Marshall County Library's Young Adult Blog

I will eat more cupcakes in 2010.

2009-12-29T13:51:00.005-06:00

Last week I fulfilled End of Year Duty #1 by listing some of my favorite reads of 2009. Today, I will attempt End of Year Duty #2 - New Year's Resolutions.

Resolution #1 - Eat healthier and exercise more.* I foresee this lasting all of two days, if that.

Resolution #2 - Read more JF titles.** There are tons of great JF books out there, and I haven't read hardly any of them. This year I plan to fix that. During January I'm going to read one JF title a week, and at least one a month after that. I also resolve to blog about each of these books so that you all know that I'm sticking to my resolution.***

Resolution #3 - Blog more. I know, I know... I say this all the time, but this year I'm going to do it. Really. No, I mean it. Seriously. More blogging will be done in 2010!****

Resolution #4 - Quit biting my fingernails. Again.

Resolution #5 - Eat at least one Gigi's cupcake, and try as many other kinds of gourmet cupcakes as I can get my hands on. Yes, I do realize that this is in direct contrast with Resolution #1, but I really love cupcakes. They're so much better than real cake.***** Anyways, I need at least one resolution that I will actually fulfill.

*Boring? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely.

**At the Marshall County Public Library, JF (Junior Fiction) titles start with chapter books and go through MG (Middle Grade) novels.

***And if I should inspire some of you to read a new JF book? Well, that would be kind of awesome too.

****You still don't believe me, do you?

*****Yes, I honestly believe that cupcakes taste better than real cakes. I think it has something to do with a decreased bake time and icing to cake ratio.

2009, The Year That Was

2009-12-23T14:04:00.007-06:00

Technically there are still eight days left in 2009, but I think it's close enough that I can do the requisite end-of-year review, especially since I don't foresee an opportunity to read another book before the year fizzles out.* I have read approximately one hundred books over the past year, and love at least a little something about all of them. However, I don't have the time (or mental strength) to talk about all of them, so I'm going to narrow it down to some of my very favorites by category.

Old Series

This year we got three new Morganville books, which is pretty much the most awesome thing I can think of.** While books five and six didn't quite live up to the earlier novels, Caine managed to breathe some fresh air into the series with book seven, FADE OUT. It was like the first episode of Morganville, Season 2.***

The Casts managed to keep the momentum of their House of Night series going with HUNTED and TEMPTED, both coming out in 2009. This series is seriously addictive. I need a new one. Now.

THE AWAKENING by Kelley Armstrong was so awesome that I went out and read her entire adult series just so I could have more information about where Derek might have come from, and FRAGILE ETERNITY by Melissa Marr was everything I had wanted INK EXCHANGE to be.

This year I finally gave into Cassandra Clare's MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series. I had avoided it forever because, quite frankly, I didn't like the covers. When I grabbed the audio of CITY OF BONES for a long car ride to Lexington I wasn't expecting much. Three days later I had read the entire series on my Kindle.

Of course, my favorite series book of the year has to be CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins. No, it wasn't quite as good as THE HUNGER GAMES, but it was still amazing. I'm still completely stressed out over that cliff-hanger ending. August can't get here fast enough.

Comic Books

A new category for me, since I'm normally not a comic book kind of girl. That changed when the lure of Joss Whedon led me to Marvel's RUNAWAYS. Clever, action-packed, and emotionally charged, I enjoyed every single installment.

New series

I'm eagerly anticipating the sequels to FALLEN by Kate Lauren, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater, NEED by Carrie Jones, FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan, and PERFECT CHEMISTRY**** by Simone Elkeles.

Stand Alone Titles

Non-series titles are a rare thing in YA Land, but this year I happened upon a few that I really enjoyed. MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR: A NOVEL OF LOVE, MARY POPPINS, AND FENWAY PARK by Steve Kluger was awesome, even when read in the dark.***** CARTER FINALLY GETS IT by Brent Crawford and GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray both had me laughing hysterically out-loud, and Alex Award finalist THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE-LANDAU BANKS by E. Lockhart and National Book Award finalist LIPS TOUCH THREE TIMES by Laini Taylor were both big winners in my book.

Overall, 2009 was an excellent year for reading. Now, let's get those to-read lists ready for 2010. I'm most looking forward to the new Hunger Games book and WHITE CAT by Holly Black. How about you? What was your 2009 favorites and what books from 2010 are already calling to you?

*It should be noted that moving during the month of December is a task only attempted by the truly insane.

**Well, the most awesome thing I can think of is that we got 3 Morganville books, a Weather Wardens book, and a Outcast Season book all from Rachel Caine in 2009. And, rumor has it, that she did it all while working a "real world" job! I hereby propose that Rachel Caine is, in fact, a robot.

***And we're talking improving-on-a-good-thing, like Buffy Season 2, instead of what-did-you-do-to-my-series, like Heroes Season 2.

****I'm not sure why there is a sequel to PERFECT CHEMISTRY, I just know that there is one and I'm going to read it.

*****MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR was the only book I had when the Great Ice Storm of 2009 hit. I had to read it with a flashlight, which was fun for about the first five minutes.

How I forgot about loving Twilight

2009-11-23T13:33:00.010-06:00

Something odd happened this past weekend. I was sitting in a darkened theater, one of my YAAP teens behind me and a few other library regulars scattered throughout, and I suddenly remembered that I love Twilight.

I'm sure those of you that know me are wondering how I could have possibly forgotten such a thing, especially after pulling off the spectacular spectacle that was the Twilight Carnival. It should have been impossible, but since I've been hiding my Twilight fandom for the past year, the amount of love I have for those books honestly slipped my mind.

