word. You need to look closer and you will find some of your favourite nursery rhymes (the clock page has a mouse sitting on top of it, and the clock-face is pointing to 1pm). And the characters or images that are in some of the other illustrations are not just exact replicas ... they are constantly changing.
This is a book to share with your young children to teach them to read or understand what words mean, but it is also one that older children and adults can get lost in as well. Absolutely totally and utterly fantastic!!!
Splat the Cat and the Late Library Book / Rob Scotton [Paperback]
4 stars
Picture Book 0-6
I love the Splat the Cat books. He is such a little monkey!!! And this one is even better because it involves library books.
Poor Splat. His room is such a mess, and like any kid has outgrown so many of the things in there. So his parents come up with a fantastic idea ... have a clean-up and donate the things he no longer uses. Except ... dun dun dun ... Splat finds a library book in his messy room, and of course the books are all getting donated ... to the library!!!! Oh no!!! What is poor Splat going to do????
This was a really cool book to read to the classes as they came into the library, because aside from being funny, it was a good way to relate their own experiences of late library books to the story.
Set in the jungle, Little Red goes to visit her sick Auntie, and along the way encounters a cunning Lion. And of course manages to outwit him!
A great story to share on its own, but it would also be a great one to read after the traditional 'Little Red Riding Hood' and then get students to write their own twist on the tale.
FYI ... I LOVE Alternative Fairy Tales ... if you hadn't already guessed :-P
Picture This / Alison Jay [Paperback]5 stars
Picture Book 0-6
This is an absolutely amazing picture book.
I have a few of Alison Jay's other books and all her illustrations are done in a way that makes them look like old dried paintings. Simply stunning!!!
The concept of this book is so simple ... one word and an image to teach children what it means (dog, hill, ball etc).
But this is not simply a book for young children to learn to read with. Oh no!!! It is soooo much more. Each illustration leads onto the next and has so much more depth to it than simply depicting the word. You need to look closer and you will find some of your favourite nursery rhymes (the clock page has a mouse sitting on top of it, and the clock-face is pointing to 1pm). And the characters or images that are in some of the other illustrations are not just exact replicas ... they are constantly changing.
This is a book to share with your young children to teach them to read or understand what words mean, but it is also one that older children and adults can get lost in as well. Absolutely totally and utterly fantastic!!!
Splat the Cat and the Late Library Book / Rob Scotton [Paperback]
4 stars
Picture Book 0-6
Poor Splat. His room is such a mess, and like any kid has outgrown so many of the things in there. So his parents come up with a fantastic idea ... have a clean-up and donate the things he no longer uses. Except ... dun dun dun ... Splat finds a library book in his messy room, and of course the books are all getting donated ... to the library!!!! Oh no!!! What is poor Splat going to do????
This was a really cool book to read to the classes as they came into the library, because aside from being funny, it was a good way to relate their own experiences of late library books to the story.
Yuck! Said the Yak / Alex English [Paperback]5 stars
Picture Book 0-6.
A gorgeous story about a young boy who tries to get a Yak to try different foods ... very reminiscent of us parents trying to get our kids to eat :-/
Simple text and fabulous illustrations make for a fun read-aloud. I particularly love the facial expressions on both the Yak and the young boy.
There is enough repetition in the book that young children will be able to follow along really easily.
Simple text and fabulous illustrations make for a fun read-aloud. I particularly love the facial expressions on both the Yak and the young boy.
There is enough repetition in the book that young children will be able to follow along really easily.
The Erth Dragons Bk1 The Wearle / Chris D'Lacey [Paperback]
4 stars
Children 7-12. Fantasy.
It took me a while to 'get into' this book. I just wasn't quite in the mood. But once I really started reading it ... Wow! What a fantastic read.
Told from the POV of dragons, with humans being the secondary characters. The Wearle are a group of dragons who came to earth many years, or in their terminology 'turns' ago, to search for an earlier group who went missing. Like any group there is dissension in the ranks, and a fear or hatred of the local creatures (in this instance, the homs, or humans).
This is a great twist on the traditional style of dragon books. Definitely worth a read.
This is a great twist on the traditional style of dragon books. Definitely worth a read.
The School For SuperVillains / Louie Stowell [Paperback]
5 stars
Children 7-12. SuperHeroes & Villains. Good & Evil.
