New Job, New Place to Live and Book Reviews

I'm starting my fourth week at the new job and I really like it so far. I get to meet a lot of interesting people and it's a pretty easy job (a lot of typing envelopes, answering phones and putting information into databases). We've narrowed down our search for a new place to live and have found a condo that my hubby and I both like. I have to drop off the paperwork today after work and pay application fees, but hopefully our application will get approved in a couple days and we can go ahead and put down a deposit before someone else grabs it up. Meanwhile, I'm trying to mentally place furniture so we can make sure everything fits as we have definitely gained some furniture since the last time we moved.


I decided to stop using Maricopa County libraries as we are moving soon and there is no branch really close to me where we will be living, plus the main branch of Phoenix Public Library is literally 3 minutes from where I work, so it is super convenient and there will also be a branch library down the street from the condo. I'm still listening to Madame Bovary, which has some wonderful language in it, but then gets boring and tedious with long French place names and 19th century medical practices. Despite this, I am still interested how badly Emma will to screw up her life, with the totally oblivious Charles, before the end of the book. I have also just started a graphic novel version of Fahrenheit 451, which is a little bit easier to get through than the audiobook version. I don't know what it is about books written in the 1950s-60s, but I seem to have trouble staying focused on them.

It seems that I have managed to read 28 books since my last review posting. Those are predominantly mangas, children's picture books and cookbooks, since my attention span seems to be at a loss lately, but that is a pretty impressive amount nonetheless.

Children
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
A very well done story about slaves with excellent illustrations, courtesy of Kadir Nelson. Henry was born into slavehood and at first lived with his mother and sisters until his master died and they were separated. When he arrived at his new master's tobacco factory, he met a girl who later became his wife and they had three children. When his family is sold to another man, he decides he needs to be free. So he ships himself to Philadelphia in a box, and gains his freedom. Recommended for ages 7 -12, 4 stars.

Flotsam by David Weisner
David Weisner is a genius! It's no wonder this book is an award winner as even though it is wordless, it is such a brilliant, original work of art. The illustrations are so good you literally are transported into another world. I love the one with the octopi. The book is about a young boy who likes to study things on the beach, such as crabs and starfish. He discovers an old-fashioned camera on the beach and goes to develop the photos. He gets these miraculous photos back and is amazed. He takes a picture with the camera and then throws it back in the ocean for someone else to find. Recommended for ages 5+, 5 stars.

The Three Little Pigs: An Architectual Tale by Stephen Guarnaccia
A cute picture book about The Three Little Pigs but each has a different architectural style that they imitate, like the third pig has a house that looks like Frank Lloyd Wright's house, Falling Waters. I enjoyed the end pages which featured architectural elements such as furniture, houses and housewares that were used in the book. It can be read to kids younger than five as the story is pretty simple, but only older kids and adults would appreciate the architectural/design elements of it. Recommended for ages 5-10, 3 stars.

Simeon's Gift by Julie Andrew Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton
Honestly I gave this book five stars because of the amazing Renaissance-like illustrations, that were so detailed and absolutely gorgeous. Definitely going to have to find more books illustrated by Gennady Spirin. The book comes with an audio CD of actress/singer Julie Andrews Edwards performing the book, which was created by her daughter Emma and herself.
The story is about a young lute-playing minstrel named Simeon who is in love with a noble lady named Sorrel. He thinks his meager income won't be enough for his girl so he sets off to gain more experience so he can write a song worthy of her. He sees and hears many wonderful things including great cities, soldiers, an abbey choir, and all manner of instruments. His head is so confused that he cannot really write his song properly, so he leaves the city and heads back home. On the way, he befriends a bird, fish and doe. When he arrives back home, his beloved is overjoyed at his return and his newfound friend, and suddenly his song pops back into his head fully completed and Sorrel loves it. He goes on to write many more. Recommended for ages 8+, 5 stars.
 
Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange
The book is a very well-done biography, in the form of poetry, of civil rights activist and wife to Martin Luther King Jr, Coretta Scott King. I loved the poem by Ntozake Shange, about as much as her poem for the children's book "Ellington Was Not A Street." Kadir Nelson's paintings are amazing as usual, even my 6 month old enjoyed looking at them. Recommended for ages 7+, 4 stars.
 
Just Mommy and Me by Tara Jaye Morrow
I picked this book out because my nickname for my son is Monkeypants because he is so wiggly and climbs everywhere, plus I just thought the cover image was cute. He enjoyed me reading this book to him. This is an adorable book about a son who imagines him and his mother are monkeys and do things like eat bananas, take naps in the jungle and watch the sunset together. As another reader has said, would be great to read for Mother's Day. Recommended for ages 6 months+, 4 stars.
 
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
I randomly found this one at the library after trying to find some new books for my son, and since my hubby works in construction, I thought it would be a good fit for them to read together. It is a cute rhyming bedtime book about the trucks that work at a construction site: Crane Truck, Cement Mixer, Dump Truck, Bulldozer and Excavator. It has details that kids would enjoy like the trucks sleeping with teddy bears and blankets. I think this would be a great book to get for my son when he's a bit older as the text was kind of long for him now. Recommended for ages 2-5, 4 stars.
 
Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet
I have been waiting to read this book for ages but never had the time until now. It is a folktale about a young girl who goes with her mother to the tea plantation. Tashi is not old enough to pick the tea leaves, so she plays with the monkeys that live near the mountain instead. One day, Tashi's mother becomes really ill and cannot work and doesn't have the money to get a doctor. Tashi tries to pick leaves herself but the Overseer of the plantation just laughs at her. She is upset and explains her story the monkeys, and then falls asleep. When she awakens, the monkeys have picked special tea leaves for her. The Royal Tea Taster makes a surprise visit and finds out that her special leaves are Cloud Tea leaves, and promises to pay her a pouch of gold coins every year if she can get him more of the leaves. She agrees and takes the money. Her mother gets better, they thank the monkeys with fruit, and live off the money while drinking the special Cloud Tea. Recommended for ages 8-12, 5 stars.
 
