This fall, I came across an article from The New York Times Book Review, “12 Authors Write about the Libraries They Love.” Considering the intersection between my love of writing and my career goal of becoming a youth services librarian, I couldn't resist writing about the libraries in my life and my love of them. It’s only more fitting that I make this post as National Library Week comes to an end. From my most newly loved library to my childhood library, these spaces matter to me.
In the early days of my final semester of my senior year at Kansas State University, I was tagged in a twitter challenge. My editor-in-chief at the K-State Collegian, Kaylie McLaughlin, tagged me in the #7BooksILove challenge. It’s pretty easy, seven book covers in seven days. But, the catch is “no explanations, no reviews - just the cover.” You’re also supposed to challenge someone new each day you participate in the challenge; I didn’t do that because I don’t like to tag people in things on line. However, now that the challenge is behind me. It’s time to give the explanation and reviews for the covers I chose.
2018 was a phenomenal year. I finished my junior year of college, spent the summer in beautiful Maine, started my senior year of undergrad, visited Washington D.C., attended the National Book Festival for the second year in a row, visited Boston, and ended 2018 by rereading the Harry Potter Series in the month of December. I've highlighted some of my literary happenings!
Banned Books Week 2018 was September 23 through September 29. The annual event, hosted by the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, celebrates the freedom to read and raises awareness of literary censorship in schools and libraries across the globe. This fall, as the president of my university’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta International Honor Society, I helped organize banned books weeks events on campus. I also used my position as assistant culture editor at the K-State Collegian for good and coordinated a series of banned book reviews to be published in print and online over the course of the week. Here are some of the highlights of our efforts:
When PBS announced the Great American Read, I was excited to see PBS uncover literature in American and let the country decide what the nation’s favorite book is. Based upon a survey, they broke down America’s top 100 books and are narrowing it down to one. The show, as hosted by Meredith Vieira, started on May 22, with a two-hour kickoff episode introducing the books. This will be followed with five themed episodes and a finale in the fall to announce the results of the voting. I streamed the episode the day after it aired, and decide to live tweet the process. Anyways, because of my live-tweeting and the general position I hold as I walk through life as a bookish person, I have thoughts on this list and what PBS is trying to accomplish. So, I’m going to hit it with some list analysis.
Bookishly Bright 