My ALA Experience

So, it's a week later, but here's a bit about my first experience at ALA annual.  I definitely hope next time I go, I will be able to afford events and go to session to learn stuff.  Crossing my fingers!

I managed to completely miss all the Friday events I was hoping to attend, mostly because we didn't leave San Diego in time and ran into awesome traffic.  I was disappointed not to meet Rae Carson, not to attend the infamous Little, Brown dance party, and to miss the Middle Grade meet-up too.  Still, by Saturday I was ready to go.

Here's what the convention center looks like from the front:

The front sign - so thrilling.

I just loved these beautiful flowers that are everywhere in Anaheim (and San Diego too, we spent a few days there with some friends).

The palm-lined pathway to the exhibit halls.

I was a bit nervous about the line forming to enter the hall.  This picture was taken fairly early on, before even more hoards arrived and didn't really form any kind of line.  It is true, entering the halls was very much like Black Friday shopping.  I avoid that like the plague, so this was intense for me.

I enjoyed trying to walk slowly and taking in the experience, though it was rather crowded and hectic at times.  I also really enjoyed seeing Captain Underpants (and other book characters), who always managed to get a smile from me as he (or she) tried to maneuver around in that suit.

I know there's been a lot of chat about ALA and bloggers and librarians.  I feel like my opinion isn't much of one.  I do wish more librarians were able to get on the floor.  Especially the ones who want to, but have many other obligations and interests.  I do feel unhappy that publishers often are out of ARCs by the time some librarians make it to the floor.  That's a real problem and I can't say that I know of a solution.  I'm both librarian and blogger, though I am currently an academic librarian, not necessarily by choice.  If my work had decided to pay for my trip, you can bet I'd have spent a lot more time working with academic presses and vendors.  But my visit was more for myself and my blogging and a hopeful future career in children's services.  Don't know if that makes me partly to blame for whatever needs blaming, but anywho...

I was very happy to be able to meet Marie Lu and get Legend and Prodigy signed.  I'm not the best at taking photos (with my phone), so this nice shot was courtesy of a lovely school librarian, Jaime, who I got to chat with while in line.  Meeting librarians and bloggers and authors was a highlight for me.

Speaking of which, I was thrilled beyond reason to meet Susan Cooper, though I said very little and tried not to fawn over her.  She signed The Dark is Rising and King of Shadows (which I haven't read) for me.  I really wish I'd been able to attend the Margaret A. Edwards award luncheon to hear her speak too.

I did manage to take a photo of the longest line I stood in.  This was (part of) the line for Neal Shusterman.  He had a number of signings, but this one was where we could get UnWholly signed and it was quite impressive.  I met a few other fun librarians here too.  Names, alas, are another thing I'm not good at.

Without photos, unfortunately, I also got my Daughter of Smoke and Bone signed by Laini Taylor.  Still love her pink hair.  And This Dark Endeavor and Such Wicked Intent I got signed by Kenneth Oppel.  I kinda wish I'd brought my copy of Airborn.

After a few hours, I managed to meet up with and trail after Danielle from There's a Book (and her kind husband) and Amy of My Friend Amy.  They are so nice!  For some reason, I feel intimidated meeting people I admire, but they made me feel right at ease.  I also met Megan of Posey Sessions briefly as well - so. much. energy!  They invited me to dinner with them, where we met up with author Laura Harrington, whose book, Alice Bliss, I have yet to read but am now intrigued about.

Danielle, Amy, me

Danielle, Amy, me, Laura

After that, my husband and I dropped by Downtown Disney, but ended up too tired to go to the YA Blogger Meet-Up (seriously, I'm lame) and drove back to San Diego that night.

