Chasing Electricity

Sarah Cunningham, who writes one of the blogs I follow,  has just written about two things that interest me - and both are what you might call 'mash-ups'. Read her post and see what you think. Does it spark any creative thoughts?

Chasing Electricity

What happens when you bring things in your life together?

This Book is Overdue! (2010)

This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a while to understand that not all people think compromise is a good idea. Librarians do. When I read the phrase 'Quakerly love of consensus' in this book, I realized that no matter how I turn away from it, I am a librarian at heart.

And although Marilyn Johnson is NOT a librarian she learned enough to reflect back to me the world I experienced. Her insightful comments validated many of my concerns and thoughts about where the profession is heading. Interestingly enough, what she discovers applies beyond library walls.

A non-library friend handed me the book she just HAD to check out because she loved the title. I started reading it to please her and became caught up in the world I left three years ago. In retirement I have tried to avoid fretting about the problems of libraries in our difficult economic world. But apparently I still do care.

The mostly disturbing section of the book for me dealt with Second Life. My computer won't support the graphics and I have been mourning my avatar who is waiting patiently for my return. In Second Life I could fly.

A number of other reviewers have not cared for the book and I suspect much of the book is in such depth that those not connected in some meaningful way with libraries (not just checking out those book which will eventually be overdue) just aren't going to care much. Me, I love Marilyn Johnson and I loved this book.

View all my reviews

An Interesting Library Service

A very 'hip' young friend suggested that I might want to check out LibraryBin. You might want to check it out too,  if you want to support your public library even while you are purchasing materials. The site states, "The proceeds of each sale, after deducting the payment to the publisher for the wholesale cost of the title plus a hosting and fulfillment fee, are donated to the participating library that you specify. These earnings can be used to purchase eBooks, audiobooks and other media for the library’s download website."

Unfortunately my library does not belong to the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services but these libraries do: Albion District Library; Ann Arbor District Library; Brandon Township Public Library; (Lansing) Capital Area District Library; Chesterfield Township Public Library; Fremont Area District Library; Grand Ledge Area District Library; Grosse Pointe Public Library;The Hastings Public District Library; Howell Carnegie District Library; Kalamazoo Public Library; Kent District Library; Loutit District Library; Orion Township Public Library; Plymouth District Library; Portage District Library; Royal Oak Public Library; Salem-South Lyon District Library; Spring Lake District Library; Sterling Heights Public Library; Troy* Public Library; Warren Public Library; and (Battle Creek) Willard Library.

*Noted in another post that this library is Closing.

The eBook Conundrum

I guess I haven't been paying enough attention. It turns out that not only has Harper Collins declared they want to limit public libraries who purchase eBooks from them to limit the check-outs to 26.

It turns out that two major publishers (Macmillan and Simon & Schuster) will not sell any eBooks to public libraries. According to something I read recently that makes "more than 25% of the eBook market unavailable to library patrons".

You can read more about it HERE in Library Journal.

A Discovery of Witches (2011)

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book but ended up struggling to finish it. There's lots of research involved but none of it turns out to be very interesting. It struck me as a Twilight / Outlander wanabee mash-up. The ending clearly indicated a sequel was to follow but I won't be reading it. Three words come to mind: pedestrian, repetitive, and overlong.

When it comes to vampires, I prefer Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian. When it comes to historical manuscripts, I prefer The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason.

That being said, I predict it will keep its place on the best seller list and a movie is a real possibility. One of the book's fans already wrote this lovely music.

More Michigan Public Libraries Closing

Troy (MI) Public Library to Close May 1, 2011

Michigan libraries can be formed in a number of different ways. For example, there are township, village, and city libraries. These are some of the most threatened libraries because they are funded by their founding entity, which can then redistribute current library funding to other departments and away from the library in difficult economic times.

With state funding capped and declining to absurdly low levels, the only public libraries with a good chance of survival are those that took the step to become district libraries. My library, Jackson District Library, levies its own taxes as does Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Lansing and many others. Although district libraries are also suffering from declining funds, they have much more control over their fate.

