Ryann's Ramblings

I have been assimilated

2010-08-21T21:21:00.014-05:00

While I often read children's fantasy and science fiction novels, I seldom select science fiction or fantasy romances. Am I prejudiced? Perhaps...or maybe I just never found the right author - until now!

I have been assimilated and Susan Grant's novel Sureblood: A Tale of the Borderlands is to blame. This weekend I raced through her story so quickly I'm surprised my Nook didn't catch fire.

*Spoiler alert*

The tale is set in the Borderlands of the Universe, where pirate clans clash with each other while raiding those that steal from their lands. Valeeya Blue has a lot to prove, both as a female raider and as the daughter of the clan captain. During her first raid as skiff commander, she boards a ship only to find that a rival clan, the Surebloods, has also decided to help themselves to the bounty. The Surebloods are led by their own young captain, Dake, and the sparks immediately start to fly between the handsome raider and the captivating she-pirate.

The Blues and the Surebloods band together to escape a third enemy, which starts them down the bumpy road to clan unity. During a celebration that follows, Dake and Val follow through with the desire that has been quickly building since they met. Evil plots have been set in motion and, while they are indisposed, Val's father is assassinated.

Instantly, the Blues blame the Surebloods, the fragile peace starts to crumble, and Val's life is forever changed. Dake leaves to help find out the truth behind the attack, but fails to contact Val in the months that follow. She becomes clan captain and soon after becomes a new mother, too.

What Val doesn't know is that Dake enduring the worst hell a pirate can imagine, but he never forgets his Blue girl and vows to return to her and to restore peace to all the clans. Will he return in time to help forge peace? Will Val believe in his innocence or has she found love with another?

The pacing in this story was top-notch and I found it difficult to put the story down or to let it out of my mind. Just as I would catch my breath after a tension filled scene, the story would careen into another dangerous section. The elements of foreboding woven throughout added to the suspense, as did the evil villain present throughout the novel.

The world was believable and easily imagined and I enjoyed the subtle physical and cultural differences between the clans. The perspective switched from Val to Dake (and sometimes others) and I believe that adds a little more depth to each character. The characters themselves suffer hardships that make you hurt for them and hope that things will, somehow, work out in the end.

This was another title from the Harlequin's Big Summer Reads (thanks HQN for the ARCs!). As a side note, even in the world of eBooks, cover art is still important. The stylistic cover immediately caught my attention. I look forward to catching up with Grant's previous novels and I am glad that my reading tastes were gently nudged in a new direction.

Orchard Valley Brides

2010-08-21T20:29:00.004-05:00

Have you ever been strongly attracted to someone against your better judgment? That's exactly what happens to the both heroines in the stories that make up Debbie Macomber's Orchard Valley Brides, another of the Harlequin Big Summer Reads.

In Norah, the heroine is working one last shift as an ER nurse before her sister's wedding the following day when the lone survivor of a private plane crash is rushed in. His injuries are serious and things get complicated when Norah realizes the man was flying into town to stop her sister's wedding because of his feelings for her.

Wealthy CEO Rowdy Cassidy is a man used to getting his own way. When the pretty nurse Norah visits him after the wedding, he demands to see her more and has her reassigned to work on his floor. Norah soon finds herself captivated by this powerhouse of a man who can turn an entire hospital upside down, but she knows a relationship with him would be a mistake. After all, isn't he still in love with her sister?

In Lone Star Lovin', Sherrie decides to move from Orchard Valley to a small town in Texas to work as a physician's assistant. Her first patient is a handsome rancher struggling to parent a teenage daughter and before long sparks start to fly between them.

Neither Cody or Sherrie trust the immediate attraction they feel for each other. Cody's daughter is hell bent on getting a mom, which does not help matters. When Cody proposes to Sherrie, saying they might as well get married since he doesn't have time for all the romance crap, she feels her heart deflate like a balloon with a slow leak. She is falling in love with the gruff rancher, but she wants someone who will share his heart as well as his bed.

Both novels were originally published in the early 1990s, although they are timeless in their appeal. The stories include strong family ties and small town settings in Oregon and Texas. Macomber is best in the back-and-forth dialogue between the main characters, making it both fresh and funny. The sensuality is drawn more from the build-up of attraction between the couples than any detailed bedroom scenes. Those that have read Macomber's titles will know exactly what to expect. New readers will find sweet stories of people learning how to listen to their hearts as well as their heads when it comes to love.

A Certain Fondness for Crazy

2010-08-19T20:40:00.009-05:00

As I started to read my first Victoria Dahl book, Crazy for Love, I didn't really know what to expect. I imagined humor, I imagined steamy love scenes, but I certainly didn't expect to find a hero with anxiety issues. But, find him I did - and I loved Max for being strong, true, and admirably struggling to live with his control issues.

Max and his brother Elliott have decided to take a much-needed vacation. Elliott is a divorced workaholic from the CDC and Max is a sea-faring treasure hunter who feels responsible for the safety of everyone he encounters. Everyone!

Max has managed to hide his anxiety by playing the charming playboy and the ploy has always worked, until he mets Chloe, a fellow tourist in the cabin next door. She sees right through his act and makes him face the truth about himself and his life.

What Max doesn't know is that Chloe has a secret of her own. A month ago, she was supposed to be getting married, but then her fiance died in a plane crash. Suddenly, she finds out he hadn't died after all - he had staged the accident to escape from marrying her! That's when the rumors start flying and suddenly Chloe is a national tabloid star as Chloe the Bridezilla! When Chloe's identity is revealed, she and Jenn are forced to return home to prepare for the ex-fiance's upcoming trial.

Reading Crazy for Love was a wonderfully refreshing experience. Dahl masterfully creates a main character that is strong, handsome, and neurotic. His anxiety issues reveal his true nature and make him endearing as we see him struggle to live with the worry that he battles 24/7. Chloe understands him and loves him, while also trying to help him be honest with himself as he starts thinking about changing his life.

Another of the Harlequin's Big Summer Reads off the list - but now I have all the other Victoria Dahl books to look forward to! So long, housework!

All I Ever Wanted

2010-08-17T21:07:00.011-05:00

A few months ago, I had the fun opportunity to write a blog post for the Borders True Romance Blog. I wrote about being in a reading slump and how I just couldn't find a really great book to sink my teeth into. Well, I am in a slump no more, my friends! One of the reasons: Kristan Higgins, the next stop on the Harlequin Big Summer Reads.

What a thrill to receive a review copy of All I Ever Wanted from Harlequin! Kristan Higgins has quickly skyrocketed to a permanent place on my list of favorite authors. Her ability to create quirky characters, charming small towns, and relationships that suffer from insecurities, uncertainties and misunderstandings.

In All I Ever Wanted, Callie is ready to celebrate her 30th birthday (that's right, the big 3-0) when her boss/crush/ex gives her a gift, tells her she is special and then hits her right between the eyes with the news that he is seeing someone. Callie reacts much as the rest of us would, she runs to the DMV and has her breakdown there, much to the dismay of the uptight, Russian assassin in line behind her.

She tries to move on with life, so when she hears there is a cute new vet in town, she tells her dog to look sick and makes an appointment. Sadly, the new vet is the same Russian assassin from the DMV and is still ice cold, but that's when the fun begins.

Callie and Ian (who, it turns out, is not a Russian assassin after all) keep running into each other and eventually Callie breaks through the cold demeanor to find the shy man with a big heart that lies beneath.

Callie's life could probably be more complicated, although she isn't sure how. Her divorced dad is trying to make up with her mother 20 years after they split-up. Her man-hating sister is sleeping with the creepy mortician that works at their family funeral home, and her Gramps, well, Gramps has a story all his own.

Once again, Higgins has created a story full of people just enough and stories just weird enough to make it easy to fall into and difficult to remember that the characters aren't actually real! I find it interesting that while reading, I am fairly sure of a happy ending, I'm just not quite sure how it is actually going to happen.

The laughter, the tears, the romance - these books are money well spent (or library card well used). Don't just take my word for it, Higgins was awarded a RITA last month for Too Good to Be True. (Seriously, how awesome are these covers? Beautiful.)

With the holidays coming, Higgins' publishers should bundle her books for big holiday sales. Check out her other titles on her website and ENJOY!

How the West Was FUN!

2010-08-15T20:41:00.009-05:00

Next up on my TBR pile: Harlequin's Big Summer Reads. I am determined to make this summer last longer and that won't be a problem because there are some great titles on this list!

First up: How the West Was FUN!

Cowboys and romance novels, now that is a combination that appeals to many. Some may be attracted to the cowboy stereotype simply because of biological tendencies - the desire to be provided for and protected. Others may be charmed by the strong silent type that cares as much for animals as they do people. No matter what attracts you to cowboys - you'll want to consider these two series.

Prolific author Linda Lael Miller has written several western romance series, both historical and contemporary. In McKettricks of

Texas: Garrett, the second in the series, Garrett works for a married political giant who has taken a wrong turn by going public with an illicit affair. He feels betrayed by the man he idolized, so he quits

and returns home to the family ranch. Upon arrival, he finds that the family's home is currently inhabited by temporarily displaced Julie, her son, Calvin, and their three-legged dog, Harry.

Julie can't deny her attraction to Garrett, but she is determined to be cautious both to protect her young son and because she can't imagine that as a high-powered political insider would settle down with a small town girl. To complicate her life even further, Calvin's dad is back in their lives, she's overwhelmed at work, and their home is being sold out from under them
I enjoyed returning to the world of the McKettricks and catching up with Tate and Libby while looking forward to Austin's story. Miller is able to present a contemporary story with enough of the wild west to make you feel right at home on the Texas ranch. She also write children and animal characters particularly well, making the family dynamics ring true.

Another steamy title is Claimed by Vicki Lewis Thompson from her Sons of Chance series. Ten months ago, Jack was reluctant to leave the warm bed he shared with girlfriend, Josie, so he told his dad to go pick up a new horse without him. When his dad is later killed on the trip, Jack feels responsible and breaks up with Josie as his penance.

So, when he decides to visit Josie after a night of drinking in the small Wyoming town, he shouldn't have been surprised that the encounter goes badly. She pushes him away, and he makes a fool of himself. Jack is going to be the best man at his brother's upcoming wedding (on horseback, naturally) and guess who is the maid of honor? Yes, fair Josie - and she doesn't know how to ride a horse. Jack himself offers to teach her and soon their lessons turn into a secret affair. Josie wants to give her heart to Jack, but is he ready to take it for real?

Claimed is part of the Harlequin Blaze series, which are shorter, steamy contemporary romances with an emphasis on the development physical relationship between the two characters. I don't read this series too often, but check them out if you want a quick, sensual read (kind of like dessert!). I have, however, thoroughly enjoyed Thompson's Hex and Nerd series. You can learn more about these fun, sexy series on her website.

Yeehaw!

In Bed with the Duke and Stolen Seduction

2010-04-15T21:46:00.015-05:00

Recently, I attended a library conference program by several romance authors and good fortune rained down upon me! Little did I expect that Christina Dodd would be both signing and giving away copies of In Bed with the Duke which I had been hearing some good buzz about. Seriously, how can you not want to read a book called In the Bed with the Duke?

I must admit, historical romances are not usually my first choice. However, this one drew me in from the start! Endearing Emma Chegwidden is wandering lost in the countryside after losing her job when suddenly the masked "Reaper" appears. The next thing she knows, she is waking up in elegant house and offered employment. A few nights later, the Reaper enters her room to escape from the evil Prince that rules the land. Our Emma offers the Reaper a place to hide and thus begins an affair with a man with a secret identity.

Emma and the Reaper are both wonderful characters: strong, vulnerable, and passionate. Full of intrigue, steamy love scenes, and adventure, this historical romance is worth the read.

At this same library conference, I also picked up a signed copy of Elisabeth Naughton's Stolen Seduction during an author signing. Oh, happy serendipity! This book is third in a romance/adventure trilogy, and I like to describe it as a very grown-up 39 Clues.

Hailey Roarke leaves her job as a Florida police officer to run the family business in Chicago. Her father's death starts a chain-reaction of events all surrounding a quest to find some missing statues. Hailey is on the search when she accidentally-on-purpose runs into the hunky cop Shane Maxwell. Their brief romantic moment makes things complicated the next morning when he arrives to question her as a murder suspect.