And, because I want to share this, here are the books I got.  A few I purchased, most I didn't.  I thought I did well at saying no or skipping ones I wasn't interested in.  I carried all of them around with me on my back and shoulders, so I thought every one of them through. I love those tote bags. :) 

So, that's it!  My first ALA experience and may it not be the last.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

The Piles are Piling

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

I've been swamped at work the last few weeks, and that translates into feeling swamped in all areas of my life, including reading.  Of course, it doesn't help that the piles I already have are breeding and little pile-lets are being born left and right.  Plus, I went another month without posting about my loot and review books.  Eh.  Here they are in all their pile-upon-pile glory:

Library:
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Torment by Lauren Kate
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (book group!)
(why yes, I did place many holds after the Youth Media Awards were announced)

For review:
Bitter Melon by Cara Chow
Divergent by Veronica Roth
How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen
Freddy! King of Flurb by Peter Hannan
The Union Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
Cahoots by Karla Oceanak
Under the Green Hill by Laura L. Sullivan
The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman
Emily the Strange: Dark Times by Jessica Gruner and Rob Reger
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes (for Cybils)

Anything good for you this week (or month)?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Everything I Can Remember Acquiring Over the Last Month Plus

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

Note to self: don't go this long without some kind of library loot/acquisitions post.  Seriously.  

This will probably leave out some of the books that I got in the mail over the last month or so, but it's the best I can do:

Library:
The Magnificent Twelve: The Call by Michael Grant*
The Shadows by Jacqueline West*
Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon
Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursula Vernon*
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve*
Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes*
Reckless by Cornelia Funke*
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (book club!)
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi 
*=for Cybils!

For review:
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
Drought by Pam Bachorz
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko
The Enchanted Quest by Frewin Jones
The Charmed Return by Frewin Jones

For kicks and giggles (ie purchased):
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
I also won the Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women DVD from Amused by Books

What did you get?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Giving the Library a Break

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

So, it's that time of the year again.  The time when I have to put all of my holds on hold.  I was starting to feel pressured to read both my review copies and my library books before they were due.  And with Christmas coming up and a vacation out of town, I figured it was best to just do it now.  It may be some time before I get to do another Library Loot post, since I've put them on hold until the end of January, in anticipation of my Cybils reading.  So, here's (probably) the last for a while:

Bright Blue Miracle by Becca Wilhite
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

I also got some great treasures in the mail:
The Lost Saint by Bree Despain (yeah!)
The End of the World Club by J&P Voelkel
Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Muslim Women Reformers: Inspiring Voices Against Oppression by Ida Lichter
I won a signed copy of The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness from Jill at The O.W.L

What did you get?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Library Loot!

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

Here are my library delights for the last (few) weeks:
Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Hunger by Michael Grant
This is What I Did by Ann Dee Ellis
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

In the mail:
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (signed!)
First Step 2 Forever by Just Bieber (which I will promptly donate to a school library, particularly because I had NO idea who he was :)
Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor
The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilange
The Adventures of Ook and Gluk by Dav Pilkey - watch for my giveaway coming up later this month 

Get anything good this week?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Back in the Library Again

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

I'm not entirely sure why it seems like I have erratic bursts interspersed with long dry spells when it comes to the library, but I guess I've just entered a burst.  Here are the delights waiting on my shelf:

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
Jane by April Lindner
Scumble by Ingrid Law
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (for book group)
Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder
The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Halt's Peril by John Flanagan
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

And, I got some books for my birthday too:
Leviathan and Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (signing coming up!)
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (cause I love it so much)

And two books for review:
Destiny's Path and The Emerald Flame by Frewin Jones

What did you get this week?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Library Loot and It's a Book!

 

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

It's been two weeks since my last library loot post and I've actually managed to hit the shelves again (looking for specific books, of course, but still).  Here are some delights I picked up:

Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
Blubber by Judy Blume
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume (no, I've never read it!)

And I got a few books in the mail:
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
Boxed set of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (won from Scholastic!)

Now on to a little bitty, but full of fun review:

It's a Book by Lane Smith
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication date: August 2010
ISBN: 9781596436060
Source: review copy provided by publicist

This was a fun and silly picture book.  I liked the humor that comes from a juxtaposition of modern technology and the old-fashioned delights of a book.  In a series of questions, Monkey is asked what a book does - "How do you scroll down?" and "Can you blog with it?"  I also really enjoyed the clean and simplistic illustrations and text.  It is listed as for ages 4-8, though I'd go with school library journal's grades 3-5.  I thought that it was perhaps not quite for kids from 4-6 years, what with the jackass jokes and hopefull kids that young will not be quite as familiar with texting and some kinds of technology.  But, it is a fun book for kids a bit older and adults will also get a kick out of it.  Be sure to check out the fun book trailer that goes with it.