This economic decline has been going on for many years now but some community leaders found the effort to insure library service in their community not worth the effort of going the district library route. Their residents are now suffering from that lack of vision. Actually looking at what has happened to libraries over the last fifteen years was a warning about what could happen to funding of other institutions (i.e. schools, police, fire, etc.). No one believed the warning that these days were coming. Now they are here.

You can read the latest about closings in Troy and Romulous (both city libraries) by clicking HERE.

Can You Name This Library?

I found this on Stumble Upon but there was no identifying information. However, since it is so awesome, I just had to share it!

Literary Treats for Politics and Policy Geeks

Everyday Klansfolk: White Protestant Life and the KKK in 1920s Michigan

I just discovered that Dome Magazine has a column called Book It where they write up books dealing with Michigan subjects. The one that caught my eye initially was the mention of the publication of a new book, Everyday Klansfolk: White Protestant Life and the KKK in 1920s Michigan, by British author Craig Fox and published by Michigan State University Press.

If you have any interest in politics and state history, you'll want to check this site out by clicking
Literary Treats for Politics and Policy Geeks.

What Woud You Do With $29,875?

Boing Boing passed on the word that the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone recently sold for $29,875. Go HERE if you think I am making this up!

Suzanne Collins Has Her Say

If you aren't sure about Jennifer Lawrence (see below) playing Katniss in the Hunger Games movie, you better read what author Suzanne Collins has to say on the issue HERE.

And Now For Something Completely Different. . .

 
From Holland comes the Flipback book introduced in 2009 and gaining attention because it fits in a shirtpocket and is designed for one-handed reading. "More than a million have been sold in the Netherlands and now it's to be introduced in the UK, France and Spain." You can read more HERE.

Oh, and whether it could kill the Kindle? You'll have to be your own judge!

A Converation with Kate Atkinson (2006)

Seattle Channel Video can be played in Flash Player 9 and up

Nancy Pearl spoke with Kate Atkinson in 2006. I thought I wouldn't want to watch almost a half hour of conversation from that many years ago, but I was charmed! If you love Kate and have the time, I recommend sitting in.

Nancy describes Kate's work as 'intelligent' and 'humorous', with 'complex plots'. They agree to refer to her books as 'comedies of manners' although readers may think of them as 'literate mysteries'.

Book Lust with Nancy Pearl featuring Kate Atkinson 12/4/2006 29:23

Nancy Pearl's guest on this episode of Book Lust is British author Kate Atkinson. Atkinson was born in York in 1951 and studied English Literature at Dundee University. She began writing for women's magazines after winning the 1986 Woman's Own Short Story Competition. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum (1995), won the 1995 Whitbread Book of the Year award, beating Salman Rushdie's The Moor's Last Sigh and Roy Jenkins' biography Gladstone. Her latest books are Case Histories (2004), and One Good Turn (2006).

Hunt Library Light Show

At Carnegie Mellon University!

Probably Doesn't Have a Library Card

see more Lovely Listing

U.K.'s Orange Prize Nominees Announced

I've only read one of the Orange Prize nominees and that is Julie Orringer's The Invisible Bridge, which was a wonderful and disturbing story of love and survival. To find out what in the world the Orange Prize is and to see the other titles, click HERE.
 

Hunger Games News

Jennifer Lawrence

Early Word has shared the news that Jennifer Lawrence, nominated for an Oscar for Winter's Bone, has been selected to play Katniss in the Hunger Games. I don't know enough about her to comment. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Read more HERE.

Earthquake Damage to Libraries in Japan

As with other disasters, each day we will find new ways in which we all are affected that hadn't occurred to us while we were focused on saving lives. The circles of pain are going to radiate and go on for a long time.

Boing Boing posted a link to pictures of libraries damaged during the earthquake. Remember that there have been hundreds of aftershocks, some of which are quite strong. The pictures vary from a few books on the floor to stack aisles blocked by books to twisted empty shelving and damaged buildings. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them. Considering the devastation in Japan, it's not time to talk about the libraries lost in the tsunami.

Click HERE.