Here the tale takes some surprising twists-and-turns as the pair flies from country to country in search of answers. Full of action, romance, and true emotion, this is definitely a book you won't want to put down and you'll race to track down the others before time runs out!

Faith, Hope, and Ivy June

2010-04-10T14:42:00.010-05:00

Ever since the tragic explosion at the West Virginia coal mine earlier this week, I have been thinking a lot about a book I listened to a few months ago, Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Naylor Reynolds.

Ivy June Mosley and Catherine Combs both live in Kentucky, but they live in two different worlds. Ivy June lives with her grandparents outside a small coal mining town while Catherine goes to a private school in Lexington. When the girls are chosen to be exchange students, they spend two weeks at each others home learning about their differences, their similarities, and ultimately themselves.

When Catherine visits Ivy June's small town - tragedy strikes them both. An incident occurs out at the mine and Ivy June's grandpa is one of the miners trapped inside. At the same time, Catherine learns that her mother faces a serious medical crisis back home and anxiously awaits news of her condition. During these events, the girls each face uncertainty, helplessness, and grief. The desperation that Ivy June's small town faces is palpable.

Consequently, I was moved during the recent news coverage, when a miner at the West Virginia coal mine said, "Every time you turn on a light, you should think of these guys."

He is right. Coal mines are not a thing of the past-they are a reality today and it is important to put a human face on the cost of electricity. This book would be an interesting discussion book to use with older elementary age students, both because of the real way it connects with the dangers of coal mining and because it provides a glimpse into prejudice from several important angles.

Are there other titles you think are important to discuss during this eco-friendly month?

New York Day 5 - FDR, CIA, Vanderbilts and More

2009-10-22T21:06:00.018-05:00

For our last full day in NY, we returned to the FDR site to resume our tour of the museum and explored the remaining exhibits (The New Deal, The Presidential Years).

Next, we headed back to the CIA for lunch at one of the student run restaurants. Each student attends the school for 21 months, and the last several weeks are spent working in the kitchens and then in the front of various students restaurants on campus. We ate St. Andrew's Cafe, which focuses on both local and heathful fare. We made the most of our experience and practically rolled out of the restaurant some time later. Here is a picture taken during dessert (Goatcheese Cheesecake, Milkshake Sampler, and Pear/Ginger Crisp).

These last few days gave us beautiful weather to enjoy. We were happy to spend the rest of this afternoon touring the grand Vanderbilt Mansion and estate. Walking through this huge mansion, left almost entirely as it had been furnished in the late 1930s, was quite the experience. We also explored the gardens and riverfront, which gave us a wonderful opportunity to watch the colors shift as the sun went down.

After a wild goose chase through Poughkeepsie to find the perfect restaurant for dinner, we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the last of our wine on our last evening on vacation. More Apples to Apples also rounded out the evening. Throughout our trip, we had some wonderful conversations - some funny, some serious, and always enlightening. It was a great experience to learn about people and events from a wide-range of time periods and then to discuss them with our fellow travelers.

Where to go next...

New York Day 4 - FDR, ER, CIA

2009-10-22T20:53:00.012-05:00

Day 4 of our trip was the day we were all waiting for: the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum! This was the first presidential museum and the only museum to have been built and opened with the president still in office. Located in Hyde Park, NY - it sits on a campus which includes FDR's home, a National Historic Site, and is very close to Eleanor Roosevelt's National Historic Site and the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.

We arrived bright and early at the Library/Museum and immediately secured tickets for the FDR Home tour. We enjoyed learning more about President Roosevelt and his family through the interesting tour through his home. By this point we had started to become quite good at evaluating tour guides, and Pres, our FDR Home guide, was one of the best. With clear enthusiasm for the subject and easy manor, we thoroughly enjoyed this tour.

Next - the museum! We made it through the exhibit covering his boyhood and pre-presidential history before needing a lunch break. After grabbing a bit to eat at the museum's cafe, we ventured across the way to Eleanor Roosevelt's National Historic Site since our tickets would be good for two days. Here we toured the house that was to become her retreat (Val-Kill) when FDR was in Washington and after his death. We learned a lot at this site and felt a much greater appreciation for Eleanor Roosevelt and how she worked tirelessly to make the world a better place. Mike, in particular, become a huge ER fan.

Cousin Christine had made reservations for us to tour the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), our next stop for the day. Our tour gave us great insight into life for these dedicated culinary students and we were even able to observe classes in session through large zoo-like windows. After the tour of the beautiful campus, we stopped by the student run Apple Pie Cafe and Bakery for some decadent and unique deserts (carrot cake pictured above).

Again we returned to our hotel and ate at the nearby La Luna Pizzeria before retiring to our hotel room. We finished out the day enjoying wine from the winery, teaching Mike and Christine a new card game, and playing Apples to Apples into the wee hours. Who could ask for more?

New York Day 3 - West Point

2009-10-22T20:39:00.013-05:00

Day 3 led us to the United States Military Academy at West Point, after another breathtaking drive through another region of the Catskills. After a brief tour of the West Point visitors center, we took a guided bus tour learning about West Point history and visiting several sites along the way. First we visited the Cadet Chapel, pictured at right. Next, we viewed memorials dedicated to West Point officers that served in the Civil War. Our tour guide described how difficult it must have been for the West Point officers to fight in the Civil War against their fellow classmates and teachers.

Later we were able to observe a mini-parade of cadets along their parade ground and then we visited the West Point cemetery. This was poignant experience as we saw several gravestones of West Point graduates killed in several wars, including Iraq and Afghanistan. We also saw another example of how Benedict Arnold was removed from history (shown by the blanked out section on this plaque).

After lunch at a local pizza joint and a quick visit to the West Point Museum, we headed back towards George Washington's Headquarters! Or so we thought. We had spotted a sign directing us to the headquarters on the drive to West Point, but later we realized that George Washington had two separate headquarters and we had gone to the wrong one!

Thankfully, we soon discovered that we weren't too far from America's Oldest Winery - the Brotherhood Winery. So we stopped by and had a quick, enjoyable wine tasting which improved our moods greatly! After that, we headed back to the hotel for dinner and later had dinner at Salsa. Another good day!

New York Day 2 - The Catskills

2009-10-22T19:46:00.018-05:00

Our second day got off to a cold start - since this would turn out to be the coldest day of our tour (high of 46 degrees). Still, we were intrepid tourists and would not be stopped! This was our day to explore the Catskills - starting with a visit to Cedar Grove, the home of Thomas Cole (19th Century landscape artist and founder of the Hudson River School of Art). Here is our version of a famous painting of Thomas Cole's House (Cedar Grove by Charles Moore).

Next, after a chilly, depressing lunch at a fast-food-chain-not-to-be-named and a trip to a liquor store staffed by a Chinese Sharpei dog, we drove into the Catskills Mountains. Our first stop was Kaaterskill Falls, a 260 ft. waterfall that inspired Thomas Cole painting as well as other Hudson River School artists. We took the short, rocky hike up to the foot of the falls while watching a few small snow-like flakes start to fall.

On the way back to our vehicle, we ran into fellow tourists the told us about a hike we should take further up the "Clove." After locating the trail head a few miles up, we started out on our hike on the Escarpment Trail. The colors throughout this region were beautiful! Yellows and reds spotting the green forest landscape. This trail alternated between easy walking to moderate climbing and led us to a path that ran along cliffs overlooking the Clove. It was a wonderful view and enjoyable hike. Mike even saved the day when he rescued my water bottle before it rolled over the edge and crashed into the valley below. What a guy.

We finished this wonderful day by driving to Poughkeepsie, where we would stay for the next few nights. The drive took us over the Mid-Hudson Bridge, which was spectacular to see at night (even though bridges seriously creep me out). We spent the rest of the night warming up, eating dinner, and discussing our plans for the next day.

We love New York! (Day 1)

2009-10-18T20:52:00.021-05:00

Recently, my husband and I traveled to the Hudson River Valley area of New York with our cousins Mike and Christine. We had such a great trip that I wanted to document it here for us and for anyone else remotely interested. We flew into Albany and immediately headed north toward the Battle of Saratoga National Historic Park. After a quick lunch at the Rusty Nail in Clifton Park, we arrived at the Park and began learning about this historic battle. The day we visited, October 17, was the 232nd anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga. Here the American forces defeated the British Army trying to conquer the land between Canada and New York (since New York had already fallen to the British). This crucial victory gained the American forces global support and forever changed the future of the young nation.

We walked through the old battlegrounds, imagining battles behind British and American fortification lines, as well as learning more about Benedict Arnold's participation here. His activities later in life led to his name being removed from the statue honoring his bravery and injuries suffered during the fighting here.

Later that evening, we attended a candelight tour of the Schuyler House. This 1777 home was burned to the ground by the British during the Revolutionary War and was visited by many notable figures from the period, including George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. The house exists much as it did from the period and walking through this home was like walking back through time. The candlelight tour happens only once a year and we were happy to have been able to experience it. Kudos to Cousin Mike for finding out about it before our trip!

Chili Days

2009-10-11T12:35:00.005-05:00

A cold October weekend calls for two things: chili and football. While I have a few favorite chili recipes, this weekend I tried a new one: Black Bean-Salsa Chili a reader recipe from this month's issue of Cooking Light.

The addition of black beans (whole and pureed) and a mild salsa gave the chili a wonderful depth of flavor while keeping the right amount of heat without overpowering our taste buds. We topped the chili with sour cream mixed with fresh lime juice and cilantro and also baked corn bread to round out the meal. The recipe itself was quick and fairly easy.

Next time I make it, I might add water instead of beef broth or I might double the recipe and see how well it freezes. All in all, we loved this recipe and it will be our standard chili recipe from now on. There is no better way to enjoy a fall day at home with my boys.

Brown Sugar and Me

2009-09-07T22:53:00.012-05:00

My new comfort food? Brown sugar. Light brown or dark brown - I'm not too picky. I don't eat it straight, of course. Well, almost never. I usually prefer to eat it in the form of my favorite cookie ever: America's Test Kitchen's Brown Sugar Cookie recipe. However, at a recent Ice Cream Enthusiasts Meeting, I had a sundae with a rich, delicious butterscotch-caramel syrup. This sparked my interest in finding some new recipes within this flavor profile. Thus, the caramel cake from last week and this week's new recipe Butterscotch Bars (Cooking Light).

These bars were a wonderful addition to my brown sugar recipe collection. The recipe was simple to put together and used ingredients I almost always have on hand. Very dangerous. I baked them for only 25 minutes, which resulted in a crispy outside and slightly doughy inside. I added toasted walnuts to the batter right before pouring it into the pan which added a little texture to the bar as well as the subtle walnut flavor.

The recipe made 16 bars cut from a 9 x 9 square pan, none of which lasted very long once dearest husband declared the serving size should be increased to two bars. I would definitely make these again for taking to my book club or the office, or just to snarf down after a long day. I was happy to have found a great Cooking Light butterscotch bar recipe. But, I have to admit, I have my eye on another, more fattening, butterscotch brownie recipe that includes chocolate chips. Maybe for the holidays...

The Drought Is Over

2009-09-02T20:29:00.012-05:00

I admit it. I fell off the cooking wagon. Would that be the chuckwagon? Who knows. At any rate, I have been neglecting my personal goals of trying new recipes and cooking more meals. Thankfully, invitations to join good friends and family for dinner over the past weekend inspired me to revisit the kitchen.

Caramel Cake: I wanted to take a two-layer cake as my contribution to an outdoor dinner with friends. Searching through www.myrecipes.com revealed several possibilities. However, because of dietary requirements of my friends, I made the cake from one recipe and the frosting from another. The cake turned out to be a little more dense than a normal cake, almost like a distant relative of a pound cake. The frosting was good, although I almost did not have enough to frost the entire cake! All-in-all, everyone had second helpings of the cake and the leftovers did not last long at home. I'll make this one again!