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans by Kadir Nelson
Heart and Soul is a very well done history of African Americans in the United States (1700s - present day), narrated from the point of view of a Southern African-American woman (in a conversational tone) whose family history stretches from the 1850s to the present day. It includes a timeline and historical note from the author. The illustrations are phenomenal paintings, modeled by the author himself and portrait of some of his family members, and definitely the best part of the book. Recommended for ages 9-12, 5 stars.
 
The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell
I picked this book by accident the last time I visited the children's department at the downtown Phoenix library. It was a good random find for browsing down the aisles of the fiction section. Although I figured out part of the storyline at the beginning of the book, most of it was a complete surprise and very well done.
The Aviary is about a 12 year old girl named Clara who has lived most of her life shut away in the Glendoover house, where her mother and a lady named Ruby take care of old Mrs. Glendoover. Clara's mother has always told her that she should never leave the house because she has a heart condition, and Clara has always kept away from the aviary where the five birds are kept, until one day she hears one of them say "Elliot," which opens up a mystery to the young girl. Who were the Glendoover family and what happened to their children, especially their baby son Elliot? What is the truth about Clara and her family's past? To find out, you must read this delightful little book. Recommended for ages 9-12, 4 stars.
 
Baby's First Year by Rick Walton
This was a very cute rhyming book about a baby's first year milestones, such as smiling, laughing, crawling, and walking. It would be good for a sibling of a new baby. Recommended for ages 6 months - 5 years, 4 stars.
 
Daisy and the Egg by Jane Simmons
Another cute picture book, with soft painted illustrations, for kids about to become an older brother or sister. Daisy and her mother are awaiting the arrival of Daisy's cousins and her new little brother or sister. Her cousins hatch first and eventually Daisy gets a new baby brother named Pip. Recommended for ages 6 months - 5 years, 3 stars.
 
Adult
China Modern: 1oo Cutting Edge, Fusion Style Recipes for the 21st Century by Ching-He Huang
I have made Vietnamese and Japanese food at home, but honestly Chinese food is pretty intimidating with the complicated recipes and ingredients I've never really tried. However, Ching makes the recipes easy to understand and most of them look really tasty. She has some traditional Chinese recipes, East/West fusion and Chinese mixed with other Asian cultures. Easy recipes like Chili and Pepper Squid, Lychee and Vanilla Ice Cream; to more complicated ones like Vegetable Bao (steamed buns) or Once-a-month Savory-Sour Vegetarian Noodle Soup. 4 stars.
 
Gary Rhodes New Classics by Gary Rhodes
I will say that the author/chef was very thorough in his research of the recipes and their backgrounds. That was the part that I really liked. However, after having read many cookbooks and websites on classic British cuisine, I have seen most of these recipes before so I didn't find many recipes that I wanted. The other problem is lack of money to buy specialty ingredients, like suet, which is cheap in Britain but expensive over here. 2 stars.
 
The Three Chimneys: Recipes and Reflections from the Isle of Skye's World Famous Restaurant by Shirley Spear
I enjoyed this becoming a chef memoir of the author and her recipes from her gorgeous little restaurant and B&B in northwest Skye. I had been to this western island of Scotland when I was studying there in 2004, although I only went to the SW portion (It is very ruggedly beautiful). The recipes and photos of the food were gorgeous, though a good number of the ingredients would only be accessible if you lived in the UK or could afford to buy them online. Neverless, it was an enjoyable read about a foray into the restaurant business from two amateurs that turned into an enormous success. 3 stars.
 
The Museum Vaults: Excerpts from the Journal of an Expert by Marc-Antoine Mathieu
The cover looked interesting, so I picked this up in the Teen graphic novel section at the downtown library (although I don't believe it should've been in the teen section). It was a futuristic look at the Louvre in the fictional subbasements, where the collection is now stored. The graphic novel was making fun of art history and curatorial practices, which I found kind of funny as I majored in art history and museum studies in university. Overall, I thought it was pretty boring, though I liked the Escher-esque black & white art. 2 stars.

February Life Update

I've given up on the State Library and Archives job as it has been 5 weeks now and still no answer. I have not heard back from Everest College, though I think I did a good job with the in-person interview. Meanwhile, last Friday I got a call from the Diocesan House again, wanting me to come back for a meeting. Basically the job opened up again, so they offered me the job and I took it. I started Mon Jan 30 and have just finished up my first week. It has taken me forever to get the hang of the very multi-line phone system (like 20 extensions) but I think I'm finally getting it. So I am currently working for the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, which covers the entire state (71 churches/groups/foundations). Needless to say, I have been introduced to a whole lotta people in the past week. I found out that we have a very active Spanish ministry (including a Spanish-only church) and a Sudanese church, as apparently a lot of the Lost Boys of Sudan settled in the Phoenix area. I like it when churches are more multicultural. I already know a lot of church lingo, as I am a cradle Episcopalian and my mother is a priest, but I will definitely have to keep learning whilst working in this position. Luckily, everyone is really nice, helpful and patient with me as I learn. It's a part time job (18-20 hrs) but I'm hoping that it will go to full time by next year. It apparently was full time before but because of the economy, they had to downsize. The priests for the most part are pretty cool and super smart, like the Dean of the Cathedral has a PhD in Astrophysics and the Bishop has a PhD in Medieval History (I'm very curious to know what he wrote his dissertation on). 


I'm making a very conscious effort to read more this year, though because of my working now and being ill since Wednesday (baby gave me his cold) that has slowed down a bit. So far I have read 41 books so I am off to a good start. Might have to eventually change my goal from 200 to 366! I am currently reading John Green's new book The Fault in Our Stars, which is brilliant. I'm also tackling some cookbooks, in Chinese and British cooking. Since my hubby is English, I'm always on the lookout for good British cookbooks as he gets nostalgic every now and again. We recently discovered The Cornish Pasty Co. in Tempe, about 45 minutes from us over our anniversary weekend (last Saturday the 28th, 6 yrs). We ended up having the pork/apple/potato and the steak/mushrooms/zucchini/Stilton pasties and they were awesome. We also had Banoffee Pie, which was delicious and I hadn't had in forever! For those who haven't had this dessert, it's basically a graham cracker crust with toffee/caramel, bananas and whipped cream. Simple but amazing. I discovered it when I was studying in Scotland. 


