My short speech to 600 teens about reading

I had the opportunity to put a plug in for my reading club at the weekly meeting at the high school where I am blissfully employed as a librarian. I started with a plug for reading in general. Here's what I said:

When I was in college I spent my summers working as an aide in the offices of the Buffalo Courier Express -- at the time, a major morning paper in a city of over a million people. Even though I spent my time taking dictation from reporters, sorting mail and pouring coffee, it was all very exciting. It was my first job in a professional setting. I strived to make a good impression. And for the most part, I did. I worked hard and felt pretty good about how I was doing.

One night, the fatherly reporter who sat across the desk from me attempted to make friendly conversation. I think he was mostly trying to humor the new kid.

"So what are you reading?" asks he. I sighed and admitted I really wished I had time to read, but I didn't. He looked at me aghast. "No!" he said. "You have to make time to read." He mumbled the same thing a few times and that was pretty much the end of the conversation. So much for my professionalism. What I learned is that professsionals don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

He was right, of course, and ever since that night, I have made an effort to have something to read around. I don't always get to it, but I try. I discovered how easily reading floated back into my life -- a life I was convinced had no spare hours for reading for fun.

Read something, anything that's purely for your own enjoyment, every night before sleep. Even if it's just 5 minutes -- you'll be better for it. Even if you fall asleep before the end of the first paragraph for 2 or 3 nights running, by the end of the week you'll probably have hit lift off with an interesting article or a great book. And that will be a wonderful thing. You will have become a reader.

2010 ALA Awards Announced!

In case you missed it, the American Library Association announced their annual slew of awards at its mid-winter meeting in Boston this month. Check out the ALA Award Winners!

Yikes! Has it really been a month?

Where did the time go? My family has already left and returned from our holiday travels. The last thing I remember is my husband saying, "How many books are you bringing?" as he tottered on the scales with the suitcases. I had a very hard time making the short list of titles much shorter than my previous post. The good new is, I really committed myself to getting lots of reading done, so here's the round up:

Columbine by Dave Cullen
Powerful book! Anyone interested in learning about contemporary American culture should read this title. An amazing amount of research compiled in a well executed revisit of that fateful day. Cullen's look back is as much about the event (and the personalities that created and were touched by it) as it is about the media swirl that swallowed it (and perpetuated myths about it).

King of Heists by J. North Conway
Honestly, a big disappointment. Conway spends more time leading up to the big event than he does recounting it. Terribly anti-climatic. I felt compelled to finish because I hauled it along, but it wasn't suitcase-worthy.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Stork's novel tops my holiday fiction reading. Reminscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime, Marcelo is narrated by a troubled young misfit trying to find his place in the world. It has the hallmarks of many great books: beautifully simple on one level and intensely complex at the same time. Adults and teens who enjoy tackling big philosophical questions will love this!

Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten
I heard about this one on NPR, so had to pick it up. Excellent story. Great characters and even a mystery, too. After I closed the back cover I thought it was all a bit outlandish -- but had to admit that I was completely taken in -- and loved every minute. I hope Weingarten is busy writing her next one.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
I don't know if Lockhart is writing another novel featuring Frankie, but I sure hope so. She's easily one of the most engaging fictional characters in any recent book -- teen or adult. Creative, funny, and a bit devlish.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier
A solid read. The review I read compared this to Disreputable History, and while it's certainly a good book, I don't think they're quite in the same category. Larbalestier is definitely on an upward trajectory with her writing, however, so I'll be looking for her next book.

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
Horses, was one of those books that came at me from about a half dozen directions: reviews, friends, best of lists, that it became impossible to ignore. Lovely writing. Absolutely hypnotic prose. Great story. Lush scene setting.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Did I say Marcelo,  was my favorite holiday fiction? Can I take it back? Okay, since I actually finished  Cloud Atlas after I got home, possibly I can count it as a different category? My favorite post-holiday fiction! Mitchell is just amazing. I loved, loved, loved Black Swan Green which sent me looking for this. It took a bit of patience to hit lift-off, but it was well worth the effort. Mitchell could have made these disparate stories completely different books, but somehow weaves them all together.