Review: Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

From Goodreads:

Hark! A Vagrant takes readers on a romp through history and literature—with dignity for few and cookies for all—with comic strips about famous authors, their characters, and political and historical figures, all drawn in Kate Beaton’s pared-down, excitable style. This collection features favorite stories as well as new, previously unpublished content. Whether she’s writing about Nikola Tesla, Napoleon, or Nancy Drew, Beaton brings a refined sense of the absurd to every situation.

In just four years, Beaton has taken the comics world by storm with her non sequiturs, cheeky comebacks, and irreverent punch lines. With 1.2 million monthly hits on her site—500,000 of them unique—and comics appearing in Harper’s Magazine, the National Post, and The New Yorker, her caricatures of historical and fictional figures filtered through a contemporary lens display a sharp, quick wit that knows no bounds.

If I said that comic books were my guilty pleasure, I would be lying; I don't feel guilty at all for loving them! I had been reading Kate's comics for at least a year before picking her book up, but even then most of them I hadn't seen before or they gave me a laugh the second time around.

I love English, sure, but I'm still a history buff through and through. Luckily for me, Kate's comics center around both of these things! Some of the most fun I've had while reading this book is looking up new people from history that I haven't heard of before and finding out even more about how cool/ bad-ass they were. For example, the most recent comic? Josephine Baker saves the day. Even if you know little about history, Kate explains some of her comics at the bottom of the page, but even if history comics aren't your style she has plenty poking fun at classic novels and superheroes.

If you're even the littlest bit curious about Kate's comics, you can check out her LiveJournal of the same name to see some samples of her work, or spend hours upon hours reading one right after another. Because, you know, it's not like I have or anything...

I'm loving this string of awesome books I've gotten to review!

Goodreads, Her Store, her Tumblr
Title: Hark! A Vagrant
Author/ Artist: Kate Beaton
Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly
Publication Year: 2011
Page #: 166
ISBN: 978-1-77046-060-7

Her book is available for sale at her store, along with other things with her drawings printed on them, so you can look extra-cool while you read it.

Fantastic Covers Friday: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Fantastic Covers Friday is a weekly meme over here at Brave New Shelf where I highlight beautiful covers that I find, from both old books and new, from young adult books.

Wow, LOADS of awesome news coming out of the writing world this week! First Free Four was a success, and now the cover for the sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (my review here) by Michelle Hodkin, titled The Evolution of Mara Dyer, has been revealed:

Whoever is doing her covers seriously needs some recognition, they're absolutely gorgeous! I'm assuming that, like the first book, the cover design was done by Lucy Ruth Cummings and the cover photograph is copyright Heather Landis. (both links go to the respective websites of the artists)

I love how the hands are coming together (or moving apart?) in the middle, especially after the embrace on the cover of the first book. The word "of" has even moved from it's position on the first book to make room for them, a great set-up in my opinion. The coloring is spot on too, that eerie blue tone that is both sad and scary at the same time. 

Well, I'm excited now. Are you?

P.S. Don't worry that Goodreads says the book is only 272 pages. Michelle Hodkin has stated on her blog:

THE EVOLUTION is almost exactly the same length as THE UNBECOMING. Like, within a few hundred words. I have no idea how that happened, but I think it's kind of cool.

No worries! There's plenty more Mara coming October 23rd.

Book Trailer: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Um, WHY haven't I read this book yet?!

An older book trailer, but still a beautiful watch for those that haven't seen it yet. I'm posting it for the gorgeous artwork and animations, not to mention my fangirl mode activates whenever I find canon drawings of book protagonists. 

It's funny, I always think that book trailers are something that I won't like, but I've stumbled across plenty of great ones. Do you have a favorite book trailer I should watch?

Poem in Your Pocket Day

From Poets.org

I'm not a poetry girl. Some folks live for them, and I say all the power to those people, but they really aren't my thing. For years poetry units in school would fill me with dread, and to be quite honest they still do. I'm apparently not the only one either: my school only put up their National Poetry Month poster this week (yikes.)

