Interview 3- Nonfiction

For my third interview on my blog I wanted to interview someone who read nonfiction. I am currently reading a nonfiction book, The World's Strongest Librarian, and wanted to ask questions to someone who only or mostly read nonfiction for pleasure. I don't usually read nonfiction in any form, biography, historical, autobiography, etc. I just have never really liked it. It's not my taste. BUT, I do know a man who reads nonfiction. Ever since I can remember he's read mostly nonfiction books when I've seen him read. Whether it's something like National Geographic magazine or historical or a biography, I've seen him read it. Who could this be? My Dad, Jimmy Krebs. He's a great man, one of the greatest men I've ever known. He's always been loving, supportive, and caring to my brothers and me. He was a great provider for his family and the best father a girl could ask for.
Here is his interview!

1. Tell me about yourself. I am a retired oil refinery operations' supervisor. I have 3 successful, college educated children. I am also fortunate to have 6 grandchildren. I live in Mississippi, on the Gulf of Mexico. I enjoy hiking/backpacking, camping, kayaking, and participate in triathlons and run races of 5k to marathon distances.

2. Why do you like to read nonfiction books?
I enjoy reading nonfiction books because I consider each work a type of historical recounting of either a historical event or a part of someone's life. The true, actual events happened and are recorded for people to read about and enjoy and possibly learn something.

3. What is one nonfiction book that you recently read? Currently I am reading a collection of short stories written by a friend. At the same time, I am reading a training book about triathlon.

 4. What types of nonfiction books do you like to read most? Historical? Biography? Autobiography? Why? I enjoy historical nonfiction, but inspirational biographies are also an interest.

5. Have you ever read a nonfiction book that inspired you to do something in your life? Explain. I have read a number of historical books that have caused my appreciation for the people that made contributions to our world and country. One book was The Works Of John Muir. It recounted his travels, life in the wilderness, and his passion for preserving our natural resources. I also read Undaunted Courage. This book centers on the events of Merriweather Lewis' life, of Lewis and Clark fame. It included actual journal entries, and other historical accounts of the Corps of Discovery. It has inspired me to visit sites the Corps trekked and appreciate and practice enjoying the outdoor wilderness.

6. How do you find the nonfiction books you read? A book that has a slow start, or drifts from the main story can loose my interest. I know that is why I do not read a large amount of non fiction. I typically look at the new book display at the library and get reading ideas from friends with similar interests.

7. Do you read anything besides nonfiction? Fiction? Magazines? If so, what are your favorite types to read (mystery, fantasy, general, historical) ? I subscribe to several active sport magazines, and I enjoy reading historical articles of a variety of subjects.

8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Two of my children live in regions of the country that currently influence my reading. One child lives near Washington, DC, and another child lives in Oregon. The histories of the regions are of interest to me.

 My Dad rocks! I love him and miss him so much! Hope to see you soon, Daddio :) <3

Interview 2- Comic books and more!

 For my second interview, I wanted to interview someone who reads something other than the genre type of books I read. I chose Cici because she's hilarious, honest, and trendy. I think she's awesome sauce and I'm glad that I met her while she lived in Maryland. My favorite part of this interview was that she included her love of pancakes in the 'tell me about yourself' question. For anyone who hasn't read a comic in a long time, I think Cici does a great job explaining how to start and I think you can feel her sense of love for comic books in this interview.
Enjoy!

1. Tell me about yourself. I am an air force wife, mother of 2 girls, photographer, and avid reader. I love pop culture, pancakes, and roller derby.

2. What captures your attention about comic books?  I am so captivated by these complex stories and characters that are represented in illustrations. Most people assume that there is no depth or symbolism to these stories because they are in picture-form, but you find a lot of relevant and important issues represented in the stories. And as times change, so do the issues. I especially love that you can find these incredibly empowering female characters to love, who fight alongside the men.

3. Do you like to read Manga, Anime, and graphic novels?  Even though I grew up in Japan, I do not like anime or manga. At all. I think the closest I get to reading it is through a character called Empowered, but its comic book superhero genre that happens to be drawn in anime style.

4.  What are your top 3 comic books that you'd recommend to people new to comic books?I know it can seem pretty daunting to start reading comics and not know where to start. The beauty is that in 2011, DC comics relaunched their monthly titles in the New 52 and basically started from the beginning. If you want to catch up, you can start there. And you don't even have to get the single issues, you can buy trade paperbacks which are a series of issues in book format, printed in volumes. Personally, I love Nightwing and Wonder Woman, but you can visit your local comic book shop and they can eagerly help you pick a title to love. Marvel comics also have trade paperbacks as well. My top 3 reccomendations for newbies: The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Superman Birthright by Mark Waid, and Saga by Brian K Vaughn & Fiona Staples. Saga is my favorite, though. Its still an on-going series so hurry and catch-up!!!

5. Favorite Superhero/herione? Why? Favorite superhero? Its actually a tie between Wonder Woman and the Scarlet Witch, and i think the two are very different. Wonder Woman is the mother of all female superhero characters. I think all women should love her. She's the first to really stand out on her own, and I love that in the Justice League she is among the top 3 most important members: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. She fights for justice, equality, and truth. Unlike Superman and Batman, Diana was born a warrior and has trained to fight since she could walk. Its what she does best. She's immensely powerful, but also extremely compassionate, and above everything she believes in love and kindness. On the flip side you have the Scarlet Witch- who is a member of The Avengers and daughter of X-men villain Magneto. Her powers are ever evolving, she controls probability, and can also perform hex magic. Sounds cheesy, I know. But I love Wanda because even with all of this strength and power (I think she's easily one of the most powerful superheroes out there) she's extremely volatile. Her powers shift with her emotions, which I realize can be a pretty stereotypical representation for a female character, but its still relatable. In fact, she eliminated most of the world's population of mutants by just saying "no more mutants" all because she had a bit of a mental breakdown. Call me crazy, but who hasn't had a day like that?