Darlene's Healthy Salad: Thankfully, the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine came in the mail last week! Flipping through the newly redesigned layout, I came across this easy salad. I did not include radishes but added cherry tomatoes. This salad came together fairly quickly, especially since I used my awesome food processor to slice the cucumbers and red onion. The tangy combo of red wine vinegar, onion, and cucumbers made this salad a modern version of the cucumber salad my grandma used to make. I bet I would have loved it even more if I would have picked out a ripe avocado instead of an unusable rock-hard one. Oh, well. I already made this salad again! It will be a regular next summer.

Cold Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Cucumbers: This recipe was fast, easy, and delicious. I was able to quickly assemble it even after working late and walking the dog! Other than dicing the cucumbers instead of slicing, I made the recipe as directed and had no problem finding any of the ingredients. My husband loved the recipe. I think he was surprised about how much flavor was in a dish with relatively few ingredients (and relatively few dishes to wash!). This would be a great dish to take for lunches. Also, I liked the "game plan" feature in the magazine. We'll be making this again!

A Day in the Life of a Librarian

2009-07-27T22:00:00.007-05:00

Here is my addition to the Day in the Life of a Librarian project.

What's it like to be the Head of Youth Services at a public library in suburban Chicagoland? Imagine the circus act of plate spinning combined with putting out fires and working a customer service desk. Nice. Never boring. I'm lucky to work in a great library with excellent patrons and staff.

This particular day, my official schedule was 12:30-9:00. Working evenings and weekends is one of the great pros/cons of working in public service. It is a great opportunity to build relationships as often patrons visit the same night each week.

However, a librarian's work is never really done. I check Twitter before I leave for work in the morning. On this day, I stopped at a new coffee shop in town and scoped it out for a possible location for a game night program! Would be interesting to pursue...

Here's what I did during the afternoon:

Picked up book on hold and checked it out in under 1 minute. See this video I shot of a librarian using our self check.
Broke out a bag of Chex Mix for Youth Services staff. This particular group craves salty versus sweet snacks. Management Rule 1: Keep the troops happy. Food helps.
Waded through email since I left early on Friday and came later on Monday.
Caught up with staff members about recent programs presented.
Finalized September work schedule, adjusted schedules to work around a library school student's schedule (happy to!).
Communicated with staff about big, "sold-out" program scheduled for tomorrow and what programs to be promoting by word of mouth.
Started conversations with programming librarian about planning programs for Summer 2010.
Requested graphics from PR Manager.
Followed up with AV selectors regarding orders due today. New selectors, various vendors, gets complicated. Stressing need to have items available on street dates (Next 39 Clues audiobook for example) for patrons.
Tried to register for Handheld Librarian conference. Fail. Will try again.
Beat my head against the wall. Only a little.

My evening was spent working on the reference desk. It was a fairly quiet night. This summer we did an online summer reading club for the first time. We have worked hard to continue our goal of creating positive, interactive experiences at the library by awarding readers with beans that they put into a large hourglass for every book they read. They also receive prizes: bookmark (5), free book from Friends of the Library (10), personalized bookplate in library book of their choice (15), ring the library GONG (20), patch (25) and beans continue after that. That being said, here's what I did on the reference desk this evening.

Awarded readers prizes for completing various levels of the reading club! So fun.
The beans are the best incentive.
Helped patrons with various requests.
Restocked Caudill and Monarch (state reading award nominees) displays. These are very popular with students and teachers.
Reviewed book and AV orders submitted by staff. This took the majority of the evening with several new selectors involved.
Wrote emails with tips for new selectors that were lost when my browser crashed. Urgh.
Rewrote what I could remember of emails that were lost.
Considered adding standing order DVD selection for our small branch collection.
Read through ILA Reporter. Will staff want to do "Scare Up a Good Book" for next summer's reading club theme?
Walked through department and imagined future reorganization. We are adding some new graphic novel/magazine shelves and removing some reference shelves which should allow us to create a more appealing TEEN fiction section, as well as an in-house gaming area. However - we will need to work hard to still have an area for quiet study...continuing to brainstorm.
As Librarian in Charge, I coordinated the building closing at 9:00.

Another benefit of working an evening - when I come home my dog acts like I've been gone for a year.

It's my birthday, I'll read if I want to!

2009-07-21T20:22:00.010-05:00

While counting the days to my birthday, and moving up to the next demographic, I decided that I should plan a birthday party. They aren't just for preschoolers anymore! My husband and I brainstormed several options and finally I decided to have a Birthday Bookclub Party.

Lame? Think again.

First, I needed the perfect location. One phone call to the Southern inspired Mint Ju lep Bistro in Palatine, IL and the party quickly started taking shape. This intimate, gourmet restaurant offers an afternoon tea service with tea, soup, finger sandwiches and desserts.

Next, a book to read and discuss together. Why, you ask? Well, most of the party goers would be the diverse, quirky, and never-shy-about-their-opinions women that have become the Women Walking Fast bookclub. Given the ambiance of the Mint Julep, I chose to provide a copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil with each party invitation.

The afternoon spent with dear friends, delicious food and literary discussion went beyond my expectations. We were definitely on Southern time and were able to savor the food and conversation.

An added bonus was a visit by one of the owners who gave us an impromptu history lesson on English high tea. After the party, I learned that the other owner of the restaurant was from Savannah and she shared thoughts on the book, the movie, and the events from the best-selling true crime novel. We also learned that the soon to be opened Mint Julep Room would be hosting literary events in the future!

All in all, it was a memorable afternoon. Many thanks to the party goers who made arrangements to spend their Saturday afternoon celebrating my birthday, good friends, and great literature.

ALA 2009 - Downloadable Technology for Teens

2009-07-12T22:27:00.010-05:00

ALA 2009 Downloadable Technology for Teens

OverDrive (MyMediaMall) Presentation:

Popularity of audiobooks growing. Nearly all downlaodable audiobooks can go to iPod/iPhone now.

Some initiatives:
Have app on smartphone to download audiobook right to phone.
Scroll covers of downloadable titles on homepage (Burlington County Library System).
OverDrive Digital Book Mobile visit.

Beth Gallaway's Presentation: Lots of programming possibilities!

(See www.slideshare.net/informationgoddess29 for current and future presentations.)

GameTap: video game subscription service (download to library computers for patrons/games have ratings).
PlayFirst: direct to drive, ESRB privacy certified, ratings, no ads.
Comcast games on demand.
Download Board Games - Days of Wonder
Prima Strategy Guides - Steaming/PDF versions available for kids at library?
Games for Change (see AYITI)
Ben10 Alien Force game Creater

Kate Pritchard's Presentation: Downloadable Music (see the Teen's Blog at her library).

Downloading music stats are declining - streaming is on the rise.

Live Music Archive
Pandora: Personalized Internet Radio Station
Last.fm
FineTune (playlists plus social networking / can embed)
Myspace music
http://www.riaa.com/ (Online resource for where to get legal music online.)
Hype_m (searches music blogs)

How to stay informed:

VOYA
YALSA Blog
http://www.joystiq.com/
Escapist Magazine
http://www.boingboing.net/

*Program idea: Holiday Gadget Workshop - after holidays have teens show people how to use their new gadgets.

ALA2009 - Preconference

2009-07-11T21:49:00.011-05:00

PLA @ ALA: Building Communities through Innovative Applications of Technology - July 10, 2009

Here are selected links and my short list of futher tips/ideas to pursue for each presentation. See the complete presentations on slideshare.net, ALA Presentations Page or the PLA Page when uploaded for information.

Presentation 1:
Using Videos to Build Community in Your Library by Melissa Kiser, Information Technology Librarian, Allen County Public Library http://www.acpl.lib.in.us

"What's Happening" videos on YouTube: Short, quick videos taken through the library and community connecting community, library events, and library collections in friendly, personable ways.

Ideas/Thoughts:

1. Create a bookletters with top ten most popular books each week.
2. Follow people from your community on Twitter by finding them on Twellow.
3. Host a Tweetup with library followers.
4. Create a video "How to Print" and load it on the library computer desktops.
5. Check out GT system (gaming) http://gtsystem.org/.
6. Searchable database of area artists (example from Allen County: http://artists.acpl.info/
7. Create podcasts describing gallery exhibits for people to download and take a self-guided tour. 8. On library blogs, post events such as holiday closings of community agencies, community events, parking alerts, etc.
9. Use Google Analytics to determine website statistics.
10. Investigate WorldCat Local Quick Start.
11. Consider the success of innovative programs and services as not just a measure of statistical output (hits, visits, etc.) but also the qualitative library/patron benefits.

Presentation 2:
John Blyberg, Assistant Director for Innovation and User Experience, Darien Library, CT.

Check out his presentations: http://www.slideshare.net/jblyberg/presentations

Visit the Darien Library website and explore! http://www.darienlibrary.org/

Open source integration of ILS and OPAC - creating one dynamic website that takes the burden of experience off the patron instead of forcing the patron to navigate between the OPAC and ILS. Creates engaging patron experience. I want to learn more.

Presentation 3: Social Networking and Libraries
Meg Canada, Senior Librarian, Hennepin County Library
Twitter: MegCanada

Presentation available here: http://www.slideshare.net/megcanada/social-networking-and-libraries-1704727

Meg started out her presentation with a plug for http://www.engagedpatrons.org/.

Ideas/Thoughts:

1. Connect with interactive marketing associations.
2. Check out mashable.com.
3. Important for social marketing to have one voice.
4. Create a social media strategy (see presentation).
5. Check out Air Force's blog response chart (see presentation).
6. Monitor what people are saying about you/your organization. Examples (more in presentation):
http://socialmention.com/
http://www.backtype.com/ (searches comments)
7. Consider guidelines regarding tags, releases, pictures in sensitive areas of the building.
8. Use "insights" in Facebook for stats.
9. Ask questions and post memes in Facebook to engage patrons in conversations.
10. Patrons send in pictures for Hennepin's Bookspace page: http://www.hclib.org/pub/bookspace.
11. LinkedIn!
12 Investigate http://www.beyourownheadhunter.com/
13. Webcams!
14. http://12seconds.tv/

Presentation 4:
Sandy Farmer, Houston Public Library

Sandy stressed that libraries need to react to the surge in downloadable technology and focus on create culturally literate children (which includes diverse electronic life). Her presentation shared a lot of programming and gaming spaces information.

Idea highlights:

1. Open gaming systems - have players check games out from the circulating shelves.
2. Assign controllers to consoles to save start-up time.
3. Pokemon gym program.
4. Webkins/Club Penguin programs.

We finished this thought provoking day with an appreciative inquiry exercise led by moderator Aaron Schmidt of the DC Public Library. The concept that resonated with me as I left the conference was the need for all of us to "Think It Forward."

We work so hard to meet the needs of patrons today and tomorrow, we don't give ourselves the freedom or the time to imagine how we can meet their needs months and years into the future. Preparing ourselves to help patrons when they encounter the future is vital to our continued relevancy in their lives.

On that note, Aaron shared that the DC Public Library has rolled out an iPhone app. We already knew this (at my library), but what we didn't know was that is was open source and that a BlackBerry App is in the works. He went on to stress the need for a focus on mobile devices as their use continues to skyrocket.

Very motivational program!

Ironically, I wanted to Tweet about these topics throughout the presentation. However, I spent the whole day off the grid since there was no local WiFi for my iPod Touch. I've since recovered from the tech withdrawal, although maybe not from my buyer's remorse. :-)

Snappy Meals

2009-03-30T19:15:00.010-05:00

Lunchtime at work is supposed to be a time for refreshment and relaxation; however, on some days, it seems just like more work. Another sandwich? Terrific. I'll add it to the other 10,000 I've eaten in my life already. Another container of yogurt? Fabulous. If only the lunchroom gods would shine upon me and there will be a clean spoon available in the silverware drawer instead of challenging me to eat yogurt with a fork, once again.

So, when I saw recipe for Potato, Chicken, and Fresh Pea Salad in this month's Cooking Light, I felt like lunch could be reborn! I made the recipe over the weekend and it came together quickly and easily thanks to the precooked and chopped chicken. The resulting dish filled the kitchen with an appetizing aroma thanks to the dressing of mustard, onions, and French-style seasonings. Eating it the next day during lunch was a welcome break from the sandwich monotony! With chicken and potatoes to add substance, snap peas to give it a crunchy texture, and a flavorful dressing to punch up the taste, I would recommend this salad for lunches or potlucks! One thing to note, if your job requires interacting with people, you might want to pack a breath mint along with this in your lunch. Gotta love onions!

