tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43061808156446358112024-02-07T03:26:21.510-05:00Digressions of a Sponge for KnowledgeOut of the tempting curiosities which sidetrack me from everyday tasks, a blog is born.Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-61271038250012326882017-09-25T09:00:00.000-04:002019-01-06T21:08:15.868-05:00Banned Book Week Scratch-Off Cards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBEEJIlujhTEIEXlm8q8Xf6Tv7PtMnak9VRhssgeLNgQ8TAEZtQTQAO8eAHPkXmABRx7McRBq9h9H5EMumSXncMBCZCmiuBeBYmypsqzGTlNOaq-2UiuvKY7h1C1xIzk_a-ZIDYnl35Q/s1600/IMG_6925+retouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBEEJIlujhTEIEXlm8q8Xf6Tv7PtMnak9VRhssgeLNgQ8TAEZtQTQAO8eAHPkXmABRx7McRBq9h9H5EMumSXncMBCZCmiuBeBYmypsqzGTlNOaq-2UiuvKY7h1C1xIzk_a-ZIDYnl35Q/s400/IMG_6925+retouch.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
I LOVE <a href="http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/">Banned Books Week</a>, so I'm highlighting a project I did for Banned Books 2015 - Banned Book Scratch-Off Cards! There's something about promoting books that people love challenging, that I just love, and I always try to do something cool to promote it - whether it's a display, program, or activity. I'm a huge proponent of intellectual freedom in all forms, so I took to the black hole of the internet for inspiration: Pinterest.<br />
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Pinterest is a dangerous place. I mean it. You start looking for one thing, and then BAM! You're in deep, eyes bulging, fingers twitching, and it's five hours later than you thought it was.<br />
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I found a recipe for home-made scratch off tickets, and they were being used as wedding party favors. I'd seen this before. Small beans... but then, a great flash went across my vision, and the lightbulb came on in my head. BANNED BOOKS WEEK SCRATCH OFFS - because what better way than to un-censor a book than to uncover it from beneath a layer of whatever-the-heck-that-scratch-off-stuff is made of. Amiright?<br />
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I adapted this pin from a <a href="http://www.bhg.com/holidays/valentines-day/cards/make-a-scratch-off-card-for-valentines-day/">Better Homes & Gardens</a> article.<br />
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So here's what you'll need:<br />
<ul>
<li>A way to create an easy-to-print bookmark (I used Microsoft Publisher)</li>
<li>A good printer</li>
<li>Cardstock </li>
<li>White crayons</li>
<li>Black acrylic paint</li>
<li>Dish soap</li>
<li>A paintbrush</li>
<li>A paper cutter</li>
</ul>
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Here's what you'll do: </div>
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<ol>
<li>Create and print your scratch-off tickets. I used Microsoft Publisher to create these. First I made these ones that have five different banned books that I chose to highlight. The reason they are challenged are beneath, so you can have fun guessing which book it is and then be properly horrified when you find out what book goes with which reasons. I made a different set that says "You won a free book!" so that we could give some free books away at our Banned Books Week Reading at the Tin Whistle Irish Pub (Tuesday, Sept. 29th at 5pm!) </li>
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<li>A helpful hint: Images weren't as clear once they were scratched off, but the black text on the white cardboard did fine. I used both the book cover image and text and that worked out. </li>
</ul>
<li>Scribble white crayon over the part that you want to have be the scratch-off part. I found it helpful to have the lines around the area to guide me. </li>
<li>Mix one part dish soap to two parts black paint (you could use whatever color paint here, but black is the easiest to use to cover, and you'll only need one coat). Don't stir too vigorously, or else you'll get lots of little bubbles. </li>
<li>Paint mixture evenly over the white crayon. </li>
<li>Dry thoroughly. </li>
<li>Test it out! You'll want to try all of them, but don't, you'll ruin it. </li>
</ol>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-82091592727047481082017-05-28T14:57:00.001-04:002017-05-28T14:58:01.821-04:00Common Misconceptions about LibrariansI love being a librarian. It's fun. It's weird. You get to meet a huge range of people, and every day is different. There is so much variety in library work, and while I can only speak from the vantage point of someone in a public library (get this - there are librarians in a whole host of other job fields, too - medical libraries, historical societies, film and music libraries, corporate libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, etc.), I'd say that the work is never boring.<br />
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But there are common misconceptions about librarians that I get from people, library patrons and people-who-don't-realize-libraries-still-exist alike. Also, I'm sorry for the latter group of you, you're really missing out. So here I am to dispel your misconceptions.</div>
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Common Misconceptions About Librarians:</div>
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<ul>
<li><b>We all look like this</b></li>
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<img alt="Image result for old librarian shhh" height="200" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5f/8c/c2/5f8cc2680a9517c9edfbdac8fa22c126.jpg" width="133" /> <b>or this</b> </div>
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<b><img alt="Image result for margot robbie librarian" height="201" src="https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/10/03/08/robbie.jpg" width="320" /></b></div>
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I mean, it would be great to look like Margot Robbie (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrMTLV2cR2Q">sans hair-falling-out</a>), but in truth, we come in all shapes, sizes, ages, races, genders, sexualities, etc, and we're getting more diverse all the time. </div>
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<ul>
<li><b>We get to read on the job. </b>We might be <i>around</i> books all day, but that doesn't mean we get to spend the whole day reading. I think it's especially ironic when people tell me this <i>while </i>I'm in the middle of helping them find information or checking them out at the desk. It would be like telling a sales clerk at the store that you wished you could work there because you love shopping all day long. </li>
<li><b>That we are all know-it-alls.</b> We are <i>find-</i>it-alls and often know-a-lots, but really, we work at a library because we are great information seekers. Many of us have knowledge in a lot of different spheres, or a depth of knowledge in a few select areas of expertise. But it's foolish to think that we know everything or have read everything that sits on the shelves in our libraries. We are generally knowledge-lovers and life-long learners, but we understand that there is no possible way to ever know it <i>all </i>(though it might not stop us from trying).</li>
<li><b>We are all introverts who hate fun and noise. </b>Please see above image of a shushing librarian. Again, we are a diverse crowd with a range of interests that is not one-size-fits-all. We are home brewers, soccer players, sports fans, gamblers, strong man competitors, and sky divers. We are kayakers, road trippers, club hoppers, beach lay-ers, and marathon-runners. Some of us are introverts, sure, who like quiet and solitude. There are also athletes, architects or entrepreneurs who like quiet alone time with books and cats. There are also those librarians who love noise and fun and socializing. It takes all sorts.</li>
<li><b>That technology has made us irrelevant. </b>Nice try, but I've seen you Googlers at work, and it's not always pretty. With the increasing amount of information in the world, librarians help cut through the garbage to give you information that works, and teach you new technologies when they come out. And a self-checkout machine doesn't replace staff, it just lets staff use their time in a different way. We have more time to do library programs, help you find a new book to read, help you research your ancestors, or give your kid resources to do their project a day before it's due. </li>
<li><b>And lastly, not all librarians are crazy cat ladies. </b>I mean, sure, some are. Some are also allergic. Some are only mildly crazy. Some are crazy cat men. Some *gasp!* prefer dogs. </li>
<li><img alt="HULU tv snl saturday night live hulu GIF" src="https://media1.giphy.com/media/3o7TKtC1Kn9ibruqSA/giphy.gif" /></li>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-29341427760042564892016-06-22T23:14:00.001-04:002016-06-24T00:30:23.525-04:00Book Donation: Cooking in the Nude for Golf Lovers<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Sometimes people donate books to the library that are for a very specific set of people. Thank you, Library Patron! </div>
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My favorite is the Amazon description: </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Combine your favorite game and your favorite partner with these sporty and suggestive romantic recipes. Dishes like "Tees Me" and "Bogey Kabobs" prove golf is more delicious with a twosome. If your partner on the course is also the object of your culinary conquest, you won't want to take a mulligan on this one!"</span></div>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-51510152856959512822016-02-10T22:33:00.000-05:002016-06-23T22:34:07.260-04:00The Konmari Chronicles: A Month of Decluttering<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from goodreads.com</td></tr>
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So January has been all about decluttering and appreciating how much I have, and I've been taking my tips from the Konmari Method. I'm focusing on decluttering for my first month-long (or more) <a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/2016/01/resolutions-create-scene-in-2016.html">resolution this year</a>.<br />
It started when I read <em>The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up </em>by Marie Kondo, which launched me into a realm of tidying that I hadn't thought myself capable of. If you don't already know about this NYT bestseller, then you're about to find out. <br />