Let me clear one thing up very quickly, I am not ashamed to be a Twilight fan. The reason I've been skirting all things Twilight for the past year has nothing to do with all the haters* out there. Seriously, I couldn't care less about that. Actually, it been more of the opposite crowd that has put me off vampires that sparkle.

I remember picking up Twilight for the first time. It was just over three years ago, and I was immediately drawn to the pretty cover. I read the first chapter that night, and then set it aside for a few days. The next time I picked it up I didn't put it back down. I was hooked. I had to wait a week for the sequel to be released and came close to tackling the UPS guy when he walked through the library door.

I started handing the book to any teenager that walked into the library, even those that professed to hate reading. More and more of them started taking me up on my offer, and then they started passing it along to friends. Soon there was a group of us talking about Edward and Bella and Jacob as if we were all old friends. We lamented their choices and hypothesized about their futures. People looked at us like we were crazy, but we knew the truth. We were the cool kids.

Then, it happened. Twilight mania spread and suddenly everyone was talking about our books. And then the movie came out, and it only got worse. Now non-readers were professing themselves to be Team Edward or Team Jacob, without even really knowing who those people really were!

So, I cut myself off. I couldn't take it. I felt like a person who had built a club house for my friends, and then watched it get so popular that, not only was I no longer recognized, but I couldn't even get in the door.

I wasn't the only one, either. The conversations with my library friends haven't mentioned the T-word in ages. The fever with which we once discussed the Cullens is now reserved for Katniss and Gale** or Clary and Jace, or just involves saying "steampunk" as much as possible***. We moved on, and, quite honestly, couldn't figure out why the rest of the world hadn't moved with us.

Sunday afternoon, as a shirtless Jacob Black**** morphed into a wolf to protect Bella, I remembered. I remembered what it felt like to fall in love with Twilight for the first time, how much fun and exhilarating the stories are. I remembered that I love Twilight. I wonder how many other people remembered the same thing?

*I'm fine with the fact that people don't like Twilight. Really, I get it. I understand that it's not a piece of literary greatness. What I don't understand is the way some members of the YA community feel the need to bash the series (and, appallingly, the writer) whenever possible. Aren't we supposed to be excited about anything that gets people, especially young people, to read? There are popular books that I don't like at all, but I'm glad that they exist.

**Yes, I'm Team Gale, but only because I have taste.

***Sadly, it seems that this exercise has chased someone else out of their club house. After hearing me discussing the finer points of steampunk fashion with another librarian, one of my college age patrons declared steampunk officially dead. Apparently our knowledge of steampunk marks it as uncool.

****I can't help but wonder what his mom thinks about her teenage son parading around half-naked in front of millions of young and not-so-young girls.

In Defense of Purple Hair

2009-11-20T12:14:00.009-06:00

As you may remember, I'm not typically a nonconformist. Sure, I might occasionally make out with a dragon or let teenagers draw on my forehead, but when it comes to permanent choices, I'm pretty much the definition of tame. I don't even have my ears pierced. So, it came as a shock to a few people when I showed up to work this week with purple hair.

The reactions have been pretty much as I anticipated, with one small exception. It seems the "Hey, cool!" comments that I expected out of teens are coming from adults, and the "What on earth did you do and why?" is falling from the lips of teens.

Weird, right? I'm convinced it has something to do with having what they see as a cool, taboo act becoming decidedly less cool and taboo when executed by an adult.*

One thing I've been asked over and over again is why I would go out and get my hair dyed purple. The simple answer is that I wanted to.** Really, there was no grand epiphany or mid-life crisis. I had started thinking about it after some of my YAAPers declared that I would never do anything crazy to my hair. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be really cool to have Gert hair. So, on my stay-cation, I went and spent an entire day at the beauty parlor*** and came out with purple hair.

And that was all there was supposed to be to it. But, now that I'm walking around with purple hair in a nice, conservative rural southern town, I've found that it's become a social experiment. It's interesting to watch people's reactions. It's amazing how much someone (including me) might assume they know about a person just because of their physical appearance. My change in hair color hasn't made me less responsible, intelligent, or trustworthy, but you wouldn't always know that by the way some people interact me.****

I'm really glad that I have purple hair. It's not going to last long*****, but I'll now always be able to say that I did it once. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be a little less quick to judge other people who make interesting choices when it comes to their personal appearance.

*Or, it could just be that they are more honest than adults. That is a possibility that I have considered.

**I used to think that when I was an adult I would make all my decisions based on this criteria. Sadly, I found that wasn't the case when I finally managed to grow up. Actually, I'm lucky to work at such an awesome place that we don't have a "no unnatural hair colors" policy.

***Yes, I go to an old school beauty parlor as opposed to a salon. It's Marshall County. It's what we do.

****Honestly, it hasn't been that bad, but there have been a few instances that I've had to roll my eyes and bite my tongue.

*****This statement is based on the fact that my shower fills with purple water every time I wash my hair.

NaReNoNoMo

2009-10-27T13:53:00.005-05:00

I have a shocking statement to make: I am vowing to not read any novels during the month of November.

I know. It's crazy talk. I mean, I'm Miss Tammy. I read at least a novel a week, and it's usually more like two or three.* It's not only my job, it's my passion. I love reading.

So, what would prompt me to go on a book diet?

NaNoWriMo. For those of you unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, here's the basic principle: During the month of November people from all over the world attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days.

And you thought going a month without a book was crazy.

But it's the good kind of crazy, right? Can't you see it - the late night writing marathons, endless cups of coffee**, falling asleep on your MacBook, glasses all askew***? It's the stuff montages are made of.

Of course, in order to reach 50,000 words (and still work full time)****, some things have to go. I'm not turning on the TV*****. I'm going to learn to say "no" when friends ask me to go to dinner or the movies. I'm going to let housework and laundry fall by the wayside.****** And, I'm not going to read any novels. I'm turning NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) into NaReNoNoMo (Nation Read No Novels Month).