Weeknight meals can also fall into a rut and this weekend's new recipe, Chicken Tamal e Casserole, was a delicious remedy for dinner boredom. The bottom layer, made of corn bread, diced chilies, and cream corn, was baked and then topped with enchilada sauce, shredded chicken and cheese. The combination of flavors and textures was very satisfying and we will be making this again soon!

Old and New Favorites

2009-03-23T22:49:00.010-05:00

Old Favorite: One of our favorite local eateries is Brothers' BBQ, shoehorned into a nearby strip mall in Palatine. We love the slightly spicy sauce and often purchase a jar to use at home. My favorite meal is the Pulled Pork Sandwich with a baked potato (instead of the less-healthy potato wedges my husband prefers). The people are no-nonsense and friendly and the atmosphere expectedly hole-in-the-wall complete with a bone bucket at the center of the few tables available. They offer a variety of party packs and meals and appear to do a brisk carryout/delivery business.

New Favorite: Tonight, we were excited to spot Jason's Deli, also in Palatine since we had enjoyed a visit to the Omaha location a few months ago. Always mindful of customer service thanks to my day job, I was impressed that we were quickly greeted with a menu and instructions on the ordering process. This type of service is always important to welcoming first time guests and goes a long way to building repeat business.

Jason's Deli is like a healthy, more appetizing version of my college cafeteria. Options include ordering sandwiches, pastas and more at the counter that are then delivered to your table and/or choosing the fully-stocked salad bar. As a lifetime member of Weight Watchers, I am very appreciative that Jason's Deli provides nutritional information for a few items, as well as designating vegetarian meals and organic items. They also offer to make 1/2 sandwiches and smaller portions. Finally!

As soon as I saw a Muffaletta on the menu - I was sold! We've made our own version at home with Muffaletta mix from the local farmers' market - but never have we ordered one in a restaurant! It was wonderful - so wonderful that my husband was disappointed that he did not get one, too!

A quick visit to the website reveals cool social networking features such as video messages about high fructose corn syrup, an interesting blog and a Twitter feed as well as the option to order online.

Long story short - for a wide variety of food and some healthly options, check out Jason's Deli. The decor is bright and cheerful and invites you to enjoy yourself with friends and family.

The complimentary ice cream doesn't hurt either.

Party Favors

2009-03-14T21:10:00.009-05:00

Party anticipation is never complete without the careful consideration of what dish to bring to the occasion! Should I go with a tried and true favorite or try something new? Stick with a theme or go out on a limb?

I had just such a debate when determining what to take to this evening's St. Patrick's Day party hosted by our good friends. As a previous post indicates, my first attempt at a theme related dish was a bit misguided. My dilemma seemed perfect work lunchroom conversation fodder (safer than politics or religion, I say) and soon recipes were raining down on me: Irish S oda Bread and Guinness Stout Ginger Cake! I thought, why not? Add to that my husband's family recipe for Almond Poppy Seed Bread (which is as much a dessert as it is a bread) and I knew I had the perfect dessert platter to add to the party mix.

Well, perfect might be stretching it a bit, it turns out. The Irish Soda Bread would have turned out perfectly - if only I would have let it bake for 10 more minutes. The toothpick test failed me and I ended up with a soda bread loaf with a soupy middle. Think Jelly Doughnut but much less appetizing. Consequently, it was benched for the last minute replacement of Jewel seasonal cupcakes. I watch Top Chef enough to know when to keep a dish in the kitchen, if you know what I mean.

Next, I discovered that the never-fail Almond Poppy Seed Bread does, in fact, fail if you leave out the almond extract. OK, I admit that it did not completely fail since it still tasted good, especially with the sweet almond glaze (I remembered the almond by then) that creates a wonderful and tasty crust.

The big winner today was the Guinness Stout Ginger Cake! With ginger, Guinness and molasses as main ingredients the finished product was dark, flavorful and ultramoist.

All-in-all, we had a fun night with great friends and great food. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Spicy Sweet Nighttime Meals

2009-03-12T22:30:00.010-05:00

Nothing drains my energy more than pondering the question "What to make for dinner tonight?" So, this week I decided to find some interesting and fast recipes to try out for weeknight dinners. Each meal turned out well enough to be considered in future meal rotations!

First, we tried Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney. This meal came together fairly quickly with me sauteing the apple chutney on the stove top while Stacy grilled the pork chops. The final result was a pork chop with a kick that combined well with the sweet fruity chutney. Next time I will serve something other than the long grain wild rice with this meal - maybe white rice or a green vegetable would be a better choice.

Next up: Sweet Orange Salmon! We need to eat more fish, but we are often daunted by the idea of preparing it. We fear no more! This recipe was fast, easy and seriously delicious. We used frozen salmon fillets and rubbed the sweet orange mixture (brown sugar, spices, orange zest) on prior to broiling in the oven. We loved the spicy, slightly caramelized topping on the fish and it was so easy to make! Watch the broiling carefully, however, as I let it get a little too caramelized, if you know what I mean. (Hence there is no picture!)

Kitchen Gadgetry

2009-03-07T17:14:00.009-06:00

I have a love/hate relationship with kitchen gadgets. I love finding great tools (big or small) with a perfect purpose in mind just for them. I enjoy receiving them and giving them as gifts. However, I hate storing them. I hate remembering, too late, that I had the perfect tool for something that I had to struggle through on my own.

In my recent recipe investigations, many of the recipes I wanted to try required the use of a food processor. So, after much research and debate, I bought a food processor (which actually was a great gift from my mother-in-law). So, as I picked out two new recipes to try, I made sure one of them required my new food processor, henceforth referred to as "Little Red."

First, I made Tuna Pan Bagnet (Cooking Light) for lunch. Made with tuna, lemon juice, olives, red onion, fresh basil and tomatoes, it was a light, fresh sandwich full of flavor. I would make it again, especially for one of my book club luncheons. What makes this sandwich interesting is that after you put the filling inside the bread, you wrap it in plastic wrap. Then, you let it sit for about 20 minutes so the flavorful liquid seeps into the bread, hence the name pan bagnat - which means "bathed in bread" in French.

A great accompaniment to this sandwich would be my second new recipe of the weekend - Lemony Hummus with Spicy Whole-Wheat Pita Chips (Cooking Light). This was Little Red's first tentative step in the Uden household and it performed wonderfully. I have never made hummus before and I still cannot believe how little time and effort it took with the basic ingredients (lemon juice, spices, garlic, and chickpeas) and my magnificent new food processor.

The result was a delicious hummus with just enough heat from the pita chips to make it interesting! I would make this dish again in a minute - which I might need to since I started eating it as soon as this picture was taken...I hope there will be some left for Stacy! This would be a great appetizer to take to a party. One thing - be sure to buy pitas that are easy to slice horizontally, otherwise you make a mess of everything.

Speaking of gadgets, last week I bought my first grapefruit spoon. A couple of years ago, a friend told me I was too young to buy a grapefruit spoon, but I think I am old enough now. Of course, when I was at grocery store I saw that Florida Department of Citrus is currently offering a deal where you can get free grapefruit spoons (with purchase of grapefruit). This is the season for citrus, so sign me up! More gadgets!

Lime Time

2009-03-03T21:55:00.001-06:00

I have a St. Patrick's Day party to attend this month and I have been searching for the perfect dessert to take to the party. My first option - Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake. So, I make it for my monthly staff meeting to test it out. Making this frosted, three-layer cake was not as time intensive as the recipe and reviews on Cooking Light.com made it sound; although grating the lime rind got old after awhile. I think I need to investigate purchasing a better grating tool. I did thoroughly enjoy using our antique juicer for the lime juice and remembered fondly receiving it as a gift at a wedding shower about 1000 years ago.

The cake did not turn out as I imagined it would, even with the picture on the recipe. First of all - it was yellow! I had, for some reason, expected it to be green! Silly me. That's one strike against it winning the St. Patrick's Day Dessert Challenge. The taste was good, light and "refreshing" my staff members said (of course, I am paying them so what else would they say?). I, being impartial, did like the taste as it was uniquely tart and limey.

The recipe also suggested garnishing the cake with blueberries and mint - which I might try sometime. Reviewers on Cooking Light.com suggested using a different type of filling between the layers, which is an interesting idea. However, what would be a good jam/jelly/curd flavor to combine with lime?

Feast or Famine

2009-03-02T21:08:00.005-06:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of trying several new restaurants (or new to me). Here's the rundown:

The Pita Inn - Wheeling, IL: On a field trip for work I tried this busy Mediterranean fast food restaurant. I had no idea what to order, so I got the Business Lunch Special which was enough food for me and three friends, quite honestly, with a combination of shish kabob, kifta kabob, shawarma, and falafel. All of the food was delicious, especially the pita bread! Unfortunately, a few hours later a friend and I both realized that the Business Lunch Special probably wasn't the best way to kick off the first Friday in Lent. Alas, the food was wonderful and I can't wait to take Stacy back there some day!

Agio Italian Bistro - Palatine, IL: Stacy and I joined two wonderful friends to try the newly opened Italian restaurant. We were warmly welcomed at this elegant, upscale restaurant that is the newest incarnation of the previous "Slice of Chicago" restaurant. The service was great, friendly and accommodating without hovering. We had a lovely dinner, each of us trying a different salad (beautifully presented) and pasta dish. I had a (huge) angel hair vegetable primavera dish with a white wine and garlic sauce. The noodles and sauce were delicious, although I could have used a few more vegetables. The dish made me think of what I could make at home once the Palatine Farmer's Market returns this spring!

We were all very impressed with the service, decor, and food and all plan to return in the future. At $12-22ish for entrees, we'll probably also consider getting carryout from the Slice of Chicago storefront next door (same owners).

Finally, while it wasn't a new place - we had a another fun visit to the Donkey Inn after our bowling night! Here's an article that can do it better justice than my pedestrian attempts.

Mint Julep

2009-02-26T22:14:00.004-06:00

Tonight I had dinner with a friend at a wonderful local restaurant - Mint Julep in Palatine. With rain pouring down outside and lightning flashing overhead, it was easy for us to feel like we were, indeed, settling in at the cozy restaurant in the South. After a long day at work, the wonderful cocktails on the menu were tempting, but I knew I had to try their sweet iced tea (my favorite drink). I also strong-armed my friend to let me order Fried Green Tomatoes for an appetizer since I have always wanted to try them. I was not disappointed! Of course, what isn't good fried, right?

Next, we both tried the soup of the day, a curry-ginger carrot soup that was smooth, creamy, carroty with a hint of spice. Even though I had the soup, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try the Brunswick Stew for my main entree. This hearty Southern stew made with barbecue beef, chicken, peas, and corn in a rich tomato sauce was the perfect meal for a stormy night. I brought some home with me and forced Stacy to try some before I even took off my coat.

At $10-$20 an entree, large portion sizes and a delightfully cozy ambiance, this would be a great place to recommend to Check, Please!

Next time, I am definitely going to have a Mint Julep.

Quesadillas, Rum, and Restaurants

2009-02-22T20:07:00.006-06:00

Don't try to fool me - you're still reading because the rum caught your attention! This weekend we tried two new recipes and one new restaurant. Since our Saturday afternoon was cold and snowy - I decided to make cookies! However, looking through recently collected recipes revealed only doughs that needed time to chill. No time for that, I thought, and I decided to make the much anticipated Butter-Rum Pound Cake from Betty Crocker! But, alas, we were both disappointed. It had a nice texture and decent taste, but we both were looking for a moister cake with more rum flavor - something similar to the tasty goodness of Stacy's mom's recipe for almond-poppy seed cake that turns out rich and moist due to drizzle added during the last step of the recipe. We might try something similar with a Tastefully Simple pound cake to experiment.