That changed in ninth grade. I was in an advanced English class with other kids I had shared English with for years, but even that didn't lessen the unpleasantness of our poetry unit. We has this thick green book that was a hassle to carry around, and God help you if you dropped it on your toe (or someone else's.) We were instructed to find a poem in the book to share in front of the class. I flipped and flipped through that book, and eventually I stumbled across a poem I... liked. One of the first poems I had read that wasn't about flowers, trees, or feelings of existentialism through birds. It was gritty, it was honest, it was sarcastic, albeit is was still about plants.*

And I want to share it with you, because that's what National Poetry Month and, by extension, Poem in Your Pocket Day , April 26th, is all about. Find a poem and share one with a friend, with a stranger, with anyone.

And especially share it with that quiet ninth grader who sits in the back of your second period English class and most likely hates poetry.

*If you're curious, it's by Carl Sandburg and titled "Grass." It can be found at the Poetry Archive if you're interested in reading it. I still buy his books today, and he's the only poet that I will read on a regular basis or for *gasp*, fun.

Waiting on Wednesday (5): The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

From Goodreads:

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of theShiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Amazon, Author's Website

.......... 

I'll admit, I'm probably the last YA reader on Earth who hasn't picked up The Wolves of Mercy Falls series of hers, but I've been listening to The Scorpio Races while I work and it's been pretty good so far. I love the creativity that went into writing it, and I'm certain that Stiefvater will bring the same to this next book. I'll admit that the whole idea of her not having a problem with causing her true love to die doesn't sit too well with me, but I love books about facing death, and so I'm looking forward to this one. 

..........

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted weekly over at Breaking the Spine.

Mission Free Four: Success!

Boy, am I glad that I pre-ordered Insurgent by Veronica Roth last night, because I came home to a pleasant surprise today! Keeping good on her promise, after Insurgent reached 35,000 pre-orders Veronica Roth has released Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story, a Divergent story from Four's perspective!

Sadly, I'm up to my armpits in AP test prep right now (chemistry, macroeconomics, and English, here I come!), so I'll have to postpone reading it. You can pop right on over and do so right now though, at the Divergent Series Facebook page to check it out.

Happy reading, and don't spoil it for me!

Review: Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

I have seriously seen all of these covers one place or another. 

From Goodreads:

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant. Sure, he may lose his head now and again (in fact, he won his current skull in a poker match), but he is much more than he appears to be—which is good, considering that he is, basically, a skeleton. Skulduggery may be long dead, but he is also a mage who dodged the grave so that he could save the world from an ancient evil. But to defeat it, he'll need the help of a new partner: a not so innocent twelve-year-old girl named Stephanie. That's right, they're the heroes. 
Stephanie and Skulduggery are quickly caught up in a battle to stop evil forces from acquiring her recently deceased uncle's most prized possession—the Sceptre of the Ancients. The Ancients were the good guys, an extinct race of uber-magicians from the early days of the earth, and the scepter is their most dangerous weapon, one capable of killing anyone and destroying anything. Back in the day, they used it to banish the bad guys, the evil Faceless Ones. Unfortunately, in the way of bad guys everywhere, the Faceless Ones are staging a comeback and no one besides our two heroes believes in the Faceless Ones, or even that the Sceptre is real. 

So Stephanie and Skulduggery set off to find the Sceptre, fend off the minions of the bad guys, beat down vampires and the undead, prove the existence of the Ancients and the Faceless Ones, all while trading snappy, snippy banter worthy of the best screwball comedies.

Oh man... How do I begin to describe why I love this series, especially after a description like that. I can, and will, talk to you until the cows come home as to why I love it, but why you should love it too is another matter entirely.

For starters, to call it crazy is an understatement. In the first three books alone we have talking skeletons, little girls that do magic, killers for hire, teleporters, bumbling killer-wannabes, swordswomen, allies who can't be trusted, enemies who can be trusted, Frankenstein-like monsters, suits that can protect you from injury, vampires who change by peeling their skin off, sorcerers with every kind of magic under the sun, evil gods, powerful ancestors, very normal parents, obnoxious relatives, and an assortment of other beings both mystifying and horrifying alike. If I has a nickel for every sarcastic or witty comment uttered, or every time I have laughed out loud, I'd be pretty freakin' rich at this point.

I've been putting off this series to review for a while now, and I guess it's mostly because I wasn't certain how to approach it. There are six books out so far (nine planned), but only three have been released in the U.S. They're popular overseas, but never caught on here for some reason. I've read and own all six, but they haven't been easy to get: I live in the northeastern United States, and to buy and ship three books at a time from Amazon U.K. has cost me around $50*, but actually buying them was really hassle-free. Of course, I think the series is worth it, but other people may not.

My best tip to you is to find the first three, either from the library or buy them on the Internet, and give them a try. I prefer books four, five, and six and their story, but the first three will get you a good feel for the series.

Five Stars!

Title (book one): Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients\
Author: Derek Landy
Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books (U.K.); Harper Trophy (U.S.)
Publication Date: 2007- 2008 (U.K./ U.S.)
Pages: 371 (my U.K. copy)
Goodreads, Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K.

Catching Fire Director

If you haven't heard already, Gary Ross will not be returning to the The Hunger Games trilogy. After weeping, the next logical course of action would be to ask who's taking his place, right?

The wait is over, and the Huffington Post has stated that Francis Lawrence will be taking the reigns for Catching Fire.

I don't know much about him, but his IMDB page says that he's also directed I Am Legend and Water for Elephants. I haven't seen either of them, have you? Any thoughts?

Good Omens short video

Spreading some more Good Omens love! (Can you ever give enough?) Whether you've read the book or not, chances are you can still take the time to appreciate the awesome art and animation of this short that popped up on the Internet not too long ago.

This was done by Ariana T. on Vimeo, so if you want to share some of your love for the video, pelase go do so on her account!

Fantastic Covers Friday (2): The Disenchantments

Fantastic Covers Friday is a weekly meme over here at Brave New Shelf where I highlight beautiful covers that I find, from both old books and new, from young adult books.

This week:

The Disenchantments by Nine LaCour

Jacket Photography by M. Jamali

Type Design by Mia Nolting

Cover Design by Theresa Evangelista

I honestly think that this one looks better in real life than the picture online makes it out to be. The physical copy looks a bit more sun-touched, and the highlight is higher up on her hand than it is in this photo. I'm not normally a fan of faces on covers, but this one balances out so well I can't picture it any other way. I love that hint of a smile that she has, and the color of the sunglasses matching with the color in the title really pulls the whole thing together. The fact that you can see the photographer reflected in her sunglasses (which I only just noticed now) is a great addition that plays well to the book itself (the theme of friendship, and travelling with a band. It makes it look like she's not just smiling randomly, but rather at someone.)

Waiting on Wednesday (4): The Selection by Kiera

From Goodreads:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Amazon, Author's Website 

..........

Okay, I was all prepped to write something about how even though I was excited for the release of this book, I still wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it and yadda yadda yadda until I hopped over to Kiera Cass' website to pick up her link when I spotted:

(Photo from Kiera Cass' blog)

It's William Moseley, of The Chronicles of Narnia movie fame, and he'll be playing Aspen in the TV movie of The Selection. Well, that certainly changes things. Maybe I'm just a little uneducated, but I didn't think it was often that not only did a book get picked up for a movie pre-publication, but that the movie was already well underway (according to it's IMDB page.)

Now my excitement rocket boosters are firing, both plot-wise and actor-wise (in case you didn't notice, William Moseley happens to be a rather attractive man), and it's only a matter of time before The Selection is released to rock the book world!

..........

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted weekly over at Breaking the Spine.