Anything good for you this week?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

A Long Neglected Loot Post

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

So, I've been putting this off every week for about a month now.  I don't know why, but it never seems like the right day for a library loot post.  But now!  Now I get to catch up on all that I checked out and got in the mail.  Brace yourselves:

The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee
Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (book club set!)
Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan (reloot)

And things have continued to be insane in my mailbox (so much so that I can't say whether this is actually all of it since my last post - oh well).  And I decided to join up with Kristi of The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, since that's most of my post:

Nice and Mean by Jessica Leader
Matched by Ally Condie (second copy - hooray for a giveaway!)
Call Me Kate by Molly Roe
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Radiance by Alyson Noel
What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante
The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein

For Traveling ARC  Tours, I've gotten these recently:
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Virals by Kathy Reichs
The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Now I've really got to keep up with this so it isn't such a marathon list and so I don't forget about books that come for me!  

What did you get?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Back to the Library (and the Loot)

 (hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

I'm finally home from vacation (it's been quite a while since I wasn't living out of a suitcase, or at least it feels like it)!  Today is my first day back in my own library and I feel both happy and sad about it.  Going back to work is so hard, no matter where you work, I think.  Anywho, I'm also back in my local public libraries and checking things out again!  I really didn't get nearly enough of my review copies read to justify this, but I had a few books on hold that I simply don't want to wait for.  So, here they are:

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (yes, I'm probably the last to read this)
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

And the books really piled up while I was gone (ok, not really, but I was pretty excited about them all the same...)
Matched by Ally Condie (I've really been dying to get my hands on this, so I was super excited that it came for me)
It's a Book by Lane Smith
The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe

And, though I didn't get to visit any amazing bookstores while I was vacationing, I did stop by a for charity book sale and pick up a few books:
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

And this list would not be complete without this delight, which I purchased (of course):


Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
and which I just finished and am currently trying to figure out my reaction to.  I loved getting to hash out some thoughts and read others' over at Natasha's spoiler-ridden discussion of it. 

What did you get this week?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

A Non-Library-Loot Post

Well, I usually include my weekly acquisitions (ie stuff that comes in the mail) in my library loot post.  But, since I have no loot whatsoever this week (ok, I did check out a book club set of 84, Charing Cross Road, but that doesn't really count for much).  So, instead of doing library loot, I'm doing non-library loot.  Here's what I received in the mail:

You by Charles Benoit (second copy - look forward to a giveaway!)
Radiance by Alyson Noel
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (won in a contest from Penguin)
Sleepless by Cyn Balog (for Traveling ARC Tours)

What did you get this week?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Moot Loot

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Claire of The Captive Reader)

I've pretty much decided that the library is banned for me right now.  I'm so far behind in review books and books I own that I've really got to hold off for a while.  Fortunately, I've still got a few books that I want enough that I will check them out anyway! :)  Only two this week, though.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (reread for me - checked out the book club set for our August meeting)

I also managed to acquire some delights for review:
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (for Traveling ARC Tours)
Fat Vampire by Adam Rex
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher (won in a contest from Penguin)!

Anything good for you this week?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Looting a Bit Later

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Eva of A Striped Armchair)

I almost decided to skip library loot again this week, because my loot has been so slim.  But, I decided I just couldn't leave you guys hanging another week :)  
The best part is, they are all reloot - books I had to return unread and check back out again.  Here's hoping I get to them the second time!

Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams
Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

And a few came for review and from contests:
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (for review)
Fallout by Ellen Hopkins (for review)
Mistwood bookmark from Emily of Emily's Reading Room

What does your pile look like this week?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Ack! A Library Loot Title

 (hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Eva of A Striped Armchair) 

A very moderate helping of books this week, if I do say so myself.  I only picked up four from the library, which is very conservative.  