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Kondo boasts a 100% success rate for her clients in Japan. What's different about the her style, dubbed "The Konmari Method," is that she focuses on the <i>keeping </i>of things that only "spark joy" rather than <i>disposing</i> of things that you don't need. It puts a positive spin on the task of decluttering, and takes the headache out of the deciding process. There are no tables or charts to follow that tell you how long is too long to have something without using it, you just have to be honest with yourself and be willing to let stuff go that doesn't make you happy. And most of all, treat your stuff with respect. She sometimes loses people here, because she personifies objects to the point of weirding people out, ascribing feelings to socks, staplers, and what-not. <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">She talks to her things: thanks her jacket for doing the hard job of keeping her warm, greets her house when she walks in the door, and doesn't ball up her socks because it hurts their feelings. So, she's a little funny that way. But if you can buy into the idea that some of the basic principles behind her method are genius, then you'll be in for a clutter-free treat. </span><br />
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Things I came away with that really worked for me: <br />
<ol>
<li>Declutter by category, not by room.</li>
<li>Don't worry about where to put everything until you've truly decluttered everything. </li>
<li>Declutter in this general order: clothes, books, papers, miscellany, and do things that are dearest to you last.</li>
<li>Do your categories in a big way, not just a little at a time. Kondo calls tidying up an event. Don't get rid of a few things every day - do it as a marathon and make it count. The big changes will spark the real change that you need.</li>
</ol>
When you declutter, do it this way:<br />
<ol>
<li>Gather everything from that one category, from all areas of the house and dump them on the floor. This desensitizes you to it. You're more apt to keep it if you declutter them from where they are on the shelf/closet, so this is essential. It's also essential that you do all things from one category at the same time so that you realize how much you have in that category. </li>
<li>Pick up each thing and decide whether it sparks joy. For clothes, some I knew right off the bat that they did or did not. Many I needed to try on. Keep what you love with confidence. </li>
<li>Let things go if they: don't make you happy, don't feel right, aren't your style, are no longer useful, if you have too many of the same thing and don't use them all. </li>
<li>If you have a hard time letting it go, thank it for its service and move it along to someone who will love it more. It may have helped teach you what wasn't your style, fit once but doesn't anymore, is too worn to be useful, or something you hate to part with because it was a gift or was expensive. Part with the things that make you feel guilty when you look at them, and let them move on so that you can too. </li>
<li>Declutter everything first and <i>then </i>decide where it's permanent home will be. You can't organize your stuff until everything is decluttered, otherwise you'll keep moving everything around. </li>
<li>You probably can't get a lot of money for most stuff. Get it out of the house as soon as you can afterward, and don't let anyone in your house de-rail you - if you think they will try to undermine your effort by pulling things back from the curb, do it when they are not around (so long as you aren't getting rid of their stuff!).</li>
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What I've accomplished thus far: <br />
<ul>
<li><strong>Clothes/accessories/shoes:</strong> This has by far been the best change for me. Everything now fits in my tiny closet and my armoire. Summer and winter wardrobes are all together, giving me the most out of all of my clothes whatever the season. I donated 3-4 garbage bags of clothes, accessories, and shoes, and it made me feel 10 times lighter. Getting dressed, doing laundry, putting things away, and making new outfit combinations -- these are all way easier and less stressful, and my stuff has so much ROOM to breathe. </li>
<li><strong>Books</strong>: I thought this would be harder, honestly. I'm a librarian! I should love keeping all these books! But then, I'm a librarian, and why keep so many books when the ones I'm really reading all come from the library? So now I've only kept books that I know that I love, would read again, or that just make me happy. I got rid of about 70% of my books. The books I have that I love actually stand out now, and I have room for funky decorations that always looked cluttered when I tried to put them out before.</li>
<li><strong>Papers</strong>: So, my filing cabinet was the place of things-stored-and-never-looked-at-again. Receipts, old mail, coupons even got stuffed here and forgotten. So, I got rid of about 50% of that too. I'm no Marie Kondo, who says she prefers to keep <em>no paper whatsoever</em>, but I'm happy enough knowing that I only have things I need and I can now find them at the drop of a dime. Oh, and now I have a desk top. On which I can work. Without moving piles of stuff around first. Woo!</li>
<li><strong>Miscellany (Komono)</strong>: Linens for beds we no longer have, 36 burned CDs, DVDs that I bought because they were only $2, a zillion wine-glasses from wineries we've visited, cords to I-don't-know-what-anymore, leftover blank wedding invitations I never used, pens that I hated to write with, lotions I've had for years and never use, cosmetics that have been around since the dinosaurs roamed the earth, tupperware without lids... The best thing about this category has been that it includes stuff I use <i>every day</i> and yet never bothered to get in order, so when I cleaned up all these little pockets of crap around my house, it made everything feel so much lighter! </li>
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There is still a good bit left to do, but it doesn't feel overwhelming, it's actually kind of fun. Having no real deadline just makes it a hobby with amazing results. It is already so much easier to put my house back in order when it's messy, because everything has a spot. I can identify very quickly when something doesn't work for me, and I get rid of it automatically. Before, I would hem and haw and think I'd give it another chance. No more! <br />
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Last but not least, if you are going to read this book. Remember: this is a guideline, and written for people who probably live in very different houses and in different lifestyles than you might have. And some of her advice is nutty. She got rid of her hammer and her screwdriver, replacing them with things that in my book are never a substitute. She uses her headphones instead of her speakers. She dries and puts away her shampoo in a cabinet after every shower. For me, that is TOO FAR. But for the most part, this woman is on point. Besides, who else has an organizing book without pictures make it onto the bestseller list? <br />
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The other major part in this month-long de-clutterfest is that I didn't buy anything outside of groceries (and gifts...for others). Whenever I was de-cluttering and thought I needed something, I wrote it down, and decided to buy it later if the need still applied. Not buying anything gave me the chance to see what I could make do with and see how much I really have already. When I finally went shopping, I found that I really only needed a few things, and I had the perfect sense of what those things were (black cardigan for work, and a better belt!).<br />
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Now that we are gearing up to move, I'm happy that I won't go through the hassle of boxing up a bunch of junk that I didn't really need or want! Whew! More to update once we actually move...</div>
Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-46161340040197644392016-01-20T23:08:00.000-05:002016-02-03T10:59:20.789-05:00Resolutions: Create a scene in 2016My parents started created a rhyme to live by for the year in question rather than making resolutions. I've decided to "create a scene" this year. Maybe a little of that, too. I usually have a <a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/search/label/Resolutions%20and%20goals">heap of resolutions</a>, and am actually pretty good at keeping them. Last year's went particularly well. But this year I'm opting for a different approach.<br />
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I'll be focusing my many resolutions into monthly challenges so that I can give more attention to each challenge individually rather than trying to stick to 20 resolutions at once. I'm also hoping this might help me build these goals into habits as well. I'm aware it <a href="http://jamesclear.com/new-habit">may take longer than 21 days</a> or longer than a month to build a habit, but within a month I'm fairly confident I can tell if a habit is going to be one I'd like to stick to as well. I haven't assigned specific months to my challenges yet, mostly to give myself flexibility on "what I'm in the mood to work on."<br />
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My focus months:</h3>
<ul>
<li><b>Decluttering</b>: I'll be starting here, piggy-backing on December's momentum since reading Marie Kondo's best-selling book <i>The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.</i> I'll write a post when I make some progress. In addition to this, I won't be shopping this month to make sure I don't invite more clutter into my house before I know what I really need (obviously this excludes groceries, gas, birthday presents, and the like). </li>
<li><b>Art </b>- The plan is to do art every day for a month. There's no limit to what "art" means - drawing, doodling, mindfully photographing, painting, crafting all count. A stronger focus on drawing, mostly so I can have a drawing journal full of cool stuff by the end of it. The goals? To become more observant of art opportunities every day, to clear space for art in my life - physical and temporal, and to tickle my creative bone every day. Carry (minimal) art supplies with me so that I can do art when/where I'm inspired.</li>
<li><b>Writing - </b>Finish my novel. It doesn't have to be polished, but there has to be a story from start to finish. <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo </a>was a huge accomplishment for my writing self in 2015, and while I "won" with 50,000 words, I still want to finish the novel itself. Write 4 new poems (one a week), playing around with different styles or devices. Write one short story. </li>
<li><b>Mindfulness </b>- Keep a <a href="http://www.fiveminutejournal.com/">Five Minute Journal</a> every day for 30 days. I stumbled across the Five Minute Journal this past year, and it really helped me keep things in perspective, especially in building gratitude, self-awareness, and positivity. Other goals within this goal: yoga & meditation. It's a bit of a time commitment, so I won't hold myself to it, but I'd like to try 30-Day <a href="http://yogawithadriene.com/">Yoga Camp with Adriene</a>. </li>
<li><b>Fitness </b>- Log into <a href="https://www.myfitnesspal.com/">MyFitnessPal</a> for 30 days. Get to the gym or play soccer at least 3 times a week. For one week, walk for 15 minutes each day on lunch. Might try this in April or May just as it's starting to get warm and beautiful. At the end of the month, go to the doctor and get you</li>