Field of Blood (2005)

Field of Blood by Denise Mina

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a bad habit, but I keeping acquiring more books even though I have given myself a fairly specific goal for 2011 Reading. Several months ago, I picked up Field of Blood by Denise Mina at Schuler's Bookstore in Lansing in the used book section. Partly I was surprised by the large used section, which had some tempting titles. It took great fortitude to limit myself to one book.

I discovered Denise Mina early and read her Garnethill Trilogy. When I started Field of Blood, I was concerned that I wouldn't like it but protagonist Paddy (and the author) totally won me over. Be careful though. You may stay up past your bedtime to find out how things are going to be resolved.

The next book is The Dead Hour. Guess I have to add that to my list! Oh, and wait. She has a NEW book called The End of the Wasp Season, which sounds thrilling, coming out September 26, 2011.

View all my reviews

And Now For Something Completely Different. . .

A friend sent me the following LINK, which is totally awesome if you don't mind books being destroyed in the process of making art. It makes me think of how I felt after reading Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow.

Once you get past that feeling of being a witness to desecration, you can fully appreciate the intricate work and enormous creativity that produced such detailed works of art.

Click HERE to see all 15 pieces by Brian Dettmer (AKA The Book Surgeon).

The E Book Problem

Harper Collins, a publisher, has put Overdrive, an ebook purveyor, on notice that it plans to limit the number of times a library can 'check out' an ebook to 26. Apparently Harper Collins calculated that this is the average number of times a real book is read before it is used-up and withdrawn from the library collection. And actually 'limit' is the wrong word. They plan to make the ebook 'self-destruct'.

As you can guess, libraries are not happy about this latest attack on their dwindling budgets. Cory Doctorow has rightly pointed out that "the important thing to recognize is that the perishability of a print book is not a feature that we should seek to replicate in successive media". Read more about what he has to say by clicking HERE.

Belated Reading Goals for 2011

In an effort to do this in an organized way, I have considered the books sitting around the house in piles awaiting my attention. They have been added to Good Reads although one isn't in the database (Home Fires Burning) and two are already listed as being read (Pops and Field of Blood). Those anomalies bring the total to 24.

The goal is to read a book a week including the ones in the list below and then to pass those books on to the next appropriate reader. Some of the titles are recent and some are not. To me, it looks like an extremely eclectic list. (Note: Six books not listed have been read as of the end of February 2011)

So, here goes, in no particular order:

1. Orynx and Crake - Margaret Atwood (Used library book sale)
2. Uncle Silas - J.S. Le Fanu (Suggestion from friend)
3. Three Seconds -Roslund & Hellstrom (Won! in an online contest)
4. In the Company of Others - Jan Karon (Christmas present from sister-in-law)
5. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (Used library book in Southern bookstore)
6. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski (Used Library book sale)
7. Home Fires Burning - Margaret Maron (ARC signed and sent to me by author - never published?)
8. Paris to the Moon - Adam Gopnik (Used on Amazon)
9. The Man Who Traded His Wife for Woodworking Tools - G. L. Blanchard (friend)
10. My Red Blood - Alex Dobkin (borrowed from friend)
11. The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond Sixty - Carolyn Heilbrun (borrowed from same friend)
12. S is for Silence - Sue Grafton (Used library book sale)
13. T is for Trespass - Sue Grafton (Used library book sale)
14. To the Nines - Janet Evanovich (Used library book sale)
15. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer (borrowed from niece)
16. Pops: A Life of Louie Armstrong - Terry Teachout (friend)
17. Reading the Plays of Wendy Wasserstein - Jan Balakian (obsession)
18. Among Others - Jo Walton (review)
19. The Poison Tree - Erin Kelly (review)
20. Weird Sisters - Eleanor Brown (review)
21. Lake of Dreams - Kim Edwards (review)
22. This Book is Overdue - Marilyn Johnson (shared by a BFF checked out from library)
23. The Bostons - Carolyn Cooke (suggested by friend purchased for .01 plus $3.99 shipping)
24. Field of Blood - Denise Mina (used paperback at Schuler's in Lansing)

Besides these titles and the six already read, I now have slots for an additional 22 books in 2011. Let the reading begin!