Yeah, I'm not so sure I'll make it either. There's a good chance that I'll be cracking open a good book (or uploading one to my Kindle) by November 2. But, I'm going to try. Because, I figure it's like Charles O. Finley once said, "Sweat plus sacrifice equals success."******* And giving up reading? For me, that's the ultimate sacrifice.

* I remember one wonderful week last year when I read six novels in five days. It was awesome.

**Well, maybe not so much coffee as Mello Yello. Why can't coffee taste as good as it smells?

***Like Buffy, I wear glasses in my hard work montages.

****And do this all in the same month that houses Thanksgiving and begins the Christmas shopping season. Seriously, what were the people at NaNoWriMo thinking choosing November?

*****However, if the TV is magically on in the 8:00 hour on Wednesday nights then I won't be able to stop myself from watching Glee.

******To be quite honest, housework and laundry tend to always fall by the wayside.

*******Another confession: I found this quote via Google and had to look up who Charlie Finley was. But, hey, it worked really well there.

Zombie Week 2009

2009-10-15T09:37:00.006-05:00

Nothing says "Teen Read Week" quite like zombies. *

OK, so maybe zombies aren't the first thing you think of when you think teens and reading. But, come on. Zombies are cool, and so is reading. See? Makes perfect sense.**

Now, without further rambling, the zombie-rific ways Marshall County teens*** can celebrate Teen Read Week **** :

Book Fine Forgiveness - Just ask and we'll make the computer zombies eat up any late book fees you have.***** (This would be an excellent time to return that summer reading book that is sitting on your dresser.)

Free Glow-In-The-Dark Mini-Zombie - They're zombies. They're little. They glow in the dark. And you get one just for checking out a book. (Glow-In-The-Dark Mini-Zombies come recommended by Forest of Hands and Teeth author Carrie Ryan, which increases their coolness factor.)

Learn The Thriller Dance - Join me at the Benton Library on Tuesday, Oct 20, at 3:30 to learn how to dance like a zombie! Bonus points to anyone that can moonwalk!

Zombie Survival Seminar - This could be the most important library event we've ever held. On Friday, Oct 23, we will be hosting a NAZFA****** certified seminar that explains what zombies are, where they come from, and how to protect yourself from them. The event will be held at the Calvert City branch of the library from 5:00 - 7:00 PM.

Join The Zombie Discussion - During Teen Read Week I'll be tweeting random zombie facts and thoughts. You can join the discussion by using the #trwzombiesurvival tag on Twitter. (Non-Twitter users can follow the discussion by clicking on the link.)

* I guess zombies wouldn't really say "Teen Read Week" quite as much as moan it.

** It makes perfect sense when you apply Miss Tammy logic, which rarely resembles real logic.

*** The Marshall County Public Library System defines "teen" as anyone in grades seven through twelve.

**** Teen Read Week is October 18 - 24. The real theme is "Read Beyond "Reality", but somehow that morphed into Zombie Week here in Marshall County.

***** Late book fees only. No DVD fees or lost materials. And yes, there really are zombies living in the library's computers. Would I just make that sort of thing up?

****** NAZFA is the National Association for a Zombie Free America

Celebrate Banned Book Week

2009-09-25T11:22:00.004-05:00

Banned Book Week is September 26 - October 3, 2009. If, like me, you believe in Intellectual Freedom, and specifically the Freedom to Read, please take the time to celebrate in one of the following ways

Declare yourself as a reader a banned books. Use your Facebook status or Twitter account to say, "My name is [insert your name here], and I read banned books."

Read one of the most frequently challenged books of 2008.

Show your support to an author who is facing a book challenge by letting them know how much their books mean to you.*

Read the Banned Books Week Manifesto by Ellen Hopkins and share it with others.**

Become a fan of Banned Books Week on Facebook.

Follow on the National Coalition Against Censorship on Twitter.

Buy Miss Tammy this shirt.

*Some recent YA authors who have faced book challenges: Jo Knowles and Laurie Halse Anderson in a Mt. Sterling, Kentucky school. Ellen Hopkins had some issues in Oklahoma. And, of course, there was that whole Ladies in Pink vs Maureen Johnson thing.

**I have been known to cry when reading this.

Nice Girls Don't Talk To Teenagers

2009-09-19T14:27:00.007-05:00

As some of you may remember, a couple of months ago I read a book called Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs. Now, the fact that I was reading a book about vampires wasn't exactly noteworthy, but the fact that I used to eat lunch with the author (Molly Harper) was.*

So, since I'm in so tight with the author, she agreed to come and speak at the library on Thursday.** She was great! She talked about her path to publication, gave some advice to the aspiring writers in the room, answered a ton of curious questions, and even signed Katie's pants.***

I think the best thing about having Molly come to visit was that she proved that (1) writers are real people****; (2) you don't have to be from New York, LA, or Salt Lake City to be a successful writer;***** and (3) I didn't make up the fact that we used to work together.

I'm truly thankful that Mollly came to visit my teens. If given the opportunity, I highly recommend hearing her speak.****** And if you haven't read her books yet, what are you waiting for?

*By "eating together" I mean that we were the two lone employees eating in the smoke-free lunchroom. On opposite ends. Facing away from each other. Each with our noses buried in a book.

**I'm pretty sure I saw, "Oh, yeah. I remember you. You were strangely protective of your milk," flicker across her face upon seeing me.