Liam, my 6 month old son, is doing well. He had his wellness checkup recently and weighed in at 18lbs 9oz and was 29 1/2 inches in length. I keep saying he's like a baby in a toddler's body b/c he's so long. He got ill after he was given a mandatory shot and now my mother, father and I all have the crud, i.e. congestion, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, hard to breathe etc. We think Liam might walk before he crawls as he has been practicing in the bouncer that my parents got him. He has been eating solid foods for a little over 2 months now and doing well with them, eating both fruit and veggies. My hubby is doing well in his job. He works for an apartment remodeling company in Phoenix and gets along well with everyone. We are currently looking for a place to live. We wanted to rent a house but everything is just a little bit out of our price range, so we'll probably be looking at apartments or townhouses instead. Problem is finding a half decent one in our price range that's not in a bad area of town, as I want Liam to be safe. We're hoping to have enough money to buy a house of our own by this time next year, and that the prices will still be low. 

Tony DiTerlizzi, Cassandra Clare, Kazu Kibuishi, Kiiro Yumi, and Kaoru Mori

I didn't get the Diocesan House job and I'm still waiting on the word from the State Library and Archives after my interview for the paid internship position there about a month ago. I have another interview for a part time Library Assistant position at Everest College, a for-profit college that is in-between a two and four year school. I would be doing a little bit of everything since it is a very small library (would only be and the Librarian if I got the job), which would be great experience. We already had a phone interview that I think went really well so now I have an in-person interview on Wed afternoon. 

Other than that, things have been pretty good. My son Liam had his 6 month doctor's appointment and he weighed in at 18lbs 9 1/2oz and was measured at 29 1/2 inches long. He's so long, it's almost like he is a baby in a toddler's body. He's very healthy and we've been feeding him solid food for about 2 months now. We started him on veggies and only recently added fruits, which is supposed to help him not develop a sweet tooth. Needless to say, like most babies, he likes sweeter veggies like carrots and squash more than his green veggies. Also we finally have found a place outside of my parent's house to live, though we cannot move in till March 1. The rental house is in pretty rough shape now, but it should be ready by then. 

I've been reading up a storm since the beginning of the year and have finally gotten in the groove of reading again regularly. Today I have read my 22nd book, which is pretty awesome considering it is the 22nd of January! I will try to post again more regularly as I am reading more. I will be dividing these up also as I've read  12 books since the last time I've reviewed on the blog. 

Children

Just Go to Bed by Mercer Mayer

One of my favorite Little Critter books, in which he pretends to be a spaceman, zookeeper, cowboy, general, sea monster, train engineer and more. This is all while his dad is trying to get him bathed and in bed, finally exclaiming "Just go to bed!", which is very funny if you've ever tried to get a kid to bed who didn't want to go. Recommended for ages 6 months+, 4 stars. 

Ted by Tony DiTerlizzi

I have been trying to find a copy of this picture book for years and was so excited when I finally found it at my local library! It was as good as I thought it would be, i.e. a zany and funny picture book done by the fabulously talented author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi. Ted is the pinkish-purply imaginary friend of a young boy, and they get up to some pretty crazy adventures, which the boy's dad does not appreciate. That is until the boy realizes that Ted knows his dad (was in fact his imaginary friend named Ned) and the dad rediscovers his sense of fun and spends his time playing with Ted and his son. Recommended for ages 5+, 5 stars. 

Children and Young Adult

Amulet, Book 4: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi

I swear the books in this series keep getting better and better, though now it is killing me not to know how the series ends. I love it that the book works so well with and without words to convey the story/action. 

In this volume, Emily and her family have finally made it to Cielis, where the Stonekeeper's amulets were first created from the Mother Stone. She is told that she will be called on by the Guardian Council and given a set of trials to prove her worth, but she feels that something is not quite right. New allies are introduced, who will help Emily in the next volume. Why is everyone in Cielis so quiet and why do they distrust foreigners so much? Why does the Guardian Council keep itself hidden away? How much does Emily know about Max, the other Stonekeeper who accompanied her to Cielis?  Recommended for ages 10+, 5 stars. 

Young Adult

Flash Gold (Flash Gold Chronicles #1) by Lindsay Buroker

I found this on the free list for the Kindle and it looked interesting so I decided to give it a try. It was a very quick read and I really got into it. The story is set in the 1890s in the Yukon Territory in Canada, and is about an 18 yr old inventor named Kat. There is a dog sled race where the grand prize is $1000, which is enough for Kat to get out of the small town she is in and create more inventions. The title comes from a substance that her inventor father, Ezekiel, created to power machines and is apparently in very high demand from gangsters. They have sent gangs of people to capture Kat and get the Flash Gold, all of this during the dog sled race. A stranger named Cedar comes with her to help her out at the last minute, though his intentions are unclear. Will they get her and the gold? Will she win the race? Why is Cedar there in the first place? To find out, read this novella. Recommended for ages 14+, 5 stars. 

Emma, Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori

I picked this one up by accident (though apparently it's been on my to-read list for awhile) while browsing the teen section at the library. I enjoyed this quick read about a young servant girl named Emma who works for Kelly, a former governess to William Jones. The first time Emma meets William, he falls in love with her but is too shy to tell her how he feels. She has had letters from multiple suitors but always says no. William's friend Hakim comes to visit him from India and then he falls in love with Emma, only he tells her outright about it. The first volume ends with William's father telling him that he is to marry the young girl he danced at the ball with the previous night. Recommended for ages 12+, 4 stars. 

The Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2) by Cassandra Clare

Ok so I've been reading Cassandra Clare books for over a year now and I love them. She is simply the best writer for kisses/make-out scenes, at least in teen books. You really feel right there with the main character experiencing it as it happens. And there were some really great scenes like that in these books, and with two hot guys no less. I usually cannot put these books down once I've started and this book was no exception, although it did take me awhile to get into it because I could not remember for the life of me what in the heck happened in the previous book (until about 50 pages into it). The only thing that really annoyed me about the book (and the reason it got four instead of five stars) was because I found out pretty early on that the author was once again using a formula to explain the story, i.e. girl torn between two guys, one sensitive and shy and the other brash and beautiful. For whatever reason, that just annoyed me. 

This book picks up where the other left off. Tessa is still staying at the London Institute for Shadowhunters, Will is still treating her and everyone else like he doesn't care, and they are trying to find Mortmain and what he is planning to do with his clockwork creations. As the book progresses, Tessa is slowly falling for both Will and Jem and can't really decide who she likes more. Charlotte's tenure as head of the London Institute is questioned by another Shadowhunter named Bernard Lightwood, who wants to take over control of it from her. The Consul has given Charlotte two weeks to find out Mortmain's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Will has been secretly seeing Magnus Bane in an attempt to find a demon that cursed him five years ago. Charlotte, Jem, Tessa and Will find out that Mortmain sought reparations from the Shadowhunter Council after his parents were murdered, and that he lived in York. Will they be able to find Mortmain before the two weeks is up? Will Tessa ever discover who she is? Which boy will Tessa chose? These answers and more are found in this delightful sequel to "The Clockwork Angel". Recommended for ages 15+, 4 stars. 

Library Wars: Love and War, Vol. 1 by Kiiro Yumi

A very funny introductory volume to Library Wars, a futuristic view of Japan where the government has "created a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable (back cover)," and the libraries fight back by creating a militant librarian task force which protects against censorship. The concept is just so cool sounding, and kinda makes me wish they had something like this in real life. The main character, Iku Kasahara, is one of the hardest working people in training to join the Task force, and is better than the men who have joined her. She has followed "her hero" to the Task Force after the mysterious male stranger saves her book in high school after the gov't does a raid on a bookstore that she is in. She and another boy named Hikaru Tezuka are invited to join the Task Force but Kasahara is always behind as she fell asleep during her classroom training. During the whole thing, you can see her falling for Dojo, her teacher, especially after she realizes that he is "her hero," even though she doesn't want to. Tezuka may also be falling for her. Can't wait to read the next 3 volumes! Recommended for ages 12+, 5 stars. 

Anne Burrell, Calista Taylor, and Stephen Savage

So I got a no from the Diocesan House on the job there and also a no from the PT Recreation job. My paid internship interview with the State Library went well on Tuesday I think, so I'm just waiting to hear back from them. In the meantime, I will include my latest couple of books read. 

Children

Where's Walrus? by Steven Savage

One of the selections for the Mock Caldecott, this was one of my least favorite of their selections. The illustrations were cute, but the story left a little to be desired, even the baby got bored with it. In this wordless picture book, a curious walrus decides to leave the zoo and go exploring in the city, while the zookeeper follows him. He finally ends up at a diving competition where he takes the first prize, so the zookeeper decides to built him a diving board so he can do that at the zoo. Recommended for ages 5 month - 5 yrs, 2 stars. 

Adult

Devil on a Sparrow's Wing by Calista Taylor

Loved this book, but was disappointed at the suddenness of its ending, hence the four star rating instead of five (though I devoured this book faster than the first). This volume of the Viridis series was more about adventure, though there was a little mystery thrown in from the viewpoint of wondering what would happen next. 


At the beginning of the book, Phoebe has just recently married Seth and they are living together happily. Phoebe has created Sanctis, another herbal concoction based off Viridis that sharpens one's senses. Needless to say, when the two herbals are mixed, there are some interesting outcomes. We, the readers, are finally introduced to Gavin's family who live in the Highlands and are practically a family to Seth as well. After an encounter with Gavin in the Highlands that ends in some inappropriate things accidentally happening, Seth storms off in a rage and is seems to have been blown up in an explosion at the Tinkerer's Guild. Phoebe is devastated and it takes her over a year to get over it. Will she be able to find love again? Is Seth really dead? Will Gavin ever have his love of Phoebe realized? To find out, read this fascinating sequel to Viridis. Kindle ebook, 4 stars. 


The real taste of delicious Indian sweets by Karissma
I love Indian sweets, especially Galub Jamin and Jalebi, so I wanted to give this cookbook a try. The book contains a description of each dessert (though I wish there were pictures with the description instead of with the recipes).The recipes are short and simple, but my gripe is that the author switches from English to metric measurements and doesn't explain what some of the Indian ingredients included in the recipes are. 3 stars. 


Cook Like a Rock Star: 125 Recipes, Lessons, and Culinary Secrets by Anne Burrell
I watched her interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, and I liked her before that after watching her cooking show on Food Network. Her cookbook is not conceited like other major chefs, and she doesn't talk down to you like you're an idiot. I knew that she worked with Mario Batali (he wrote her Forward for this book) but I never knew that she had trained in Tuscany. As a result of this, most of her recipes have an Italian slant. I like who she divided the recipes into traditional Italian dining categories (minus the first one): Piccolini ("little nibbles"), Firsts (Appetizers), Pasta, Seconds (Meat Dishes), Sides and Desserts. I love her cheese, mushroom, and prosciutto dishes; esp the Goat Cheese Cheesecake, Parmesan Flan, Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Crispy Prosciutto and Mint, Wild Mushroom Ragu, and the Spinach & Ricotta Gnocchi with Fontina Fonduta.  4 stars. 

Jobs, Books, Clubs and Netgalley

So I've been striking out left and right with jobs. All four of my recent job interview have ended with rejections, and then I've 3 other rejections aside from the interviews. So I'm pretty frustrated again. At least my hubby has a job so we're finally able to pay some of our bills on our own. I'm still finding library jobs to apply to though, so I will keep trying. 

The only things that have been keeping me sane have been the books I pick up from the library and joining a few local Meetup groups. The best two lately have been Scott Westerfeld's Goliath (Leviathan #3), which was awesome and even though it was over 500 pages, I managed to finish in a couple days and Alia Yunis's The Night Counter, which was a surprisingly excellent book. Last month I reread Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle for a Banned Books Book Club that I joined. Despite being a librarian, I've never been to a book club meeting ever. This one was a lot of fun. The book we are reading this month is Upton Sinclair's commentary on immigration and the meat packing industry, The Jungle. I have also joined a mom's group, where mom's with young kids get together for play dates. I also joined a crocheting group and have started another scarf. I'm not talented when it comes to crocheting, and can only do basic stitches (single, double and triple crochet) but the repetitive action is relaxing for me. I went to my first meeting on Sunday and had a lot of fun talking to the ladies in the group! I'm hoping maybe I can learn some new stitches and maybe get to work with some new fabric. 

I also joined Netgalley, which I had heard snippets about before, but never thought to join. It is basically where book reviewers and librarians can get advanced digital copies of books and do reviews on them. It looks pretty awesome so far, when I was browsing some of the books I could get, which were so far mostly graphic novels. But I only signed up today, so we'll see what happens. 

Another Interview

Today I had the job interview with Maricopa County Library District, for the Deweyless Librarian FT position. For those who don't know, the Deweyless system is also called the Book Store Approach which does not use the Dewey Decimal system but rather groups books in easy to find categories, with easy to locate signage and displays. It's all to improve customer service and make it easier for the patrons to find what they need. It would be a behind-the-scenes job, but I'm cool with that, as the pay is so good, even though it is a temporary position only lasting 1 to 1 1/2 yrs and there are no benefits. I'm fascinated by the Deweyless system (and the articles I've read on the subject) and I hope I get the job, even though I don't know much about cataloguing or weeding collections. I was so nervous during the interview that I'm not really sure how it went, but I'm kind of hoping they take pity on me and select me because I have an MLIS and am eager to please. We'll see by the end of the week. 

I had an interview last week with City of Flagstaff Library for a nearly full time (35 hrs a week) Library Circulation Clerk position with full benefits (with the exception of .75 - .80% on vacation/sick days). This was another weird interview, where they didn't ask the normal kind of interview questions, at least not ones they had asked me during my 2 previous interviews for them. Of course, my hubby has decided that he now likes his job and would rather live in the Phoenix area then in the more expensive Flagstaff area (even though it snows here and actually has seasons). I can't blame him for that, as it is a lot cheaper to buy a house here in the Phoenix metro area, but a job is a job. And in this economy, we can't be so picky. So we'll see what happens with that job in a couple of weeks. 

Meanwhile, I am also waiting for word back from the interview I had 2 weeks ago with the City of Phoenix for the PT Library Assistant position, as that is actually predominantly working with Youth Services, which I am actually trained in, so I am very interested in that position as well. Hopefully I will hear from them tomorrow. 


Update Oct 30: I did not get either the Phoenix or the Flagstaff position. I'm guessing it was no to Flagstaff b/c I have a Masters and am therefore over-qualified, which might also be the reason for Phoenix, although I'm trained to do what job (Youth Services). Either that or too many qualified applicants so they took the people with more experience. Two rejections in a week really sucks. Haven't heard back from Maricopa County yet. 

Second Job Interview

So I did not get the Youth Services Library Assistant position at Scottsdale Public Library's Main Branch, which sucks because it is a really nice place and I would love to work there. I did however interview today for a similar position with Phoenix Public Library's Main Branch, another library that I love architecturally and because the interior is so cool. It has a humongous children's section and a separate teen section, which is so awesome. I've even seen teens playing chess in there. 


The position pays better than Scottsdale ($16-24 an hour) and it is part time (16-20 hrs a week). But it would help me get my foot in the door for other positions. And I really need that right now to maintain my sanity. 


Update 10/15/11: I got a third interview scheduled for a Deweyless Librarian position for Maricopa County on the 24th. So hopefully one of the jobs pans out!

Job Frustrations and Time Passers

I am super frustrated at the moment because I interviewed for this awesome part-time Youth Services position at the Scottsdale Public Library Main Branch, and didn't get it, due to an overwhelming pool of qualified applicants (or something to that effect). Scottsdale has a super nice library system, which not only has amazing general library spaces but also a fantastic teen and children's section in the Main Library. The teen's section, called Knowasis, is glassed in and featured a study room, tons of computers, a stage and the YA books. They get 7-9K teens a year in there, which is a staggering amount of people. Most libraries won't see that number in several years. The children's area is broken down into picture books on one end with these totally cute mice chairs around a cheese table, and a castle at the other end for the older kid's books. They even have reading nooks in the castle turret. Each branch library is an early literacy center too, and they apparently have a very active summer reading program for all ages. 

I have applied for more positions before and since I interviewed for that job last week, but I really had my heart set on that position. It would be a good starting out position for me as it was actually in my area of expertise. I really just hope something else works out soon before I go completely stir crazy living here. I'm trying to occupy my time in some small way, and have decided to join a book club (something which I've surprisingly never done before despite being an avid reader for most of my life). I've joined a Banned Books group so far, and they are doing a discussion on Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, which I've never read but I've heard was really good. Have seen the silent film version of it though. There are a couple more groups reading interesting books that I want to check out in Oct/Nov.  There is also a ton of free festivals coming up in Sept/Oct that I want to go to, such as Oktoberfest, Greek Festival and the Best Fest. 

International Literacy Day

Today, Sept 8, is International Literacy Day. I know the importance of early childhood literacy after working with the South Carolina State Library to create a directory of South Carolina literacy organizations and to help with the literacy calendar for children ages 0-7 and their families (http://daybydaysc.org/About/print-version). One of my Facebook library groups posted a video about the holiday, and there was link to this video in it about the importance of literacy as education from the Ambassador from Bangladesh to the United Nations. It is a bit long but has a good message. 