Review: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Two covers, same awesomeness inside.

From Amazon:

The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.
Put New York Times bestselling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett together . . . and all Hell breaks loose.

Oh man... In a good way! This is a YA book blog, but Good Omens was just too good not to review!

The only serious issue I have with this book are my conflicted feelings about reading it in public. On one hand, you want to, because you're bound to see that other person who's read it and you share that awesome "I love this book you love this book let's be friends" moment.

On the other hand, if I read it in public, my laughing the entire time might disturb some onlookers. This is one funny book. Heck (no pun intended) if being funny was a crime this book would probably be banned in all 50 states (in which I would still smuggle it in to read.)

Though obviously Christianity-based, I'd say this book is for anybody and everybody. Good Omens takes a comical look at the whole idea of the Apocalypse, which is refreshing with all of the Mayan calender hype now that it's 2012.

Seriously, I don't care how long you "to read" list is (even if it's longer than mine, if that's even possible), but it aside and read Good Omens!

Amazon, Goodreads
Title: Good Omens, the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
Authors: Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: 2007, originally 1990
Pages: 384
ISBN: 0060853972
ISBN-13: 9780060853976

Hunger Games Parodies

I love a good parody. Most of the time they're all in good fun, and pretty hilarious.

I know one person who's read Nightlight, the parody of the Twilight series (by Stephenie Meyer), by Harvard Lampoon. They're out with a new book now: The Hunger Pains, a parody of, you guessed it, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

You have to admit, the use of the vuvuzela is pretty funny.

This one still has to be my favorite, and these are the lyrics that I have to sing whenever I hear the original song come on the radio. It's made it's way around the web a few times, but let's face it, it never gets old.

Any more favorite parodies of The Hunger Games? Post a comment!

Fantastic Covers Friday (1): The Wager

Every time I go into work (at my public library as a page, fyi) I always walk out with at least a few photos of book covers on my iPod Touch. Some of these are books I want to read, and all of them have covers so eye-catching that I just need to take a snapshot of them.

I'm no graphic designer, but my love for well-designed book covers runs deep, and now it's finally all coming together over here at Brave New Shelf with my new weekly meme, Fantastic Covers Friday! It's exactly how it sounds; I find covers, I post covers, I rave about covers. Easy as pie!

This Week:

The Wager, by Donna Jo Napoli

Jacket Design by Rich Deas

For a book about a deal with the devil, the red-and-black woodcut style really works for this book. It's quite stark in person too, pulling it off of the YA shelf, surrounded by other books with all kinds of colors and patterns. You know just by looking at this book that whatever is going on inside isn't a walk in the park for the main characters. I don't know if Deas did the original illustrations or simply found them, but the original artist is crazy with their attention to detail; it's worth taking a minute to soak it all in. What better way to celebrate Friday the 13th?

Dauntless Movie Night

Things are really heating up over the upcoming release of Veronica Roth's Insurgent, sequel to the oh-so awesome Divergent.

Anywho, there's another challenge this week for the Dauntless Street team, and it isn't too late to sign up if you're still interested! You can also help out the Dauntless faction by going to either our Tumblr, or by clicking on this link for Insurgent at Harper Teen. Heck, if enough of us pre-order Insurgent Veronica Roth will release a scene from Four's perspective! It's the gift that keeps on giving!

Back to buisness: the challenge prompt that I picked is, "Movie Night: List of movies that would be shown for a  Dauntless movie night."

So, of course anything action-y and exciting, all with people doing extraordinary things...

Waiting on Wednesday (3): In Honor by Jessi Kirby

From Goodreads:

A devastating loss leads to an unexpected road trip in this novel from the author of Moonglass, whose voice Sarah Dessen says “is fresh and wise, all at once.” 

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it. 

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?


Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 5th, 2012
Amazon, Author's Website

..........

