Final decision

Click for large.

After this post, I decided to try a slightly different approach for my portfolio headshot to see if I could come up with something more creative, and that offers both more personality and more clarity as to who I am & what I do. So I got my new glasses and decided to try displaying some books, but in a clever way. This is the result. My boss was truly amazing and took the pictures for me, so I could focus on balancing this stack on my head. I cannot say that this would have ended well had I been using a remote! I'm really happy with this picture, and very excited that it turned out as well as it did. This photo may seem typically librarian-y, but from what I've found, I'm one of the few students graduating in December with any interest in working with adults in public libraries. Also, I sure as hell ain't shushing anyone, so there's that.

For those wondering, the books on my head, from top to bottom, are:

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell: I've never read this book, but I thought it was apt to have it on the top of a pile of books on my head. Gladwell is a very attractive author for readers who want to learn about social sciences but don't want anything aggressively over their heads.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: Only a handful of books have been able to make me laugh like this one did. A favourite RA go-to book for anyone looking for a smart laugh.

To America with Love by A. A. Gill: Another book I haven't read, but I wanted to include a more recent nonfiction book and Gill writes about United States minutia that fascinates a lot of readers. Great for Americana fans.

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach: Hands down one of my favourite books of all time. I read it every October. Great for an intelligent reader, readers who like dysfunctional families and dramas, and strongly character-driven books.

The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media by Brooke Gladstone and Josh Neufeld: An excellent graphic novel about the history of media and how the industry has had a lasting influence on society. Graphic novels are excellent for reluctant readers, and a couple of the guys have really enjoyed this one. Also good for teens in civics classes.

I plan to include the information listed above--or at least the titles and authors--with the photo that will be the opening page of my portfolio. I think it adds another touch of personality to have that info there instead of leaving the reader curious but straining to see the titles of some of the books.

Also: what's up new glasses!

Guest post: A review of The Long Earth

Hey y'all! I'm on vacation, so I've asked some lovely ladies to babysit the ol' AC while I'm gone. You've met Salazar, right? If you read this blog, you should have by now! But if not: here she is :)

Hi Animated Cardigan readers! It's Salazar here from 14 Shades of Grey, and while Jess is away on her vacation, I'm bringing you the review of a book about, appropriately enough, traveling. Except it's traveling between parallel worlds.

"The Long Earth", a collaboration between Stephen Baxter and Terry Pratchett, opens when a series of seemingly infinite parallel worlds are discovered right next door to Earth and can be accessed with a simple device called a Stepper. There are also natural steppers who can simply walk to these worlds - one step, one world. The book mostly revolves around Joshua, a natural stepper who's been assigned to an expedition to check out these worlds. It follows him and Lobsang, apparently a Tibetan motorbike repairman who's been reincarnated into a computer, as they travel from world to world and see how it differs from the original Earth (now called Datum Earth.) There is a subplot with a policewoman back on Datum Earth, which shows how this discovery affects the world.

I pretty much worship Terry Pratchett, so I knew I had to check this book out. The concept is fantastic, the characters quirky, and I expected some complex, interconnected storylines, like those in the Discworld books. But I have to say, I was disappointed. The story never goes anywhere as Joshua and Lobsang travel through the Long Earth. The different flora and fauna on each parallel Earth is interesting, but that has no effect on the story, and I soon got bored with it. Joshua and Lobsang discover a mystery somewhere in the middle of the book, but when it's resolved, it just falls flat. Joshua falls flat as a main character too. The book makes a big deal out of the fact that Joshua is Very Special, but I don't see how this Very Special quality plays into the story or how it helps Joshua figure out the mystery (hint: it doesn't.)

The subplots - how the Long Earth is colonized, how the economy of Datum Earth falls apart, etc. - which frankly I find much more interesting than Joshua's expedition, are touched on but never go anywhere either. The most intriguing subplot deals with a group of "phobics" (people that can't Step) who forms a dangerous movement against the Steppers, but it's only introduced near the end of the book and is over in two chapters. I've never read Stephen Baxter before; still, I suspect that this book is more him than Terry Pratchett. There is a hint of Pratchett here and there, though mostly his sarcastic, whimsical sense of humor is absent. Even though I didn't expect to laugh out loud like with the Discworld book, the writing really is too dry for me. There is a sequel, "The Long War", already out, but I figure if the first book didn't pull me into that world, a sequel won't either.

