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High Shelf Esteem

Archives for April 2018

April 22, 2018

Literary Linking: April 16 – 20

This week’s link topics include: PBS’s Great American Read, super cool children’s libraries, movies based on poems, and more!

The best bookish links the week of April 16 – 20:

The Great American Read: Read the 100 List
The Great American Read is an 8-part series that comes to PBS in late May. The list of the 100 books that will be discussed in the series was just released. How many of the 100 have you read?

21 Books You Don’t Have To Read and 21 You Should Read Instead
I agree with a bunch of these, but Lord of the Rings? I still think that’s a must-read.

5 of the Coolest Children’s Libraries in the United States
Chicago, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Waunakee (WI), and Lake Mills (WI) are the places to be if you’re a young bookworm.

Another Harry Potter Landmark: At $68 Million, the Most Expensive Broadway Nonmusical Play Ever
My guess is they’ll make tons of money on this one. It’s Harry Potter, for goodness sakes!

11 Movies Based on Poems
Celebrate National Poetry Month by watching one of these movies in April.

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

April 15, 2018

What I’ve Been Reading: April 2018

 

Welcome to Quick Lit, where bloggers link up with Anne Bogel at Modern Mrs. Darcy and share short and sweet reviews of what we’ve been reading lately.

I started a new job as a public librarian a couple weeks ago and have been taking in tons of new information every day. My mind has been so full with work-related things that I’ve neglected High Shelf Esteem a little. I still want to share what I’ve been reading with you all, but I’m going to be a tad lazy about it. Instead of summarizing the story for you myself, I’m going to use the publisher description. I will, however, give you my thoughts about each book. I read some really great ones in the last month.

Here’s what I’ve been reading lately:

 

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, by Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.

My thoughts: I was completely blown away by how good this book was. It’s the perfect blend of South African apartheid history, touching family moments, and humor (including some poop-based stories 🙂 ). I listened to the audiobook narrated by Trevor Noah, and he did an amazing job. To hear his story and see what he’s accomplished is awe inspiring.

 

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, by Karina Yan Glaser
The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It’s practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.

My thoughts: I heard this book described as The Penderwicks set in New York City. I love The Penderwicks and I love New York City, so naturally, I had to read it. I was thrilled to find that the Vanderbeekers really live up to the comparison. The five siblings are all very unique and endearing (I’m especially partial to Hyacinth, a six-year-old, who crafts like nobody’s business). And, unlike many children’s chapter books, the kids’ mom and dad are both alive, present in their lives, and overall lovely parents.

 

I See You, by Clare Mackintosh
Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her…
It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her, a grainy photo along with a phone number and listing for a website called findtheone.com.
Other women begin appearing in the same ad, a different one every day, and Zoe realizes they’ve become the victims of increasingly violent crimes—including rape and murder. With the help of a determined cop, she uncovers the ad’s twisted purpose…a discovery that turns her paranoia into full-blown panic. For now Zoe is sure that someone close to her has set her up as the next target.
And now that man on the train—the one smiling at Zoe from across the car—could be more than just a friendly stranger. He could be someone who has deliberately chosen her and is ready to make his next move…

My thoughts: I am a huge fan of Clare Mackintosh’s first book, I Let You Go, because of it’s crazy twist at the end. I was hoping for the same with this one, but it didn’t quite deliver. I See You did, however, make me worry that I was being watched and followed. I guess it’s always good to stay on my toes with that kind of thing!

 

Stay with Me, by Ayobami Adebayo
Yejide and Akin have been married since they met and fell in love at university. Though many expected Akin to take several wives, he and Yejide have always agreed: polygamy is not for them. But four years into their marriage–after consulting fertility doctors and healers, trying strange teas and unlikely cures–Yejide is still not pregnant. She assumes she still has time–until her family arrives on her doorstep with a young woman they introduce as Akin’s second wife. Furious, shocked, and livid with jealousy, Yejide knows the only way to save her marriage is to get pregnant, which, finally, she does, but at a cost far greater than she could have dared to imagine.

My thoughts: Wow, this book is chock-full of uncomfortable and upsetting issues, but Adebayo delivers the characters’ stories with finesse. Stay with Me would make a fantastic book club pick because readers will feel a burning need to talk about the incredibly strong feelings the book elicited in them.

 

Sunburn, by Laura Lippman
One is playing a long game. But which one?
They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through.Yet she stays and he stays—drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other—dangerous, even lethal, secrets that begin to accumulate as autumn approaches, feeding the growing doubts they conceal.
Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away—or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?
Something—or someone—has to give. Which one will it be?

My thoughts: I usually don’t enjoy books with unlikeable main characters, but I couldn’t put this one down. Lippman did a fantastic job making me want to keep reading to see if the characters were as terrible as  they seemed on a first description. Lots of twists and turns make this book a fun ride.

