Read Harder: Vol. 12
At the beginning of the year, I decided to tackle a proper reading challenge. I wanted to push myself a little and try a few things, particularly genres, that I don’t typically approach when I’m looking for something to read. I’m pretty proud of what I tried and how many of the boxes I was able to check off. Here are a few of the categories I didn’t quite get around to this year, but I’m hoping to carry over into 2017.
Innovation Week: Now It’s Your Turn
We’re all creative. We’re all innovators. We might be out of practice or out of the habit of thinking outside the box, but we all have that capability. Hopefully some of the projects we featured this week will excite and inspire you to create, learn and share new experiences with family members and friends, both inside and outside the Library.
Innovation Week: Sharing the Delights of Old Books
In the Collection, Preservation & Access Department, we are delighted daily by the craftsmanship and the intricate details of the art of bookbinding. But all these delights have been confined to our little attic lab. So how can we share them with you, our patrons? Recently, CP&A applied for and was awarded a 2016 Innovation Grant with the goal to create an online and in-person exhibit that shares some elements of historic bookbinding found in CLP’s collection.
Grumping With the Very Best
We all get a little bit grumpy sometimes, right? Why not make it fun by harrumphing along with the internet’s favorite feline curmudgeon, Grumpy Cat? She’s not just a meme, she’s a celebrity, and we’ve got plenty of grouchy fun for you in the form of books and DVDs. There’s a whole world of grumpiness out there to explore.
Throwback Thursday: Lovers and Fighters
“Boom Boom’s” visit made an impression on me, though. How could it not? Mancini’s presence was meant to be an example of what we, too, could accomplish, if we worked hard. We could be contenders. We could be somebody. Maybe not in the ring, but somehow. All you had to do was pay your dues and have faith, and somehow everything would turn out okay.
Highlights from Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad
Normally,I’m not a fan of historical fiction. I can watch a television show that’s centered around a certain time period, but I can’t stand reading it. Weird, I know. The furthest I went with it was reading Dear America and American Girl books as a child. However, I decided to give The Underground Railroad a chance because I read the description and thought it was interesting. Also, this book is one of Oprah’s Book Club picks and I knew it would gain popularity; so I wanted to see what the hype was about.
Kids’ Books for Grown-Ups
Because I work with children, I read a lot of children’s books. Most of the time, I enjoy them just as much as books written for adults. We all know what a hit Harry Potter was with people of all ages. Here are some more books my fellow adults might love.
My time with Holden Caufield
My only school experience with Catcher in the Rye was in junior year of high school in English class. One half of the class read it and my half read 1984 by George Orwell, another banned book. Somehow along the years, I ended up with a copy of Catcher in the Rye, so I thought, why not read it? I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. I had a few people tell me what a great book it was.
Tony and Susan’s Nocturnal Animals, Part II
The one thing I’m looking forward to in November–aside from ritualized gluttony–is Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, the director’s adaptation of Austin Wright’s novel, Tony and Susan
Childhood Favorites
Working in the Children’s Department, I am often reminded of books that I have long forgotten. Whether it’s a patron asking for a specific location of a book or a child in need of recommendations, some of my all-time favorites have begun to resurface right before my eyes.