<li><strong>Learning Spanish - </strong>I know I've said this for so long, but I am more motivated to do this than before now that I've started using Duolingo.com. It's easy to stay on track, and you go through short modules that hit on different skills and words. It's like playing a game! Basically, if I can just do this at least 21 times in one month (preferably every day, but let's be realistic), then I think I'll make significant strides. My goal is to be at least 75% fluent in Spanish according to Duolingo's measurements. I'm currently at 41% (HA!). What I'd most like to be able to do is get the basics down so that I can confidently-enough talk to Spanish-speaking families at the library.</li>
</ul>
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Do you get the "create a scene" part yet? I'm actually going to be decluttering, painting, and writing scenes. </div>
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<h3>
Accountability:</h3>
My overseers on this project will be my own fear of failure, my friends and family (read: you), AND my handy-dandy <a href="https://www.coach.me/">Coach Me app</a>. I started using this about a year ago (when it was called Lift). It's basically a habit-building app, where you "check in" to habits that you set for yourself. It keeps stats for how often you've done something, and you can set yourself goals for how often you want to do something, and reminders to notify you, too. My favorite part? People can ask questions and get support from other users, and the community is so positive and affirming, it's hard not to be motivated.<br />
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-38400173004328773672015-12-07T15:08:00.001-05:002016-06-24T00:34:48.994-04:00The Staycation MakeoverI'll be honest, I've never liked the idea of a staycation before. My time off is sacred, so why would I spend my time bumming around my own dumb house? But with not a lot of money and zero planning on our side, I was pretty worried that we were going to have a lame week off. Now, I do know how to appreciate the calmer side of life, and enjoy the fine art of relaxing. BUT I also know that without plans, I'll fritter away the free time that I have and then berate myself for it later. So how to make a staycation fun?<br>
<ol>
<li><i>Step up. </i>Stop thinking of all the stuff that will make this not work. Shut up and think about how cool this can be.</li>
<li><i>Plan it.</i> Create a list of things that you can feasibly do within a day's drive. Zoos, aquariums, hikes, National parks, museums, historic places, theaters, wineries, breweries, theme parks, classes, etc. Create a list of things you'd like to accomplish for yourself that you don't normally get time to do - write, try that new restaurant, read that book, do some art, etc. Build in time to chill - go to the pool, the beach, take a nap. <i>Do not play Candy Crush. </i>Unplug for a bit. And don't forget to</li>
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<li><i>Do it</i>. This is the important part. </li>
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<h2>
How it went: </h2>
With very little planning - I'm pretty sure we decided the first Monday of our week off- we made it happen.<br>
<a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-staycation-makeover.html#more">Read more »</a>Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-46434702528751101492015-12-04T15:36:00.003-05:002017-02-28T20:09:51.134-05:00Decorating FeverI've been hit hard with decorating fever. After looking for houses with my husband in earnest for a few months, and then having to put the entire operation on hold, I decided that the best thing to do was buck up, and make the most of the space I have.<br />
<br />
And oh, how I've researched. I'm not the kind of person who considers herself a trendsetter, or someone people look to for style. I will never write a style blog about what I'm wearing, how to wear things, or how to decorate or organize your house. I absolutely will be one of those people who frequents those blogs with the passion of a cat chasing a laser beam. And Pinterest. Dear God. So many late nights spend cuddling with my laptop in the corner of the couch -<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Pin, pin, pin. </i><br />
"Oooh!"<br />
<i>Pin, pin,</i><i> pin.</i><br />
"Whoa, such a cool idea..."<br />
<i>Pin, pin, pin.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
[5 hours later]<br />
<br />
Husband: "So you're coming to bed? It's 3 in the morning."<br />
<br />
It's a sickness.<br />
<br />
And recently, I've been finding some really great books that have led me to some really great blogs, so I will share them with you so that you can cut out all the racket and skip to the good stuff. You are welcome!<br />
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Design*Sponge at Home - Grace Bonney</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazing examples of cool homes</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DIY stuff at the back</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Quick Changes: Fresh Looks for Every Room - House Beautiful </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Breaks it up by different elements that have a big impact (mirrors, paint, etc)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elements of Style - Erin Gates</span></div>
</li>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Really funny voice and funny stories with great style</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think Small - House Beautiful</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Nesting Place</span></div>
</li>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Really great voice - she’s a renter, makes you feel like that’s not bad</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I Brake for Yard Sales - Lara Spencer</span></li>
</ul>
Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-50173688904616123432015-09-21T17:46:00.002-04:002015-12-14T15:40:34.510-05:00Book Review: The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422215131l/22551743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422215131l/22551743.jpg" width="262"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from goodreads.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<b>Book Review: </b><br><b></b><b><i>The Truth According to Us</i> by Annie Barrows</b></h2>
Dial Press. June 2015. ISBN: 9780385342940<br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Summary</b>: </span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twelve-year-old Willa is on the cusp of her teenage years and becomes determined to figure out things that her family won't tell her, especially concerning her dear Aunt Jottie and enigmatic father Felix. When Layla Beck, the daughter of a prominent senator, is sent to Willa's hometown in Macedonia, West Virginia to work on the Federal Writer's Project, Willa's world gets a little more interesting. As the summer passes, she learns about the secrets people keep, and the pasts that they bury in order to get by.</span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Impressions:</b></span><br>
<br>
<a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-review-truth-according-to-us-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-2576537442833908752015-08-22T14:39:00.001-04:002017-02-28T20:08:00.452-05:00Artists' Journal Workshop: Personal Favorite Supplies from Cathy JohnsonI am on hold for Cathy Johnson's <i>Artist's Journal Workshop</i> book at the library right now, so I looked more into and found this great page while I'm waiting. She lists all of her favorite supplies for painting and artistic journaling. I'm in love!<br />
<br />
I have always liked the idea of using watercolors out and about, but haven't tinkered with the supplies much. Mostly, I get overwhelmed by the idea of getting all the supplies together, making sure I had everything, and then "setting out" to find the right place. By then, it's a big thing in my head, and the thought of going out and doing it sounds like a whole lot of work, and maybe it would be easier to stay in and take a nap? No more! (Well, not no more napping, naps are good, too.) With these little tools, it would be easy to keep supplies in my car, and use inspiration as it comes to me. Or throw them in a tote bag when I may have down time, and just go from there. True artistic journaling.<br />
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<img height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3mIABzrIubJAsn830Vj4Siw5TgUOGExwbMefXfylUhQgCQFci6LUbT8cBeiShcF2FqOUXkjz91EcsYCThMO42XaHV6QUSx5uqEK3tMDNPOBPbPII5EDtvmrciWLBkcbcGLTP4cyU7ZM/s400/Complete+Altoids+kit.JPG" width="400" /><br />
Seriously? Here she uses a recycled Altoids tin with little trays of color, a tiny spritzer with water, and a tiny pencil and pen. Genius! She stuffs some good watercolor paper into a notebook skin and she's good to go! TWO THINGS to carry that can fit in your purse.<br />
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<img height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbSuOrrYN9ONWBTzkqD7Cl-IEFJVAqZv2HQOWd7rBSk51AELQuHl_dCI9vtxP64hyphenhyphenVWw5ftO5V4WJNrE7VPGO_ZQ8qDgtZdvCQOqvB98tXrsf6i7ejYfangq9lnrTCe1NOBD01Immw0U/s400/PrangsBrushes.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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This is a little more like me. I might need more colors than an Altoids box affords. Luckily, I have a little tray of paints from when I was very young that words perfectly for this.<br />
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And lastly:<br />
<br />
<img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAE7Xay08pPCu8mLjECQ7HsjC8YgnKKEfwBqADhpPAdJWXT0yUjknS0nWinW5RSWdbHRISAlomntlzAejvrZDWm8hX2VOiDAONrVoRpP_NEDwsXKRyC0NPFQFyp-GtQrtRn4YNfjT_d7s/s400/1-48+sprayer.jpg" width="262" /><br />
<br />
A little spray bottle that she uses to wet the paints in her tins, to add texture, etc., and she has a nesting cup that fits on top, too!<br />
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Go to her website below for more great stuff, it's fantastic! And if you haven't checked out her book yet, find that, as well:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51f7a0AJf4L._SX377_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="243" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Journal-Workshop-Creating-Pictures/dp/1440308683/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440268910&sr=8-1&keywords=artist%27s+journal&pebp=1440268913784&perid=1S9GN1DQBD1S8836N274">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Please see Cathy's post, here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://artistsjournalworkshop.blogspot.com/p/personal-favorite-supplies.html?spref=bl">Artists' Journal Workshop: Personal Favorite Supplies</a>: What Journaling Supplies Work for YOU? We all like to see what other artists enjoy using in their journals; I started our with jus...Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-328449233893292832015-08-03T10:07:00.004-04:002015-08-03T10:15:41.620-04:00"Dog Days of Summer" Library DisplayThought I'd bring out one of my displays of August past by showing you...<br />