Today is my first library job interview since I stopped working back in May. So wish me luck!

Life Update

Being a new mom makes me physically exhausted, which makes me not want to do anything. I enjoy snuggling with Liam and sleeping when I can though. I have started applying for jobs again and have applied for seven in all since I started two weeks ago, and have just got my first rejection letter. Luckily it was one of the jobs that I didn't really want but figured I would apply for anyways, the non-library admin position. 

I have been able to catch up on reading, though I'm still way off my 200 books read this year goal. I recently finished the new Gail Carriger book, Heartless, which was amazingly hilarious as usual. It made me want to start regularly drinking hot tea again, well that and the high tea that I had with my family and friends the other day. Ok, it also made me crave cucumber sandwiches and British tea cookies. 

I've started playing MMORPG games again. Originally my hubby and I did it so we could play online together again, but my laptop's graphic card isn't very good so games don't always work on there. We tried this cool-looking game called Dragon's Nest, that looked like anime, but I had to set the graphics so low that it didn't work. So now I'm trying a game called Forbidden World from the makers of another game I had previously tried called Perfect World. Very pretty graphics even on the lowest setting, but it keeps crashing my system because the graphics card is overheating. However, I have managed to install it on my dad's computer and I play it when it is available. 


All the things I have mentioned above is what has been keeping me somewhat busy, but I would love to meet some more people my age so I have a chance of not going stir crazy being stuck in this house all day everyday. 

Dystopias and other stuff

Well, I've officially been a mom for a month now. I'm still not used to the lack of sleep part but starting to settle into the rest of it. Liam seems to have grown longer and I'm sure he has gained some weight but I won't know for sure until his 2 month appointment next month. We've tested him out at a movie and he slept through the entire thing and didn't cry once. Not sure he would do so well in an action movie (because of all the sudden loud noises), but a comedy should be fine. I'm hoping to start my job search this week and hopefully it won't take too long to find something (although it took my husband nearly 2 months). 

Two weeks ago on Facebook, one of the YA authors that I follow, English writer Philip Reeve, posted this article that he wrote for School Library Journal. Since I tend to read a lot of dystopias and they are so popular nowadays, as explained in the article, I thought I would pass it along so others could read and enjoy it. He knows what he is talking about as he has also written the dystopian series Mortal Engines and Fever Crumb. 

It's getting closer to D-Day...and no I'm not talking about WWII

I'm about six weeks away from my delivery date, assuming Baby H comes on time, and believe me when I say that I really hope that he does. Last week was rough baby wise because I was feeling pretty crappy and very crampy pretty much all day every day. Apparently I am having more Braxton Hicks contractions as my tummy has been as tight as a drum, though the round ligament pains have also stepped up a notch as well. My mom says I'm not drinking enough water so I'm trying to drink a couple more glasses per day to cure that. My next doctor's appointment is this Wed and I'm probably gonna end up taking my ultrasound pics over again since my previous OB-Gyn has decided not to forward all the info from the ultrasound technician, even though we've been asking for them for about a month. I am not looking forward to that, even though it would be nice to see how the baby is developing. I finally preregistered at the hospital so they know about when to expect me. My grandparents have ordered the crib and it's supposed to come sometime on Thursday, so looking forward to finally having that. So the last major baby stuff that I need to get is the stroller and car seat. Oh and still need to pack my overnight bag for the hospital because as my husband keeps pointing out, it could literally be anytime in the next six weeks, and once things start happening I will be pretty incapacitated. We're still trying to decide on a name, have it down to final two but still not nailed anything down yet. 

The exciting news that I have to tell is about my hubby. Since he moved here, he has been trying to figure out what he wants to do career-wise and was thinking about making a change. He's a carpenter/house remodeler currently but wants to do something different. He really likes to cook and since there are at least three cooking schools in the Phoenix area, we decided to check them out. So we went to visit Le Cordon Bleu, the most famous of the three, and were really impressed. It was very up to date and despite having about 1000 students, the student-to-teacher ratio and class size was small. So he decided to enroll there and we've spent the weekend trying to get financial aid sorted. The program is 9 months long and he'll be taught basic French techniques on the basics, culinary arts, intro to baking/patisserie and given the option to pursue an Associates/Bachelors in Restaurant Management if he so wishes. The fees include a knife and utensil set, all textbooks, and the uniform (jacket, cravat, cap, pants and perhaps shoes). He is getting very excited but also nervous about starting. The funny thing is that he said he was more scared about starting the program than he was about the baby coming. He starts August 15. 

We had a nice weekend, which started with us going to the movies on Friday morning to see the new X-Men: First Class. I really enjoyed it because of the excellent cast and the back story that explains how Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik (Magneto) formed the X-Men back in the 1960s, and how they picked sides. It also talks about the first X-Men came about and they included some that weren't in the previous movies or cartoon series that I had grown up watching. I'm thinking maybe they are in the original comic book series. My favorite character would probably be Hank because he starts out as this insanely smart young nerdy guy who because he wants to fit in, ends up becoming the Beast that we know now. My Dad's birthday was on Saturday and he decided to invite a couple friends over for gourmet burgers. Since we've moved here and especially since John has decided to go to cooking school, he has been the primary cook of the house. So he made up the burgers to order on Saturday. I had a beef burger with caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms under provolone cheese with bread and butter pickles and guacamole. Delicioso! Saturday was also apparently a Facebook friend's civil union ceremony and another acquaintance's Episcopal deacon ordination, so congrats to all of them. Sunday we went to a new church, which was an interesting experience, and then all the way out to Mesa (about an hour's drive away from us) where we had this insanely yummy brunch at a little bistro. It was actually the perfect blend of lunch and breakfast items as my hubby usually won't eat breakfast food, so they had beef, lamb and mussels for him but things like made-to-order omelets, Eggs Benedict, bacon and sausage for me. And the most enormous but still incredibly sweet and juicy strawberries with a chocolate fountain. We actually went out to Mesa for the free first Sunday of the month admission at the Arizona Natural History Museum that my hubby had found and suggested. For a free museum it was excellent, but I would've have paid the $10 per adult to go there on a regular basis. It was packed full of kids and parents there who were taking advantage of the same deal. It was very hands-on and kid-friendly with about 5 rooms of dinosaur stuff, the origin of the earth, rocks & minerals, a special exhibit on The Sea of Cortez near Baja, CA, Southwestern history, and even a gold panning area outside. 