Children 7-12. SuperHeroes & Villains. Good & Evil.
What a fun read, and quite quick. A great read for fans of SuperVillains & SuperHeroes alike.
There are some strange twists and turns that make you think "oh I wasn't expecting that!!!"' But when you realise that this book was originally written as part of an interactive eBook on the Fiction Express website it all makes sense!
My only complaint (for the publishers) is that the font is too small. This would be a fantastic read to capture the 'not so keen' and struggling readers if it wasn't for the font size. Actually it would make a great read-aloud.
For more info about these fanatic interactive eBooks visit the Fiction Express website.
The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner and other stories / Terry Pratchett [Hardback]
4 stars
Children 7-12. Humorous stories. Short stories.
A collection of 14 'fantastically funny stories' with all kinds of magic, imagination, mayhem and fun for all kinds of readers.
I haven't read any Terry Pratchett for years. I used to really enjoy his Discworld novels even though I didn't read them all. This collection was written when Pratchett was a junior reported. A great nonsensical collection that would make for a good short read aloud session. Large fonts and short stories make this an easy read for year 3 & 4 students.
The Dragonprince Trilogy Bk1 The Dragonprince's Legacy / Aaron Pogue [eBook]
4 stars
YA. Fantasy.
Reading this has reminded me of why I Love fantasy!
It is filled with action, adventure, angst, good & evil ... but really what is good or evil??? Oh yeah and it's got wizards and dragons!!!!
I particularly liked the character development of Daven, our young shepherd turned apprentice wizard.
I also liked how many of the other characters showed both their strengths and weaknesses - after all we are not all consistently 'good' in the face of adversity.
A really good fantasy read for Teens and Adults.
Out For You : All Bite, No Growl** / Jenika Snow [eBook]
3 stars
YA. Paranormal. Romance. Coming-of-Age. LGBT
This is actually a quite good romance. There are only two sex scenes - middle & end - and they are not that graphic.
The story revolves around a group of kids who have just finished high school. Case & Devon, two lion shifters who have been friends forever, also happen to be mates, but living in their community means that same-sex relationships are a major No-No!! Willow who feels like a real out-sider in the clan has loved these guys for years, having grown up with them, and has yet to find her mate.
3013 Bk13 Primal / Laurie Roma [eBook]
4 stars
Adult. Paranormal. Sci-Fantasy.
I really love this series. Written by three authors: Laurie Roma, Kali Argent & Susan Hayes it is set way in the future when inter-planetary travel is a common occurrence. After a vicious war with some bug-like creatures that infected the population of earth leaving many women barren it was decreed that only pairs of 'Elite' warriors were able to mate with the uninfected women. Yeah right!!! Like women are going to let that happen. Well OK, some do ... and really, only humans???? There are so many other amazing beings out there in our Galaxies!!!
These books don't need to be read in order, however there is a lot of interconnections between the stories so if flows better if you do.
4 stars
Adult. Paranormal. Sci-Fantasy.
I really love this series. Written by three authors: Laurie Roma, Kali Argent & Susan Hayes it is set way in the future when inter-planetary travel is a common occurrence. After a vicious war with some bug-like creatures that infected the population of earth leaving many women barren it was decreed that only pairs of 'Elite' warriors were able to mate with the uninfected women. Yeah right!!! Like women are going to let that happen. Well OK, some do ... and really, only humans???? There are so many other amazing beings out there in our Galaxies!!!
These books don't need to be read in order, however there is a lot of interconnections between the stories so if flows better if you do.
Anita Blake Bk25 The Crimson Death** / Laurell K. Hamilton [eBook]
5 Stars
Adult. Paranormal.
Yay. Yay. Yay. Yay. Yay!!!! Anita Blake fan - if you hadn't guessed :-P
For those of you who know the Anita Blake series this is more like her earlier works (as in there is not so much sex and no BDSM). There is not so much fighting action in it either :-( I love the combination of kick-arse female with her love triangles (yes triangles!!!) and the bad guys who aren't really bad guys. Just because somebody looks like a monster, doesn't make them one.
Anita's friend and fellow executioner Edward calls her from Ireland with a vampire problem. Part of the problem is that there are supposedly no vampires in Ireland. Meanwhile Damien, part of Anita's own triumvirate of power, has been having daymares and the most horrendous blood-sweats while he should be obliviously asleep with all the other vampires. What's a monster hunter to do but head over to Ireland and help her friend out! But of course things are not as they seem ... like, Duh!!!