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<h2>
Relax in the Dog Days of Summer - August 2013</h2>
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I really had fun with this one. It's very simple. I found an image of a dog laying in the grass like this and wanted to basically make a display out of it. I had a volunteer cut out my little grassy pieces and pick out the letters. I drew the dog because the picture I had couldn't be blown up without a lot of pixellation. Add in a ton of books of all ages featuring dogs - and Dog Days of Summer came to life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_Bx3Fg5K8R26dqAEGV8NH7-a5YQjPCXOUdfFBWhrV6Fc3cpVlf4jljwuHcCudKLF8BXwNrwBi3PZ3hxfnRM_0LL-gIpLPNH6scQg9cM-UzkDB9J5IWUVwEKMs4X2cNtF0pWNE0tmnak/s1600/Dog+Days+of+summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_Bx3Fg5K8R26dqAEGV8NH7-a5YQjPCXOUdfFBWhrV6Fc3cpVlf4jljwuHcCudKLF8BXwNrwBi3PZ3hxfnRM_0LL-gIpLPNH6scQg9cM-UzkDB9J5IWUVwEKMs4X2cNtF0pWNE0tmnak/s400/Dog+Days+of+summer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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See more displays like this <a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/">here</a>.<br />
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-85314897789658730442015-07-31T16:15:00.000-04:002015-08-04T15:51:46.054-04:00Book Review: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr<h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="18143977" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413166411l/18143977.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="212" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Goodreads.com</td></tr>
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</h2>
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</h2>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<b>Book Review: </b><br /><b></b><b><i>All the Light We Cannot See</i> by Anthony Doerr</b></h2>
Scribner. May 2014. ISBN: 978-1476746586<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I waited a long time in line for this book at the library. When I first put myself on the holds list, I was 213th in line, and with a little bit of patience (and a lot of copies in circulation!), it finally landed on my desk. Problem was, when I got it I really wasn't in the mood for a WWII historical novel that was over 500 pages long, and I had a bunch of other books to read as well. I let it sit on my desk, silently judging me for not passing it on to the next eager patron on the waiting list, and just before I was about to check it in and send it on its way, I had a sudden urge to give it the benefit of the doubt. I would prove that I wasn't interested! I would just read a few pages...and now here I am, writing this review.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Summary</b>: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book follows the stories of two children before and during WWII and leads up to their ultimate convergence in the occupied French town of Saint-Malo. Spanning several years, the story is told from the alternating viewpoints of orphan Werner Pfenning, who grows up in the mining town of Zollverein in Germany, and a blind French girl named Marie-Laure, whose father works as a locksmith for the </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Natural History Museum in Paris. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Werner lives in a children's home with his sister Jutta, and becomes especially good with radios. He gets the attention of the Third Reich, and is eventually recruited into a Hitler Youth school. Marie-Laure meanwhile, learns how to navigate without sight through Paris with the help of her father, who builds her a small replica of the city. She and her father eventually must flee Paris due to the occupation, and go to live with her great-uncle in Saint Malo, a tiny island off of the coast of France. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Impressions:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book was beautiful in every aspect of the story - the characters, the plotting, the language, the detail. The language was especially incredible to me - all at once poignant, but not overwrought - leaving little images, or sounds, or textures, lingering in your head. The feel of being in S</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">aint Malo smelling the sea air as a thousand snails crawl at your feet. The sense of dread as you wait in a truck beside Werner in a field full of sunflowers. It was easy to get hooked right away - Doerr's short chapters alternate voices, giving you a new perspective every few pages. This is great for short attention spans, and for short chunks of reading time (me on my lunch break, for example). Even as the story shifts from 1944 Saint Malo on the day that it is being barraged with bombs, to 1940 Paris as Marie-Laure and her father evacuate the city, Doerr's use of present tense makes everything feel crisp and of-the-moment. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's a gorgeous story through and through, and those 531 pages were worth every word. Moreover, as does good literary fiction, it really reminds you that not everything is black and white, and makes you question what you would do under similar circumstances. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>You'll like this book if you like: </b></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">great characterization</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">descriptive language</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">historical fiction </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">realism with no sugar coatings</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">And just for kicks, check out this video of author Anthony Doerr talking about <i>All the Light We Cannot See</i>! </span></span></div>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-14310161608157535752015-06-17T16:09:00.000-04:002015-06-17T16:09:00.076-04:00Book Review: Absolute Beginners by S.J. Hooks<h2>
Absolute Beginners by S.J. Hooks<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Goodreads.com</td></tr>
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</h2>
<div>
<h3>
Summary: </h3>
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<div>
Professor Stephen Worthington's structured routine gets a wrench thrown in it when unruly and outspoken Julia takes a seat in his English lit class. He starts seeing her against his better judgment, and it turns out that there is a lot that he can learn from her.</div>
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<div>
<h3>
Impressions:</h3>
</div>
<div>
This book is like a light-hearted and sexy version of <i>The Rosie Project. </i>Stephen is a stuffy, over the top, and lonely young English professor who acts older than he really is. At first, he thinks his student Julia is obnoxious - she's crass, she dresses terribly, and she is disrespectful in his classroom, even if she is whip-smart. She ends up getting the better of him when she shows him that not being type-A isn't always a bad thing. </div>
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<br /></div>
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What I really liked about this book was that even though I often thought that Stephen was over the top at times with his type-A personality, I liked Julia's character a lot. She was nonchalant, easygoing, and there were plenty of humorous exchanges between her and Stephen that carried that story for me. Moreover, the storyline actually carried it well enough so that even though it is definitely erotica, I didn't feel like the author was just trying to string me along from sex scene to sex scene. </div>
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In addition, this is erotica that I think works for women. Julia shows Stephen what she likes in bed, which he appreciates since he's had such little experience. I like the message of healthy sex and openness that this book espouses. Since <i>Fifty Shades of Grey</i>, the market's had a huge influx of similar erotica, with domineering but often jealous and controlling men that want to oversee every aspect of the leading woman's life. Not super healthy, but it definitely has a niche. This was a nice alternative for popular erotica, and the writing was pretty good too. </div>
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I would definitely read the second installment of this series.</div>
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Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced digital copy of this book in return for my honest review.</div>
Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-6026762699260457732015-06-12T15:28:00.003-04:002015-06-12T15:34:16.554-04:00Book Review: How to Start a Fire by Lisa Lutz<h2>
<b>Book Review: </b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Goodreads.com</td></tr>
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<br /><b></b><b><i>How to Start a Fire</i> by Lisa Lutz</b></h2>
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. May 2015. ISBN: 978-0544411633<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lisa Lutz sizzles with this story of friendship between an eccentric trio of women - dashing back and forth in time from their days in college and throughout their lifelong friendship, they are shaped by their ups and downs and their undeniable flaws, but you’ll root for them every step of the way. Her characters are all at once razor-sharp, witty, and compelling - </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">each with a unique story and hilarious dialogue that will make this book hard to put down. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Much funnier than the </span><i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Spellman Files</i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for me, and a real winner as a summer read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Summary</b>: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">When quirky roommates Anna and Kate rescue George from her passed-out stupor on a neighboring lawn at a freshman-year party (in a stolen shopping cart, no less), they begin a life-long friendship that persists despite calamity, lies, and murder. With chapters jumping back and forth through time, it drives the narrative while you attempt to piece together how these characters came to be in their present states. How does Anna, the ringleader with slightly manic episodes, deal with her inner demons - find herself living with her parents after her once-successful career? How did she piss off everyone around her? Why is Kate, the steadfast eccentric, on a road trip with no destination? Who does George, the beautiful down-to-earth outdoorswoman, settle down with? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>You'll like this book if you like: </b></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">character-driven plots</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">quirky characters</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">eccentric plots</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ridiculousness</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced digital copy of this book in return for my honest review.</span></span></div>
Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-38020799719885887482015-05-13T15:28:00.000-04:002015-06-12T15:30:45.954-04:00Book Review: At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from goodreads.com</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Book Review of:</span></b><br />
<h2>
<i style="font-family: inherit;">At the Water's Edge </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">by Sara Gruen</span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Author of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Water for Elephants </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">and </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Ape House</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">)</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Summary:</span></b><br />
<br />
Philadelphia socialite Maddie Hyde is not keen on sailing overseas while World War II is raging and the journey across the Atlantic is dangerous. But when she and her husband Ellis are banished from his parents' house and cut off from their allowance after a debauched outburst at a party, they find themselves doing just that. Unable to enlist due to colorblindness, Ellis is ridiculed and shunned by his father and society. To work his way back into his father's good graces (and his pocketbook), Ellis, Maddie, and their friend Hank become determined to find proof of the Loch Ness Monster, which his father infamously photographed years earlier. When they get overseas, they see first-hand the toll that WWII has taken on the small town of Drumnadrochit, Scotland. Maddie becomes immersed in the small town and the people who live there, and begins to learn that monsters come in many forms.<br />
<h4>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Impressions: </span></b></h4>
<div>
I really enjoyed Maddie's growth as a character, which was really the center of this story. She wasn't compelling to start - she was lost, a woman pushed around by her husband and his best friend, taking a back seat to their general amusement and whims. She really only starts to become the person that you want her to be when she is forced into spending time with herself in this strange place, and starts to recognize the hardships that the war is having on the town -- and that she could do more to help. This is where she really steps up and comes into her own. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Gruen succeeds in many of the same ways that she succeeded in <i>Water for Elephants</i> - she does a great job of painting the historical aspects of the period into a story filled with a little magic (here in the form of superstition and folklore), compelling and often twisted characters that you can really love to hate, and an interesting place setting. You don't hear a lot about Scotland during WWII, and I really enjoyed this perspective the same way that I enjoyed riding along with the circus in Depression-era America. Although the love angle isn't as well fleshed-out in <i>At the Water's Edge </i>as it was in <i>Water for Elephants</i>, it does still help propel the story along nicely. My only real suggestion? More Nessie! I really could have used more of the water-dwelling monster aspect. I'm kind of a sucker for that. </div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Professional Reviews:</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out Sara Gruen's interview with Publisher's Weekly <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/65573-from-water-for-elephants-to-the-water-s-edge-pw-talks-with-sara-gruen.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>I received free access to a digital advanced copy of the book through Netgalley in return for an honest review.</i></span></div>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-66877357106104462122015-02-25T08:00:00.000-05:002015-02-25T23:24:17.769-05:00Music Mix-up: 10 Cool CoversHere's a few cool covers that are on my playlist right now that you might like to meet. Have covers that you can't get out of your head? Leave a comment!<br />
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1. Wicked Game - Lana Del Rey</h4>
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I adore the original, but while I'm not always the biggest fan of Lana Del Rey, this Chris Issak song is definitely the perfect match for her sultry, haunting voice. </div>
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2. Addicted to Love - Florence and the Machine</h4>
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Not a lot to say, except that this is Florence and her Machine doing what they do best. I didn't care too much about this song until she came along.</div>
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3. Strangers in the Night - Cake</h4>
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A way to update Sinatra's classic with one of my favorite bands -- Cake gives this their signature feel and makes this track utterly smooth.</div>
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4. 99 Problems - Hugo</h4>
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Hugo didn't keep much of the original except for the refrain, which really works in this blue-grassy sound. Definitely the best thing that came out of the Colin Farrell remake of "Fright Night".</div>
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5. Heartless - Dia Frampton</h4>
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I love it when folksy artists take on different genres - which is what Dia does really well here with Kanye's "Heartless". The Voice brought her out into the open, and thank goodness - this girl's a genius.</div>
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6. Toxic - Melanie Martinez</h4>
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It takes a true artist to bring soul and emotion out of Britney Spear's gyrating hit "Toxic", so I take my bow off to you, Ms. Martinez.</div>
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7. All About That Bass (Jazz Style) - Postmodern Jukebox (feat. Kate Davis)</h4>
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I'm obsessed with all of Postmodern Jukebox's songs (including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvEWNlcefAw">Talk Dirty withYiddish rap</a> and a cover of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzPGzGUNZbs">Iggy Azalea's Fancy</a> in 1920s flapper-style). But for me, Kate Davis actually playing an upright bass for "All About that Bass" and singing at the same time makes this absolutely adorable, and this is a track I can actually see in my iTunes.</div>
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8. Mad World - Jasmine Thompson</h4>
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So when she kept coming up on my Pandora stations, I got annoyed pretty fast with this breathy piano-accompanied voice that only ever did covers of other great songs. But this song totally sold me...oh, and also I changed my tune a bit when I discovered that she is actually a 14-year-old Brit. What the what? </div>
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9. Skinny Love - Birdy</h4>
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Her cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" is well-known enough that I stuck it here at the bottom of list, even though I probably listen to this one the most. Here we have another prime example of a crazy-young artist (14 when this song made it big) that has way more talent than is fair for the rest of the world. Hogs. </div>
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10. Stairway to Heaven - Rodrigo y Gabriela</h4>
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This is a beautiful instrumental acoustic rendition of Led Zeppelin's classic. What amazes me most is how they can bring so much to a song with just two instruments. If you haven't checked out their other stuff before, you might need to now.</div>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-73509489925994716932015-01-09T10:29:00.001-05:002015-01-09T10:29:34.810-05:00Resolutions: Thrive in 2-0-1-5<h2>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">New year. New goals. New determination. </span></h2>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I have found that when I don't really invest my time in thinking about my resolutions, making them visible to me, etc., I am terrible at keeping them. So, to help keep me motivated, I've dressed up my resolutions and hung them where I'll see them every day, and I'm announcing them here so that I'm also more accountable. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBCTjhC8TEhcg-9gYtJ-w5tFOUcyd7JSjbeesaarDYgSBi_8ssjHA2k7_9x9uShvOsKiAhyKvWSOhTvER_DAvnbs3A2eEsVgiTY-FR9YnfA-0M9B1_A8NAADCG9qFdHM4V3k_wCI8BUU/s640/blogger-image-15369514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBCTjhC8TEhcg-9gYtJ-w5tFOUcyd7JSjbeesaarDYgSBi_8ssjHA2k7_9x9uShvOsKiAhyKvWSOhTvER_DAvnbs3A2eEsVgiTY-FR9YnfA-0M9B1_A8NAADCG9qFdHM4V3k_wCI8BUU/s640/blogger-image-15369514.jpg" /></a></div>
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I've also got a monthly list that I'm using to stay on track and meet smaller goals along the way. If I realize there's no way I'll stay on track, I'll okay with changing the resolution so I don't sour on the whole thing.<br />
<h3>
Pare down and reorganize</h3>
<div>
I started this in December - and the feel of getting rid of all stuff I didn't need, and never used was LIBERATING. So I found this <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/223913412699589648/">30 Days of Decluttering list on Pinterest</a>, and just modified it to suit my own needs and space. </div>
<ul>
<li>Get rid of 50 things by December</li>
<li>30 Days of Decluttering List by April</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Cook! </h3>
<div>
A helpful reminder not to get lazy in the kitchen and fall into a rut. If I'm really good, maybe I'll even post them on my Sponge for Knowledge in the Kitchen blog. </div>
<ul>
<li>Try a new recipe once a month - Learn standard things if you don't already know (cook a roast, etc.) and try new recipes that are lower in calories and more nutritious so I can incorporate them into my repertoire.</li>