While the cake was cooling, I tried another new recipe for our dinner - Roasted Corn and Goat-Cheese Quesadillas. Stacy loves quesadillas, but I cringe everytime he eats them in a restaurant since they are always served dripping in cheese and grease (no offense, quesadilla chefs of America). I also thought this would be a good dish to try to make using our new panini press. In the end, we were both satisfied with the meal that also included Rice-a-Roni Mexican rice (yum!) and black beans. The quesadillas were tasty, although a bit heavy on the goat-cheese side...probably because my container of goat-cheese contained slightly more than the recipe called for (but not enough for me to go to the effort of removing - .3 oz). Using the panini maker resulted in melted quesadillas, but they weren't as crispy as they probably would have been using the skillet as the recipe indicated. I do think I would make a variation of this again, however. The recipe was fast and easy to make, as well.

On Sunday, I needed to go to work unexpectedly so, for a special treat, we visited a new local restaurant and had a very nice time. Toscana Restaurant and Lounge in Rolling Meadows is a nice, intimate sit-down Italian restaurant. We had delicous bread, more bread in the form of bruschetta (my ultimate favorite) and I had Pollo Limone and Stacy had the Tortellini Paesano for our main entrees. It's special occasion spot, with entrees running from $13 and up, although maybe we will try their lunch and/or take-out menu sometime as well. The service was outstanding; the staff were friendly and attentive. I look forward to trying their version of garlic pizza. It is very nice to find a nicer place in our area - we're still looking for our "Cheers."

Re-inventing the Ramble

2009-02-17T21:04:00.004-06:00

One of my New Year's Resolutions a few years ago was to give up doing New Year's Resolutions. Now I just make and break resolutions all year through! Right now, one of my mini-resolutions is to become a culinary and organizational genius.

What's that mean? I need to cook and clean more. Therefore, the last few weeks I've been making an effort to cook new dishes and "weed" various collections throughout our house. Therefore, I've decided to bring my blog back and document my progress - if nothing else than for my own amusement.

The most recent culinary experiment was Korean-Spiced Beef and Cabbage Rolls - a recipe that I saw last year in Cooking Light magazine. It was winning recipe from one of their readers that was inspired by my husband's favorite food from Nebraska - the Runza! I spent a good part of Saturday afternoon putting this recipe together and, thankfully, Stacy helped by making dessert - a rum pound cake also from CL. The dish was relatively easy to make - just a little more time consuming that I would usually like.

Honey was one of the dough's main ingredient, resulting in a light, sweet dough that I would consider using for other dishes as well. Overall, the Korean flavors were tasty, yet subtle. I would like to experiment with making the rolls smaller to create more of an appetizer snack bite, although I hope they won't be too hard to fold together. Additionally, I want to try adding different things to the filling - more vegetables and a little cheese.

The rum pound cake was carefully created by Stacy as he channeled his inner chemical engineer. It turned out ok - our favorite part was the mild taste of Captain Morgan's. Thankfully, a colleague at work shared a similar recipe with me today that might be a good one to try this weekend.

Maple Monday

2008-08-18T21:11:00.015-05:00

You know what they say - "When in Canada eat maple stuff." So I did. Amy choose to take a more discerning path as we explored charming Charlottetown. By the way, in Canada exploring means shopping. At least it does in our Canada-American dictionary.

So, first stop - Tim Horton's, which wasn't hard to find since there is one on every corner. My choice - the Maple Glazed. It was the best doughnut I have ever had. Seriously. Amy was quite fond of her cinnamon bun. We're hopeful Tim will invite us by again tomorrow.

The rest of the day was spent debating over which Anne of Green Gables souvenirs will couldn't leave the Island without, as well as visiting the popular Cows Ice Cream shop (Moople Walnut & Wowie Cowie). It was udderly delicious.

We also had a chance to enjoy the harbour walk around Charlottetown, including spotting a beautiful working lighthouse near our hotel. You can see the lighthouse right next to our hotel below.

Just kidding. That wasn't really our hotel. Even though we've enjoyed our stay - the view of our actual hotel room left a little to be desired.

Finally, after dinner (scallops with a maple-citrus sauce, naturally) we ended the evening with a visit to the Anne of Green Gables Musical. We met some kindred spirits and the performance was wonderful. I'll admit it, a few tears might have been shed in our section. Those of you familiar with our Anne know what events in the first book might have brought a tear to our eyes.

We hope you have enjoyed our blog posts as much as we have enjoyed our trip! See you soon! Here's one of our favorite shots from the trip - and look for more pictures on my Flickr site after we return. Amy and I are available for guided tours of the Island at any time.

Anne Sites and Singing Sands

2008-08-17T20:18:00.008-05:00

Day One of "Amy and Ryann's Anne Tour 2008" saw the fearless duo traversing the bucolic countryside in search of all things Anne. Here is a brief recap of the day's events:

Green Gables Heritage Site / Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site
Here we walked through a restored version of the home that inspired Green Gables. At the nearby historic site, we walked through the author's old homestead and spoke with one of her relatives. Favorite Highlight: Spooky golfers hiding in the Haunted Wood.

Anne of Green Gables Museum
This was the site of L. M. Montgomery's wedding and a house that she always enjoyed visiting. The Lake of Shining Waters is also located here. We even saw the Enchanted Bookcase that the author herself imagined seeing a friend in the reflection - just like Anne!

Favorite Highlight: Seeing Matthew Cuthbert in a striped shirt from JCPenny.

Singing Sands
We stopped at this beautiful, casual beach near the northern tip of the island to experiencing the wonder of a beach that sings! Don't believe us? Turn up your volume and watch this video (listen for the "zipper" sound).

We Have Arrived

2008-08-16T19:27:00.005-05:00

Bonjour!

We have arrived in Anne's land - successfully navigating through a our flight to Halifax (where we assisted our teenage flight attendent with the safety demonstration), a damp trip through Nova Scotia, and the long Confederation Bridge to get to beautiful Prince Edward Island. Now that we are fed we can plan all of our exciting Anne of Green Gables activities for tomorrow.

But, first, we need to figure out the thermostat. It's cold in here! Can anyone help?

My Doughnut Personality

2008-08-13T22:52:00.004-05:00

You Are a Glazed Donut

Okay, you know that you're plain - and you're cool with that.

You prefer not to let anything distract from your sweetness.

Your appeal is understated yet universal. Everyone dig you.

And in a pinch, you'll probably get eaten.

What Donut Are You?

Morning News

2008-08-05T22:15:00.003-05:00

In this busy world - it's hard to stay in the know about city, state, and world events. I, being both techie and old-school, still depend on television news and newspapers to keep me informed. Lately, I've become a CBS 2 Chicago watcher both morning and night. I like both the local and national anchors and this morning I was thinking that job shadowing Dave Price would be very interesting since it seems like he is a different place everyday. Another great show to check out - CBS Sunday Morning. I love the quirky, thought provoking reports.

Here's the quiz I took today to see which of the local anchors I would be most like:

Top Ten Books

2008-07-23T08:47:00.012-05:00

What would be on my Top Ten Books list? A hefty question, that. For me, a favorite book is the result of the work itself combined with the time and place it came into my life. Not necessarily literary merit, but a measure of how the work resonated with me. A glance over the bookshelves (and even décor) in my house and on my Good Reads page illustrate the books I love the most (in no specific order):

1. Anne of Green Gables series by L. M. Montgomery.
Who doesn't love fiesty, unlucky Anne and her beau-to-be Gilbert? Amy and I are traveling to Anne's land next month. First on my to-do list: take a carriage ride with Matthew Cuthbert (creepy, yes but I wouldn’t miss it).

2. Suzanne Brockmann's Navy Seal series (Troubleshooters, Inc. and Tall, Dark, and Dangerous) Romance and adventure mixed with some historical fiction make up these steamy military novels. Hubba hubba.

3. Nora Roberts books. Yes, Nora Roberts. Don't judge me – just admire my honesty. Specifically, I love these series: The Gallagher's of Ardmore (Irish Trilogy), Born In... (Irish Trilogy), and The Chesapeake Bay Saga. Love set on the shores of Ireland or New England - sigh.

4. The Lord of the Rings series. One of my best ever memories - Amy and I getting tickets to the Lord of the Rings movie marathon when the third book was released! Frodo lives!

5. Walk Two Moons/Bloomability by Sharon Creech. Huzzah, huzzah. Lyrical language and touching stories are the draw for me in both of these wonderful novels. The audiobooks are terrific, as well.

6. Truman by David McCullough. Ok, so I haven't actually finished it yet - probably because the a few hundred pages literally fell out of the book. For an inside look at a president as well as the historical perspective of the day - there is no one than McCullough.

7. The Ender series by Orson Scott Card. I read Ender's Game on Christmas Day while driving from Denver (away from the hospital) to Omaha. The complex and compelling science fiction saga of young, genius Ender being taken to the military school in the sky was just the thing to distract me during the 9 hour trip. I also really enjoyed Ender’s Shadow. Go Bean!

8. The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. The perfect fantasy series complete with a courageous and naive assistant pig keeper/hero, a clever princess, a wandering bard who just happens to be a king, and a smelly creature always looking for more crunchings and munchings.

9. Tamora Pierce's Tortall Universe Books (Song of the Lioness, The Immortals, Protector of the Small, Daughter of the Lioness) I've read and listened to these series more times than I can count. I have several favorite scenes - Alanna standing up the bullies, Kel's friends following her when she goes AWOL to save the people she vowed to protect, and more!

10. Harry Potter / His Dark Materials. Of course.

Honorable Mentions: The Thief series by Turner, The Cassen Family books by McKay, the Chicago Stars series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and I suspect the Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins will soon rate up there as well.

Palatine Area Community Marching Band

2008-07-06T21:00:00.010-05:00

Stacy and I broke up the monotony of our lives as a computer guru and librarian by joining the newly formed Palatine Area Community Marching Band.

Started by two local teachers, it was billed as park district class and ended up being fun, challenging and inspirational. We practiced twice a week throughout June and marched in the Palatine 4th of July parade (on July 5th thankfully since we were already committed to a parade on the 4th). Stacy even volunteered to play the bass drum since too many trombones and not enough drummers were in attendance.

We had a lot of fun - more than I anticipated I would. I realized that I miss playing in a group just as much as I miss performing. We received lots of positive feedback along the parade route as we marched and also as Stacy and I walked back to our car after visiting the food tent. Most of all, I was touched when I realized how many people had been watching for us - friends that knew we would be marching and made an effort to keep an eye out and even take pictures for us. As transplants to this area - that meant a lot.

Watch for us (or join us) next year!

Missed the parade? Check out the Pictures (some ours and some courtesy of Amy and Kevin) and Video (via YouTube and taken by knapp216) and more video (both songs)!

The Best Show You Are Not Watching

2008-06-21T19:39:00.008-05:00

In this summer of reality show spin-offs, prime time game shows, and the return of mundane re-runs you should treat yourself to the best show that no one (I know) is watching. My Boys, on TBS, is a comedy starring P.J., a female sportswriter, and her group of mostly male friends. Complete with quirky and endearing characters, witty dialogue and the Windy City setting - this show is definitely TIVO worthy.

A quick visit to the website revealed some cool blogs, too. Finally - I needed a new obsession this summer and housecleaning was just not doing it for me.

(Other shows with re-runs worth watching: How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. Seriously funny.

What Are You Reading Now?

2007-07-02T23:33:00.000-05:00

It used to be that I could only read one book at a time, but sometime during the last few years (grad school?) I graduated to reading several at once. Here is what I am reading now...feel free to chime in with your current reads!

Loose Lips: A Novel of Love and Espionage by Clarie Berlinski

This novel is the story of a aimless intellectual who is floundering in the occupational ocean after receiving her doctorate and ends up working for the CIA. As she goes through her training, she learns many lessons about trust, betrayal, and the real reason why they teach people to "Admit Nothing. Deny Everything. Make Counteraccusations." I bought this book at the Spy Museum in D.C. and I was surprised by the complexity of the story at the end...and how I am still thinking about it! I'm excited to learn that she has written more!

Truman by David McCullough

You might guess that Harry Truman's life is the story contained in this award winning book. I'm turning over a new, nonfiction, leaf this summer!

Life As We Knew It

2007-07-01T17:58:00.000-05:00

After a rousing and thought provoking discussion about Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It, I offered to post some of the titles mentioned here in this blog. Feel free to add others in the comments if I missed any! I'm hoping to put together a wiki for us to use that will be a little more interactive and useful for our bookclub!