My two latest obsessions

So lately I have been rather bored and started searching for new shows to watch since the last show I started watching on Hulu was Mercy, which only lasted 22 episodes and just as it got all cliffhanging, I found out that they had canceled it. I had heard from several friends that they liked Bones, and since I tend to like true-crime shows, I thought I would give it a whirl. Now I'm totally addicted. I started watching it last weekend and am already on the third season of 6. Thankfully Netflix has it on the online queue for free, so I've been watching it there. It's just so nice to find an intelligent woman with an interesting job that I'd actually consider doing, provided I had unlimited resources of course (even less jobs out there for forensic anthropologists than there are for children's librarians, which I know as I have friends who are cultural anthropologists). I wasn't really a fan of David Boreanaz, but the more I see of him acting as Booth, the FBI agent, the more I like him. I also love the other cast members, the incredibly social awkward guy who's really good at his job and super smart, the smart sexy female coroner, the beautiful artist girl with a past, and the insanely rich bug and dirt guy who just wants a normal life. And even though the show has given me a few nightmares, especially after watching 3 or more episodes in a row, I am still fascinated by it. 

The other thing I've been obsessed about, and part of the reason I can't sleep (the other being my hips hurt like crap and are all out of alignment due to my current state of pregnancy and being unable to sleep on my back) is Dragon Age II. Originally when my hubby and I played the demo, I was impressed with it, but didn't really care when we got it. My hubby decided to preorder it and we got it by Thursday, and I've been playing it ever since. The storyline just sucks you in from the beginning, well after you make it Kirkwall (your future home) anyways.  This one is following a similar timeline to the Dragon Age: Origins (the first game in the series) but in a totally different location and with different characters for the most part. The romance aspect of it is very intriguing as all the people you have the option of starting something with are damaged in major ways, so it is interesting to see which one you choose and why. The storyline so far is a bit depressing, but fascinating because it is all told from the viewpoint of a dwarf who is in the company of "the Champion" from the beginning, as he is being interrogated. So I am very interested to see where the storyline eventually ends up. I haven't gotten this into a game since Origins came out. 

Distracted by real life...

So my life is usually pretty boring, I'll admit that. Not much going on now except being pregnant and trying to find a more permanent job (not very successfully I will add). At least we now know what I am having for sure: It's a boy! So I can at least pick out colors for the room/baby clothes. Honestly the hardest thing about this, aside from not having the room for said baby things, is the selection. Baby boy's clothes are on the whole not as attractive as girl's clothes, in that there aren't as much cute variations. Unless of course you have unlimited funds, which we don't.  I do like that there are dinosaurs and zoo animals, though giraffes tend to be neutral (for boys and girls). 

My pregnancy is half over. This is both a good and bad thing. Good because we will have the baby, and bad because I will be thrust into parenthood at alarming speed, which is something I'm not sure I'm 100% prepared for. I'm not sure anyone is really ready when they have a kid, I think it is more of a "you are thrust into the situation and you learn to adapt" kind of thing. At least this is what I have observed from other people, including my family members. I am excited that the baby is finally coming, but scared that I won't be good enough. For me, what makes things more complicated is being so far away from friends and family, and only being able to talk to them via phone or internet. I'm thinking I need to join a Mom's group in Columbia, so I can get to know some people. 


To detract from my over-worrying about everything, I thought I would include this funny video I found today about naming your babies, which has also recently been on another friend's blog. I'm not sure if everyone knows about the vblog brothers, YA author John Green and his brother Hank who weekly post videos on YouTube to each other, but I think they are hilarious. In John Green's post proceeding this one, he discusses five funny real names of people in the US and Hank's response is to post this video about how to name your children, according to seven rules (which he outlines).

Graduation!!

After 2 1/2 long years, I have finished graduate school for the second time. I submitted my final three papers tonight and officially graduation is tomorrow. I'm not attending due to financial issues, but now I just have to wait for my diploma to come in the mail and wait for my grades to post. I have an idea what I might have for one class but no idea for the other, as I only just submitted papers. I'm having a mini celebration right now and will celebrate in a grander style in Arizona once my hubby and I get there to visit my parents for two weeks for Christmas/New Years. I'm so ready for a vacation as this has been a very long and stressful semester. It's great being done with school, but it also feels weird, I guess because I've been doing it for over 2 yrs. 

The other good news is that I finally got a part time job, in my local public library, working as a Children's Room Shelver. My first day is tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. I applied for Medicaid in November to cover my medical bills and I am now approved. I just have to drop off one letter this week and maybe another in the next few days. I'm hoping to speak to my actual worker so I can ask some questions about WIC and some other things. So at least we don't have to worry about those bills. The baby is coming along fine, and I'm nearly 9 weeks. I am a little anxious about the flights but they should be fine as long as I can keep food down when we take off/land. 

The Code

I found this a few weeks ago on The Merry Librarian and wanted to share it because I think it about sums out the unwritten job description of a public librarian. 

“I declare myself a Librarian, and swear myself to this Sacred Code. I acknowledge that I am but a humble servant of society, and forfeit my identity and rights as an individual. I willingly lay down my right to personal space. I accept that I shall henceforth be a surrogate mother to all patrons: I shall clean up their messes, their puke, their children’s puke, and re-shelve all of their carelessly tossed books. I shall silently tolerate their screaming fits when they fail to read signs about Internet usage limits, fines, and behavioral expectations. I will cater to their every need: from, “Will you set up my email account for me?” to “I need help with my taxes,” to “I just can’t understand why my husband left me!” I will follow their children around, cleaning up trails of toys, chewed books, urine and bubblegum. I will assist the man who speaks only to my chest; I will converse with the woman whose breath is foul enough to kill kittens. I will smile when they scream, smile when curse, smile when they are demanding and irrational. I am a Librarian: I am all things to all people. By this Code I do swear.”

