March 4, 2015
by Joy
Comments Off on Sirens 2015 Reading Challenge
For the last three years, I’ve attended Sirens, an interdisciplinary conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. In 2015, the conference will be held in Denver, from October 8-11, with the theme of “rebels and revolutionaries.” If you know me … Continue reading
October 14, 2013
by Joy
Comments Off on Sirens 2013
Over the weekend, I attended Sirens, a conference on women in fantasy literature in Stevenson, Washington. This is the second year I attended, but I’m sure I will be back again in the future (especially if it continues to be … Continue reading
November 2, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Patterson, James: The Angel Experiment (2005)
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment By James Patterson Adventure, Science Fiction, Teen Time Warner, 2005 Paperback $6.99 978-0446617796 Since I work as a teen librarian, I often check out books of dubious entertainment value because I want to stay stay … Continue reading
October 13, 2009
by Joy
1 Comment
The Summer of the Ubume By Natsuhiko Kyogoku Translated by Alexander O. Smith with Elye J. Alexander Mystery/Horror Vertical, 2009 Originally published in Japanese as Ubume no natsu by Kodansha, 1994 Paperback $16.95 978-1-934287-25-5 When Sekiguchi, a hack writer, becomes … Continue reading
August 27, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Avasthi, Swati: Split (2010)
Split By Swati Avasthi Young Adult Fiction Knopf, 2010 Hardcover $16.99 978-0-375-86340-0 When Jace Witherspoon is kicked out of the house by his abusive father, he hits the road and drives until he finds himself on the doorstep of his … Continue reading
June 30, 2009
by Joy
1 Comment
When it comes to technological innovation, I am generally in the early adopter or early majority categories. (Which one usually depends on how expensive the innovation in question is, as I am also quite cheap.) After all, I am easily … Continue reading
April 22, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Jo Walton on Lois McMaster Bujold over at Tor.com
Swing by the official Tor blogs when you get a chance, because novelist Jo Walton has been writing a series of posts on Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series. The post on Memory is especially worth reading. It really expresses a … Continue reading
January 26, 2009
by Joy
Comments Off on Youth media awards
ALA announced its youth media award winners today at the midwinter conference in Denver. I really enjoyed The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, so I was very happy to see that it had won the Newbery Medal. Of course, Gaiman … Continue reading
November 28, 2008
by Joy
6 Comments
I was an enthusiastic reader as a child, but I still managed to miss out on a lot of excellent children’s books when I was in their actual target age group. Fortunately, I’ve never been of the opinion that books … Continue reading
November 26, 2008
by Joy
1 Comment
Earlier this month I attended one day of the California Library Association annual conference. The panels that I attended were sort of hit-or-miss, which will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever attended a professional conference. My favorite … Continue reading
November 21, 2008
by Joy
2 Comments
Like many precocious readers, I began reading adult fiction long before I was actually in its target audience. This is partly because I grew up surrounded by my mother’s book collection, and it was only natural for me to pick … Continue reading
November 18, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on One more Lion Hunters book!
Via Sherwood Smith, here’s an interview with YA fantasy writer Elizabeth E. Wein. She has a lot of interesting comments on her creative process and the inspiration for her books. Best of all, there’s an excerpt from the next book … Continue reading
September 30, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on L. M. Montgomery, depression, and stigma
Anyone who works in a library or bookstore could probably tell you that L. M. Montgomery’s stories and novels for young people continue to be beloved today. At my library, the Anne of Green Gables books are still fairly popular, … Continue reading
August 15, 2008
by Joy
1 Comment
I am one of those readers who is reluctant to start reading unfinished book series, just because I hate having to wait to read the whole thing. But I end up reading my share of series in progress anyway, usually … Continue reading
February 11, 2008
by Joy
Comments Off on Link roundup 2008-02-11
Bryan Lee O’Malley of Scott Pilgrim fame shares the cover he drew for the March 2008 issue of Shojo Beat. Along the way, he plugs two Shojo Beat titles, Nana and Beauty Pop. I’m a big fan of the former … Continue reading