Author Information: Susan Beth Pfeffer's Blog

Suggested Read-alikes for Life As We Knew It:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Other Titles Mentioned:

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Movie Link: http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (There is a page on IMDB about a movie...who knows if anything will come of it!)
One for the Money (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich
Them Bones by Carolyn Haines (Southern belle version of Stephanie Plum)
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Future Books:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Lady Chatterly's Lover by D. H. Lawrence

Ask Me About ALA

2007-06-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

My remaining time at the ALA conference was been spent learning about staff development, networking with interesting and diverse librarians, meeting with vendor representatives, and working the exhibit floor. Want to know more? Ask me (or click below) to learn more about:

Faceted Searching (give it a try here: http://aqua.queenslibrary.org/)
Federated Searching (http://www.webfeat.org/ or http://www4.auto-graphics.com/products/agentsearch/agentsearch.htm)
Aquabrowser
Self-checks
Burgeoning Babies (www.burgeongroup.com)
English Only Censorship (http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/june2007/jkeo.htm)

Final calculations:
Passports Stamps: 13
Programs Attended: 14
Luggage Weight: At least 1000 lbs. Seriously.
Miles Walked: 1 Billion
Impact on future programs and services: Priceless

Social Sunday

2007-06-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

Wow! Another day of beautiful weather in D.C. and a great day spent at the ALA conference! The conversations of yesterday are transitioning into the social aspects of library programs, services, and spaces. I did quite bit of social networking in my first life today, and I shared information with new colleagues and learned quite a bit from them about various vendors, programs, and Anne of Green Gables folklore!

I began the day by eating breakfast with Stacy (at the crack of dawn for the second day in a row-what a trooper!) and then I attended Stephen Abrams' program about the new technologies and their impact on library public relation plans. By the end, my brain was full and all I could think was "I have a lot of work to do." In my mind, leaving a session in an idea-induced haze is what I want from a program at ALA. (BTW, one link you can't overlook from this handout is the site where you can make your own Simpsons Avatar!)

I attended two more sessions today, and one was about Transforming Your Library Space, from a completely new building to remodeling on the cheap. The most moving experience of the conference thus far was the viewing of a video about the Robin Hood Foundation that is funding the L!BRARY project to renovate/revitalize libraries in the NYC school system. I also toured a few more of the exhibits and I found some very interesting things to consider for transforming our own future space!

This evening I attended the 2007 Newbery/Caldecott/Wilder banquet and I felt honored to witness the awarding of these prestigious medals and honors. All of the speeches were moving and, as usual, shed another perspective on the works being honored. By the way, if you haven't actually watched the Weston Woods film based on Mo Willems' book, Knuffle Bunny, then you must check it out!

Conversations on Saturday

2007-06-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a jam-packed day that started off my ALA conference experience. My first session was all about books and babies and included a very inspirational presentation about the Brooklyn Reads to Babies campaign (which won the John Cotton Dana Award Public Relations Award this year), the Read to Me program, and the Mother Goose Program. All of these programs are rich in content and gave me some ideas to think about for future prenatal and new parent reading parties. One of the things stressed by each presentation was the importance of the conversation with the baby because this is how the baby makes sense of their world. I think this is a great concept for us to be reinforcing in more obvious ways.

I attended three more programs this day (whew!) and one was about information seeking patterns in children (and adults), and another was about online social learning theory. The theme of "conversations" continued to repeat throughout many of these discussions (and on the exhibit floor) and I feel this underlines the change in philosophies and expectations of libraries today. Making connections with people, connecting people with information, connecting people with their communities...these all can only be accomplished by initiating a conversation in some form.

In other more mundane news, after I finished with the conference for the day, I joined up with Stacy and Dave for a marathon walk/jog through all the monuments. The good news is that I have nine more stamps in my passport! The bad news is that I wore out my shoes.

Da Udens Visit D.C.

2007-06-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

Stacy and I managed to squeeze in quite a few amazing sites as I wait in anxious anticipation for the conference to begin. We arrived with relatively few problems (missing luggage and malfunctioning trains aside) to find beautiful weather in our nation's capital.

Recently, I purchased a National Park Service passport (ignoring the fact it is probably aimed at nine year-olds) and we have found it a treasure map leading us to unique gems throughout the country. Using it, we found the Old Post Office where we toured the clock tower that is the home for the Bells of Congress. Another happy accident occurred later when we wandered by when the bell ringers were practicing!

Our other activities have included inadvertently merging with a protest group and unknowingly meeting a high-ranking official in the administration (mutually exclusive events, thankfully). We went on an unforgettable tour of The White House and the Old Executive Office Building escorted by our friend Dave and his friend who was an amazing tour guide. Currently, The White House website has a picture of two violinists performing for the president in the East Room. We were there earlier that day and the room was set up for this performance. Look at the painting of George Washington on the right and you might be interested to learn that it was the Gilbert Stuart painting saved by Dolley Madison, who rolled it up and took it with her when The White House was burned by the British in 1814. Well, hello Dolley!

Two more passport stamps later (Ford's Theatre and the Peterson House), I successfully completed my mission and kept my cover intact while learning a ton of interesting history at the International Spy Museum. If we have time, I would love to return to do Operation Spy, where we have a "real" mission to complete!

Check back tomorrow to learn what will happened during the first full day of the conference!

Podcasting Udens!

2007-03-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I've blogged and here is something new! Our very first podcast, which consists of Stacy and I discussing our views on technology and the real world. This episode is all about cell phones.

Enjoy!

http://www.pod-serve.com/podcasts/show/overbyte-dont-get-me-started#

O Canada

2006-10-13T07:59:00.000-05:00

We made it home safely with only a few frustrations going through customs in Montreal. From the moment we boarded the plane last Saturday, I have had the Canadian national anthem in my head (along with an unreasonable craving for maple syrup). Here is a funny website that I found so I could sing more than the first two words! Here is a more official website if you are interested in the history of the song.

Things we will miss about Canada:

1. Beautiful landscapes, although our own maple tree in the front yard is nothing to sneeze at. Actually, we'd prefer that you didn't sneeze at it as our lawn is covered with leaves as it is.

2. Restaurant staff who actually care how you respond when they ask "How was everything?"

3. Breakfast. Stacy and I sat way too long at the dining room table this morning waiting for our fruit course to magically appear.

4. Sweetened tea, seafood chowder and Cows ice cream shop. We plan to visit Oberweis and Red Lobster this weekend to ease the withdrawal effects.

5. Living in a "green" environment. 98% of the carbonated beverages sold on PEI are in refillable glass bottles.

Thanks for joining us on our trip!

Looking Forward

2006-10-11T19:38:00.000-05:00

Each of our days here in P.E.I. combined natural wonders and historical explorations and today was no different. Stacy's goals for today were well met as we toured the Charlottetown waterfront area and Province Hall which was the birthplace of the Canadian Federation.

The weather grew colder today (high of about 11 degrees Celsius) which will probably help us transition into the cold weather back home in Chicago. We didn't let the cold wind stop us from spending a part of the afternoon on the shore. It seems we have yet to tire of watching the waves or listening to the powerful sound of water crashing against land. We finished the day on a newly discovered boardwalk a few blocks from our B&B where we watched the sunset and reflected on our holiday.

We are looking forward to returning home, but we are also looking forward to our next trip to P.E.I. Anyone want to join us?

Island Wanderings

2006-10-10T20:01:00.000-05:00

Prince Edward Island is small in size (175 miles from tip to tip), but large in terms of activities available to happy travelers like us. Driving around the island is a joy in itself, with the variety of landscapes and autumn colors providing picturesque scenes along the way. It has been interesting, however, becoming accustomed to Canadian road signs. The signs make sense, but sometimes it feels like a giant Rebus book.

People have told us that you can't get lost on P.E.I. If you get misdirected, all you have to do is turn left when you hit water and eventually you will be back where you started from. The only real trouble we have had is getting used to the scale on the P.E.I map. The map is the same size as one of our U.S. state highway maps, but one inch on this map equals about 3 miles. Consequently, when I tell Stacy to "watch out for Route 6" we usually pass by it two seconds later. :-)

Today, Stacy and I visited a few P.E.I. shops and stumbled upon some breathtaking red sand beaches lined by sandstone cliffs on the north shore (again, kudos to Park s Canada!). This is the type of happy accident that makes this area so enjoyable. We have one full day left of our vacation and we have already determined that several things will have to wait for our next visit!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as Stacy gets to pick what to do for the day! Maybe I can get him to do a guest post...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-10-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

On this Canadian Thanksgiving Day, Stacy and I had a lot to be thankful for! The beautiful weather held on for one more day, making it a perfect time to hike along a variety of trails on the northern side of the Island. The Parks Canada system has really impressed us with the well maintained recreation areas and their efforts to preserve unique natural and historical landmarks within the country.

On one of the Greenwich trails, we walked over a freshwater pond via a floating boardwalk, emerged onto a virtually deserted beach, and then splashed around in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. Well, we didn't really splash around so much as we played chicken with the waves and then dipped our fingers in the chilly water. The trail was very educational and we learned a lot about the fragile habitat as well as the parabolic sand dunes and the unique counter-ridges that are visible here on this side of P.E.I.

We were thankful for every minute.

Happy Thanksgiving!

(They eat turkey here, too. We, however, decided to have seafood.)

Anne's Land

2006-10-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

Day two of our trip started out beautifully, with a delicious breakfast served by our two wonderful hosts at the Elmwood Heritage Inn. This historic bed and breakfast is elegantly decorated and has a warm, cozy atmosphere that feels just like home. Well, not our home, of course, but what our home could be if we hired someone to decorate our home and fix our food. After breakfast, we received some insider tips from our hosts and were off on our first full day of adventuring.

Today's main destination was truly a lifelong dream coming to fulfillment as we made our way through the breathtaking landscape to the Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place, a part of the Canada National Parks system. Here we toured the house that inspired Green Gables, which was actually owned by relatives of the author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The house was restored using the descriptions from the books and items typically used during the late 1800s. We walked through rooms that represented those of Anne, Marilla, and Matthew and I could easily imagine many of the scenes from the treasured story.

Another perfect fall day made walking through the trails surrounding the house a magical experience. These were the woods that L. M. Montgomery traipsed through during her childhood and the woods that Anne, Diana, and Gilbert traveled through in their adventures. Stacy and I marveled at the serenity of Lover's Lane and the creepiness of the Haunted Woods.

Interesting things learned today:

1. L. M. Montgomery was rejected five times for her novel, Anne of Green Gables. Luckily, she and her grandmother ran the post office from their kitchen so no one else ever knew.

2. Cheese sticks here can be ordered with a Donair sauce. It seems that this is a regional specialty made from milk, sugar, and vinegar. Stacy is very brave.

3. A mysterious black fly has been following us all day long. Just the one. It is very odd.

4. Ryann's favorite Stacy quotes of the day:

"I think I've had enough meat for today." - I've never heard him say those words before.

"I have to think that it's just a book." - Good thing we opted for the suite so he'll have somewhere to sleep tonight.

Just kidding, he's a doll and we all know that. Who else would go willingly into the Haunted Woods?

A Prince of a Place

2006-10-07T21:13:00.000-05:00

Stacy and I started our vacation to Prince Edward Island in our usual fashion: arriving late at the airport, bickering over parking spots, and lugging luggage far enough to realize we should have just purchased clothes and toiletries at our destination. When we finally reached our gate, I kept up international relations by accidentally knocking a fellow traveler's pizza onto the pristine airport floor. But, really, I think I did her a favor. Why eat airport pizza when you are mere steps away from Cinnabon?

Soon we were airborne and the flight to Montreal was fantastic! I'm going to fly Air Canada every time I fly from now on. Their website is top-notch and onboard entertainment is provided by individual touch screens that allow you to watch movies, shows, or listen to music during your flight. I watched an episode of NUMB3RS and part of The Devil Wears Prada. You could even pause what you were watching when the beverage service rolled around! It was like having my very own TIVO in the air for the low price of one airline ticket!

Transferring to our Charlottetown flight was fairly uneventful and soon we arrived at PEI on a beautiful fall day. Few clouds blocked the warm sun and a cool breeze reminded us that fall was here, if we had neglected to notice the fiery red and orange leaves on many trees in the area.