This past weekend

This past weekend nothing much happened, except for two things. One of our friends decided to move out to where we live so we'll actually get to see him more, always a plus. The other thing was that Liverpool won their second game in a row, even though it is only the 3rd win of the season and the first away game. But we're still hopeful, though I do wish Torres would get his act together. He's been out of it since end of last year, and has only scored 2 goals in 23 games this season. I've also now been waiting three weeks to hear back from the library folks in Arizona, so I don't know what to think about that, except feeling really frustrated. Anyways, on to quotes and website highlights. 


This week the quotes for the week will be from two of my favorite comics. The first will be from the extremely talented Alan Moore and his Absolute Watchmen, which includes all the cool behind the scenes and extra stuff from the comic book. The second comes from my newly discovered favorite comic, Rex Libris Volume 1: I, Librarian. For those who have not heard about it, it is about an awesome, witty and just plain hilarious comic strip about a 2000+ yr old librarian named Rex Libris whose job is to shush people and reclaim overdue library books from creatures all over the galaxy, with force if needed. 

• “Why do we argue? Life's so fragile, a successful virus clinging to a speck of mud, suspended in endless nothing.”--Alan Moore, end of Chapter 6, Absolute Watchmen 
  
  
• “That fiend knows my every weakness! Damn you Yeti! Why do you torment me so? These buttertarts brim with the very calories of evil! Inexorably drawing me in to a carbohydrate-fueled hell of high caloric sin!”—Rex Libris, Rex Libris: I, Librarian

The website of the week is Book Club Buddy, which I found a couple of weeks ago through the women's newspaper, Skirt. I've not been able to use it yet, but it seems like an awesome site! It's got Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry books that you can check out to read, Author Interviews, Videos which include book trailers and author Q&A, and Reading Guides for Book Clubs. Also, if you are an author, you can promote your book and if you register for the site, you can win free books.

I am so out of it

This week has been a bit of a blur, and I've not been focusing at all. Case in point, my schoolwork, which I was caught up on a week ago and now I am behind again. Bugger. The library in Arizona has not gotten back to me as of yet. So I'm waiting for that as well, but will call back on Friday if I haven't heard anything. I just watched Glee's version of Rocky Horror Picture Show, which rocked, despite the lyric and character changes! I got up at the end and danced to "The Time Warp" again. I'm gonna have to watch the original version now. I discovered it in high school, much to my mother's chagrin. It's as Mr. Shu says in Glee, it's all about outcasts and I was definitely one in high school. Tim Curry was awesome as a transvestite and looks like he is having fun with it. I must say that Emma's rendition of "Toucha Toucha Toucha Touch Me" was pretty good, especially as Mr. Shu apparently has a rocking body (it's always the ones you least suspect, lol).

Interview and other stuff

Well I'm here in Arizona just hanging out after my job interview on Thursday in Flagstaff. I think it went pretty well and there wasn't that sense of dread like after my last interview. The questions weren't too hard and I got to actually go on the bookmobile and check it out. I think it will take a bit of time of get used to driving such a big bus, but I pretty confident that I will get the hang of it. My hubby was all mad that he didn't get to come with me and said it wasn't fair that I was getting "a four day vacation" when he didn't get one. I know he's been working really hard and know he needs a break too. Unfortunately we just couldn't afford it, especially as we had just recently bought tickets to come here for two weeks at Christmas. But it is nice to just be someplace else for a couple days. I really like it here and sincerely hope that I get the job, even if that means we would be moving across country in a very short period of time.

Yesterday we stopped at this place I've seen a couple times from Hwy 17 and though "Oh, they have pie, I should stop some time." Apparently Rock Springs Cafe is famous for its pie and they have a right to be because it was damn good pie. We got blackberry. I would love to try their other flavors but they are a bit pricey. Today my dad and I went to see the movie Red starring Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, and Mary Louise Parker. I must admit, I've never really watched the Die Hard movies, although I did like Mr. Willis in The Fifth Element, but he was really hot in this movie (him and Keith Urban, aka Eomer from LOTR). I would've liked to have been a dark alley with those two, lol. Anyways, the movie was about these retired ex-CIA agents that are being hunted but they don't know why, so they spend the whole movie figuring it out. But it had humor and witty dialogue for the ladies and massive explosions/heavy firepower for the guys. Plus it had Helen Mirren shooting a machine gun on a tripod and my favorite part where she knocks out a guy with her clutch handbag in a dress and heels. Highly recommended movie! Then I got to go to Wienerschnitzel for mini corn dogs and a root beer float, so all in all a good day so far.

*Squeetus*

Today I've been catching up on my missed blog posts as I've been busy and haven't had to read in weeks. Culinary Concoctions by Peabody's posts were especially amusing, especially the Turtle Caramel Corn post from Oct. 6, where she making the dessert "to get revenge on her dentist". I'm also drooling over her evilly delicious-looking Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes. I also just found out that I have a job interview on Thursday, which I'm flying across the country to go to. So wish me luck!

But anyways, on to my website/blog of the week.This week it is YA author Shannon Hale's blog/website named Squeetus, because she recently gave birth to twin girls and posted the most adorable picture of them here. I loved her Forest Born series, as well as the graphic novels she did with her husband entitled Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack. I found the website when I was looking up more information about the author. I like that she is against vehemently against censorship of books, as exemplified by this post here, plus she makes funny posts about pregnancy and other random mostly YA book-related topics. Her website features not only all of her books written, but also, FAQ, events she will be attending, games and quizzes, a create-your-own-fantasy story, book recommendations, author biography and contact info, and ramblings on books and reading. Highly recommended!