<li>One new on-the-go breakfast a month - I love on-the-go things! I need to make sure that I have stuff on hand to grab as I rush out the door - muffins, turnovers, more! </li>
</ul>
<h3>
Take a monthly trip</h3>
<div>
This is just a helpful reminder to keep me from staying stagnant. Some things I want to do: </div>
<ul>
<li>Renew passport!</li>
<li>Visit sister-in-law in Indiana</li>
<li>Go camping</li>
<li>Smithsonian museums and National Zoo</li>
<li>Ziplining and white water rafting on the New River</li>
<li>Visit cool cities/places: Niagara<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Falls, New Orleans, Memphis, Atlanta, Annapolis, NYC, etc. (Not all of these, obviously, but maybe</span></li>
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<h3>
Be Healthy and Fit</h3>
<div>
Okay, so maybe most people have this on their list every year. But I've been doing a pretty good job this year so far since I got the MyFitnessPal and MapMyFitness apps. MyFitnessPal has been immensely helpful - I've been paying a lot more attention to how much I eat, snack, and drink in general, and I have lost 7lbs so far, and am almost at my 10 lbs. goal. That's also after falling off the wagon a few times, and through the holidays. Plus, </div>
<ul>
<li>Log food in MyFitnessPal at least 3x a week (complete an entire day)</li>
<li>Get a physical this year! (It's been way too long...)</li>
<li>Fitness: 2x a week exercise & walk 15 minutes 3x a week</li>
<li>Be able to do a pull up by the end of the year. I just want to know that if I'm hanging off a cliff from my fingertips, I'll be able to save myself. Could I do that now? No. Quit judging.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Be well: Mental Wellness</h3>
<div>
When I get over-stressed, I suck at things and am generally less animated, which feels very funny on me. These goals will help fix that, I think. </div>
<ul>
<li>Be able to meditate 15 minutes straight by the end of the year (without a guide)</li>
<li>Schedule weekly 1-hour date with myself</li>
<li>Sleep better (I'm embarrassed to say that my starting goal is to go to bed by midnight at least once a week, which has already proved challenging. I'm a night owl by heart, but sleep is healthy for my brains, so I will do this and maybe increase that to several days a week in a few months.)</li>
<li>Fill up 1 journal by December (This is a cross-goal with my writing section, see below)</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Save More: Finances</h3>
<div>
If you're making your own money goals, I'd recommend putting amounts next to them as well - I did that, but just didn't post them here. </div>
<ul>
<li>Pay off one student loan in full by end of the year</li>
<li>Save for a down payment on a house (could it be this year?!)</li>
<li>Open a mutual fund</li>
<li>Add to IRA this year</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Love: Marriage Goals</h3>
<div>
Gotta keep us on track, you know. We'll celebrate our five year anniversary this year! </div>
<ul>
<li>Be open and let things go (Measurable? Maybe not, but it is a good reminder)</li>
<li>Monthly love letters</li>
<li>Monthly date night </li>
</ul>
<h3>
Create </h3>
<div>
More arts, please. Maybe I'll get around to posting pictures of them sometime? </div>
<ul>
<li>Schedule time & make space for creativity (my two greatest nemeses to my art)</li>
<li>Fill up one sketchpad (Woo! Zentangling, sketching, coloring, whatever.)</li>
<li>Do 3 oil paintings (Up from the one I do every 3 years).</li>
<li>Do 2 watercolors (Not my favorite medium, but fun as a refresher every once in a while)</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Read & Write</h3>
<div>
My goals here aren't crazy, but they are solid and reachable enough that I can stick to them. </div>
<ul>
<li>Read 60 books. (Not extravagant, I know, but this is why I hope I reach it)</li>
<li>Read 10 short stories. </li>
<li>Finish your novel! I will beat NaNoWriMo this year. </li>
<li>Write a short story, a poem, and a song. </li>
<li>Blog monthly. Again, not setting my sights too high, but my blogging goals have been tricky for me in the past. So with this post, I've got two in one month and I've doubled my expected productivity!</li>
<li>Finish one whole journal (again, a joint mental wellness and writing goal)</li>
</ul>
<div>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-73377631275521690992015-01-03T13:13:00.004-05:002016-02-02T00:45:53.411-05:002014: My Year in Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFRokiBcLWP_Ifdwty-A370lFtJxxWGhYr7eVwDh0FXtquTSI-1Vld-cOgQ3_kE32btqh-fPXWDW-j-hL_xRtFfENo3pXmeOJFr1uHDp2KLOKdsQd7vq0ZgRnmr-GZI1H2T4Y23x1cpI/s1600/My+Year+in+Books+Graphic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFRokiBcLWP_Ifdwty-A370lFtJxxWGhYr7eVwDh0FXtquTSI-1Vld-cOgQ3_kE32btqh-fPXWDW-j-hL_xRtFfENo3pXmeOJFr1uHDp2KLOKdsQd7vq0ZgRnmr-GZI1H2T4Y23x1cpI/s1600/My+Year+in+Books+Graphic.JPG" height="220" width="400"></a></div>
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Well, it's that time of year again. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4754471-hayley">Goodreads </a>has been especially useful in helping me track the books that I've read this year. I didn't read quite as many as last year, but considering most of them were bonafide adult books this year, it's not too shabby a list.<br>
<br>
This was a year that I really went through some books that I didn't feel like finishing too - but don't judge too harshly. I have come to find that I have far and away too many books on my to-read list to bother with things that don't interest me, or just aren't my thing. I give most of them a fair shake, but if I've tried and it doesn't hook me, I'm okay with letting it go. This is something I haven't been great at thus far, but I'm getting to that point where I'm alright with it. I'll explain why in the short synopsis.<br>
<br>
<ol>
<li><i>Wonder</i> by R.J. Palacio</li>
<ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357108762l/15507958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357108762l/15507958.jpg" width="132"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from goodreads.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>Awesome - loved seeing different sides of the same story, the perspective in this really cinched it for me. </li>
</ul>
<li><i>The Great Unexpected </i>by Sharon Creech</li>
<ul>
<li>Having loved Creech growing up, I was slightly disappointed. This was fine, but weird. Not in my typical love of weird. But weird.</li>
</ul>
<li><i>Insurgent </i>by Veronica Roth</li>
<ul>
<li>This was fine. Still wishing it was the Hunger Games...</li>
</ul>
<li><i>Keeping the Castle </i>by Patrice Kindl</li>
<ul>
<li>Great for young adult Jane Austen fans - fun and light reading. </li>
</ul>
<li><i>Me Before You </i>by Jojo Moyes </li>
<ul>
<li>First Jojo Moyes book and now I'm hooked. Great for fans who like moral dilemma in a British-Picoult kind of way, but a little more romance. Nothing gushy though, and I liked that. </li>
</ul>
<li><i>The Last Letter from Your Lover</i> by Jojo Moyes</li>
<ul>
<li>Incredible love story spanning decades. Great sense of place. Obviously, I needed another of Moyes' right away.</li>
</ul>
<li><i>Allegiant </i>by Veronica Roth</li>
<ul>
<li>I am not allegiant to this series. Boring. Dull. Characters going totally against their character (here's to looking at you, Four). Also, Tris? I don't care. </li>
</ul>
<li><i>Winger </i>by Andrew Smith</li>
<ul>
<li>Great for John Green fans - especially Looking for Alaska. Maybe a little too much, but still good for a boarding school book. </li>
</ul>
<li><i>Thirteenth Child</i> by Patricia C. Wrede</li>
<ul>
<li>Alterate history of the west with DRAGONS and other magical beings. I was duped - this book turned out to be SO BORING and didn't do any of the cool things it could have done. None of my teens liked it for book club either. So disappointed - I loved her Enchanted Forest series growing up. </li>
</ul>
<li><i>The Circle </i>by Dave Eggers</li>
<ul>
<li>Freaked me out that this is what our world is coming to, with Google and the Internet taking over our lives, and us just sheep letting it take all of our information. Still gives me chills.</li></ul></ol><a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/2015/01/2014-my-year-in-books.html#more">Read more »</a>Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-80790533071735069932014-11-23T23:30:00.000-05:002016-06-24T00:43:22.605-04:00Book Review: First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="21853633" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410962794l/21853633.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Goodreads.com </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
Book review: <i>First Frost</i> by Sarah Addison Allen</h2>
Publication date: January 20, 2015<br />
<br />
<h3>
Summary: </h3>
In this sequel to Addison's magical <i>Garden Spells, </i>readers are transported back to the small Southern town of Bascom, North Carolina ten years after Sydney and her daughter Bay have returned to put down roots and reconnect with Sydney's sister, Claire. All Waverley women have unique gifts and fifteen-year-old Bay is no different. Bay's is knowing where everything belongs, sometimes even people. But it's complicated having this gift, especially when she knows that the soccer star at school is supposed to be in her life somehow, even when barely knows she exists.<br />
<br />
Claire's catering business has been put on hold as she delves into the candy-making business, which is lucrative if a bit time-consuming. And Sydney longs to have another baby, but it doesn't look like it's in the cards for her. Everything will come to a head when a mysterious stranger comes to town asking questions about their family. Luckily, the first frost is creeping closer, a special time for the Waverley women.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Thoughts and Impressions:</h3>
Sarah Addison Allen has yet to disappoint. I was both excited and a bit anxious to read this because <i>Garden Spells</i> is my favorite of Allen's novels, and I was worried that it might not measure up. While not holding quite the same magic for me as its predecessor, I really enjoyed jumping back into the world of the Waverleys. Allen paints a beautiful picture of a small Southern town with all of its quirks and characters, and her writing is exquisitely descriptive without being overwrought.<br />
<br />
Allen does a good job of giving readers enough information about the first book without bashing you over the head with it, making this novel work as a standalone as well. It was very refreshing not to have to reread <i>Garden Spells</i> to pick back up where I'd left off.<br />
<br />
I do think that this book is wrapped up a little too neatly, taking away from the realistic quality of the story. I felt at times that her characters were just a little too <i>good, </i>and their conflicts could have been a little conflicted - I didn't feel that they had enough of a struggle, or if there was, it wasn't quite deep enough for me. This book is great for a short, light feel-good read, leaving readers warm, fuzzy, and satisfied. <br />