Man, I didn't mean to do such a negative book review for a guest post! And hey, maybe that's why it's the perfect traveling book - it's not so captivating that you can't put it down, so you can just pick it up whenever you want.

When putting together an outfit inspired by the book (I always try to with my reviews), I'd thought about clothes one would wear while Stepping, but that would involve layering and hiking boots and things that make me sweat just to think about, so this is an outfit that mimics the book cover instead.

Big thanks to Jess for letting me rant on her blog. Have a great vacation, Jess!

Book lover

Dress as top: eShakti | Cami: Eddie Bauer | Skirt: Target | Tights: Target | Wedges: Target | Lips: Maybelline ColorSensational Plum Perfect

A couple of you probably noticed my On the Shelf feature on the sidebar, which listed the books I was reading. You may also have noticed that I'm referring to it in the perfect tense, since it is no longer there. I deleted it after realizing that grad school is probably going to stop me from reading for fun, or even for work, more than a book a month. I usually breeze through one a week, but so far this year, I've read four, three of which were before school started.

I rotate the book discussion at work every month with my coworker, and today was my first discussion of 2012, Tess of the d'Urbervilles. A personal favourite of mine, but this month I struggled to finish it and slammed through the last 60 pages TODAY. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I was merited for my battle by being dubbed Jess of the d'Urbervilles by the book group. And though On the Shelf is gone and I won't read another book for two months, I can proudly say that having that nickname makes zipping through Tess very much worth it. :)

A long-winded story of loss and love

Cardigan: Target
Mustard tank: Target
Elephant tank: Banana Republic
Belt: Target
Skirt: JCPenney
Flats: Steve Madden



It's fascinating how things can come full circle. Earlier this year, I read Ready Player One, a science fiction novel that fell squarely in the cross-section of virtual reality and 1980s pop culture. Sounds weird, I know, but it's one of my top five books of the year. Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because I'm now reading what will probably be my second-to-last book of the year, The Third Reich by Roberto Bolano. I actually had to beg my coworker--the woman who orders all the fiction books for our library--to purchase a copy for the library so I could read it. (I'm a poor library employee, I can't pay for books!) She eventually relented, and when the book rolled out of technical services, I was the first and only person in line to read the book.



The reason why this is halfway fascinating--at least to me--is because The Third Reich is about a man who plays war games, and ends up playing against a man who has kidnapped his friend in order to get him back, or his friend dies. I mentioned Ready Player One earlier because in the book, the main character is transported into a virtual version of the pinnacle of 1980s cinema, Wargames. (You know you love Matthew Broderick.) the character becomes Matthew Broderick, and is required to recite the part, line for line and move for move, or he loses the game in which he is trapped & dies. So in conclusion: wargames twice in a year.

And then I found five dollars.

Gold Glove Award

Top: Anthro
Skirt: thrifted
Wedges: Target



Here we go! I almost forgot all about this and I was going to wring about Rolling Stone instead. CRISIS AVERTED

The Art of Fielding was written by Chad Harbach, co-founder and co-editor of n+1. This book combines two things I don't particularly care for, baseball and Moby Dick, and somehow creates this brilliantly interwoven story of the lives of five people and how they are affected by one day, one play, one errant throw. The Art of Fielding manages to breeze through two years and spends the bulk of its time on Henry's junior year, in which he becomes one of the most sought after shortstops in college baseball.



Of course, you could've read all that on Amazon. What did I think? I won't lie, I thought it was difficult in parts--particularly when reading about Affenlight and Owen's relationship, which was frustrating and awkward in a way Mike and Pella's was not. When I read a book I like to see equal attention paid to the details of various relationships, and that of Owen & Affenlight is much more developed than those of Pella and Affenlight (her father), Owen and Henry (his roommate) and Owen and Mike (the team captain). Though honestly, if they'd all been as developed, the book would be over 700 pages long. I wouldn't have minded so much, though, because Harbach is a master of description for the sake of plot advancement; many authors rely on extensive dialogue to further the plot, but Harbach is able to do so while describing a baseball game. Or a drive out of town.