***My YA programs tend to defy explanation, although Katie did attempt it once.

****Except for Maureen Johnson. She's a robot.

*****Can someone please explain to me why so many writers live in Salt Lake City?

******Molly is just as entertaining and funny in person as in print...and not just because she mentioned Buffy.

YAAP - The Real Story

2009-08-27T11:52:00.005-05:00

The first Young Adult Advisory Panel meeting is less than two weeks away (Wednesday, September 9, to be exact). This would normally be where I talk about how awesome YAAP is and how much it means to me and how anyone reading this that qualifies (lives in or near Marshall County; in grades 8-12) should join. But then I got Lizard Lover's zine submission this summer and realized that my "Hey, it's fun!" doesn't quite convey the actual awesomeness that is YAAP. So, with the permission of the author, here is an insider's view of an actual YAAP meeting. (Please note: the footnotes are Miss Tammy's thoughts.)

I walk into YAAP early to get to the sugary snack of the day* before all the other ravaging teens devour it. As I fill myself a cup of gummy bears, Tori comes in waving a book. It reads backwards, has a funky name and the cover features a blue haired guy with big eyeballs. She is referred to as Little Sister. Or is it Big Sister…? Anyway, she is followed by Jake who is toting a fantasy book and a gym bag. Jake is Big Brother. They both fill up a cup of gummy bears and grab a Sam’s Cola. Jake shuffles through his bag, mutters something about tennis balls, and leaves.

Almost immediately thereafter, Emily bounces in with mysterious spheres in her sleeves. Emily’s nickname is Jorgé or George**, depending on everyone’s mood. Gummy bears and soda. She plops into her seat with a mischievous grin and pulls a tennis ball out of her jacket sleeves. Big Brother returns.

“You!” he blurts out.

“Me?” Jorgé asks innocently.

“You have my tennis balls, you…you block of wood!” Big Brother accuses.

George gasps; “I am hurt!”

Tori, who left during the Great Tennis Debate, returns with Kathryn, who I think is the other sister. I think.

Enter Miss Tammy, or… Miss Tammy. She is frowning. She gets on the phone; “Hi…Phil? I need help…I need an old priest a new priest and a-… how’d you know?”*** She continues on like this for a while. Meg, Rachel, and Madison sneak in, and Ray begins to rave about the Hunger Games. Sammy Jean and Cassidy have also come in. We start our meeting minus the projector because Miss Tammy’s Laptop has been possessed by disembodied Gossip Girl voices****. Jorgé and Big Brother are still fighting over Tennis Balls. Kathryn asks Big Brother about underwear and he turns the color of beet juice (which would be an excellent name for a band, Beet Juice would).

Miss Tammy sighs. “I have no control.”*****

About 20 minutes later, Telle arrives looking as if she has carpooled with wildebeests. Apparently, she rode in the back of a van between two caffeine crazed teenage boys. I feel her pain. One topic in the meeting is particularly interesting. A Ball. A Costume Ball. Sammy Jean and I sit up straight, look at each other and simultaneously say “We can go together!” You see, in a play YAAP put on, Sammy jean and I were “couple”, despite the fact we’re both girls. Since then it has been our joke. Miss Tammy comments that we are becoming quite the couple. No one seems to see quite the humor in the situation that Sam and I do.

The meeting is now over. Everyone, except for an unnamed 3, raves on about Twilight and Taylor Lautner And how New Moon is coming out soon. Soon it is time to part ways. Miss Tammy asks one burning question as we leave.

“Has anyone seen TooDee?”******

*Sometimes it is actually a salty snack, but I guess that is unimportant. The point is: there is always a snack.

**This is a result of Killer Bunnies insanity. Killer Bunnies always results in insanity. Also, I have a tendency to rename people for no good reason.

***It's not until you see your own words in print that you realize how odd you must sound to others.

****I still have nightmares.

*****I say this at least once every meeting.

******For anyone concerned, TooDee is home safely.

A Pirate, a Faerie, and a Slayer walk into the Library

2009-08-13T13:55:00.007-05:00

Twelve days after Express Yourself: The Costume Ball I am officially declaring it over. I've written my articles for various publications, put everything away*, uploaded all million bazillion pictures to Flickr and/or Facebook**, written my "Thank You" notes, and now I'm finally recapping it via blog. Go me.

So, remember how I said that the Costume Ball was going to be even better than the Twilight Carnival? Turns out, I wasn't just making that up. The Costume Ball was ah-mazing. First, the costumes were great. There were tons of different creatures and characters including some beautiful princesses, a Summer Girl from Wicked Lovely, Link from Legends of Zelda, Ron Weasley***, and the costume contest winners, Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera (complete with their own musical accompaniment).

The live music was fan-freakin'-tastic. Abby, as always, was great. I need iTunes to get ahold of her Jane song so that I can put it on my iPod. Bree, who I had never had the privilege of hearing before, was also really talented. I loved, loved, loved her cover of the 3oh!3 song "Don't Trust Me"****. And the Engaging 6 and 7 boys? So. Much. Fun. How could you possibly not dance to "Take On Me" or "Under the Sea"?

While I wasn't involved with the scoring of any of the book trivia games, no one has threatened to murder me over their impossibility or claimed they were too easy, so I'm declaring them a success also. The Scavenger Hunt also went really well, with everyone running around the empty, after-hours library looking for clues. And, I think it goes without saying that the prizes were very much loved by all who won them (and envied by those who did not).*****

Once again, thanks to everyone who helped (especially anyone that carried pieces of that stage) and participated. It was great! Now, time to start planning our mega-event for August 2010...

*OK, so there is still one box tucked away in the storage room that needs unpacking. I plan on getting to that...soon-ish.

**More pictures on Facebook than Flickr because of Flickr limits.

***My favorite story of the night: Naturally red-headed boy walks into the library in jeans and a T-shirt. I glower. "If anyone asks, you're a Weasley." He reaches into his back pocket and produces a wand. "I'm Ron, of course."