I'm not usually into books that don't include some sort of magical/ sci-fi/ supernatural element, but I'm willing to make an exception for more books about road trips. Just the idea of getting in a car and setting off on an adventure is exciting to me. That cover is just stunning too.

..........

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted weekly over at Breaking the Spine.

Review: Death Watch by Ari Berk

When Silas Umber’s mother moves him back to his birthplace of Lichport, Silas hopes that he can use the time to discover more about his father, the resident Undertaker, who disappeared almost a year ago. But once he arrives and settles into the house of his uncle, an enigmatic man with locked rooms and an obsession with preservation, he finds not his father, but the shadows of him: a man who was more than a mortician, the Undertaker of Lichport, a staple in the community, and a treasured friend of many who still call the aged town home.

Amongst his father’s books and possessions, Silas also finds the Death Watch, a timepiece that allows its owner to see the dead, and realizes how little he knew of his father before his disappearance. As his despair over his father grows, Silas learns that it is mostly likely he who will become the next Undertaker; after all, someone has to appease the town’s residents, both living and deceased.

Death Watch is probably one of the most artful, beautifully written novels that I’ve had the pleasure of reading recently. The imagery and metaphor that is wound into every chapter shines in today’s young adult literature market. The dialogue is very well done; the lines reveal not so much about the person speaking them as they do about the constructs of Lichport itself, this little town where everyone is intertwined with the lives of one another, and with their inevitable deaths.

The only true issue that I have with Death Watch is that the combination of its length—over five hundred pages—and the carefully constructed sentences makes the read a little slow at times. This is certainly not a book for those who like fast car chases and edge-of-your-seat fistfights, and it took me around a hundred pages to really begin to get into the story. After Silas acquires the Death Watch, my reading began to pick up speed and I became more invested in the story. The story moves at a sleepy pace, much like the town of Lichport itself, but the weight of hypnotic detail in every action makes this story worth much more as an artful piece than an action-packed one.

Despite the length of the book and the time that it took me to read it, I believe that Berk made the right choice in every last word and phrase he placed into his work, and would not change a thing. In fact, I was rather surprised by the fact that this is the first book in a trilogy, as everything wraps up so well in the end it would fare equally well as a stand-alone novel. However, since it is not, I will be eagerly awaiting word of Berk’s next novel and tales of the mysterious town of Lichport that will come with it.

Amazon, Goodreads, Figment Review
Author: Ari Berk
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Book for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
Pages: 544

Literary Tattoos and Dauntless News

Dauntless Faction News reblogged an awesome photoset from fourbiased of different factions and their symbols. With the one from Dauntless showing off a tattooing needle, I thought, might as well make this a post about literary tattoos!

From The Handmaid's Tale

Literary tattoos have become a lot more popular in recent years, and I think that they're awesome! For those comfortable with getting them, they're the ultimate devotion to books and stories.

From the Harry Potter series

I've been reading through a lot of the background stories over at The Word Made Flesh, a Tumblr dedicated to literary quotes as tattoos, and to the people that have them they're everything from expression of a love of a certain passage or author, from a personal connection felt with a story or book, or even a way to help reach out to other fans of the series you're tattooed with.

My friends and I have talked about this, and I know several book-lovers who want tattoos of their favorite novels (including at least two who want the symbol for the deathly hallows on their shoulders). 

From The Hunger Games series

Me? I would be just peachy with a tiny acorn, from the Artemis Fowl novels, somewhere on my neck or shoulders. Especially in the first book, an acorn, found under very specific conditions, is taken and replanted somewhere else to restore ones magic. I love the book series, and the idea that after you replant yourself, you're reborn.

If you have a literary tattoo, or are thinking of getting one, feel free to leave a comment!

*Note: All pictures of tattoos originated at The Word Made Flesh, and the links below all photos go back to their respective posts. Get over there to share some love!

National Library Week 2012: My Job, and How You Can Celebrate

Happy National Library Week!

