The Bleak and the Beautiful

August 18, 2010

Did you know that Cormac McCarthy, an American novelist and playwright, won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, The Road?

The Road is a journey into the lives of a father and son travelling on a road after a mysterious disaster wipes out nearly all human life. I never thought that bleakness could be described so beautifully, but just like in No Country for Old Men, McCarthy speaks of the landscape’s vast emptiness. I felt like I was there with the travelers, experiencing their world. I saw the gray sky; I heard the distant sounds in the night; I tasted the wind-blown dust and smelled the promise of food as they did.

Throughout the bleakness of The Road, there was this underlying constant hope that they will make it to the coast and find other survivors. It’s no mystery why McCarthy won the Pulitzer for this book. I think you should read The Road. In fact, I would suggest it to anyone. When you’re done reading that, try All the Pretty Horses or No Country for Old Men.

DIY Automotive

August 09, 2010

We all have car problems, sooner or later. When those problems pop up, it’s always nice to have the resources to fix them. If you’re the hands on type of person, we offer three automotive databases to help you in your times of need.

The Auto Repair Reference Center and ChiltonLibrary.com are accessible from home. They offer wiring charts, step by step repair procedures, and even videos to help with your maintenance. Both services cover most makes and models back to 1945.

If you find yourself at the library, you can use Mitchell 1 OnDemand5.com. It has extensive information for many makes and models.

As always, if you need assistance with any of these services, feel free to ask at our circulation desk! Good luck with those repairs.

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All of the aforementioned resources can be accessed from mymcpl.org with a valid library card. I do *NOT* love my job at all. Yes, that was sarcasm.

Food and Entertainment Have Their Price

July 13, 2010


Katniss Everdeen is the pride of District 12 because she is one of the best hunters around, even at age 16. The Capitol, a corrupt, oppressive government which rules over Panem, selects her younger sister for the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers to take the place of her sister and soon finds herself in a fight to the death with 23 other competitors, all teenagers. If she wins, she gains a lifetime of glory and freedom from the poor living conditions. If she loses… well, she doesn’t want to think about that. To complicate things, Peeta, a competitor from her home district, professes his undying love for her. There can be only one winner, posing difficult choices for both young competitors.

The first installment of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy is a nail-biting, joy ride through Katniss and Peeta’s adventure in post-apocalyptic North America. The third book, Mockingjay is due out in August, and the movie has been announced for next year. There’s still time to catch up with this incredible book that’s up for both the Truman and Gateway award this year. Suzanne Collins has made her name by writing epics for teens and children alike. She has a knack for writing descriptive, fast-paced stories, and Hunger Games is no exception. Be sure to check out Collins’ Underland Chronicles series too, if you’re feeling ambitious.

Addition

July 07, 2010

I’d like to tell you about a book I recently read, but, first I want to give you some background.

First, I am an avid reader of Unshelved, a library-themed webcomic. Secondly, I am a male librarian and even though I love romantic comedies, I am not a big fan of romance novels. Finally, I usually prefer Juvenile and Teen Fiction over Adult Fiction (less drama).

While fumbling through some historic Unshelved strips, I came upon a Sunday book club, which has been their tradition, about Addition. I requested it, but was hesitant to read it because it had that pesky heart on the spine and it was an adult book. Well, I took the plunge anyway and began reading…

Toni Jordan’s Addition is a romance… well, not really. There is some romance, but I didn’t find as much as I expected.

Grace, the heroine, has an OCD… well, not really. She just likes to count. She counts everything. She counts so much that it keeps her from having a “normal” life. OK, maybe it is an OCD.

So, she steals Seamus’s banana to make sure she has 10, and they keep running into each other afterwards. Seamus is there helping Grace deal with her counting, possibly sacrificing his sanity. Though there are some romantic interludes, Addition is more about Grace’s struggle with her uniqueness and how she sees the world.

As I read it, I may have questioned some of my own habits. Don’t worry though, there is a happy ending, and no matter what your habit, vice or eccentricity, there’s a way to make it all work. Besides, average isn’t always average; even average can be very unique.

Life or Something Like it in a Nuclear Bunker

This post originally appeared on June 30, 2010

Eli & Eddy Yanakakis were having their ninth birthday party when their father urges the family to seek refuge in their nuclear fallout shelter. This is it; apocalypse starts now. The next few hours are a blur, but when Eli realizes that his twin, Eddy and grandmother are not with the family in the shelter, he assumes the worst. Eli and his family need to remain underground for 15 years in order to avoid radiation poisoning, and a few years in, rations are dwindling.

Times are tough and mysteries keep piling up. Brand new CDs? A sketchy internet connection? Eli’s dad is insistent on avoiding those important questions, not to mention the Supplements. Eli has always been fascinated with numbers and codes, but will it be enough to escape the underground prison? Would it be worth it to escape his father just to end up in a bleak post-nuclear world?

