graphic novel booklists

By now, we all know that graphic novels are (let’s say it together) Not Just About Superheroes.  The question now is “So which ones do I read?”  Since the graphic novel format offers as many genres and styles as prose fiction, that’s a very good question.  And, as you might have guessed, we can help [...]

Books (but no snakes) on a plane

I try not to go anywhere without at least one book.  You never know when you’re going to be stuck in rush-hour bus traffic, or sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room, or standing in line at the bank.  Might as well have something to read, just in case, right?
So when I was packing for [...]

trespassing in the desert

Remember back in June when I was trying to decide whether to read  The Devil, the Lovers, and Me: My Life in Tarot by Kimberlee Auerbach or Trespass: Living at the Edge of the Promised Land by Amy Irvine, and I wound up choosing Trespass?  Well, I finally finished it, and it’s my new favorite [...]

Trespass or Tarot?

There are lots of ways to pick your next read: booklists, databases like NoveList, reviews, conversations with friends, staff picks or asking a librarian.  Choosing what to read is a big commitment.  That book will be my bus partner, my pastime and a destination for wandering thoughts.  I want to make the perfect choice.  Put simply, I’m really picky.
I prefer to base my selection [...]

Breathing, Smiling, Walking, Talking Books.

Last week, I was forwarded this article about a library in London where patrons can borrow people for one-half hour chats.  Borrow people, you say?  Yes, borrow people.  Several Londoners volunteered to participate in Living Library program where, as a patron, you can “check out your prejudice.” 
The idea is beautifully simple:  volunteers are cataloged as [...]

The “It’s all good,” all-you-can-read, Eleventh Stack book buffet

Frequently, we library folks are asked to recommend a “good” book.  While we’re always happy to do this, the definition of “good” sometimes becomes a sticking point.
For example, in my personal readerly universe, the prospect of spending a few hours with Chicago’s only practicing wizard, Harry Dresden, is decidedly “good.” You, however, may prefer old-school [...]