We've already learned a lot during out trip. Not ones to hoard trivia, we'll share with you some Canadian traveling tips.

1. When you buy new knitting needles at a Canadian Michaels store, they don't really want to know your zip code.

2. When people say it is going to be 20 tomorrow, act excited. Turns out this is a good thing.

3. Table d'hote means a fixed meal or a meal with several courses at a fixed cost (per Merriam's Online Dictionary).

4. Not everyone on Prince Edward Island has red hair.

5. Be aware of communication problems when traveling internationally. These are most likely to occur with your own spouse. :-)

You Asked For It!

2005-11-25T21:12:00.000-06:00

Kindred spirits are alive and well in the young adult novel Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar. This heartwarming and humorous read chronicles a year in the life of a high school freshman, Scott, who spends his year trying to gain the attention of a girl, avoiding the lunch money bandit, writing eloquent sports articles for the school paper (each in a different literary style), and creating a journal for his soon-to-be born baby brother. This book made me laugh out loud and quicky carved a special place into my heart and onto my bookshelf.

Read it!

Another recent favorite: Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles.

:-)

Harry's Done

2005-07-27T08:55:00.000-05:00

I finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night. What do I think? Thanks for asking! To me, it is like your birthday when you are planning to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner that night. You don't want to eat too much during the day, but you do need something to hold you over. This book is like the fruit filled yogurt that you eat midafternoon - delicious, fortifying, and leaves you plenty to anticipate for the fancy meal ahead.

There were lots of good quotes in this one, and here is one of my favorites:

'You said to us once before,' said Hermione quietly, 'that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?'

We cannot read that quote without pairing it with one from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them. (p. 179).

Who wants some discussion questions?

Harry's Here

2005-07-20T09:37:00.000-05:00

Ok, ok, so I finally got my British edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. But, I can't start until my homework is done! I will have to read it soon, however, for an upcoming book discussion.

If I didn't have to read it soon, I was thinking of reading a page a day, and then blogging about every page! What do you think? I would stretch out the fun until approximately April of 2007!!!

Here's a picture of what my copy looks like (thanks Amazon.uk!). It's cute. I'll read fast, I promise!

The Gospel According to Larry

2005-07-07T21:44:00.000-05:00

So, while I have read A LOT of books recently, I have to post about this one ASAP. The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian is a textured, thought provoking read about a seventeen year-old who anonymously tries to change the world with sermons on a website and win the girl he loves, but ends up being the embodiment of everything he stands against.

Read it. It'll change your life for as long as you let it.

Then check out the real life website www.thegospelaccordingtolarry.com

It's inspired me to create a "Wired Reads" list. Post any suggestions you have!

We're Waiting Harry....

2005-07-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

Check out this funny article from McSweeney's that might give you some insight to what will happen in the new book! (Clipped from The Big A Little A Blog).

Reading Quote of the Day

2005-06-19T20:10:00.000-05:00

"Rosenberg's First Law of Reading: Never apologize for your reading tastes" from Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library by Joyce G. Saricks.

Here is a quick run-down of what I have read recently, both recreational and school required readings. I'll let you guess which is which! :-)

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
Fascinating historical facts about Chicago and the World's Fair (1893) combined with riveting narrative about a serial killer in Chicago at the same time.

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs.
Meet Tempe Brennan, a forensic anthropogist who leaves the lab to solve crimes in this suspenseful mystery series (like Patricia Cornwell).

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
No, I haven't read this before! While meant to be set in the future it seems to be telling a story that accurately describes the world today...

Desire by Amanda Quick.
Lady Clare can no longer maintain control of the Isle of Desire and is forced to marry the King's illegitimate son, who at first seems to be quite of the opposite of her desire. I give this regency romance four hot chili peppers out of five.

Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz.
Kelson is only fourteen when his father, the King, dies and he is next in line for the throne and also his magical powers that can be brought forth by various rituals...if the evil sorceress doesn't kill him first!

Black Rose by Nora Roberts.
The second title of the In the Garden trilogy explores the growing relationship between no-nonsense Rosalind and the hunky genealogical researcher Mitch (who is helping the family discover the origin of their resident ghost. (This one gets three hot chili peppers!)

Some may scoff at romance novels, but hopefully most people can just accept that people have different reading tastes. As I hope you can see from this blog, I like to read things from all over the library. Sometimes, however, a romance novel provides just the right escape from the everyday. This summer is a good example, as I am swamped with homework but I still reserve a few minutes each day for my "brain candy" read.

Go find yours and be proud!

The Value of Millions

2005-05-24T21:53:00.000-05:00

During the last couple of weeks, I listened to the audiobook version of the book Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce. The story of two preteen brothers (saint-loving Damian and future investment banker Anthony) is both heartwarming and funny as we follow their quest to spend over 200,000 British pounds before England converts to the Euro. Damian thinks the money was sent to them from God so they could perform good deeds, a fact which is supported by the various saintly visions he has. Anthony knows better and thinks the money should be used to expand their investment portfolio by buying a house. As the days until conversion near, Anthony learns that the money came from a robbery attempt and Damian realizes that the money is creating more problems than it solves.

Tonight I saw the movie based on the book and I highly recommended it. The screenplay was written by the author, so the story's voice and integrity remained intact. The book is told in first person, so I was impressed with how well the movie revealed the character of Damian. Both boys were adorable and Damian's effort to do the right thing and deal with this mother's death were very touching. The father was shown as strong, hardworking, loving, and vulnerable, which I found honest and compelling. His burgeoning relationship with another women adds another twist to this already dynamic slice of real family life. The cinematic effects and diverse soundtrack complete this well-done adaptation of an excellent book.

Don't trust me? Check out Roger Ebert's review. He says, "This is one of the best films of the year."

Write On

2005-05-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

I recently bought the book called A Writer's Notebook by Caroline Sharp in hopes that it would inspire and encourage me to write the great American novel. Well, sadly, that has not happened yet, but I did just now pick it up and make some fantastical plans to do the exercises over my lunch hour at work.

But I'm not the only one who needs encouragement! So, I've decided to post Writing Prompts every now and then for any one interested in listening to their own writing whispers. Type in a response here or keep them in your writer's journal...whatever it takes to get you on the road to writing. This prompt is from The Writer's Block by Jason Rekulak.

Imagine what life would have been like if you had the occupation you'd wanted as a child.

Do You Know Your PATRIOT Act?

2005-05-23T21:10:00.000-05:00

Controversy is easy to find in the world today, but harder to clearly define as right or wrong. One such issue concerns the balance of our rights as free citizens with the necessity to protect people and to investigate those whose mission might be to hurt others. What do you know about the PATRIOT Act? Check out the sites below for a quick refresher or overview. It's important because your rights are involved. These are the same rights that men and women are fighting for right now.

American Library Association's PATRIOT Act Page
Preserving Life and Liberty U.S. Government website's Patriot Act Page

Article about the PATRIOT Act and one library's experience (from American Libraries online)

Fingerprinting at the Library?

2005-05-22T22:29:00.000-05:00

The Naperville Public Library has contracted with U. S. Biometrics to provide a fingerprint recognition system to allow patrons access to the Internet computers. Currently, the system for internet access asks for the patrons' library card and pin numbers. However, an investigation following an incident involving the viewing of pornography by a patron discovered that people would often use another patron's login information. For example, a child whose parents have selected filtered Internet access for him might use the unfiltered access provided with the login information of his friend.

This technology brings about many questions regarding privacy, confidentiality and freedom of information. What would you think about this if you were a staff member or a patron of this library? One of my questions is this: how long does the computer retain information about sites visited by a specific patron? This would be the same question, regardless of the mechanism for identification. U. S. Biometrics states in the article below that the fingerprint scans can not be used to recreate an actual fingerprint and then searched in a law enforcement database.

This should be interesting to follow in the future.

Here are some articles for to check out for more information. Even though this news was picked up by the Associated Press, no information was available on the Naperville Library webpage as of this posting.

American Libraries online.
The Chicago Tribune.
The Washington Post.
U. S. Biometrics

Breaking Point

2005-05-21T18:44:00.000-05:00

Someone should write a book called The Secret Lives of Books and maybe that would explain why books end up in every room of my house. While herding some of them up today, I was compelled to research the next book in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter series. Rejoice fellow Team 16 fans! Breaking Point (Max and Gina's story) will be released on July 12. You can even order a signed copy!

Waiting for Harry...

2005-05-19T23:17:00.000-05:00

It's only 56 days to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! Although my reading list is jam packed with books to read for summer classes, if you are looking for something to fill the long days and nights until HP returns check out this NPR article with suggestions from Nancy Pearl (Book Lust and librarian action figure fame). This link was found via The Playful Antiguarian blog.

Bandwagon Hopper

2005-05-19T21:48:00.000-05:00

While I may not be a diehard Star Wars fan, I have to appreciate the parodies flying around my cyber-galaxy. Here's one for organic food fans starring Cuke Skywalker, Chewbroccoli, Tofu D2, Lord Tader, Ham Solo and others: Store Wars (first seen on the Shifted Librarian blog). Stacy sent me this link to the Star Asciimation Wars. While I can applaud someone listening to their own Star Wars whispers, I have to wonder who has this kind of time? Really? (This is coming from the same person who will most likely spend the rest of the night NOT doing homework, housework, or estate legal work!)

Tick-Tock

2005-05-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

What generation am I? Does anybody know? X? Y? Z? The tick-tock of my writer's clock is a little bit louder each day. The voices in my head are constantly whispering their stories to me in the hope that I will actually take the time to write them down and give them a louder voice. "Soon, soon," I whisper back.

Apparently, I am not the only writer that suffers from Whispering Voice Syndrome as I recently found this post on the PLA blog about how most authors are published around the age of 50. Is this encouraging or does this just enable my procrastination?

Poor Melanie, poor Savannah, poor Jake, poor Brian...will their stories ever be told?

I am the only one that hears them, right?

Sweet Home Chicago

2005-05-17T23:32:00.000-05:00

This post is for all of you who love information organization and access or who also grew up with a police scanner in your living room. What? I'm the only one? Oh, well - you still have to check out ChicagoCrime.org, a database of reported crime in Chicago complete with the capibility to browse by time, location, type of crime and more! This is a mystery writer's goldmine! (Found while reading the Library Stuff blog).

Are You Under Harry's Spell?

2005-05-16T20:58:00.000-05:00

Here is an article from The Guardian that describes the crossover reading phenomenon that is Harry Potter. It seems that a record breaking number will purchase the "adult edition" of the book (different covers, not different content - eek!). Here is a link to the adult cover. I think I will stay with the British version I have on order with the children's cover. I've heard it said that people prefer the adult version so they are less conspicuous while commuting and traveling with their copies. Poor muggles.

While visiting various elementary school classrooms lately, I feel like the excitement for the book is more subdued compared to previous release summers. It seems like more kids are excited for the Goblet of Fire movie due out in November (here's a trailer link thanks to AM and her brother). Of course, with the story of Harry and friends becoming more mature, maybe this isn't such a bad thing.

-Heryannione

Libraries and Blogging

2005-05-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

So, public libraries are getting onto this blogging bandwagon. Here is an example of one library and how they use a blog (from PLA's blog, cited on the Library Stuff blog: http://www.waterborolibrary.org/blog.htm.

Another interesting tidbit also from the Library Stuff blog is that patrons using the Hennepin County catalog can generate RSS feeds from searches. In other words, they can be notified when new books are available from certain authors or subjects. How cool is that?

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: If the Pants Fit...

2005-05-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I was finally convinced to try out this Traveling Pants phenomenon and would you believe that I actually liked the series (by Ann Brashares)? I want a pair of these pants, but I have a feeling that Eddie Bauer doesn't carry them. Really though, I enjoyed this series and I am looking forward to watching the upcoming movie based on the first book. The four girls that comprise the sisterhood are unique, but I found something about each of them that I could identify with. The topics covered are both adolescent and mature, but I appreciated the way certain situations were handled (no spoilers here!). Try this series on for size; I'm certain it will be a good fit!

Plus, if you want to find out which member of the sisterhood is your "soulmate", try this website: http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/sisterhoodcentral/quiz.html.

Entry Level Librarians Beware

2005-05-10T23:52:00.000-05:00

Graduate school is hard enough, but what happens when you graduate and you cannot get a job? Let's hope none of the current graduates I know are dealing with the problems depicted in this article from Library Journal about the lack of positions for entry level librarians. Also discussed is the fact that some positions that do not require experience rarely go to new librarians.

Long Time, No Blog!

2005-05-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

I’ll try to keep this brief, but here is a rundown of the BEST books I have read since my last blog. All of these titles are must reads! For a funny look at the process of writing, take a look at this site by one of authors listed below (click on the FAQ)!

Recent Favorites
Pennington, Bill. The Heisman: Great American Stories of the Men Who Won.
My Dad received this book while he was in the hospital (from my aunt) and I read over half of it aloud to him. It was a wonderful experience; I only wish we could have finished the book (or at least gotten to the Huskers!). The author highlights a variety of Heisman winners and puts each of them into framework of their respective social and policital eras.

Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. (audio)
Colgran, Jenny. The Boy I Loved Before or Do You Remember the First Time?
Cottrell Boyce, Frank. Millions. (audio)

From YA Lit:
McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics.
Spiegelman, Art. Maus I.

From YA Lit Book Discussion Group Project:
Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons.
Konigsburg, E. L. The View from Saturday.
Lawrence, Iain. B for Buster.
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Esperanza Rising.
Tolan, Sephanie. Surviving the Applewhites.
Turner, Megan Whalen. The Thief.

Fun New Picture Books:
Asher, Sandy. Too Many Frogs!
Markes, Julie. Shhhhh! Everybody's Sleeping!
Slater, David Michael. Jacques and Spock.

WIRT: ALEX RIDER!!!

2005-03-24T21:53:00.000-06:00

Can't blog now - Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz just arrived today from the UK!!! I'm traveling to Denver tomorrow...I can pack in the morning! Homework? Who cares!!! Escapism at its best just when a person needs it the most...

WIRT: How to be Good

2005-03-23T09:29:00.000-06:00

How to be Good by Nick Hornby
There comes a time in our lives when we look around and think, "How in the world did I get here?" or "Is this where or who I want to be?" Katie (a doctor, mom, and wife in her late thirties) is experiencing just such a crossroads in her life and Hornby takes us along for the ride. The author's humor and sly observations on life create a thought provoking read that stays with you long after you put it back on the nightstand.

Would YOU want to be Dan Brown?

2005-03-21T07:42:00.000-06:00

Well, maybe you would since he's made $50 million in the U.S. alone for four books (according to the New York Times)! However, read this article, "For 'Code' Author, 24 Months in a Circus" about his life today and the pressure to produce a best-selling follow up to the Da Vinci Code before you decide. (Blogger's note: I haven't actually read any of his work.)

Reader Roundup - A Question for You!

2005-03-20T17:47:00.000-06:00

So, my purpose in creating this blog is to share interesting literary and library science tidbits with my friends. However, it doesn't have to be one-sided! So, I've decided to post questions for others to respond to with their wisdom and thoughts! Here's goes:

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have ONE book with you, what book would it be?

(How to Survive on a Deserted Island is not an option!)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Read a Book on Your Cell Phone?

2005-03-20T17:35:00.000-06:00

Here's an article from MSNBC news describing the growing number of people who read novels on their cell phones! Can you imagine reading a book just a few lines at a time? Of course, it might come in handy in grocery store lines, airport lines, etc.

No Privacy for Kids at the Library?

2005-03-19T08:11:00.000-06:00

Here is an article from the Portland Press Herald about a bill that is being suggested in Maine that would allow parents to view what children up to age 17 check out of libraries! Scary!

WIRT: Code Blue, How to Be Good, Astro Boy

2005-03-19T00:10:00.000-06:00

So, the last few days have found me in a writing slump and I've turned to reading and frozen yogurt for consolation (usually at the same time). Consequently, here's what I've covered:

Code Blue: A Writer's Guide to Hospitals, Including the ER, OR, and ICU by Dr. Keith Wilson & Dr. David Page.
This educational title gave me plenty to consider as it answered some of my basic research questions. At times, it brought back some all too recent memories of not so fun days spent with Dad in the ICU. We've a lot to be thankful for!

How to Be Good by Nick Hornby. (In progress)
I'm impressed with this author's ability to be funny and serious at the same time. This title was recommend by a friend of mine (as her favorite among his work) and I'd be interested to see how his other titles compare.

Astro Boy, Vol. 1 by Osamu Tezuka.
This classic graphic novel stars the robot, Astro Boy, who was created to replace a grieving scientist's son. In this volume, Astro Boy saves the world from the sadly manipulated "Hot Dog Corp", a group of dog-robot cyborgs (among other heroic deeds).

WIRT: Beans and Compasses

2005-03-16T23:09:00.000-06:00

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.
This complicated fantasy is the first in the His Dark Materials trilogy. I'm listening to the audiobook (again!) and it's among the best with a full cast of performers and narration by the author.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. (SK, LH)
A story of friendship, family, loss and love told in a down-home, lyrical language. Looking forward to the book discussion!

Toddler Blog from Committed Comic

2005-03-16T07:57:00.000-06:00

See how blogging is everywhere? Here is a link to a funny comic strip that I found cut out and placed on my desk this morning. Here's a virtual version for you! http://www.comics.com/comics/committed/archive/committed-20050316.html

Human Google Search Engine

2005-03-13T14:22:00.000-06:00

Check out this article from The Guardian about the retirement of an 82-year old librarian who has been clipping and archiving articles in her home for 55 years. "The Scissor Sister"

WIRT: Werewolves, ABCs, and Beans

2005-03-12T18:15:00.000-06:00

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause.
Life's hard when you are a teenager and a werewolf.

The ABCs of Collaborative Change: The Manager's Guide to Library Renewal by Kerry Carson, et al.
Today's chapter: team building. My writing partners and work colleagues will appreciate me learning how to play well with others.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.
Yikes, I'd better start this book since my book club meets next week!

Check out the new blog roll on the right, under links!

Snowy March Afternoon

2005-03-10T14:34:00.000-06:00

Another lovely day in Illinois. The sky is overcast, the ground is white, and the streets are covered with salt. It's like a gray version of paradise. Ok, obviously not, especially when some people have to go back out in the snow to finish off a split shift at work. Thankfully, in my effort to avoid doing anything productive, I found this very funny clip on my UIUC Library Science Youth Services Bulletin Board. This is for all those librarians who really wish they were police officers....http://www.soup2nuts.tv/overdue_clip1.swf Check it out (but be careful..you need audio)!

Never Enough Time!

2005-03-05T21:19:00.000-06:00

What else would an assistant librarian do after spending the day talking about books with other librarians-to-be? Go to the bookstore, of course! But, alas, time and money are in short to supply to this grad student so all I bought was a copy of The Believer (arg - subscription hasn't started yet!). Here's my list of what to read in the future! Thanks to the 404ers who influenced this list with their booktalks!

Batman Handbook by Scotty Beatty.
Mediator by Meg Cabot.
Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence by Paul Feig.
Split Image by Mel Glenn.
Behind Everyman by David Israel.
Devil in the White City by Eric Larson.
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo.
The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian.
Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss.

Lazy Comedians

2005-03-03T20:06:00.000-06:00

Conan, Dave, and Craig: what do you do when you need another joke to fill in a monologue? Do you just go to the fat joke hat and pull out one about Kirstie Alley, Ruben Studdard, or Star Jones? These jokes are not funny, they're mean. If anyone out there (the two people who read this blog that is) watches one of these shows and sees a monologue without a fat joke, let me know! Comedians at this level should be able to come up with amusing comments without relying on such an obvious target as people struggling with being overweight. Whew, do I feel better.

Ants

2005-03-02T21:48:00.000-06:00

We hate ants. They are the root of all evil and most likely the reason that dinosaurs became extinct. Anyone want to buy a house? No, really, this is worse than the swarm of flies on the worst birthday ever two years ago. We clean, we call exterminators, and we pay but it doesn't help! Why did I leave Denver again? I'm moving to a high-rise condo. They can't get up to the top floor, can they?

Thought of the Day

2005-02-28T23:06:00.000-06:00

"Rejection only happens to those brave enough to take a risk."
-scrawled across my wannabe writer whiteboard for inspiration.

Random Thought: Heroes Among Us

2005-02-27T22:51:00.000-06:00

Words will fail me as I attempt to express how amazing people are. My Dad, for one, is simply remarkable; but many others have demonstrated how one person can touch the life of another. During just the last few days, several people have done meaningful things such as remembering my name, giving me heartfelt advice on an airplane, listening to me ramble along a cold and noisy street, sending my Dad chocolates, keeping me company in long airport lines, and simply asking how I am and actually listening to my reply. I am very thankful to know the wonderful people that orbit through my life. Sappy and convoluted, but true.

WIRT: Final Superheroes Thoughts

2005-02-27T22:19:00.000-06:00

Mr. Next-door on the airplane today was intrigued by The Science of Superheroes by Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg (John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002), and rightly so! Here's my favorite quote, concerning "Flash" the superhero with super speed:

"On a related note, does the Flash sweat? If not, why not? If so, then his uniform must be fairly porous. All that running might steam off the sweat, but the chemical residue might make the Flash the superhero whose body odor announces his presence before he arrives!" -( p. 122-123).

WIRT: Pedro and Me by Judd Winick

2005-02-27T22:11:00.000-06:00

This is the story of Pedro, the HIV-postive AIDS activist from the Real World reality show. This powerful and moving read was written in graphic art format by his friend and former castmate. This book was a Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book in 2001 should be on everyone's list of books to read this year. (Oh, it seems Winick also illustrates the Complete Idiot's series. See how things come full circle?)

WIRT - Annie and Superheroes on the Run

2005-02-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

Another exciting Friday night in Denver! Sure, I could do homework. Sure, I could work on my writing projects. But, instead, I thought I'd write another dorky WIRT update, while waiting on hold ("expect 45 minutes wait") to change my weekend flight.

What I'm Reading Today:
The Science of Superheroes by Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg.
I've only just begun this fascinating title...but have you ever wondered about the scientific principles in comic books? Well, okay, I haven't either. But think about it, how can Superman lift up a car by it's roof and the car doesn't fall apart when held from the top? Stay tuned for the explanation...

Nurse by Peggy Anderson is already packed in my luggage, but it is mocking me from the depths of my bag.

What I've Finished:
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden (powerful novel for teens).
Nerd Gone Wild by Vicki Lewis Thompson (grocery store purchase along with lowfat frozen yogurt - enough said).

(IT"S RINGING! Leonard is helping me!!! Oh, no. I don't think he likes his j.o.b.)

What I'm Going to Check Out on Monday:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Running by Bill Rodgers.
I'm sure many of you have heard my whining about not having a treadmill here in CO. And, yes, I know that running outside is a possibility. Anyway, I seem to have an inability to pace myself while running outside. Yes, I know, what a moron. I run too fast and then have to stop! I'm sure you'll want to stay tuned for the next installment of "Ryann Tries to Run."

WIRT 2/23/05

2005-02-22T23:14:00.000-06:00

For my Young Adult Literature Class: Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden.
This book is a captivating look into the lives of two girls who are discovering their attraction for each other. I'm captivated by how one character, Liza, is dealing with the idea that her feelings are "wrong" but says that nothing else has ever felt so right. However, this story is written as a flashblack so I am not confident that things will work out for the girls. Some foreshadowing makes me think that a shoe is going to drop in the future.

My Brain Candy Read: Nerd Gone Wild by Vicki Lewis Thompson.
I've read some of Ms. Thompson's other "Nerd" stories, and this one stars newly rich Ally and her grandmother's nerdy bookkeeper (a bodyguard in disguise who is hot to guard her body!). She is trying to ditch him in the wild and wooly woods of Alaska...but he's not giving up easily!

For Writing Inspiration: Nurse by Peggy Anderson.
This book is a true life look into the life a nurse in a large hospital. It is moving and sometimes hits a bit to close to home, if you know what I mean. I have to read it in very small amounts...

What else is lying around waiting for me to read:
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane.
The Science of Superheroes by Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg.

Any thoughts?