A really good read. I'm going to have to do a 'binge fest' over the summer holidays and re-read the series from scratch (something I may have done once or twice since I got hooked ;-P)
For those of you who know the Anita Blake series this is more like her earlier works (as in there is not so much sex and no BDSM). There is not so much fighting action in it either :-( I love the combination of kick-arse female with her love triangles (yes triangles!!!) and the bad guys who aren't really bad guys. Just because somebody looks like a monster, doesn't make them one.
Anita's friend and fellow executioner Edward calls her from Ireland with a vampire problem. Part of the problem is that there are supposedly no vampires in Ireland. Meanwhile Damien, part of Anita's own triumvirate of power, has been having daymares and the most horrendous blood-sweats while he should be obliviously asleep with all the other vampires. What's a monster hunter to do but head over to Ireland and help her friend out! But of course things are not as they seem ... like, Duh!!!
A really good read. I'm going to have to do a 'binge fest' over the summer holidays and re-read the series from scratch (something I may have done once or twice since I got hooked ;-P)
Circe's Recruits series** / Marie Harte [eBook]
3 stars
Adult. Paranormal. Romance. Erotica. LGBT.
Rather steaming hot reads, with lots of multiple partner participation :-o
Some pure escapism of the naughty variety to spice up your reading.
Circe's Recruits are military men that have been genetically experimented on and now turn into beast-like creatures (with a very high sex drive!!!). Only a handful of men survived and they are determined to take down the mad scientist that created them.
There is actually quite a good story-line to these books, and there is a cross-over to the next series 'Dawn Endeavor'.
Yup I read all of them, in both series ... So shoot me ... actually, don't!!! I'm sure there are a number of you out there who read things in a similar vein but just don't like it to be known. Sometimes it's nice to escape our reality. Actually the hardest thing I've found writing this blog is 'putting out there' what I read. Yes I love talking about books, but I'm a private reader and don't really like all and sundry to know my reading preferences. I may come across to those who know me as confident and 'out there', but in reality I'm not - it's something I've had to make myself do. 'Book friends' like other friends don't need to know everything about you :-/ Sometimes I've really had to think twice about what I'm putting in this blog, but then I put my 'big girl panties' on and just do it :-P
Bk1 Roane
Bk2 Zack & Ace
Bk3 Derrick
Bk4 Hale
Bk5 Gideon
Dawn Endeavor series** / Marie Harte [eBook]
3 stars
Adult. Paranormal. Romance. Erotica. LGBT.
Bk1 Roane
Bk2 Zack & Ace
Bk3 Derrick
Bk4 Hale
Bk5 Gideon
Dawn Endeavor series** / Marie Harte [eBook]
3 stars
Adult. Paranormal. Romance. Erotica. LGBT.
This is a follow up series with a bunch of psychic SEALs that have been through the same genetic experimentation as the 'Circe's Recruits' men. More bad guys, more romantic entanglements and lots more steaming hot sex!
Bk1 Fallon's Flame
Bk2 Hayashi's Hero
Bk3 Julian's Jeopardy
Bk4 Gunnar's Game
Bk5 Grayson's Gamble
Bk1 Fallon's Flame
Bk2 Hayashi's Hero
Bk3 Julian's Jeopardy
Bk4 Gunnar's Game
Bk5 Grayson's Gamble
Dark Side of the Moon** / Catherine Vale [eBook]
3 stars
Adult. Paranormal. Sci-Fantasy
A bit of a different twist on the paranormal genre with Were-Bears from an alien planet.
Delroi Prophecy series** / Loribelle Hunt [eBook]
3 stars
Adult. Sci-Fantasy.
This is the second series in Hunt's Delroi romance collection. Predominantly set on the planet Delroi the first three books follow the rescue of Kareena, Parker & Zola from a Tel prison on Earth and their new mates. The final book was my favourite and gets 4 stars from me. It is the story of Zola's mother and brings a nice change for those of us that are an older audience (not in our 20's any more :-/).
I particularly like how each book builds on the last with parts of each crossing over and being recalled from the other characters perspectives.
Bk1 Freedom
Bk2 Irresistable
Bk3 Redemption
Bk4 Absolution
Empire of Storms Bk1 Hope and Red / Jon Skovron [Paperback]
5 stars
Adult. Fantasy.
