Bye, For Now

I started this blog 11 years ago, at the beginning of 2009, as a study abroad journal. It's joined me around the world, on vacations, during undergrad and graduate work, through relationships and job changes, and in quieter moments of life. It's been confidant, scrapbook, therapist, homework, and experiment. It's seen seasons of prolific writing, creative droughts, and steady routines.

Altogether, it's been good. I've hopefully convinced others to read something new, try out a recipe, or take on a fun challenge. I've definitely seen myself grow and change, and explored who I am and what's important to me. I'm convinced this blog helped me get hired more than once.

After reflecting on all of this and looking forward to what's to come in 2020, it's time to say goodbye (for now).

Of course, the biggest thing coming for me, personally, is parenthood times 2 - and all that comes with becoming a family of 4 instead of a couple. I'm ready for my "babies" to be my human babies and for this "baby" to take a break. Professionally, I'm still fresh in my field and have lots to learn and think about. These things feel more like beginnings than endings, so I'll say this break is the beginning of something else, not the end of this blog.

I won't say I'll never post again, but I won't worry about posting or keeping any sort of schedule either. I feel grateful for the decade+ to work and play here, and the end of this decade feels like the right time to peace out for a bit.

Wishing everyone a safe, warm, happy, and fulfilling 2020 & beyond.

2019 By the Books

Books Read: 220

Shortest "Book": "300 Fox Way Holiday Piece" by Maggie Stiefvater (it's an online story, only 2 pages)

Longest Book: Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2019 by Bob Sehlinger (832 pages)

Average Rating: 4 stars

Most Popular (according to Goodreads): The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls (read by 856,569 other people)

Highest Rated (by Goodreads): Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol 27 by Hiromu Arakawa (4.71/5 average)

Re-reads: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, Jim Dale, and Jim Kay (the illustrated/audio versions)

DNFs: I Did Not Finish about 10%, or 23 books in 2019.

Fiction vs Nonfiction: 76% fiction, 24% nonfiction

Author Gender: 72% women, 28% men, 0% nonbinary

Format: 55% print, 34% audio, 11% digital

Audience: 57% YA, 31% adult, 12% children

Source: 90% library books and the remaining 10% was split between purchased books, gifts, and advanced reading copies

Authors of Color: 34% of the books I read were written by authors of color

Queer Authors: 10% of the books I read were written by LGBTQIAP+ authors

Translations: 15% of the books I read were translated from a language other than English

Most Popular Authors: Becky Chambers, Leigh Bardugo, Cressida Cowell, and Hiromu Arakawa

Biggest Surprise: two mermaid horror stories that kept me up way past my bedtime and allowed mermaids to be beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Biggest Letdown: a retelling of The Little Mermaid that fell into all the YA stereotype traps while also being plain old not well written.

Goal For 2020: If I read anything in 2020, I'll be happy. (I have zero idea of what to expect for personal time during the twins' first year!) Goodreads is easy enough to update, so I'm not too worried about tracking my reading (which I truly appreciate at the end of the year). The amount of time I usually spend reading and writing reviews, looking over booklists, and curating titles will be severely limited, but I hope I can at least continue the actual reading of books!

Extras: 2018 By the Books, 2017 By the Books, 2016 By the Books

2019 Winter Solstice

Pregnant me very much appreciates long nights - while I've had insomnia here and there, I usually fall asleep (and stay asleep) hard and fast these days. Middle of the night bathroom breaks happen, yes, but the extra darkness has been good for my rest. As our days now start to lengthen, I'll try to keep my extended sleep schedule for as long as I can. I've got 27ish days (or less) until babies and then all bets are off!

What else am I hoping for and savoring in my last remaining childless days? Hugs/time with my husband, uninterrupted reading, long showers, and leaving the house with minimal prep/work.

Here's to the rest of the nights of the year, and the long days and nights I have ahead!

Extras: 2018's Check-In, 2017's Check-In, 2016's Check-In

Favorite Fall Reads 2019

This year has so many great releases - here are a few of my favorites in my favorite genres (YA, sci fi, and fantasy) from this fall!

Finishing (or Continuing) Trilogies:

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Calling this book the end of the Wayfarers Trilogy might be a bit of a stretch - it's in the same universe, but with new characters. This meant I struggled to connect with it in the same way, but overall, it's a solid (and solidly written) story. I'd prefer the Wayfarers to be a duology, and this to be a standalone, a slice of life or "comfy sci fi". If that's what you're into, you don't even need to read the other two books first!

The Toll by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Now this is how you end a trilogy. The Toll picks up right where Thunderhead ends and throws our protagonists into even more conflict. Plot points from the first book are brought to satisfying fruition even while new twists and turns are introduced (and resolved). This final book is also appropriately dark and quite a bit more mature than the first two - as this is a young adult series, I appreciate how the trilogy itself "grows up" along with its intended audience.

Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As far as continuity and plot goes, Steel Tide does a fine job of continuing the story that Seafire sets up. We get more depth to our main characters, and new characters help keep things fresh. The open sea in a post climate disaster world remains my favorite aspect of the series, and we get to explore more of it. I'm looking forward to the final book (no release date yet)!


New Standalone Titles:

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey  Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love when historical fiction says "Yeah, maybe things were this way, but what if this had happened instead?" The Downstairs Girl is set firmly in late 1800s Atlanta, with all of its society rules about how various races, classes, and genders act and interact, but Jo is distinctly modern with her anonymous advice column that challenges many assumptions about who is and is not "genteel" and why. Jo is easy to cheer for, her antagonists are fun to hate, and the audio is done extremely well!

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was one of the most anticipated fiction novels of 2019 for me, and for many others who were taken in by the world of The Night Circus in 2011. The Starless Sea is a completely different book in a completely different world, though its feel is very much Morgenstern: complex and layered, dark and dreamy. It didn't quite capture me like I wanted it to - often I felt not smart enough for the book - but the craft of writing and storytelling is on full display, and was still wondrous to be a part of.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here is a dark and dreamy book I fully got into. This retelling of the Grimms' Twelve Dancing Princesses is the horror fantasy I needed this fall. The creepy atmosphere and seaside manor setting are the standouts of this novel, but Annaleigh makes for a compelling protagonist as she tries to solve the mysteries surrounding her sisters' deaths - before she or her other sisters suffer the same fate.


Extras: 2018 Faves, or View All My Reviews

Things My (Teen) Patrons Say 2

After telling a few PDA offenders to give each other some space: "You're just jealous your husband isn't here." (I mean, true, tbh...)

Patron #1: Do you know any Roblox keyboard commands?
Me: Nope...[Name of a younger coworker] might, he's a nerd. I'm not.
Patron #2: ...You're a librarian.

Patron: Why does the library have to close?
Me: Well, I can't stay here all night.
Patron: I would!

"Do you have any books to help my sister break up with her boyfriend?" (ABSOLUTELY I DO!)

Patron: What time is it?
Me: Time for you to get a watch.
Patron: Time for you to get a better joke!

Let's Call This Segment I FEEL OLD

While playing Apples to Apples: "Who's Puff Daddy?"

While discussing photography: "What's a camcorder?" What's a tape? What's film?"

After asking that they leave the ashtray outside alone: "What's an ashtray?"
After explaining how people put out cigarettes: "What do you mean..don't you just turn them off?"

Friday Night Links 46

This magical librarian story powered me through a tiring week back at work after vacation.

My new favorite thing to check each morning: Beautiful News Daily.

A good reminder that libraries (and the materials/resources inside them) aren't free - they're important investments. And also you should use them, because you've already paid for them (usually pennies or a few dollars, but still).

I need a party so I can test out this recipe!

"Art is everywhere, if you say so."

As the Washingtonians Do

I'm not sure if my recent trip to Washington DC with not only my husband, but my parents and brother and girlfriend as well counts as a babymoon, so we'll just call it a quick-but-full weekend getaway. (Note that the weekend was quick...I am decidedly NOT quick since Baby B decided to take up residency where my left lung used to belong.)

EATS (and drinks for the non-pregnant adults)

Dacha Beer Garden

All I wanted were fried pickles and a giant pretzel, and Dacha delivered! Or rather, my brother did as we sent him to get us a few appetizers while we hung out in the air conditioned Airbnb next door. Someday I'd like to return and, you know, try out the beer at the beer garden, but until then, my German food craving has been sated.

Union Market

I went a little overboard here with the variety of food I consumed, but I have zero regrets. A giant Caprese salad (one must eat ALL the fresh tomatoes in Aug-Sep to make up for the rest of the year!), bao sliders (I never pass up bao), Korean tacos (coleslaw makes my heart happy), arepas (with so much green sauce), and crepes (seriously, just put some stuff between dough and I'm there)...I heard there were tiki drinks as well, but I was content with all the street food from around the world.

Farmers Fishers Bakers

There's something about fresh/homemade lemonade that makes me happy to be human. A well-constructed salad and a hamburger sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches brings a great amount of joy as well. Did I mention pickled potato salad? I guess I needed another German food fix after all.

ACTIVITIES

This trip was less about doing/seeing things than enjoying each other's company, but there were a few highlights to our itinerary. We stopped by the National Air and Space Museum to see Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 Spacesuit. This librarian also got to check "Become a Library of Congress Reader" and "Visit Library of Congress Reading Rooms" off her bucket list. Continuing the library theme, we checked out (pun intended) the new Apple Carnegie Library. It was bizarre and meta to think about how Carnegie's "Palace for the People" is now a retail store for an exclusive-yet-ubiquitous product. We saw our President, First Lady, the Distinguished Toni Morrison, and a few other Supreme Women at the National Portrait Gallery. A night at The Kennedy Center to see Aladdin, which has become a touchstone of my and my husband's relationship, was the perfect way to end our trip and celebrate being together.