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (FINALLY!)
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson
Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater

I managed to win a signed copy of Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder from Britt at Book Habitue - super excited, since I love Snyder!

And for review:
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart
What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb
The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June by Robin Benway
Dracula in Love by Karen Essex (what was I thinking? :)

Anything good for you this week?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Making Up for My Small Library Stack

  (hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Eva of A Striped Armchair)

I didn't actually pick up a lot from the library this week (which is good, because I am sooooo behind).  Just these two:
The Line by Teri Hall
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (book club set, yeah!)

A few came for review, though:
You by Charles Benoit (so freaking excited by this!)
Snap by Carol Snow
Dewey's Nine Lives by Vicki Myron

But when it came to the bookstore, the library sale, and a random garage sale, I got a bit crazy (well, not too much):
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
The Aeneid by Virgil
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (you can never have too many copies of this, right?)
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

I also happened to win (my lucky week): 
Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey from Christina T at Reading Exclusively

A box of books from Kate at The Neverending Shelf (to donate to my local library :)
The September Sisters by Jillian Cantor
Ash by Malinda Lo
Arson Estevan Vega
The Cave by Steve McGill
Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy by William Irwin and Richard Brian Davis

I also won one of the bags of goodies from the book blogger conference from GalleySmith.  It had tons of bookish stuff in there, too much for me to write down, so I'll just send you to look at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books' list.

Definitely a lot of books coming in this week!  What about you?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Hello, Books!

 (hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Eva of A Striped Armchair)

More looting and pillaging (really, I get a lot of entertainment out of calling it library loot).  It's been a bit crazy this week - books on hold, packages in the mail.  Really, I think I might just be drowning in books.  Which sounds like a good way to go.

The Passage by Justin Cronin
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve (reloot)
Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Sovay by Celia Rees
The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan
This Book is Not Good For You by Pseudonymous Bosch (reloot)
Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams

For review:
Ivy's Ever After by Dawn Lairamore
I So Don't Do Makeup by Barries Summy
Bitter Frost by Kailin Gow (goodreads first read)
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Annette Laing
Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance by Sarah Poole
 

Anyone else drowning in books?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Library Loot (and Movie Obsessions)

(hosted by Marg of Adventures of an Intrepid Reader and Eva of A Striped Armchair)

I've been kind of in a library slump (again) and didn't get anything for a while.  But, suddenly, my holds are back in action.  Here they are this week:

The Beacon at Alexandria by Gillian Bradshaw
The Cardturner by Louis Sachar
Darklight by Lesley Livingston
Iron King by Julie Kagawa
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Son of Shadows by Juliet Marillier (again - I swear I'll get to it this time!)
Harry Potter #5-7 by J.K. Rowling (on audio, we WILL finish this challenge if it kills us!)

I also got two for review:
We Shall Overcome by Stuart Stotts
Manifest by Artist Arthur

And since I spaced it last Saturday, I'm adding my A Bit of Me(Me) post (hosted at There's a Book) today (and probably another this Saturday - won't you just be sick of me and my personal info). 

This week, we are talking about our favorite movies.  I'm kind of sad to admit that my husband and I don't watch many movies - at least not new ones.  I thought it would be fun, though, to look at how my favorites have changed over time.  I used to be the kind of person who would obsess over a movie for a while and then find a new one to obsess about.  My first favorite movie (that I recall) is:

Yes, Sleeping Beauty was the movie I would beg my parents to get every time we went to the rental store.  I've watched it a few times in my "old age" and realized - it ain't that great. :)

Next, I moved on to the "I adore this cute movie character phase"

   

I would watch Newsies and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers over and over again.  To this day, I can still quote, sing, and probably dance both movies.  I was in love with Jack and Davey (and Spot) from Newsies and I probably picked a different brother to love each week from Seven Brides.  

Then, I went through my classic book turned movie phase, which lasted up until a few years ago.  During this time I adored:

     

     

Actually, I still love most of these ones and would consider Pride and Prejudice and Lord of the Rings all-time favorites. 

And, for kicks, one of my more recent favorites is:

So, there you have it - my tastes over the years :)

Got a favorite movie to share or something good you got at the library?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage