Itinerant Librarian on Books

Reding went to Oelwein, and then to places such as California, Idaho, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, and Missouri, small towns and big cities, in order to give us context for Oelwein and the meth problem, a problem that even draws from places as far away as China. It documents the death (and rebirth) of the town and the birth and life of meth. We learn that small town America is not really the idyllic place many people think it is, but it neither a wasteland or just flyover country.

Click on the link to read my full review, which I have posted on my blog, The Itinerant Librarian.

My result from the "Which Philosopher Are You? quiz.

Want to try it out? Here is link.

My result from the "Which Poet Are You? online quiz. While I have dabbled in poetry, I am nowhere near the league of Langston Hughes (or any major poet for that matter). Still, one can dream.

You can try the quiz yourself at this link: http://quizsocial.com/which-poet-are-you/

A nice haul this weekend. We are in the middle of the summer reading program here. I will try to scan one of the cards for folks to have a look. The haul this week was mostly graphic novels, but I got some nonfiction as well.

*The Public Library is one I heard about in a couple of places. I always enjoy photography books, and books about libraries, so this is a nice combination. I found this in the new books shelf of the library.

*The Great American Documents is new to me. I also found this one in the new books shelf of the library. Part of the reason I picked it up is that Ernie Colon did the illustrations. For me, Ernie Colon is known from the graphic novel adaptation of the 9/11 report, which I have read. This books covers the time period of 1620 to 1830, and the book is part of a series, so I hope the library gets the others.

*Star Trek: The Manga Ultimate Edition. I had seen volumes of the series back when Tokyo Pop put them out before the company went bust. While I am not a huge fan of the original series (I am more a Star Wars boy, but I do like Star Trek well enough), the manga adaptation seemed like a neat thing, so I was glad to find this in the graphic novels shelf.

*Batman '66 Volume 1. I noticed DC Comics has a series on the "classic" Batman from the 60s. I grew up watching that show on television, so this is a nostalgia trip for me. From glancing at it, it seems to catch the essence of the show. Looking forward to reading this one, taking a trip down memory lane, and reliving good old days.

A new post in my semi-regular series over on my blog, The Itinerant Librarian. Basically, these are items related to reading, maybe writing and literacy, that I find interesting and think my four readers might find interesting as well with a little commentary. Feel free to click the link and check it out.

My result from the "What Kind of Librarian Are You? "quiz. Now, I do happen to be a real librarian (degree and all). So, if you are a librarian, try it out, see what you get (is it close to the type of librarian you are?). If you are not a librarian, try it out, find out what your inner librarian may be.

There are some good practical things, including one or two items I jotted down to try out. There is also a good number of activities I have seen before, so experienced practitioners may not find much new here. Read my full review of this on my blog, The Itinerant Librarian. Just click the link to check it out.

One of the few times Cracked has an article of interest. I figured book readers here would enjoy this piece. Learn how James Frey was not Oprah's first mistake at picking a bullshit book for her lists. Also featured in the article is Greg Mortenson, who by the way, was invited to speak at UT Tyler in 2010 back when I was still employed there. Mortenson was one serious disappointment and outright liar. For me, it is interesting and a bit sad to look over my notes for that speech, which I listened to before the expose blew up. Reminds me I probably should add a small update note on my blog to reflect later events.

From the folks at Inc magazine. I can say that I have read a few of these, both the overrated ones and the alternatives. From the list, I certainly agree folks should be reading The No Asshole Rule and Nickel and Dimed.

So, any of you out there read any of these?

A little something for fun. My result for the "Which X-Men Are You?" quiz. Feel free to click the link and try it out.

A new post on my commonplace blog, Alchemical Thoughts. Looking for ideas on what to read next? This could help.

Find my review of this on my blog, The Itinerant Librarian. Click the link above to check it out.

I have posted my full review of this excellent book on my blog, The Itinerant Librarian. Click the link above to check it out.

I always have memories of Don Quijote (Spanish spelling) because I had to read the novel in high school. I grew up in Puerto Rico, where I did my high school years. And yes, I read it Spanish, in it's original form (not some whimpy modern rendition). Even wrote my senior paper on it. So, memories tend to be mixed, but in the end, it is a part of me and what shaped me as a reader down the road. In the end, reading it once was enough for me.

# # #

Don Quixote (Illustration) — Edward Hopper by Biblioklept

From the folks at Art of Manliness, some classic advice on how to become a better reader.

It's a liquor advertisement, but just wait for it. . .