****I also loved that she prefaced it with, "This song is not normally done acoustic, but I want to do it because I believe it has a really strong message."

*****I'm still not understanding why the fish were the most popular prizes of the night. Or why some people are still sad that I wouldn't get a goat.

End of Summer Extravaganza, Year Two

2009-07-28T14:08:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it's the end of Summer Vacation. How did that happen? I feel like we just got started.*

The YA Summer Reading Program this year has rocked. Nearly 100 teens signed up to participate, which is beyond awesome. I not only survived doing two programs a week all summer long, I enjoyed it! We made some wicked cool crafts, and I got a chance to know some really great teens. I've even got a huge folder full of zines and zine contributions to go through. Excellent!

But, on Friday, the YA Summer Reading Program for 2009 will be over. Next week Marshall County students head back to the organized learning thing, leaving me all alone every single day. *tear* But before that happens, we're going to have one last hurrah. Are you excited?

Last year's End of Summer Extravaganza, the Twilight Carnival, was good. We had fun. This year? This Costume Ball thing? It's going to be so much better! We've got three live acts performing (Abby, Bree, and Engaging 6 and 7), some yummy food (including a chocolate fountain**), fun games (including our annual scavenger hunt), and awesome prizes (including exclusive Twilight merchandise)!

And the best part? Everyone gets to dress up! I love dressing up***! It's so much fun. You can come as anything - a book character, a superhero, a zombified alien, anything! I can't wait to see all of the costumes!

Just in case this is the first time you're hearing about this, please note that the event is open to anyone going into grades 7-12 and will be held at the Benton branch of the Marshall County Public Library System this Saturday, August 1, from 5:30 to 8:30. For more information you can call Miss Tammy at 270-395-5745.

I hope to see you all there!

*Technically, summer did just get started on June 21. It's not over until September. I guess we're going by the school system's definition of "summer".

**If I can get the chocolate fountain to work. I'm scared I won't be able to figure it out. It looks complicated.

***My Zoey Redbird costume is assembled and ready to go!

Cover Story

2009-07-23T16:47:00.008-05:00

I was going to post about our upcoming Costume Ball, but something that has the online book community all abuzz today is really bothering me, so I'm going to talk about that instead. Don't worry, we'll talk about the Ball soon. Promise.*

Today in her blog, Justine Larbalestier explains some issues that she has with the "USian"** cover of her upcoming book. The problem? The cover depicts a girl with long hair criss-crossed over her mouth. It's actually kinda cool looking. I really liked it until I learned that the character in the book doesn't actually have long hair and isn't, you know, white.

First, let me say that I'm really not a fan of putting models on the covers of books for a plethora of reasons, including, but not limited to:

No one actually looks like models except for models***
The clothing, hair, etc. can make a book look out-of-date faster than you can say "Hammer Pants"****
Rarely does the person on the cover match the description of the character in the book (which is upsettingly true in this case)
I would rather have shiny*****

Here's the deal, though. If you're going to put a model on the cover of a book, then try to make an effort to match that model with the character in the book. At least make them the same race. Don't just stick a white girl on there because you think it will sell more books. And, for the love of all things sacred, don't then try to tell me that you're doing it because the character may actually be lying about her race. (Which is what Bloomsbury said in this article.) You are insulting my intelligence.

What I don't understand is why the author's opinion on this matter was completely disregarded by her publisher. I find it appalling the lack of control an author has on something so important as the cover of their book. I mean, people make reading and purchasing decisions based on book covers, despite what a popular adage may tell us. So, why isn't the person who created the book given any say in this matter? The author was clearly intelligent and creative enough to write a novel, I think that would more than qualify them to at least be a part of the discussion when it comes to the way the book will be presented to the world.

I'm truly sorry that this happened to Justine******, but I'm glad that this issue has come up. I think it's important that we talk about what we're putting on the front of books for teens and what messages we're trying to send them. I hope that the recent controversy helps move tons of copies of Liar off the shelves quickly so that Bloomsbury can redeem themselves with a second, more appropriate cover.

*Please note, I often break blogging promises.

**I like this "USian" thing. I shall try to use it from now on.

***With the exception of my library friend, Sammy Jean, who looks exactly like that blond girl on the Clique covers.

****Hammer Pants were cool for all of 5 minutes back in the very early 1990s.

*****Like the cover for the book Huge by James Fuerst. It sparkles in the light!

******Who, from all my Internet stalking of her, seems like a very nice person.

Fan Girl

2009-07-11T15:10:00.006-05:00

I've always liked the idea of comics/graphic novels. I grew up watching The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, and Super Friends. And, like every other warm blooded American, I've lined up every summer to see the latest superhero blockbuster. But when it came to reading actual comics, I couldn't do it. Sure, the artwork is kinda cool (especially some of the manga stuff), but I always found the story lacking. The plots bored and/or confused me and, when I did actually get it, there just wasn't enough there to keep me invested*.

That was until I found The Runaways. No, not the 70s all-girl rock band with Lita Ford and Joan Jett. I'm talking about the Marvel comics that feature a bunch of teenagers who discover that their parents are evil, and not just in the clean-your-room-or-I'll-take-your-phone-away kind of way.

Okay, I'm going to admit that the only reason I picked up a copy of Dead End Kids (the 8th digest in the series) is because it was written by Joss Whedon**. But after I read that one I had to read more. I was delighted to discover that Brian Vaughn is just as cool and clever as Whedon. I am now officially addicted. I highly recommend The Runaways to anyone that likes cool characters, clever quips, and just the right amount of action and suspense...even those of you that don't really like comic books.