 

What have you been reading lately? Please share in the comments below!

Filed Under: Bookish Musings, Reviews and Recommendations Kristen 4 Comments

April 14, 2018

Literary Linking: April 9 – 13

This week’s link topics include: a book about animal flatulence, 20th anniversary Harry Potter covers, surprising former librarians, and more!

The best bookish links the week of April 9 – 13:

Why the New Wave of East Asian Authors Is Targeting YA
So happy that more Asian-American authors are getting published. I’m on hold at the library for all the books spotlighted in this article.

New Harry Potter Covers, Illustrated by Brian Selznick
Check out this video showing the Caldecott-winner Brian Selznick’s illustrations for Harry Potter’s 20th anniversary covers. So gorgeous.

10 Surprising Former Librarians
Shout out to Beverly Cleary. Not only was she a librarian, but she turned 102 this week!

Finally There’s a Book about Which Animals Fart
This is important literature, guys.

Teenage Vandals Were Sentenced To Read Books. Here’s What One Learned.
Reading makes your more empathetic – scientists say so!

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

April 12, 2018

The Questions To Ask When Choosing Your Next Audiobook

I am an avid audiobook listener and love using the Libby app to listen to titles for free from the public library. Unfortunately, public libraries can’t carry everything and the newest releases usually have crazy long waitlists. That’s when I turn to Audible. I only get one credit a month, so it’s always tough deciding which audiobook to spend my credit on.

One reason I find it extra hard to pick audiobooks is because it’s crucial that I like the narrator. I know I’ll be spending hours with this voice in my ears, so I want to make sure it won’t grate on my nerves. A book like Outlander (a whopping 32 hours and 43 minutes!) would have been unbearable if I hadn’t liked the Davina Porter’s narration.

Luckily, Audible gives a five-minute sample of all the books offered on the site. It’s not a ton of time, but I’ve developed a set of questions that help me decide whether the book is worth listening to or not. Hopefully they’ll be helpful to you too when you’re picking your next audiobook. (Libraries also provide five-minute samples, so if you don’t want to commit to a checking out a title, you can apply these questions to Overdrive/Libby audiobooks too.)

Questions To Ask Yourself When Listening To an Audiobook Sample:

Accents – Does the narrator’s accent sound natural? Is it believable?
A well-done accent pulls me into the setting of the book, but less convincing accents are a huge distraction. If a book’s description makes it clear where the story takes place, pay close attention to whether the narrator uses an accent appropriate for the setting and whether you think it’s convincing or not.

Gendered Voices – Does the narrator perform lines of the opposite sex in an overdone and stereotypical way?
I’ve studied a little voice acting and when it came to reading male voices, my coach the focus shouldn’t be on lowering my voice, but understanding and capturing the attitude of the character. I can’t stand it when female narrators take their voices way low when reading male characters, and male narrators who use a wispy falsetto for female characters make me want to pull my hair out. When listening to an audiobook sample, try and determine if the narrator performs the opposite sex with appropriate attitude or if they pitch their voices up or down in an exaggerated way.

Author Narration – Is the author of the book doing the narration?
Most audiobook narrators are trained actors and have experience emoting when they read. Authors without that kind of experience often don’t do their books justice when they read them. If they’re reading their memoir or if their book is nonfiction, the result is usually better than if they’re reading a fiction, but I’ve usually found that most author-read books fall a bit flat.

Vocal Characteristics – Does the narrator have a distinctive voice? Does he/she have a vocal characteristic that is bearable?
By vocal characteristics, I mean things like nasality, upspeak (sentences all end with a question mark), breathiness, etc. For me, a nasal voice is tolerable but vocal fry is a no-go. If you know there’s a certain kind of vocal characteristic that grates on you, make sure to listen for it when sampling audiobooks.

Recording Quality – Does the recording sound clear? How old is the recording?
I’ve found that most recordings done within the last 10 years are very high quality. The older ones, however, can be iffy. Check the release date in the book description to see when the recording was made. When listening to the sample, determine whether the recording is at a quality level worthy of your darling ears.

Multiple Narrators – Is more than one narrator listed in the book description? Is it a full-cast recording?
Having multiple narrators can make listening to the sample tricky, because it isn’t guaranteed that all the narrators will be represented. My feeling is that if I like at least one of the narrators, then I can weather through the other ones since the narrator(s) I like will eventually come back.The same goes for full-cast recordings. Having a bunch of different voices keeps things interesting and if one narrator is annoying, you know that there are other better narrators coming. I’m personally a huge fan of full-cast audiobooks. It’s like a stage show in your ears!

 

A final word of advice: once you find a narrator you really like, make note of his/her name. You can always search Audible or library catalogs by narrator name. It’s a bit silly, but listening to multiple audiobooks with the same awesome narrator makes me feel like they’ve become my friend 🙂

Keep an eye out for more posts on audiobooks in the near future. I plan on sharing a list of my favorite narrators, as well as audiobooks that have made me want to sit in traffic so I could listen to more of them!