I work as a page at my local library, and can you believe that I head nothing about this wondrous week while working? (say that five times fast)

Even though I now work at the library, it doesn't mean that I stopped reading their books; most libraries get the hottest releases as soon as they're out, and some do beforehand. Curious about a book, but want to check it out before you commit and buy it? See if a library has it. If your library doesn't, see if they'll do an inter-library loan to find it for you. Have extra books? Donate them! Anything that doesn't end up on our shelves can be sold at our book sale, which is still a huge help to us.

My Day

I work as a page, which is that dedicated (not to float my own boat) person that you see pushing carts of books around to be put back onto shelves. I usually get in to work after school and stay until we close at about eight. 

We have a pretty small library, especially compared to some in neighboring towns, and so my day starts with shelving downstairs books: large type, new books, DVDs, and most magazines. I then move onto the upstairs carts: children's books, teen book, adult books, and non-fiction books. 

Before being shelved, books on carts are alphabetized (or put in numerical order if non-fiction) and put away. If a shelf has to be straightened, or books need to be moved because they're too tight (called "shifting"), that's done too. 

After carts are shelved, our jobs depend on whatever needs to be done. The cart in the children's room that houses all of the books people don't want and don't want to put back themselves* are shelved. More shifting in done. Shelf reading (peeking at the call numbers to make sure that books are in order/ put in the right spot) is also done.

We also help patrons to find what they need, and direct them to where they can find the books that they're looking for. We also sometimes answer questions regarding how the library works (for example, books can only be checked out downstairs, even though the children's librarians have the computers to do it upstairs.) On some days we may have a children's program, and in that case I help children with crafts. This summer we'll have a lot of that going on :)

At the end of the day, chairs are pushed in, computer monitors are turned off, and the children's room is tidied. Lost books are put on shelves or carts for the next day. Lights are turned off, and the day has ended!

Writing it out it sounds a little boring, but it all depends on what you make of it. I always bring an iPod to listen to music and books on tape, and time has been flying faster now that the days are longer. I've also gotten close to one of my fellow pages and talk with her during some of the more boring jobs.

Each library is a little bit different, so I can't tell you everything about the job, but feel free to leave questions in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer them!

Overall, I hope that you take the time to appreciate libraries this week :) They're really such a great place, and it upsets me that some people don't get out there enough. If you've been planning a trip for a while, there's no better time to do it!

*I should clarify. This isn't intended to be mean at all; we pages are expected to shelve books! A lot of libraries will have carts off to the side to save yourself the trouble of having to find and put back a book yourself, especially if you are unfamiliar with the library. It also helps keep things a lot neater.

More things to celebrate: 

Monday- 2012 State of America's Report released (with the list of Top Ten Frequently Challenged Books)

Tuesday- National Library Workers Day

Wednesday- National Bookmobile Day

Thursday- Support Teen Literature Day

Wednesday, April 4th to Wednesday, April 11th- National Library Week Six Word Story Contest

If you're interested in showing your support through Facebook, @ Your Library has a bunch of Facebook cover images (assuming that you have the new layout) available for download. Or, you can share your story of how a library has impacted you.

Follow @ Your Library: Twitter and Facebook

And for a happy send-off, a PBS video about the Biblioburro:

Biblioburro - Trailer on PBS. See more from POV.
Watch

I'm a Member of Team Dauntless!!

I've decided to join Team Dauntless in preparation for Insurgent's release on May 1st!

 The Dauntless faction doesn't shy from danger or excitement; we crave adventure and thrills. Is that the kind of person I am? No way. But Dauntless is about being brave, and doing the things that maybe you can't do otherwise. It may not be the faction I want, but it is the faction that I need.

Do you need a little courage? Then pop on over to Once Upon a Twilight to learn more. Or, you can go over to Divergent's Facebook page, click on Choosing Ceremony, and click the Dauntless button to read our manifesto and see for yourself what Dauntless is all about.

Oh, and did I mention that Katniss Everdeen is listed under examples of people who'd be in our faction?