*This was the case with Buffy, Season 8. Sure, it was Buffy. Sure, it was interesting. But, I could read one in less than 5 minutes. It would take like 50 of those things to equal just one episode.

**Yes, I would read anything Joss Whedon write, including his grocery list.

Buffy vs. Edward

2009-06-23T10:21:00.003-05:00

You've probably seen this already, but just in case...

This is the best YouTube video I've ever seen. (Sorry, I haven't a clue as to how to embed videos.)

What belongs in YA?

2009-06-18T12:50:00.009-05:00

Is it me, or has Young Adult books been in the national media spotlight alot lately? First there was this article in The Wall Street Journal which claims that YA novels are all about the doom and gloom and then Fox News chimed in with this lovely bit where two women in coordinating pink jackets talk about how lewd YA books are.

Ummmm...I don't think this is exactly the kind of press we* want.

First, in response to the good folks down at WSJ, YA books can be a bit dark and depressing. Interestingly, so can life. Not every teenager lives in a world of sunshine and rainbows, so it's only fitting that the books aimed at them reflect that. And it's not like all YA books make you want to curl up with your favorite Cure album. Some are quite uplifting, others are insanely funny. It's called variety. It's this crazy new thing catching on with the young folks nowadays.

Second, to the pink jacket ladies. These ladies are very adamant about the fact that they aren't wanting any thing banned, they just want it moved to a different section of the library. Maybe this doesn't bother you, but it does me. I have lots of arguments that I can give you on this subject, but here's the big one: It's called a Young Adult section.

Young. Adult.

According to the Miriam-Webster's online dictionary, adult is defined as "fully developed or mature". Combine that with the word young ("recently come into being", also courtesy of Miriam-Webster's) and you end up with a section of the library that is intended for a person who has recently become fully developed or mature.

So, what kind of books would you expect a person who has recently become fully developed or mature to want to read? How about books that address the sorts of issues that a newly mature person might encounter? Things like, I don't know, gender roles, mortality, and...dare I say it?...sex?**

Yes, I can understand that some parents are not comfortable with their child reading these sorts of issues. That's okay. As parents it is their right to raise their child as they see fit. And I'm sure that there are many teenagers that aren't ready to read these kinds of books. That's okay too. Not everyone fully develops and matures at the same rate. Some kids might be ready at the age of twelve while others don't get there until they are eighteen or nineteen.*** But for those parents and teens there is another choice. It's called Junior Fiction.**** There are lots of very good, entertaining, worthwhile books there that might offer a more comfortable read for you.

For those of you interested in seeing Maureen Johnson's response to the pink jacket ladies, go here.

*We = The world of Young Adult. It includes authors, librarians, and anyone else that loves YA books.

**This is not to say that every YA book talks about sex or abuse or anything quite so "adult", but alot of them do.

***Some may argue that I have yet to fully develop or mature and I'm a bit older than nineteen even.

****If you go to a library that does not separate the Junior Fiction titles from the Young Adult titles, ask a librarian to help you. They would be happy to help. Actually, librarians are always happy to help. If you have questions about the content of a book, ask them!

Why I'm Here

2009-06-04T13:23:00.003-05:00

Currently in the online world of literature there is a big debate going on about people who blog about books. I'm not totally up to speed with the whole debacle because (1) I don't have the time to pour over hundreds of blogs, tweets, etc to figure it all out and (2) I have major issues with listening to people argue.* While I believe that the whole thing is dealing with people who blog book reviews, especially those who receive ARCs or free books from publishers, it's made me think about what I'm doing here.

I want to be clear on a few things. One is that the only ARCs I have ever received I got when I was at the YALSA Young Adult Lit Symposium in November. After I looked over them I passed them on to actual teenagers that I thought would enjoy them. I did not review them on this blog or in the book review section of the MCPL YA website. Also, I have never had a publisher mail me a free book.**

Secondly, I write this blog for the teenagers in Marshall County, Kentucky. It is my job to encourage young people in this area to (1) read, (2) be active library patrons, and (3) become the best version of themselves that they can be.*** Yes, my blogs may seem random and unfocused, but these are my goals...I just have an odd way of reaching them.

Now, by saying that I'm writing for the YAs of Marshall County am I implying that I don't want other people to read this blog? Heck, no! Come one, come all! Seriously, it thrills me that anyone is reading this. I just think it's important to understand who I'm writing for. If this blog was intended for "industry types" I would be using bigger words**** and talking quite a bit less about Jensen Ackles and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.*****

Finally, I think it's best to point out that all views, opinions, and thoughts are those of Miss Tammy and Miss Tammy alone. They are not necessarily the views, opinions, and thoughts of the Marshall County Public Library System. For the record, the Marshall County Public Library System has zero opinion on the exact hotness level of Jensen Ackles or whether or not Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the greatest television show ever made.

*Really, cannot stand it. You know those Judge shows, like Judge Judy and Judge Alex and Judge Whoever? They make me physically ill. Can't we all just get along?

**Although, I must say, I'm all for free books. Or free Kindle uploads. Oh no. Did I just tread onto the big e-book controversy? Sorry! *steps back quickly, head down, eye averted*

***How am I suppose to do this? Beats me, but I'm going to try.

****Hopefully bigger words will be used correctly, but I doubt that would be the case.

****Of course, that would leave me with very little to talk about.

Goodreads

2009-05-29T15:55:00.002-05:00

The Internet is awash with online social networking sites. Back in the day there was Freindster, then came MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Nings. My favorite, however, has to be Goodreads, a site dedicated to networking through the books you read.* Goodreads allows you to keep up with what your friends are reading, get book suggestions from fellow readers, and share you opinion on what you are reading. You can even follow what your favorite authors are reading. If you're not a Goodreads person, sign-up today.** And once you're there, be sure to "friend" Miss_Tammy!