Where The Art of Fielding really shines is in portraying Henry's life, which is wholly inebriated with baseball. I found Henry hard to relate to and stoic everywhere except on the baseball field, where his excitement and personality erupt. I'm not sure if Harbach meant to write Henry that way--I would assume so--but I found that a bit choppy. Henry overall is rough around the edges and struggles throughout the novel, but that's similar to many college athletes, which makes him understandable while still unrelatable--perhaps because I wasn't a college athlete in the classic sense. Overall, though, The Art of Fielding is a beautifully written novel with lovely, nuanced references to today's society, the past, and (of course) baseball. I won't be surprised when there is a holds list on it at my library and it's hovering somewhere around 10 on the NYT bestsellers list.

The Art of Fielding is available for pre-order on Amazon and will be available everywhere on September 7th. Libraries I checked are currently showing light holds, but I expect that to change as it nears its release date.

Well, let's hear it. Will you read The Art of Fielding?

Night is fading

Top: Anthro
Belt: Target
Pants: JCPenney
Wedges: Target



I've spent most of today reading Before I Go to Sleep, which I started yesterday and finished today. And wowowowow you all have to read this book. It was one of the big buzz books at BEA this year and I totally get why now--I literally could not put it down. It's a psychological thriller debut by S.J. Watson and it takes the current trend of memory loss in fiction and masters it. It's amazing.



And what did I do with the rest of my day? Subtly quote Kesha.

Yes.

She was a rebel

Cardigan: Target
Top: JCPenney, worn backwards
Shorts: Target
Wedges: Target
Bangle: Walmart



I honestly think this outfit looks 10 times better with my hair down (most outfits do) but my hair was still wet from swimming/showering this afternoon. So just pretend my hair's down like it was yesterday, okay? Thanks!



When I'm at work I always ask my coworkers what they're reading because I learn about books that I may not have heard of otherwise. So tell me what you're reading!



And in exchange, what I'm reading now: Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return, by Marjane Satrapi. I co-run the book discussion group at work and I picked Persepolis for this month's discussion, so I wanted to reread the sequel in case anyone asks questions about it. I'm increasingly nervous that everyone will hate it because it's a graphic novel & nonfiction, or even worse, no one will show up at all. Have any of you read Persepolis? What did you think of it? (I recommend it, by the way.) Have you ever read any graphic novels?

This is me missing you

Hat: thrifted/Nine West
Tank: Target
Shorts: Boden
Wedges: Target

YOU GUYS I'M BACK! I've missed you all terribly. I'm kind of surprised at actually missing blogging; I thought I'd not want to come back to it but really I'm glad to return. I actually don't have a lot of outfit photos to share--the one above is from today--but I thought I'd post some other pictures from my trip.



I saw a ton of my heroes speak this week. Craig Thompson, Jane Lynch, and above, the one and only Jeffrey Eugenides. I'm incredibly excited for his next book, The Marriage Plot, which will be out this fall. He read the first paragraph and I am mesmerized, to say the very least. He was also funny! Everyone who spoke that morning was--also on the panel were Mindy Kaling, Diane Keaton and Charlaine Harris. Every person I mentioned in this paragraph has a book coming out this year.



Here's Rockefeller Center. I pretended to be Liz Lemon for a second and went blerg while my camera buzzed to life.



Thursday afternoon/evening was free time for us since the convention ended at 1pm. I took that opportunity to drag my boss to Central Park and while she looked for an I love New York t-shirt for her son, I wandered through the Met for a few hours. Amazing. I didn't get to see everything, of course, but I viewed the Egyptian art, Greek & Roman art, and 19th-early 20th century European galleries, which were my top picks. What an extraordinary place.



