we don't need no stinkin' titles

Being struck with the winter doldrums make blogging difficult, I think. It's not that one doesn't have ideas. Those are always floating around in the ether, even popping in at the most inopportune moments. But the actual sitting down and typing ... who wants to do that when there are new episodes of Project Runway to watch and yellowed paperback mysteries you found for fifty cents when back in Ohio (I miss you, Half-Price Books!) to read?

Nevertheless, the Internet trucks on and for those of you who are as equally at loss for entertainment on a quiet Sunday afternoon - it's either do this or the dishes and I'm not quite up for the dishpan hands yet - I offer a few random things from it which have lately caught my eye. Maybe later I'll actually find the wherewithal to compose some of those floaters.

* Mental Floss wants to know what your favorite sandwich is and so do I. Lately I have been obsessed with good old p.b. n' j. but for my daily lunch I tend to go with turkey and swiss more often than not. Neither are particularly inspired so maybe you can share something a little more creative?

* I'm a big fan of Largehearted Boy, for oh so many reasons and find consistent enjoyment in the Book Notes series, where authors offer soundtracks to accompany their books. This week Sara Zarr - who I have been meaning to read forever - offers one up for her new novel Sweethearts. And it includes an Over the Rhine song and I used to be really into them. As such, I've finally put in a request for Story of a Girl and will look forward to Sweethearts.

* Fuse #8 doesn't exactly need my link, but I can't resist one to her review of the new Enola Holmes just because of the opening. I feel exactly the same way and am totally anticipating this one. I used to get the ARC hook-up with these. I don't anymore so it's a good thing it's coming out this week (although when it will show up on our library shelves is another issue entirely).

* On the social networking front, I'm somewhat intrigued by Listography. So far I haven't joined, although I keep eying it and wouldn't be surprised if I soon succumbed. Because lists are very satisfying to make.

* What You Can Learn by Looking at the Bloggie Nominees: People like food. And gossip. And Dooce. Food I'm more than okay with but I've never been able to get into Dooce, despite acres of people I know holding her exploits near and dear. And a year or so ago I made this deliberate effort to not pay attention to celebrity gossip. Which I hesitate to tell people, because I fear it comes off high and mighty, but it isn't if I explain that I made the decision because before that I paid way too much attention the celebrity gossip. In any case, I'm intrigued enough by some of the smaller/more personal nominees to throw 'em on the bloglines and see if they stick.

you mean the guy from "that's so raven" didn't also write the series based on the show?

I just don't know how I feel about the striking writers penning children's books. On one hand, it's way better than not-working actors and other celebs writing children's books. But on the other hand, I can't say any of the story ideas have me hanging in anxious anticipation. Although maybe the Vikings in New York. Because, um, hello? Vikings!
(via Pop Candy)

txt me l8r

I'd heard a while ago that there was going to be a webcast of the Youth Literary awards this year, but today's e-mail from the ALA tells me that you can get the results via text message too. I'm thinking I might sign up, not only because I do so love a little text message action but also because I am working the evening shift on Monday and, as such, will probably still be asleep at 7:45. How not a morning person am I? As much as one can possibly (not) be.

I just wish that I felt more vested in the awards this time around. It might change when the results are actually in, but I'm not feeling particularly passionate about the topic this year. I read a lot of books last year - about 240, if I counted correctly, and that's not including picture books or easy readers. And while a good number of them "grown-up" books, Children's and YA titles made up a good portion of that. Some of them were good and I loved, some of them ... not so much. Maybe I feel sort of blah about it because some of the most buzzed about books of the years were either ones that I didn't get around to or ones that left me feeling pretty underwhelmed. But then, so have more than a few recent winners, so it could just be par for the course.

I do feel a little more interested in the Caldecott this year - thanks in large part to the Mock Caldecott that we did. Even though Laura did all the hard work, it was fun to have a voice and to see all the librarian's in discussing the different titles. It was the first "mock" I've ever been a part of - and not just because I don't really like the word "mock" and the images it conjures up (nothing good: fake turtlenecks and apple pie made with Ritz crackers and mean-spirited teasing). Now, I totally want to get in on some Mock Other Stuff action next year.

In any case, all of this is just sort of blathering at this point and I'm way more distracted by the tv white noise going on right now that I'm comfortable admitting. If, by some chance, books I love win next Monday, I could totally be singing a different tune.

hip-hop hooray

I am pleased to report that, after working on it piecemeal forever, this afternoon I finally finished weeding the entire Juvenile Non-fiction collection. And I have the stack of books awaiting book sale to prove it. And can I just say here, publicly, how much I love weeding? Because I do. I really, really do. In fact, some days when I am feeling particularly, "Grr, argh!" - you know, because I overslept, the bus was late and then the driver was crazy, and I don't get any coffee and the computer won't work and someone is randomly mean to you for no reason - I take solace in weeding the collection. And it totally works as a pick-me-up.

In any case, I then spent the last few hours of the day beginning what I shall henceforth call the Great Shift of '08, wherein I making use of all space vacated by those dingy, outdated and unloved books. It was a little bit more labor-intensive than your average day at the library, but totally worthwhile. And given how not-busy our Saturdays have been lately, I should be able to complete the task tomorrow (fingers crossed). My goal is to make enough space on the regular old shelves to have room for the kids series books, which currently reside on a sad little spindle. Which has not nearly enough room and keeps breaking. I wish, wish, wish that I had been able to make enough room to interfile the hardcover and paperback fiction (is there a logic for such separation beyond the logistical? I am genuinely curious.), but that particular dream will have to wait until our library is renovated and I get a brand-spanking, sparkly new room.

Oh, and also - my gift card came when I was off yesterday. I think this weekend I am going to take all of my change-in-a-can to Coinstar and opt for an Amazon card and combine it with that for all sorts of post-holiday treats!