*A librarian that loves a website devoted to books and reading. Will wonders never cease?

**Signing-up is super-easy. Really, there is absolutely no reason not to do it.

The world is a vampire

2009-05-16T14:47:00.005-05:00

Hmmm...it appears that I haven't blogged since my BE(w)DA attempt. Ooops. I'll do better, starting with these musing about the book Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper.

Now, NGDHF may not sound like your everyday topic for a YA blog*, but this book is special. Why? Because I actually know Molly Harper! No, really. Once upon a time Miss Tammy had a less-than-fun job at a newspaper. Molly Harper just happened to work at that very same newspaper. I've never known a published writer before. I feel cooler somehow.

So, here's the plot of NGDHF: Jane's day gets off to bad start when she is fired from her job as a juvenile services librarian, gets a gift card to a local bar as a severance package, gets very publicly drunk, and then gets kill when she is mistaken by a deer by a drunken hunter. When she wakes up three days later she finds that she is a vampire, and her life is just getting started.

NGDHF is a fun read about a juvenile services librarian** and vampires, it has several pop culture references,*** and written by someone I know. Really, does a book get any better?

*Please note that NGDHF is an adult book. Some younger readers may find some content a bit blush-inducing.

**A witty, under appreciated juvenile services librarian. I mean, I'm not saying it's about me, but did I mention that I know Molly Harper?

***Including Buffy, the Vampire Slayer!

Mixing Worlds

2009-04-29T09:09:00.007-05:00

Remember how last week I read Justine Larbalestier's How to Ditch Your Fairy? Well, yesterday I read another faerie book. This time it was Melissa Marr's Fragile Eternity, the sequel to the much loved (by me) Wicked Lovely. And now I can't stop trying to combine the two worlds.

Can you imagine what would happen if Marr's faeries found themselves attached to humans in Larbalestier's New Avalon? Charlie thought the All-The-Boys-Like-You Fairy was bad, but imagine the horror of having Niall as your own personal fairy. You would have to beat off both boys and girls with the proverbial stick.* I suppose Keenan or Donita would be helpful to have around when it came to warming things up or cooling them off, but it would suck if you were one of those weird luge/bobsled kids and had a Summer Faerie hanging around all the time. And imagine the complete airhead you would turn into if your aura was constantly clouded by a Summer Girl.

Sounds horrific, right? But interesting. I can't help but thinking what stories we would have if fictional YA worlds started colliding. What if Miles Halter and 13 Little Blue Envelopes' Ginny were to start hanging out? What would Alice Cullen think of Zoey Redbird?** How would Blair Waldorf adjust to life at Frankie Landau-Banks' boarding school?

So, YA writers, are you out there? Are you listening? We want cross-over novels! Please?

*We won't even begin to discuss how much you would enjoy beating someone with a stick if you had Naill as your own person faerie.

**I'm thinking that Zoey and Alice would be big shopping buddies.

Are you a Norse God?

2009-04-27T12:35:00.004-05:00

Are you now, or have you ever been, a time traveling cyborg or vampire?*

These oh-so-important questions come from the movie 17 Again, which I had the good sense to watch on Saturday night. I must say, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Zac Effron was completely adorable and the character Ned may be my new geektastic favorite. I highly recommend it.

Watching this movie made me think about what I would do if I was to wake up tomorrow and find that I was magically transformed back into my 17 year old self. After much thought I realized that it wouldn't be too horribly big of a deal for me. I wouldn't need to go buy a more teen friendly wardrobe, I have plenty of outfits that would suffice.** I wouldn't feel tempted to reclaim my glory days, because I didn't find high school all that glorious. I wouldn't worry about being oppressed by the popular kids and having my head plunged into a toliet, because no one really bothered me in high school.*** I wouldn't even have to worry about finding new friends to hang out with; some of my favorite people in the world are in high school.

I wonder what this says about me. On one hand, it could mean that I've lived a somewhat fulfilled life, free of major regrets. On the other, it might mean that I'm stuck in some sort of arrested development, unable to advance past the point I was when I was a teenager. I, however, choose to believe Option #3: I'm a rare breed of cool that transends such mundane things as age or time.****

*When given a "no" response to this question Ned replied, "A vampire wouldn't tell; a cyborg wouldn't know." Love it!

**Although, upon closer examination of my closet I did find that I do own an awful lot of grown-up clothes. Ick. How did that happen?

***Does this really happen to anyone? I don't remember anyone being grossly mistreated at my high school, and certainly no one getting their head shoved in a toilet. Why do movies make that seem like a common occurrence?

****As you will remember, I'm all about creating my own reality. Please, let me keep this one.

Maureen Johnson has to go to trapeze school

2009-04-24T14:38:00.002-05:00

Due to a rather carelessly made bet, YA author Maureen Johnson has to now attend trapeze school. This, dear ones, is why I prefer YA literature and authors. Have you ever heard of James Patterson offering to go to trapeze school?

Summer Reading Smackdown

2009-04-23T15:29:00.003-05:00

In our local high school the kids brave enough to take Honors English are required to do summer reading. In the past each student was required to read two very long and boring books that were predetermined by the RSRF*. It was tedious for the students and somewhat perilous for the YA Librarian**.

But now the rules have changed.

This summer students are required to read one long and boring book predetermined by the RSRF and then they get to choose (yes, choose!) a book from a list! I'm very excited about this new approach.***

Here's the thing, though. I've been looking at these lists. To be honest, I like them. Each class gets a nice variety of genres and whatnot. What I don't understand, however, is what they were thinking when they were coming up with the list for the incoming Sophomores. Among the dozen-ish titles they have to choose from are The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.

Let me repeat that: They can either read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.

