BEDA

Soooo...Made of Awesome YA author Maureen Johnson is doing this really cool thing in April called BEDA. Basically, she is going to blog EVERY DAY IN APRIL. I would love to do this, but am concerned because this is a library blog and we aren't really supposed to blog about things that aren't really library related. However, I am going to do my best to blog every day in April about various library related things. Well...that or Ally and I will do a ton of those memes that are posted all over the Internet. Either way hopefully there will be something for you all to read!!! Let me know if you have any suggestions about what I can blog on. Are there things you would like to know, questions you would like answered, books/movies/music you would like reviewed? Let me know and I will try to accommodate you. Although, be warned...if you want something crazy long reviewed then you may just get several links to other reviews, I am just one (very busy) woman!!! =)

**Also if anyone is interested there are several of my favorite YouTubers who are considering doing this as well, only it will be VEDA...if you want links let me know because it will be hilarious. I also plan on having links to any YA authors who plan on participating.

Teaser Tuesday (On a Wednesday) March 25, 2009

We haven't done a Teaser in forever!!!  Sorry!!!  Today's Teaser comes from Pirates by Celia Rees, and was chosen by Ally.

"I held my two hands together and pulled my jacket open, rending the shirt beneath so that he could see my breasts.  The effect was dramatic."

As always, if this one doesnt' impress you, you can find more here.

New Challenge

Okay...like I'm not doing enough challenges already. Or rather I should say ignoring enough challenges. I am going to participate in this Spring Reading Thing Challenge. Basically you just commit to finishing books you have already started and that have been sitting in you TBR pile for awhile. So here is my list.

1) He's Not That Into You
2) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
3) Not On Our Watch
4)They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky
5) Salvation In Death
6) Promises In Death
7) Envy
8) Stardust
9) Spud
10) Nobody's Princess
11) Spanking Shakespeare
12) Slam
13) Hacking Harvard
14) I Am The Messenger
15) Rhymes With Witches
16) Blood and Chocolate
17) Peeps
18) Love is Hell
19) Gregor the Overlander
20) The Queen Geek Social Club

Okay, that's all the books that I can think of right now, but I am sure that I will have more to add as we go along. I would really like to read 28 books since the challenge lasts fourteen weeks and I have already started several of these books.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

So, last summer I was online and I saw that my celeb crush Michael Cera was going to be in a new movie. I was extremely excited because ever since I saw Juno I have been completely obsessed with him. Yes, he is dorky and awkward, but I love him anyway. His new movie was called Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I thought that the name sounded familiar so I did a little research and found out that it was based on a YA book. So I ordered the book and read it. I absolutely fell in love with Nick, Norah, their friends, and their adventure. You all should know by now that I love books where the characters discover themselves and where the journey isn't about where you end up, but rather it is about how you get to your destination. This book fulfilled those needs perfectly. It was beautifully written and I loved reading about the night from both Nick and Norah's perspective, it really made the story itself more realistic. Needless to say I was extremely nervous about watching the movie. Generally film makers have no respect for the book-or at least it doesn't seem that way when you see a beloved novel ripped to shreds by cruddy actors and horrible filming. However, when the DVD was released I ordered it for the library and watched it. Actually, I watched the movie three times in two weeks. I loved it. It was so beautifully done. Yes, key points were changed and things were left out of the movie, but the message was there. The characters were the same characters that I loved in the book. Kat Dennings and Michael Cera were a fantastic Norah and Nick. I am so glad that the director didn't cast actors who were ridiculously beautiful, but instead found people who seemed REAL!!! It is heartbreaking to read a book, relate to the characters because they could be you and your friends, and then see the movie where everyone looks like someone from The Hills or Top Model. I was so impressed by this movie that I will be purchasing the DVD when I get paid next week-and for those of you who know me,you realize what a big deal that is! =) So my advice to you is read the book, watch the movie, repeat as necessary.

Mass Insanity and Causes

Hey guys! It's been another insane week, and as much as I hate to continuously write posts about how busy we are, we have been super busy. Generally we try to make sure our posts revolve around library events, books, movies, music, and programs. However, since we have been MIA recently (and are likely to disappear again soon) I thought I would take the time to let you know why. Last week I found out that my brother will be deployed to Iraq in June. I didn't know the when or where until the end of the week though. So during the week of "Rochelle is a zombie," Ally not only kept me from falling apart on a daily basis but also did both of our jobs. Needless to say, updating was not even on our minds. We never like to neglect you guys but last week was rough. However, now that we know what is going on with my brother we have things more in control. Hopefully, we will be able to stay on top of things from now on.



I also thought that I would take this time to highlight some causes that Ally and I support. I have huge concerns about the ongoing crisis in Darfur and Chad. There are two fantastic websites that have a lot of information SaveDarfur and ENOUGH. Also, we believe that whether or not you support our current military cause, you should always support the men and women in our Armed Forces. An easy way you can support them is to adopt a soldier. It doesn't take much- just a letter or card each week and one care package a month. This is something that is extremely uplifting to soldier who are stationed far away from home. You can learn more at Soldiers' Angels. Ally has always had an interest in stopping domestic violence and helping abuse victims get the help that they need. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a ton of information available as well as list of ways you can get involved on a local and national level. Oprah and Tyra Banks have also recently added portions of their websites for young women looking for domestic violence information. If you need something to devote your time to check out one of these websites. Are there any specific causes or issues that you are passionate about? Please let us know in the comments!