<br />
This is an easy book to recommend to any age - Claire and Sydney will connect with adult women and mothers, Bay's story line will connect with younger readers, and Claire and Sydney's vibrant cousin Evanelle will connect with older readers. It's also a great gentle read - no sex or swearing to be found.<br />
<br />
<h3>
What to Read Next? </h3>
Sarah Addison Allen's books combine magical realism with Southern charm, and I'd recommend this to fans of Laura Esquivel's <i>Like Water for Chocolate</i> (if you like magical realism involving food), Lisa Van Allen's <i>The Wishing Thread </i>(if you like the small-town feel, magical realism, sister-connection), Erica Bauermeister's <i>The School of Essential Ingredients</i> (if you liked the food narrative and multiple story lines), and Adriana Trigiani's <i>Big Stone Gap</i> (for the small-town feel and strong female characters).<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.6000003814697px; line-height: 15.4559993743896px;">Thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Professional Reviews:</h3>
<div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">
"Allen has written a beautiful, lyrical story, complete with genuine characters whose depth reflects Allen's skill as a writer. Allen's fans will be eagerly awaiting her next." -Publisher's Weekly<br /><br />"Thomas Wolfe was wrong. You can go home again, and in returning to the Waverley household, the winsomely wise Allen demonstrates that sometimes it's necessary to embrace the magic to find out what's real in life and in one's own heart." -Booklist, Carol Haggas</div>
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<br />Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-17584482890504089622014-10-06T01:56:00.005-04:002016-06-24T00:45:13.134-04:00Road Trip Tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A road trip can be an amazing thing. Open road, exploring small bits of the country, and taking each adventure as it comes. There are not set rules, and you don't need an agenda to make a road trip great. Here's a few tips that you might want to keep in mind before you take your next road trip. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YNGrRguqd-Ev7iQLimesQxRwVBgyv2cxCYvE4xTSaRUZAJCBmFsAXeKncpjmnBdlrVsQURoDioMmTD9FtxKhkv29hF7gX5prDERZQJxaqCO__ctx7pcsWnMpBzLw_prhdJU6nMkAGSo/s1600/road+trip+tips+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YNGrRguqd-Ev7iQLimesQxRwVBgyv2cxCYvE4xTSaRUZAJCBmFsAXeKncpjmnBdlrVsQURoDioMmTD9FtxKhkv29hF7gX5prDERZQJxaqCO__ctx7pcsWnMpBzLw_prhdJU6nMkAGSo/s1600/road+trip+tips+2.png" height="176" width="400" /></a></div>
<ol>
<li><b>The car matters. </b>Take a roomy, comfortable car with AC, heat, and great for listening to music. Don't forget to take into account reliability and gas mileage when deciding what car to take, either. </li>
<li><b>Pack snacks in an easily accessible area. </b>If you are like me and think hotel coffee sucks, take a stash of ground coffee and some filters to make your own in the hotel room. Bring other food you might be able to make use of in hotels -- most have mini-fridges, coffee pots, and microwaves. This can cut costs if need be. Espresso/cold coffee, lots of water, granola bars, and snack-y items are a must for me -- we had locally made kettle corn that was AMAZING.</li>
<li><b>Great listening choices.</b></li>
<ol>
<li>Make good Pandora stations of all your favorite genres -- shuffle all your stations together to get a good mix. </li>
<li>Make good playlists on CD or your phone/mp3 player (for when Pandora isn't getting great service)</li>
<li>Comedy -- We personally love Comedy channel on Pandora, which plays snippets of great comedians. This never seemed to get old for us, and definitely is a nice change from constant music. </li>
<li>Audiobooks -- C isn't huge into audiobooks, but I LOVE them. They are a great way to pass the time while READING. </li>
<li>Podcasts -- Another way to switch it up when you're tired of music. I personally love the Moth Podcast that my mom turned me onto - it's a podcast of stories told in storytelling jams. They are (mostly) adults telling adult stories - and the themes are all over the map in terms of subjects, and are usually funny -- with a few heart-wrenching ones thrown in for good measure. </li>
<li>Learning languages - so maybe this is better to do by yourself, as it might be hard to do with more than one person in the car, but pick up language-learning CDs or podcasts for the car, and get that much closer to knowing another tongue!</li>
</ol>
<li><b>Download apps! </b> The apps I downloaded were SO useful on our sporadic car trip. (Please don't be one of <i>those </i>people that operate these while driving. Let the passenger do it, or pull over first.) Some of the most awesome:</li>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hotel-tonight/id407690035?mt=8">Hotel Tonight</a> by Hotel Tonight, Inc. - Good quality, great deals on hotels - that night only. We found great hotel deals in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach -- but they only have large cities. If they don't have great deals left - they tell you that city is all booked up for the night. Overall, good, but check TripAdvisor if you aren't having any luck.</li>
<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tripadvisor-hotels-flights/id284876795?mt=8">TripAdvisor</a> - picks up on some good locations to visit, and also good hotels. This let me see the various prices that I could get for the same hotel room through different sites -- the hotel's site is not necessarily the cheapest! I booked one hotel room through a third site while practically in the parking lot because it saved me $20 from what the hotel itself charged.</li>
<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gasbuddy-find-cheap-gas-prices/id406719683?mt=8">GasBuddy </a>- finds the cheapest gas in your area while you're on the road. Using it, I saved about 25 cents per gallon on several occasions, because it alerted me that the cheaper gas was only about a mile off of the highway. </li>
<li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yelp/id284910350?mt=8">Yelp!</a> - This was great for finding great food places that we wouldn't have found otherwise. Plus, you can write reviews, and remember things that you liked when you come back.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Games along the way.</b> Although I'm sure there are a lot more out there - I will point out the two that I downloaded that were a lot of fun for us. And no, I'm not talking Candy Crush, but rather games where multiple people in the car can be involved at one time. </li>
<ol>
<li><b>The License Plates Game.</b> See how many of the 50 state license plates you can get while you're on your trip. Have the passenger write them down, or download an app to keep track of them for you. I used <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-license-plate-game/id573206249?mt=8">The License Plate Game by Joseph Levine</a>, which is easy and worked well. </li>
<li><b>Road Trip Bingo </b>- This is a lot like Road Trip I Spy. There's so much to look at out there that this is a great way to start noticing it all...and turn it into a competitive game. There are apps for this as well - the one I liked best for us (...and was free, duh), was called RoadTrip Bingo, but it doesn't look like it's on the app store anymore. The best replacement I'm seeing for it is <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roadtrip-bingo/id384996173?mt=8">Roadtrip-Bingo by Toughturtle LLC,</a> which lets you choose from different boards that deal with different subjects - car logos, food logos, around town, etc.</li>
<li><b>Would You Rather? </b>- You can pull the questions from the web, from an app, or from your own brain. Regardless of where the questions come from, this can jump-start hilarious discussions and give you a lot more insight into the inner workings of your companion's mind. Look out, sometimes it gets a little dangerous in there. Some websites to get you started:</li>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://either.io/298/sing-to-me">Either's Would You Rather? Questions</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.rrrather.com/">RRRather's Would You Rather? Question</a>s</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<li><b>AAA</b> - AAA is a great safety net. I knew if we broke down or got locked out of the car, etc, I would be covered. They also give out free maps at their offices if you're going somewhere, and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aaa-mobile/id310730297?mt=8">their app is GREAT</a>. </li>
<li><b>Stimulating conversation. </b>This is your chance to really get to know the person next to you. Ask them questions about themselves (not too intrusive!), and see what they are like, where they went to college, what their childhood was like, top 5 favorite movies, what Disney character they would want to be. There are so many ridiculous questions you could pose that could spark stimulating conversation, and that will be memorable in and of itself.</li>
<li><b>Be okay with silence.</b> Although you want some stimulating conversation, be mindful that if the other person isn't feeling talkative, you'll have to let it go. Silence is only as awkward as you make it. </li>
<li>Lastly -- think about a road trip as being a <b>grand adventure</b>! Get in the mindset to be flexible if things don't go quite as planned, and remember that the fun is in the journey. Relax, have fun, and BON VOYAGE!</li>
</ol>
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Think of more things that you want to add to the list? Comment below and let me know what tips you have to make a road trip awesome. </div>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-22803816118899229792014-08-20T10:43:00.004-04:002014-11-23T23:35:26.969-05:00Making History More Accessible, One Transcriber at a TimeHey history lovers -- if you don't think this is the coolest thing since the invention of history, then maybe you aren't a bonafide history nerd. <span style="font-size: large;">A new project by the Library of Virginia just launched -- it's called <a href="http://www.virginiamemory.com/transcribe/">Making History: Transcribe</a></span>, and it's the simplest idea ever - one that I'm sure Kat Potente of <i>Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore</i> would be proud of/have already implemented.<br />
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Transcribing historical documents is HUGELY TIME CONSUMING. So what makes it go faster? Lots of people working on it together, and sharing the workload. That's what Making History: Transcribe does. The Library of Virginia has digitized documents with high quality scanners and posted them on their website, which allows users (anybody!) to transcribe them, without even needing to make an account. After you submit your work, it gets reviewed by staff members.<br />