Jimmy Fallon, you guys. I met Jimmy Fallon. And he said my name! I just can't even. Seriously the highlight of my life week.



Our hotel was swank. It was my first time staying in a hotel room alone and by far it was the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. I loooooooved it. By day two my boss and I were calling it "home" and I really did not want to leave.



On Wednesday night my three best friends from high school and I all met for dinner and this is what I wore.

Top: Anthro
Jeans: Walmart
Flats: Target
Bag: Target

It worked but my feet were still exhausted. And by the end of the day Thursday they were even moreso.



Cardigan: Target
Jeans: Gap
Wedges: Target
ID badge: sooooooo coooool

Here I am at the Dork Diaries steps. Adorable, right? The steps, not me. I spent 90% of the entire convention wearing this cardigan because it was freezing inside. Thursday morning I actually had to leave a panel because it was too cold in the room for me. And I never get cold!



There was an entire room (room is undercutting it--the place was massive) dedicated to shipping things home. Table after table of boxes filled with thousands of free advanced reader copies of books yet to be published, posters, free bags, pens and other swag. My boss and I sent home 40+ pounds' worth of books to our library.

I think it's fair to say that I was really underprepared for exactly how big BEA was going to be. The convention center it was held in is truly massive; the exhibition floor was split into three giant parts with conferences, panels and author conversations all simultaneously operating on two separate floors. I waited in line for James Patterson's new book--signed by him--for half an hour (for my mom, who flipped OUT when I surprised her with it!); I was 38th in line and by the time he started signing there were at least 150 people waiting. And that was in Hatchette's (his publisher's) booth; there was another section specifically dedicated to signings and that place was a zoo.



Really, though, my only major complaint was the crowds. I saw some amazing authors and met some great people and I'm already brewing ideas for how to integrate what I saw and experienced at BEA into our library system. But as much as I loved the trip and what we accomplished, I can say I'm glad to be home. I got very little sleep while I was there! I'll try to do a post of upcoming books you might want to look out for, but for the next couple days I'm just going to relax. Good thing it's a holiday weekend. At the latest you can expect an outfit post Tuesday. Maybe sooner if I feel like it!

Glad to be back, y'all. Fill me in on what I've missed!

Book buddies

Top: Target
Belt: Target
Skirt: JCPenney
Flats: Target
Necklaces as bracelet: JCPenney



Well, I promised a Snooki book review, didn't I? Here it is: ridiculous. It's like reading a season of Jersey Shore, and a very thinly veiled allusion to Snookin and Jwoww. Total trashy beach novel. And I loved it! Just what I needed after The Pale King. And now I'm following Snooki on Twitter, so we're winners all around here.



Between finishing A Shore Thing and now, I also read a book called The False Friend, by Myla Goldberg. It's very well written and I really enjoyed it. It's also short with I can't claim I hate. Now I'm onto How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu. We'll see how that goes!

I know you all wanted to know about what I read. It's scintillating, really.

From pale to pouf

Necklace: wapa on Etsy
Top: Target
Jeans: Walmart
Wedges: Target
Fingers: China Glaze Wagon Trail



Well, obviously I didn't do FBFF yesterday. I actually took a break from the internet yesterday (whaaaaaaaat?!) and rode my horse, did some gardening and went to Charlotte for a curling meeting. It was kind of nice to take a break and do something "real" instead of checking my email constantly and refreshing Facebook.

Don't act like you don't do it too.



If you follow me on Twitter (probably not but I have Tweets on the sidebar over there!), you've noticed that I finally finished reading The Pale King, which I started reading exactly one month ago, on another Saturday when I woke up late for work! The day before I started reading The Pale King I read a review in Publisher's Weekly that stated "Many will buy it, some will start it, few will finish it." I decided to take that as a personal challenge and I did finish the sucker. So because this is my blog, here is my review:

Started poorly, ended well.

You're welcome. I know that's saved you a lot of time deciding whether to read it or not. I have decided to read A Shore Thing by none other than Snooki because my brain needs to unwind. I am on chapter three. I'm pretty sure I'll be done tomorrow. Review forthcoming!