Don't get me wrong. The Fountainhead is a classic. It's full of deep meaning and whatnot. But what fifteen year old is going to say, "Hmmmm...you know, I think I'll voluntarily read The Fountainhead instead of The Hunger Games?" Especially when they realize that The Fountainhead was written in 1943 and has 752 pages, whereas The Hunger Games was released in 2008 and has 384 extremely readable (and even re-readable) pages? According to Amazon, a hardback copy of The Fountainhead weighs twice as much as a hardback copy of The Hunger Games!****

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe fifteen year olds are clamoring to read big books about architecture and human archetypes and... OK, sorry. No. I'm not seeing it. I think I'm just going to order another two or three copies of The Hunger Games for the library. I have a feeling I'll be needing them this summer.

*RSRF: The Required Summer Reading Fairy. This fairy's job is to pick books that will crush the souls and reading desires of all high school students.

**Imagine it: School starts in just 5 days and there are zero copies of The Reivers left in the entire Marshall County Public Library System. A dozen crazed teenagers have Miss Tammy cornered, their entire GPA hanging in the balance. It's not fun, people. It's not fun at all.

***I like choices. Forced reading isn't fun for anyone, including librarians who love to read.

****That's just physical weight. The mental weight of The Fountainhead is like 10 times greater than that of The Hunger Games. Really. I didn't just make that up.

I do not have a blogging fairy

2009-04-22T09:24:00.006-05:00

I have recently started reading How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier. The basic idea in the book is that everyone has their own fairy that follows them around and improves some aspect of their life. There are All-The-Boys-Like-Me Fairies, Clothes Shopping Fairies, and even something called "Grip Fairies", which apparently helps with athletics. Our main character, Charlie, is burdened with a Parking Fairy, which means that she is constantly drug around on errands to ensure that the driver has the very best parking spot available. Charlie thinks this could be the worst fairy anyone has ever had. Apparently, Charlie has never been Christmas shopping.

Of course, reading about other people's fairies has made me wonder what fairy I've been blessed with. After some careful consideration I've narrowed it down to the following:

The Bargain Rack Fairy: The somewhat awkward cousin of the Clothes Shopping Fairy. If there is a bargain rack within 10 miles of me, I know it. Sadly, it's often filled with clothes that (1) fit poorly and (2) have never been or never will be in style.*

The Make Others Feel Better About Themselves Due To Your Athletic Ineptitude Fairy: I know, this doesn't sound like a good fairy to have, and I tend to think so myself when I'm nursing a bump on the head or jammed finger, but I take comfort in knowing that no one else ever has to be picked last for a team.

The Act Like A Kid Despite Your Age Fairy: I love this fairy. It means that I can play with anyone below the age of 16-ish and have fun. Of course, many adults that have to deal with me on a regular basis would very much like to squish this fairy.

The Lose Myself In A Book Fairy: Yet another great fairy to have. I once joked with my friend that when I get old and loose my marbles I will bore everyone with stories of all the fun I had in my younger days when I dated a vampire who sparkled in the sun, went on a cross-country trip in a minivan to find my friend Margo, traveled through Europe following instructions found in letters left to me by my crazy aunt, battled to the death in a warped reality TV show, and fought against the forces of evil with my rag-tag band of friends that I affectionately called the Scooby Gang**.

I'm hoping that Charlie finds a way to rid herself of her fairy and gets a really cool one. Maybe if it works for her I'll try it out myself. I would kill for an Eat All You Want But Still Loose Weight Fairy or a Spend Money Constantly And Never Go Broke Fairy. Of course, knowing my luck, I would just end up with a Feel Compelled To Actually Make Your Bed Fairy.

*This, in fact, does not keep me from buying them. I mean, this green leopard skin top with pink bows is only $2.50! It's a steal!

**This last part may or may not be true. I'm not allowed to discuss Slayer business.

Just for the record.

2009-04-20T12:52:00.002-05:00

I do not like dentists. It's not the pain. It's not even the annoying high-pitched squeal of the drill thingy. It's that chair and that light and those people with the masks and the gloves and the instruments of torture. I always feel as though I've been abducted by space aliens.

*I apologize for lack of library-related content, but I'm trying to blog every working day in April. I'm running out of stuff here people. Plus, the dentist really does freak me out. I thought you needed to know that.

Creating Your Own Reality

2009-04-18T10:45:00.005-05:00

Technically, I have failed in my BE(w)DA* efforts. Thursday I worked, but I did not blog. There is a valid reason though. Thursday was the in-house workshop for the Marshall County Public Library, which meant no blogging time for Miss Tammy.

At said workshop we spent the better part of the morning being told that we create our own realities in our head and should just lie to ourselves until we believe the world (and our jobs) is all rainbows and sunshine. To a certain extent, I believe this. Actually, I practice this on a regular basis. I choose to believe that straightening books is fun, which makes that aspect of my job not only tolerable, but a pleasant experience. I choose to believe that people want my opinion on what they should be reading, which makes it easier for me to approach someone and help them find a book. I choose to believe that Jensen Ackles is madly in love with and stalking me via my TV on Thursday nights, which makes me happy and content. I choose to believe I am sane, which keeps me from being locked up in a padded room where my dear Jensen will never find me.

However, I have to argue that there are things that you cannot change simply by changing your outlook. For example, say that you keep telling yourself over and over again that bears are cute and cuddly. Eventually you will begin to believe that bears are, in fact, cute and cuddly. What's going to happen when you're hiking and run into a giant grizzly and you decide to give that cute and cuddly guy a hug? I will tell you right here and now it will be nothing good.

Creating your own reality is a very powerful and dangerous ability. Please, use it with caution.

*BE(w)DA: Blog Every Work Day in April, a cousin of BEDA.