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Archives for December 2016

December 26, 2016

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things…

I’ve heard the song “Favorite Things” a bunch of times over the last few weeks, and it got me thinking about my favorites for 2016*. The idea of “favorites” is quite broad, but seeing as my life revolves around reading, it was all literary-related favorites that came to mind.

Take a look at what tickled my fancy this year. The first half is all books (and I couldn’t pick just one favorite in some cases) and the second half is bookish “stuff.” Not everything was published or came out in 2016, but everything listed is something I read, watched or experienced this year.

Let me know some of your literary faves of the year in the comments below!

My favorites of 2016:

Literary Fiction
The One-in-a-Million Boy, by Monica Wood
One of the last books I read this year – I’m so glad I fit it in. The story is  sweet without being sappy and makes you want to break World Records!

Non-Fiction
A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson
The perfect combination of hilarious stories of out-of-shape, middle-aged men coupled with information you didn’t know you wanted to know.

Memoir
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, by Lindy West
See my thoughts from my post 8 Books that Empower Girls and Women

Mystery/Thriller
I Let You Go, by Clare Mackintosh
The Guest Room, by Chris Bohjalian

Fantasy
Sorcerer To the Crown, by Zen Cho

Science Fiction
Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch
Get ready for your brain to be blown!

Short Story Collection
Children of the New World, by Alexander Weinstein
These tales of humankind’s potential future have burrowed deep in my mind and I can’t stop thinking about them…

Graphic Novel
Trashed, by Derk Backderf
All the facts you’ll learn about the waste industry are fascinating. It made me seriously cut back on what I throw away on a daily basis.

Picture Book
They All Saw A Cat, by Brendan Wenzel
This book pretty much blew my mind in the best possible way. The artwork is amazing and is an avenue for some great conversations about point of view and perspective.

Middle Grade
The Seventh Most Important Thing, by Shelley Pearsall
I especially enjoyed this book because the piece of art in the story is actually part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection. I haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but it’s on my to-do list for 2017.

Young Adult
Simon vs. the Homo Sapien Agenda, by Becky Albertalli
Man, am I glad I’m not in high school anymore!

Audio Book
Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line, by Rob Thomas/
Kristen Bell’s narration made it feel like I was experiencing a super long episode of Veronica Mars side-by-side with the private eye herself. It was awesome!

Trumpet of the Swan, by E.B. White
Listening to this book just made me feel all warm and happy inside. E.B. White’s voice is perfection for the narration.

Podcast
What Should I Read Next with Anne Bogel
Anne Bogel’s concept is so fun. A caller phones in with three books they love, one book they hate, and what they’re reading right now. With that information, Anne then recommends three books she thinks the caller should try next.

TV Show
Younger on TV Land

Movie-Based-on-a-Book
Me Before You
Honestly this was maybe one of 5 movies I saw in the theater this year (and it’s a good thing I brought tissues!). I spend most of my free time reading, cooking or hanging with friends/family, so I don’t see many movies. For those of you who make it to the theater on a more regular basis, which movies-based-on-books were worth watching? I’ll get recommendations on Netflix 🙂

Play
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
The use of space on stage and the lighting effects were brilliant!

Musical
Matilda
Although the school where I work did a bang-up job with Oliver!, Matilda on Broadway really blew me away.

Article
What Makes a Children’s Book Good?, by Adam Gidwitz

Adult Beverage
The Deathly Hallow
1 part cider
1 part amber ale (Hogshead ale from Universal Studios would be ideal)
1 part Guinness
My husband and I were informed by a rather inebriated fellow that it is actually forbidden to ask for this drink by the Deathly Hallows name (decreed by J.K. herself). But if you list all the alcohols to the bartender with a wink-wink nudge-nudge, they’ll know what you getting at.

Live Author Event
Kwame Alexander at Politics & Prose
Kwame Alexander is funny, charismatic, and really connects with the audience. If you haven’t read his books The Crossover or Booked, you are missing out. Pick them up today!

http://highshelfesteem.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Kwame-Alexander-at-Politics-Prose.mp4

 

Fashion
When in Doubt Go To the Library T-Shirt

 

Let me know some of your literary faves of the year in the comments below!

*Sidenote: I do not consider “Favorite Things” to be a Christmas song and would prefer it not be played as such. I think Julie Andrews would agree.

 

All book cover images from www.amazon.com

Filed Under: Reviews and Recommendations Kristen 1 Comment

December 24, 2016

Literary Linking: December 19 – 23

This week’s articles include a book 57 years overdue, fabulous female heroines and more! 

There won’t be any Literary Linking next week because I’ll be having fun in the sun on a Caribbean cruise 🙂 Hope everyone has a great holiday!

My favorite bookish links from the week of December 19 – 23:

Denzel Washington Surprised His Childhood Librarian on Her 99th Birthday
“The Academy Award winning actor was born in Mt. Vernon, New York and recently took a trip back to the city. While home, Washington took the time to pay a visit to a very special lady in his life: his childhood librarian.”

R.J. Palacio and Meg Medina Talk Diversity and Children’s Books
R.J. Palacio and Meg Medina “…were best friends as young kids, and both grew up to be renowned authors of children’s books…Medina identifies as a Latina writer, writes about Latino characters, and speaks often about diversity issues. Palacio does not.”

Ten Fiercely Fabulous Female Heroines
“As a middle school librarian, I see a multitude of readers both eager and reluctant every day in my library. The female heroines in these books represent a collection of independent and strong-willed characters that demonstrate resilience and persistence that we want our students to emulate.”

The Power of a Series
“When I was about nine years old, a family friend gave me a large box of Nancy Drew books, the kind where Nancy still sported a stylish 60’s bob and sensible flats…I somehow felt as if I had a secret bond with this girl I had never met. I settled on one title and went back to bed, drawing the covers over my head. I began to read.”

57 Years Later Even the Library Had Stopped Counting the Fines
“Barbara Roston signed up for a Brooklyn Library card after returning the book Gone With the Wind. Ms. Roston checked out the book at the Crown Heights Branch Library decades ago.”

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

December 19, 2016

Wonderful Winter-Break Reads for Kids!

Winter break is finally here! For me, that means lots of reading, reading, reading. And for those of you with kids, Librarian-Kristen hopes they spend a good chunk of their time off doing the same.

With thousands of children’s books published each year, it’s hard to choose which ones to read next. So, I’ve pulled together lists for all age levels of wonderful new books that your kids will love reading over the break. You can also use the lists as gift guides, if you still have to finish your holiday shopping 🙂

Enjoy!


Great Winter Reads: Picture Books

Great Winter Reads: Early Readers

Great Winter Reads: Middle Grade

Great Winter Reads: Young Adult

Great Winter Reads: Full List

Filed Under: Reviews and Recommendations Kristen Leave a Comment

December 17, 2016

Literary Linking: December 12 – 16

This week’s articles include celebrities’ fave books of 2016, a spider that looks like the sorting hat from Harry Potter and more!

My favorite bookish links from the week of December 12 – 16:

A Literary Guide To the Golden Globes
“The nominees for the 2017 Golden Globe Awards were announced Monday morning, and although the focus is on achievements in television and film, there’s no reason for book lovers to feel left out. Many of this year’s nominated movies and shows were based on books.”

Scientists Discovered a Spider That Uncannily Looks Like the “Harry Potter” Sorting Hat
“Scientists in India have taken inspiration from J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ series of books and movies in naming a distinctive new species of spider. The triangular creature resembles the Hogwarts ‘sorting hat’ that’s used to place young wizards and witches into their respective school “houses.”

Celebrity Picks: Best Books of 2016
Some of the biggest names in books and entertainment (Tana French, Colson Whitehead, and Anthony Bourdain to name just a few!)  share their top reads of the year.

10 Harry Potter Recipes That Will Make Your Holidays Magical
“In our dreams, we’re at the Three Broomsticks, sipping butterbeer and daring each other to approach the Shrieking Shack. Thankfully, with a little cooking magic, we can live out some of our wildest Potterverse dreams. Here are 10 recipes that will make your holidays cozy, delicious, and (above all else) magical.”

Starting a Book Club at Work: 7 Tips for Making It Success
A new year is just around the corner, and people everywhere are looking for ways to make next year better than this one. Starting a book club at work can be a great way to enrich your workplace experience, but it can be tricky to get past your first meeting. Never fear! I’ve got seven tips for making your at-work book club a success.

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

December 12, 2016

The Best Of the Best Books of 2016

Usually I love learning about great books to add to my TBR list. Some days, though, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the never-ending publication of amazing new titles each year. It makes me shake my fists at the sky and shout, “There are too many books! I’ll never read them all!”

This feeling has been particularly acute these last couple weeks with all the “Best Books of 2016” lists coming out. The top 10 lists seem relatively manageable, but there are some lists with 100 books or more! I consider myself a relatively fast reader, but there’s no way I can get to all these “best” books.

After reading all these lists, my first inclination was to give up and drown my sorrows with ice cream and a Harry Potter movie marathon, but my reading FOMO was too strong. I decided that even though I couldn’t read all the books on the lists, I could at least read the best-of the best-of.

So, I went through as many “Best Books of 2016” lists I could find (adult fiction and nonfiction), and kept track of titles that appeared multiple times. Books that appeared 5 or more times landed a spot on my “best-of the best-of” list. My process probably wasn’t perfect, but I was happy with the results. There are still 19 books on my list, but that’s whole lot less crazy-making for my brain compared to lists with 100+ titles.

And I bequeath the list to you, dear reader.  Save yourself the anxiety of wading through all those other best-of lists and just use mine 🙂

Without further ado, here are the Best Of the Best Books of 2016:
*The number in parenthesis is how many times the title appeared on a best-of list.

The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead (8)

Another Brooklyn, by Jacqueline Woodson (7)

Swing Time, by Zadie Smith (7)

Here Comes the Sun, by Nicole Dennis-Benn (6)

Barkskins, by Annie Proulx (6)

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond (6)

The Nix, by Nathan Hill (6)

LaRose, by Louise Erdrich (6)

99 Stories of God, by Joy Williams (5)

Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, by Svetlana Alexievich (5)

Lab Girl, by Hope Jahren (5)

The Mothers, by Brit Bennett (5)

Queen of the Night, by Alexander Chee (5)

Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, by Max Porter (5)

Everybody’s Fool, by Richard Russo (5)

Sport of Kings, by C.E. Morgan (5)

Imagine Me Gone, by Adam Haslett (5)

My Name Is Lucy Barton, by Elizabeth Strout (5)

Behold the Dreamers, by Imbolo Mbue (5)

 

Which of these titles do you think you’ll read? Leave your answer in the comments below!

 

In case you were curious, here are the lists I used to compile my list:
NY Times 100 Notable Books of 2016 (includes their top 10)
Washington Post Top 10 Books of 2016
Booklist Best Adult Fiction of 2016
Booklist Best Adult Non-Fiction of 2016
NPR’s 2016 Book Concierge
Book Riot Best Books of 2016
Publisher Weekly’s Best Books of 2016 Top 10
Goodreads Best Books of 2016
Esquire’s 25 Best Books of 2016
Kirkus Best Fiction of 2016
Kirkus Best Non-Fiction of 2016
Huffington Post Best Fiction Books of 2016
Amazon’s Best Books of 2016

 

Book cover images from www.amazon.com

Filed Under: Reviews and Recommendations Kristen Leave a Comment

December 10, 2016

Literary Linking: December 5 – 9

This week’s articles include hotels for book lovers, cocktails made with old books, a book concierge and more!

My favorite bookish links from the week of December 5 – 9:

American Teens are Getting Hooked on Fiction by Text Message
“…Hooked [is] an addictive app that sends suspenseful stories to teenagers in the form of messages. Based on rigorous testing on how to “hook” readers, Hooked is a hit in the world of book apps, with 1.8 million downloads (not including uninstalls) since it launched a year ago.”

Hotels for Book Lovers
“Which book might catch your eye from the shelves at the Wine Library at the B2 Boutique Hotel & Spa in Zurich, where guests can browse some 33,000 books with a glass of white in hand? What books might be in your room in the Library Hotel in New York where each floor celebrates one of the 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System and a reading room is open 24 hours? Which volume will be brought to your table at the Gryphon, a cafe in Savannah, Ga., where diners receive their bill tucked inside the pages of a book?”

What Are You Reading? Powerpuff Girl Edition
“I attended the Powerpuff Girls Panel at this year’s New York Comic Con, and scored an interview with two of the show’s writers: Jake Goldman and Haley Mancini, who is also the voice of Princess Morbucks!”

Columbia Room Has a Cocktail Literally Made With Old Books
“Columbia Room has played around with plenty of unusual ingredients, like fig leaf milk and potato water, in its cocktails. But “In Search of Time Past”—the third drink on its current tasting menu—is the most Portlandia yet. That’s because it includes a tincture made of old books. Literally. Really literally.”

NPR’s Book Concierge: Our Guide To 2016’s Great Reads
“Use the filters…to explore more than 300 titles NPR staff and critics loved this year. (You can also combine filters!)”

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

December 4, 2016

Literary Linking: November 28 – December 2

laptop-tray-teaThis week’s articles include: Maya Angelou on libraries, a Harry Potter bucket list and more!