5 stars
Adult. Fantasy.
I started this in July, but it has taken me sooooo long to read ... actually until October 4th!!!! Aaarrgghhh!!!!!!! It is a really fantastic book, don't get me wrong or be confused with how long it has taken me to read it. It is really soooooo frustrating. In a word .... don't go getting old and needing to wear glasses!!!!!! I find that I really struggle to read a physical book in the evenings. My eyes just don't focus on the gorgeous written words enclosed in fantastic tactile beautiful book covers. So, I end up reading more eBooks than are good for me ... nah that's a lie ... no book is bad for me ;-D It's just that eBooks can have the font changed, the background changed, and I can read them with the lights out. Hence amazing, fantastic, stunning, awesome physical books take me a while to read :-( It has absolutely nothing to do with the storyline or content of them. Roll on Daylight Savings :-)
OK so the book review .... O.M.Freaking.God!!! It is fantastic!!! I've just got to the end of it (school holidays are #Awesome) and I just want to re-read it in one continuous session to get the most out of it. Oh and of course start the next one!!!
Hope (Bleak Hope) is a sole survivor from a Biomancer attack on her island. She is raised (begrudgingly) by a sect of monk-like warriors vowing vengeance on those that murdered her family.
Red, an orphan boy taken in and cared for by the slum criminal Sadie, grows up learning all the important things to become a brilliant con artist and thief.
Both are trying to take down the corrupt empire in their own way and their paths eventually cross.
Filled with murder, piracy, cunning, adventure, friendship, family, really strong characters and a fantastic storyline this is a really really really awesome fantasy read!
Hexworld Bk1 Hexbreaker** / Jordan L. Hawke / Narrated by Tristan James [Audio Book]
5 stars
Adult. Paranormal. LGBT.
OK I'm just going to say it...... Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmmmmmm Tristan James is just a dream to listen to.
I thought I might have been 'weirded out' listening to a male narrate a romance book, even though the main characters are male. But oh no!!! If you have never experienced an audio book, and you don't mind your romance books being of the LGBT genre, then you have seriously got to try this audio book.
The story line is fantastic - witches, familiars, good guys, bad guys - and the character development is really well done. The romance aspect is more romance than sex (yes there are sex scenes of course).
I was absolutely gutted when I finished it and found out that book 2 in the series isn't available on audio book (yet!!!). But on a positive note ... there are heaps of Jordan L Hawke's books in audio format.
I thought I might have been 'weirded out' listening to a male narrate a romance book, even though the main characters are male. But oh no!!! If you have never experienced an audio book, and you don't mind your romance books being of the LGBT genre, then you have seriously got to try this audio book.
The story line is fantastic - witches, familiars, good guys, bad guys - and the character development is really well done. The romance aspect is more romance than sex (yes there are sex scenes of course).
I was absolutely gutted when I finished it and found out that book 2 in the series isn't available on audio book (yet!!!). But on a positive note ... there are heaps of Jordan L Hawke's books in audio format.
The Rylee Adamson Epilogues Bk1 Riley / Shannon Mayer [eBook]
5 stars
Adult. Paranormal
Such a fantastic read. This is the continuation of Rylee's story AFTER the culmination of the first series. You really do need to have read the rest of the books before this one as it just makes so much more sense, and there are so many references to things that happened previously.
This book is Rylee's journey in 'finding herself' now that she is no longer the Tracker she was. If I say any more I'm going to ruin it for those who have not read the series yet!!!
The Rylee Adamson Epilogues Bk2 Liam / Shannon Mayer [eBook]
5 Stars
Adult. Paranormal.
Continuing the Epilogues series. This time it is Liam's journey and his attempt to help save the triplets. Woops!! Spoiler!!
Vanguard Elite Bk1 Bootcamp of Misfit Wolves** / Annie Nicholas [eBook]
4 stars
Adult. Paranormal.
This is a great take on the shifter / vampire genre. In turns humorous and intense. A bunch of rag-tag miss-fit wolves have been dropped of to a werewolf Bootcamp run by a bad-ass vampire, and survival and working together is something they have to learn pretty darned quickly. A good story line, and light on the romance aspect makes this an enjoyable and quick read.
I got this as a free eBook from instaFreebie.com