S. A. Bodeen makes her writing debut with a bang in The Compound. Up for both the Truman and Gateway awards, The Compound takes readers inside the mind of Eli Yanakakis and the rift that exists between him and his family. There are a couple of jaw-dropping moments that will keep you from putting the book down. Check it out and experience life in a nuclear bunker with a crazy man.

The Hills are Alive… and 50

This post originally appeared on the Blue Springs South branch blog on

June 23, 2010.

While sorting through some library items today, I was blown away by a book I came across: The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. If that sounds vaguely familiar to you, good! 

The Von Trapps are the family featured in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. Rodgers and Hammerstein are one of the most famous songwriting duos in history. They collaborated for several musicals, which have been based on other works such as plays (Oklahoma!, Carousel), and novels (South Pacific, The King and I).

The Sound of Music is the only work based, though loosely, on a true story. Maria Augusta Trapp wrote her memoir in 1949 and even includes pictures of the family. The real Maria doesn’t look a thing like Julie Andrews, and Georg Von Trapp wasn’t anything like the cold, stern dad in the movie.

I’m proud to say that the Blue Springs South branch is the only one south of the river that has a copy too! The musical just turned 50 and the movie is now 45 years old! So, if you can’t wait until the holidays when they ALWAYS play it on TV, come into the branch and check out the movie, or find out where it all started and read The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.

Bliggity Blogs

Tomorrow will be one year since I published my first blog entry for MCPL. After revamping the website, MCPL decided that they should integrate a blog in order to reach their patrons easier. In honor of this joyous occasion, I will be reposting my blogs here to share them with the world that does not visit my library. Maybe, just maybe these blogs will reach a new audience. I hope you enjoy, and maybe you’ll see how much I truly love my job!

My Virtual Business Card

If you haven’t tried about.me yet, you should check it out. With so many Social Media tools out there today, it’s hard to decide where to send people. Facebook may be for friends; twitter can be for news updates; tumblr can be your blog; and LinkedIn will be your work experience. It can become tiresome and convoluted. So, why not create a page that links to all of those, but at the same time introduces you to the world in the way that you want?

A Different Perspective

I was raised Roman Catholic. I did *NOT* have nuns for teachers, though my brother did, but I did have to go to mass first thing every morning. Being Catholic gives you an interesting perspective on things. When I was in school, I learned that a lot of things were seen as wrong. The school did not teach this, but it was learned nonetheless. Anyway, certain things tend to carry a stigma with them, like divorce. Divorce is a big one because I was taught that it was against the religion.

Two years ago, I got married to the girl that I thought that I would spend the rest of my life with. However, that’s not exactly how things turned out, and we later got divorced. It’s a sore subject because it’s not really a desirable trait. If I meet someone and small talk ensues, I don’t want to be a divorced librarian. That sounds horrible! Besides, I don’t want to be associated with that stigma that was drummed into my brain.

Talking to a couple friends, I realized that it’s not exactly laid out that way. I am a librarian who happens to have an ex-wife. Everyone has stuff, and I guess my stuff is bigger than most. What matters is that I am happy, and I really think I am. Someone else told me recently that I shouldn’t waste my life. They said that if I’m not happy that I should do something to change it. I have and I will in the future too.

It’s not like I was ever miserable. We spent 6 years of our lives together, and that’s a lot (relatively speaking). I know that I’m not the greatest person to be around all the time; none of us are. I learned things that she taught me, and others that she didn’t. I hope that I had the same effect on her; that’s all I can hope for. Most importantly, I think we may have learned more about ourselves than anyone else. A chapter begun in my life with her, and that chapter has since closed. I guess it’s time to move on through the book. (You know I had to get a librarian quip in there somewhere.)

So, I am *NOT* a divorced librarian. I am a male librarian who loves his job and happens to have an ex-wife.

Letter from Tom Lutz, Chair of Creative Writing at UCR

This is a repost of a repost from a friend. I do not claim any credit for this letter, but I do agree with it. I think it is an example of the sad shape we are in right now. Please take the time to read it, and PLEASE pass it on. This letter should not have to be the impetus for social change, but if you agree, do so fervently.


Dear colleagues and students,

After a year and a half as Chair of the department, I am stepping down. Professor Andrew Winer will be taking my place, for which we should all be grateful.

As my last act as Chair, I would like to share with you my sense of the gravity of the situation we face. I spent most of my academic career doing what most of us do—teaching, writing, reading graduate applications and theses, having office hours, reading in my field, doing research. I didn’t pay much attention to the University and its administration. None of us have that luxury anymore. Budget cuts after budget cuts after budget cuts have left us all painfully aware of how the sausage is made, or not made.