Complaints, Etc.

There is something so brain-numbing about waking up early for work. By early, I mean 6:30am. I'm used to doing 7:45 or 8... but this early stuff is killing me. Especially when I worked till 9pm the night before...

You know, I used to get up early every day. My previous job was in a school, so I was always up around that time. Sure didn't take me long to get used to sleeping in. I think one of my other problems with this early stuff is that I only have to do it once a week. Meaning, I'll never get in the habit of doing it. I'd rather not... but still.

Enough complaining. This weekend I went to see 9.

Honestly, I really liked it. I didn't know much about it - but really the trailers don't give much info. I thought it was really well done and I'd definitely recommend it if you're into animated movies.

It was a lot more "steam punk" than I expected it to be. Kind of a what-would-happen-after-humans-are-taken-over-by-machines story. It was more in the action/adventure/almost thriller.

Anyway, I liked it and recommend it.

I'm really just writing about it to keep my brain-juices flowing and not drop my head on my desk for a nap. It doesn't help that our office is FREEZING. As in, I almost brought in a scarf and cap to sit in the office with. Unnecessary blowing AC is very unfortunate. I'm hoping I don't get sick from it. Alas.

I'm off to get some work done, I suppose. Wish me luck!

Milestone Time!

I've had a bit of a milestone around here. Yesterday marked two years that I have lived and worked in New York. Kind of exciting, huh?

Luckily that anniversary is pretty easy for me to remember. On my first day, there was a special activity that only happens once a year - the staff appreciation breakfast. It always happens around the same time - so really.... the breakfast is for me to celebrate my yearly anniversary.

Some days I really can't believe I've been here that long. Others, I feel like I've been here much longer. I suppose that's how it is everywhere... and everyone thinks that... I was just having my moment :).

Reading Challenge

In past years I've tried to set a number of books to read in that year - really it's taken the place of my "new years resolution." Last year I read 80 books... and i was pretty proud of myself. I think I'm still just excited to be able to read without having school stuff get in the way. Everything I've read is because I want to. It's a wonderful freedom.

This year I found an online book challenge to give me a different sort of goal. The 999 challenge. Sounds daunting, doesn't it?

The whole thing is that you read nine books in nine categories in 2009. That would be a total of 81 books - giving me a little lead on last year's number... but some people also took another level of the challenge and tried to do it by 09/09/09.... yesterday. I almost made it. I lack two books (both classics, of course). But I've read more than 9 in some categories... so perhaps it still counts as complete. Right? Right.

I figured I needed to branch out of my fantasy/sci fi/favorite authors stuff and read something else. And I have to say, it has made me a better librarian for it. I've actually been able to talk about books that I wouldn't have had any idea about before. I would totally recommend doing this to anyone who is an avid reader. It totally broadens your scope.

So I guess I'm going to write my book list here. I'll put stars next to the ones that I loved the most :). Those aren't the only ones I recommend though. Enjoy!

Young Adult Fiction Challenge

Realistic Fiction

Caught Between the Pages - Merlene Carvell

Undone - Brook Taylor

Cracked Up to Be - Courtney Summers

Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta

Peeled - Joan Bauer **

Beauty Shop for Rent... - Laura Bowers

Boot Camp - Todd Strasser

Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress - Maria Padian

Same Difference - Siobhan Vivian **

Mystery/Adventure

Dead is the New Black - Marlene Perez

Dirty Laundry - Daniel Ehrenhaft

School for Dangerous Girls - Eliot Schreiber

Dead is a State of Mind - Marlene Perez

Max (A Maximum Ride Novel) - James Patterson

Death By Bikini - Linda Gerber

Princess of the Midnight Ball - Jessica Day George **

Gentlemen - Michael Northrop

The Awakening - Kelley Armstrong **

Death by Latte - Linda Gerber

Science Fiction

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins **
Skinned - Robin Wasserman **

GemX - Nicky Singer

Dangerous Days of Daniel X - James Patterson

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

Neptune's Children - Bonnie Dobkin

The Carbon Diaries - Saci Lloyd **

The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E Pearson

Fantasy/Horror

Dragon's Keep - Janet Lee Carey

Generation Dead - Daniel Waters **

Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins

Lord of Misrule (A Morganville Vampires Novel) - Rachel Caine

Shadow Kiss (A Vampire Academy Novel) - Richelle Mead

Sucks to be Me - Kimberly Pauley

Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr

Persistance of Memory - Amelia Atwater Rhodes

Impossible - Nancy Werlin **

City of Glass (Mortal Instruments Series) - Cassandra Clare **

Hunted: a House of Night Novel - PC and Kristin Cast

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan **

Evermore -Alyson Noel

Historical Fiction

Ivy - Julie Hearn

Envy (A Luxe novel)- Anna Godbersen

The Season - Sarah MacLean

Newes From the Dead - Mary Hooper

The Red Necklace - Sally Gardner

The Smile - Donna Jo Napoli

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing...- M.T. Anderson

Ten Cents a Dance - Christine Fletcher

A Voice of Her Own - Barbara Dana

Graphic Novels

Watchmen - Alan Moore

Breaking Up - Aimee Friedman

Plain Janes - Cecil Castellucci

Life Sucks- Jessica Abel

Cairo - G. Willow Wilson

The Good Neighbors (Kin) - Holly Black **

Japan Ai - Aimee Major Steinberger

The Umbrella Academy - Gerard Way

Heroes (Companion to the TV show) - various authors

Urban Fiction

Hot Girl - Dream Jordan

Work What You Got - Stephanie Perry Moore

Tyrell - Coe Booth **
Shortie Like Mine - Nini Simone

Hotlanta - Denene Millner and Mitzi Miller

Push - Sapphire

Jason and Kyra - Dana Davidson

Shooter - Walter Dean Myers

Messed Up- Janet Lynch

"Chick Lit"

At Face Value - Emily Franklin

Girl v. Boy - Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout

Jet Set - Carrie Karasyov

Gamer Girl - Mari Mancusi **

Being Nikki - Meg Cabot

The Girls - Tucker Shaw

Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks- Lauren Myracle **

Oh. My. Gods. - Tera Lynn Childs **

Audrey, Wait! - Robin Benway **

Classics

Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

1984 - George Orwell

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest - Ken Kesey

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut

A Separate Peace - John Knowles

The Stranger - Albert Camus

(two more classics to be added... once I read them :))

Sorry for the length... but that's how it goes, I suppose :).