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To make it easy on transcribers, it gives a few simple directions. The documents can be zoomed in, out, and turned around to make it easy to read. There are instructions about how to transcribe illegible or guessed-at words, and if you've got a lot of questions about reading old documents, then you can get information on writing styles, abbreviations, and transcription tips!<br />
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If you find yourself liking this, you <i>can </i>make an account (and of course, I did). This way, if you find yourself doing this a lot, you can come back to the same documents over and over again easily.<br />
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After you've clicked on the document that you want to work on, here's what it looks like:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvO8RptOBi3RYnfGSyv1-bNgfwSs2Gi0xFFDMYb7xN2_4TauWN_M5O_D7b7zLCqSkhzomMWgEBFwNUTnd8Q5EMkLUGUgcXnq5tvnhHpwdOPNpNCRezp2Zfbsauagviw0u64Bj0MOT3V4/s1600/making+history+webpage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvO8RptOBi3RYnfGSyv1-bNgfwSs2Gi0xFFDMYb7xN2_4TauWN_M5O_D7b7zLCqSkhzomMWgEBFwNUTnd8Q5EMkLUGUgcXnq5tvnhHpwdOPNpNCRezp2Zfbsauagviw0u64Bj0MOT3V4/s1600/making+history+webpage.JPG" height="400" width="343" /></a></div>
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Sure, I can definitely see some potential issues - you'll get people who are terrible transcribers, you might get people who want to be funny by writing up false reports, etc. But transcriptions are checked by staff members who will review the work and make sure it's accurate, and if things start becoming an issue, then I'm sure making an account will become mandatory.<br />
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Explore the site here: <a href="http://www.virginiamemory.com/transcribe/">http://www.virginiamemory.com/transcribe/</a><br />
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Here's Library of Virginia's blog post about it! <a href="http://www.virginiamemory.com/blogs/out_of_the_box/2014/08/19/come-on-make-some-history/">http://www.virginiamemory.com/blogs/out_of_the_box/2014/08/19/come-on-make-some-history/ </a>Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-21152259884715114642014-04-25T12:20:00.000-04:002014-04-25T12:25:55.261-04:00Check it out: What Do I Read Next?One of the things I love about being a Librarian is recommending books to people who need something new to read. If you want something new to read, just let me know a couple of things about what you've liked in the past and what you want to read now by clicking on the tab "<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sQQYwfMQhw1o-_CBbZdC_kVvP7mRYkRYQf5zivZ3nPU/edit#">What Do I Read Next</a>?"
Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-33441409563022573182014-03-31T01:11:00.003-04:002016-02-02T00:45:53.375-05:002013: My Year in Books Here are my books from 2013 with my brief commentary-- now that it's pretty much APRIL, I have finally gotten to posting this. I have tried to mark where they were graphic novels, audiobooks, etc., and also what age they might best suit. I'd say 66 books ain't bad.<br>
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<li>Across the Universe - Beth Revis (half audiobook)</li>
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<li>Great YA space travel dystopian novel with lots of twists and turns. Also got my husband hooked on this, muahaha.</li>
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<li>Delirium - Lauren Oliver</li>
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<li>YA dystopian novel where love is illegal -- maybe not fleshed out as well as it could have been, but was fun along the way. See #54 for my thoughts on the sequel.</li>
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<li>A Million Suns - Beth Revis (sequel to Across the Universe)</li>
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<li>I don't normally read sequels, but I couldn't help myself with this one! </li>
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<li>The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart</li>
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<li>My teens were obsessed with this, and it got a lot of hype, so I read it. So glad I did - funky characters, great dialogue, and totally fun to read. Great for upper elementary and middle grade readers.</li>
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<li>The Case of the Deadly Desperados - Caroline Lawrence</li>
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<li>Western for the elementary set? Yes, please! Main character Pinky is hilarious and deadpan, and expect a lot of adventure, with a pinch of gruesome. Better for middle grade.</li></ul></ol><a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/2014/03/2013-my-year-in-books.html#more">Read more »</a>Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-2878908142541090302013-11-21T10:30:00.000-05:002014-04-25T12:33:49.358-04:00Minute to Win It Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, I came across the idea of Minute to Win It games as a teen program at the library, and it just instantly clicked that this is something I'd like to do. Ridiculous games, prizes, and only 60 seconds to do any of them. Yes! I have a teen advisory board (called ACT - Advisory Committee of Teens) that I started this summer, and they are awesome, because I can bounce ideas off of them, and they can tell me what they want directly. When we planned this fall's programs, I introduced them to the idea of Minute to Win It, and they all took to it.<br>
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Tonight's program went over so wildly well that I feel like I want to do one every week! Okay, maybe that's overkill. But it was so popular, and really got them moving and having fun. I didn't think I would do this again soon, but I'm thinking it will probably need to be done again in the spring.<br>
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</h3><a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/2013/11/minute-to-win-it-games.html#more">Read more »</a>Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-73545952655478405542013-05-12T11:00:00.000-04:002014-08-04T14:23:30.375-04:00App Love: For Book Nerds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> </b>Here's the start of what I hope to be an occasional feature -- App Love, where I share some of my favorite apps in different subjects. I will try not to overdo it, and of course there will be apps that you'll see that I've left off. These are only ones that I have tried myself. If you have any you'd like to add, please comment below! As a perfect start to my App Love, I'm going to share some great apps for book nerds.</div>
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<li><b>GoodReads </b>- This app is a lifesaver. When I'm looking at books in the store, or at the library, I can scan the ISBN and I can instantly access all the information about the book on GoodReads, including reviews. Additionally, I can see all of my own books, mark books that I want to read, see books I've previously read (along with their ratings and reviews), and a lot more. This is my all time favorite book app out there, and the website to boot. What did I do before GoodReads made this so easy? If you're interested in the social media aspect, you can also connect with other readers, see what they are reading, and (my favorite feature), compare your books with a beautiful Venn diagram! Huzzah!</li>
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<li><b>Overdrive </b>- If you like free books, then head to your local library and see if they have Overdrive. Overdrive lets you can check out free library e-books and audiobooks with a library card with participating libraries. Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (mine!) does it, and it's so easy. I can easily download an audiobook to listen to at the gym while I'm doing my warm-up. And if you don't think it's easy, then just ask your trusty neighborhood librarian to help you, and you shouldn't have any problems. Best part is, these library items can never be late -- because they return themselves when they expire! </li>
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<li><b>Readar </b>- If you travel a lot and like hitting up libraries, bookstores, and bookish events anywhere you go, then this is the app for you! By LibraryThing.com (where you can catalog your own home library collection), this app will locate bookstores, libraries, and book events so you always know where you can get your next fix. </li>
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Some of the standards: <br />
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<li>Kindle App for iPad and iPhone - If you already have a Kindle account, you'll find that the Kindle app makes it easy to read Kindle books on other devices. It's easy to use and is pretty. Which counts a lot in the world of apps.</li>
<li>iBooks - This was great for me when I had to read lots of PDFs. Of course, I hated printing them out, but I also hate reading on a computer screen. Reading on an iPad is a step up, and I loved it, and got to save some trees while I was at it.</li>
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Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306180815644635811.post-75293197670581128332013-02-02T13:26:00.002-05:002016-06-24T00:42:12.355-04:00Thing 6: Online NetworksThing 6 is all about social networking, which I feel fairly confident about already. The two main networks they talk about joining are LinkedIn and Facebook, so I've got those covered. The next ones they cover are for social networks for librarians, such as CILIP, LISNPN, and the LATnetwork. None of the librarian networks really appealed to me too much at this current juncture. I'm loath to join a network that I'm not sure will be very useful to me, and I don't think that ones which discuss mainly events taking place in the UK will. I do believe it's great for getting a sense of what's going on with libraries internationally, but I'm not sure what I hope to accomplish with that right now, so I think I'll leave it be. That said, here are my notes on these networks:<br>
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<b>LinkedIn</b><br>
I was intrigued by the article on how people really use LinkedIn, <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/07/09/linkedin-infographic/">here</a>. I think that one of the most important features is the groups. I've joined the professional groups that I belong to--<br>
<a href="http://spongeforknowledge.blogspot.com/2013/02/thing-6-online-networks.html#more">Read more »</a>Sponge for Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09757590450848933692noreply@blogger.com0