How do you decide whether an audiobook is worth listening to? Please share in the comments below!

Filed Under: Bookish Musings Kristen 4 Comments

April 7, 2018

Literary Linking: April 2 – 6

This week’s link topics include: short story dispensers, “trust” bookshops, the new Harry Potter Hogwarts mystery mobile game, and more!

The best bookish links the week of April 2 – 6:

Short Story Dispensers Spread the Power of Literature
Free short stories on demand – there are so many great opportunities that can come out of this.

Book Recommendations for Our Favorite “This Is Us” Characters
I had to take a break from “This Is Us” because the feels were a bit too much for me right now, but these recs are great. The Martian is Perfect for Toby!

Dubai Launches Its First-Ever 24/7 “Trust” Bookshop with No Staff
I’d like to hope that this is successful. People are inherently good, right? Well, at least book people are 😃.

The Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery Mobile Game Has a Release Date
This game is described as “the first mobile game in which players can create their own character and experience life as a Hogwarts student.” Sold!!!

What Children’s Book Character Are You?
I’m Wilbur and my husband is the Very Hungry Caterpillar. A match made in heaven.

 

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

April 3, 2018

What’s Making Me Happy, Vol. 10

The beautiful bouquet of bookmarks my students made me as a goodbye gift.

March was an incredibly busy month with lots to be happy about:

 

David Bowie Is
I am a HUGE David Bowie fan, so when I saw that the David Bowie Is exhibit was coming to the Brooklyn Museum for the last stop of its tour, I had to go. So, last week, a friend and I left early in the morning on a bus headed to New York City with the sole purpose of seeing this exhibit, then returned to DC in the evening. It was a lot of travel, but it was so worth it! There were costumes galore, audio (including lots of music) that synced with the displays and screens, original copies of handwritten lyrics, and even Jareth the Goblin King’s crystal ball from Labyrinth 🙂 If you’re a Bowie fan, you have got to check it out.

Bookmarks from My Wonderful Students
March was a month full of transitions, including ending my time as a school librarian. My school was absolutely fantastic, but post-surgery, the 3-hour round-trip commute was too much for me. I needed to make some changes to simplify my life, so now I am working as a public librarian in my county, much closer to home. As a goodbye gift, my students made me the most amazing bookmarks, which I will treasure forever.

Timeless
The IMDB description for Timeless goes like this: “An unlikely trio travel through time in order to battle unknown criminals and protect history as we know it.” It sounded pretty hackneyed to me, but it got a green-light from The Popcast, which has given fabulous recommendations in the past. I decided to give it a try and I loved it! There’s tons of action, the historic costumes are lots of fun, and the fact it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys will keep you on your toes and wanting to keep watching.  I’ve heard the second season is even better than the first, so there’s some more excellent TV to look forward to.

thinkThin Bars
I’m always looking for ways to save time in the morning, and thinkThin Bars make breakfast a snap. No dishes to clean, no indecision on what to eat, and they’re yummy. I’ve tried other bars before and usually get sick of them pretty quickly, but I’ve found a few flavors of ThinkThin Bars that I’ve continued to enjoy week after week. My favorites are Brownie Crunch, Chocolate Fudge, and Salted Caramel.
I’m embarrassed by how commercial-ly that sounded, but I’m not getting paid to say any of it. I just love me some thinkThin Bars!

Alt-J’s “Dissolve Me”
This song makes me smile every time I hear it. It has bouncy, joyful parts, as well as very calming moments. Just give it a listen. I hope you like it too.

What’s been making you happy recently? Please share in the comments below!

Filed Under: What's Making Me Happy Kristen 3 Comments

April 1, 2018

Literary Linking: March 26 – 30

This week’s link topics include: the appeal of boarding school tales, bibliomancy, the success of independent bookstores, and more!

The best bookish links the week of March 26 – 30:

Here’s Why Readers and Writers Alike Love a Boarding School Tale
Simone St. James gives three spot-on reasons as to why boarding school settings are so irresistible.

18 New Books You Need To Read in March
Children of Blood and Bone, Tangerine, and The Merry Spinster look especially good. Have any of you lovely readers read them? Thoughts?

The American Girl Doll Magazine Made Me a Feminist
If you were an American Girl fan, this is a must-read. It IS great being a girl!

Hearing Voices and Talking Back: On Bibliomancy
Bibliomancy sounds way cooler than a Ouija board. I plan on trying it out this week. Check out my Instagram (@ihaveshelfesteem) to see what see what my books advise me 😃

Why the Number of Independent Bookstores Increased during the Retail Apocalypse
2,312 independent bookstores in the United States. Not too shabby!

Filed Under: Literary Linking Kristen Leave a Comment

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