My favorite bookish links from the week of November 28 – December 2:

Maya Angelou on How a Library Saved Her Life
“…no one has articulated, nor lived, this liberating and salvational function of libraries more fully than Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928–May 28, 2014).”

24 Books That Make Perfect Gifts for Kids
“Books are great gifts for all the children in your life. But sometimes it can be hard to know what books are age appropriate, highly rated, and not already a favorite.  So, we’ve compiled this handy guide of books organized by reader age that were published this year and have at least a 4-star rating from Goodreads readers.”

A Harry Potter Bucket List
“Muggles, don’t even think about attempting this Harry Potter bucket list! It’s only for folks who know their stuff about witchcraft and wizardry — aka extreme fans of J.K. Rowling’s magical series.”

‘Girl On The Train’ Author Paula Hawkins Has A New Book Coming Out Next Year
“Just weeks after the theatrical release of “The Girl on the Train,” the author of the book it’s based on has announced that she’ll release a new suspense novel in May 2017.”

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

December 3, 2016

What Did DC Read in November?

bw-metroWelcome to the November 2016 round-up of what DC commuters read on public transit, plus observations of the readers themselves. Maybe it’s you… 🙂

girl-on-the-trainBook: The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
From the publisher: Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning … past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them … Their life-as she sees it-is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost. And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?”

Reader: Woman in early- to mid- thirties, thin frame with long straight blonde hair pulled into a messy bun, wearing black trousers, black athletic sneakers, and a fitted black quilted jacket.

 

greatest-stories-never-toldBook: The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy, by Rick Beyer
From the publisher: History isn’t always made by great armies colliding or by great civilizations rising or falling. Sometimes it’s made when a chauffeur takes a wrong turn, a scientist forgets to clean up his lab, or a drunken soldier gets a bit rowdy. That’s the kind of history you’ll find in The Greatest Stories Never Told.

This is history candy — the good stuff. Here are 100 tales to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy: more than two thousand years of history filled with courage, cowardice, hope, triumph, sex, intrigue, folly, humor, and ambition.

Reader: Middle-aged, east Indian woman with streaks of gray in long crimped black hair wearing a fitted gray pencil skirt, dark tights, and “commuter sneakers.”

 

love-unleashedBook: Lover Unleashed (Black Dagger Brotherhood Book #9), by J.R. Ward
Payne, twin sister of the Black Dagger Brother Vishous, suffers a devastating injury, and brilliant human surgeon Manuel Manello is called in to save her. Their attraction is instant, and as powerful as it is dangerous. But as human and vampire worlds collide, a centuries- old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in jeopardy.

Reader: African American woman in early- to mid-forties eating from a freshly popped bag of popcorn, wearing a long gray wool trench coat.

 

heart-shaped-boxBook: Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill
From Follett Titlewave: Aging rocker Judas Coyne, a collector of the macabre, pays a thousand dollars for a suit said to be inhabited by the owner’s ghost, and learns only after the angry spirit arrives that he has been set up by the family of his last young lover who committed suicide upon her return home.

Reader: Young woman in mid- to late-twenties with messy, short blonde hair, a silver nose stud and wearing a pink fleece

 

 

go-set-a-watchmanBook: Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee
From Follett Titlewave: In the mid-1950s, twenty-six-year-old Jean Louis Finch, “Scout,” returns to Maycomb, Alabama, to visit her father, Atticus, but her homecoming turns bittersweet and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt as she uncovers truths about her family, friends, and town which are exposed by civil rights tensions and political turmoil.

Reader: Middle aged woman with graying, dark, frizzy hair, glasses and wearing a winter hat and fluffy pink winter coat; walking with the book in hand.

 

brown-girl-dreamingBook: Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson

From the publisher: Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

Reader: African American woman in her early thirties with a short ponytail and glasses, wearing a navy peacoat and bright yellow scarf

 

goyaBook: Goya, by Robert Hughes

From the publisher: With his salient passion for the artist and the art, Hughes brings Goya vividly to life through dazzling analysis of a vast breadth of his work. Building upon the historical evidence that exists, Hughes tracks Goya s development, as man and artist, without missing a beat, from the early works commissioned by the Church, through his long, productive, and tempestuous career at court, to the darkly sinister and cryptic work he did at the end of his life.

Reader: Tall man in his mid-thirties with short dark hair, wearing khakis and non-descript black winter jacket
What did YOU read in November? Share in the comments below!

 

All book cover images from www.amazon.com

Filed Under: Bookish Musings Kristen Leave a Comment

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