6. When I want to see the latest trends and things, I usually go to your Facebook to see what you've been posting. What are some things that you think are trending now (comic book, books, technology)? Things that are trending? Its good to be a nerd right now. Nerd culture is really hitting it big lately, which can be a little bittersweet. We grew up being teased for our love of these things, and now its the cool thing to do. Superhero films and great tv representation has helped. Game of Thrones is amazing. Doctor Who is huge. Marvel and DC are finally bringing us great comic book movies. New Star Wars films are on their way. Video games are getting better. People are happy to proclaim that they love old 80's movies. Its a great time to love what you love, and not give a damn. Also- everyone should be watching Comicbookgirl19's videos on youtube. She is the best thing EVER!

7. Anything else you'd like to add? I'm sorry I rambled, I'm just passionate about these subjects. People need to read more comics! Go to your local library- they usually always have a graphic novels section. No matter what you like, you will find something to enjoy. There are even graphic novels and comics made for Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Star Wars, the Mortal Instruments, and yes (dare I say it) the Twilight series. Don't assume that this is only a boy's world- women in comics is the largest growing demographic for the industry and we are kicking serious butt with the writers and artists being hired. And not everything has to be about superheroes. There are comics for westerns, sci-fi, noir, comedy, thrillers, fantasy...whatever you want, I know there's something you'll enjoy. If you enjoyed movies like Blade, Hellboy, Wanted, Kick Ass, Ghost World, Scott Pilgrim, Watchmen, V For Vendetta, or The Walking Dead: you will also enjoy comics. You've got nothing to lose!

First Interview!

My first interview for my blog is none other than, MY MOTHER! She's a wonderful, beautiful, and hilarious woman who I love so much and who is the inspiration for my being a librarian. I don't know what I would do without her and her help. She's a great librarian and an even better mother and grandmother! I love you, Mom!

1. How long have you been a librarian? Technically, I’ve been a librarian for about 25 years. I worked as a page (part time) for 2 years, then moved to full time at the library. I later took over the Children’s Librarian’s job for the Pascagoula library, then moved to the position as the first Jackson-George Regional Youth Services Librarian. I worked there from 1975-1983. I left when Ben was born. I started back to work in about 1992 or 93 as an assistant teacher. That led to becoming the school librarian for Resurrection Catholic Elementary, finishing my library degree, and starting working at Colmer Middle school in 1999.

2. Why did you choose to be a librarian? I always thought I would be a kindergarten teacher or a P.E. teacher but when I started to work at the Pascagoula Public Library……that was it. I knew I wanted to become a librarian. What wasn’t there to like? Books….Children…Helping patrons…I loved it all!

3. What are 2 things people get wrong about librarians? One thing people always get wrong is that librarians are not necessarily QUIET! I have never thought libraries should be totally quiet. However, a free for all in the library is not what I am talking about either. The library is a very happening place and if done right, it’s a happy, bubbly, informative place. 2. All librarians don’t wear glasses, don’t have hair buns, and are not 80 years old!

4.Who is your favorite author? I would say that my favorite children’s/youth author is Tamora Pierce. She writes about strong female characters who are not afraid to try new things. If you have more than one, top5 ? Others I enjoy: J. K. Rowling and her Harry Potter series (not so much her adult tries.), Janet Evanovitch (hysterical series: One for the Money, etc. If you saw the movie, wipe it from your mind and read the books. They are literally laugh out loud funny!), Agatha Christie….nuf said. I am a very eclectic reader so I try many genres and enjoy authors from all over.

5. What do you like most about being a school librarian? What I love is turning the students on to reading. There is nothing as satisfying as handing a book to a student and saying, “try it. If you don’t like it, bring it back and we’ll try again.’ Then, that student comes in and there is a HUGE grin on his/her face and says, “I loved it. Got any more?” That is why I do this. Plus I am constantly amazed that as much as children love technology, they don’t always know how to do research and find the things they really need. I love that I get to see them all, but they don’t stay.I love being flexible and having different things happening every day. I am usually too busy to be bored and that is a good thing.

Adding New Content to this Blog

So I've decided that instead of just doing book reviews on the books I read, that I'm going to also include news and interesting articles and pictures I find about libraries, reading, and the like. I want to expand my horizons and see if I can get a broader base of readers than just my Mom and husband reading my blog for me. I'm also wanting people to leave feedback/comments so I know I'm getting some traffic on here. I may even do some interviews and post those on here. Who knows?

Websites/Blogs

Right now I follow a few blogs written by other librarians. One of my favorites is Librarian in Black, written by Sarah Houghton. I find her posts both informational and humorous. You can check her out at: http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/

Another good place I find information is the ALA website. They are THE place to go for library needs, as far as librarians go. They have information on pretty much all topics library/librarian related. It's a website I use almost weekly for my school work. And it's one the websites I'll be using for my research paper to graduate. http://www.ala.org/

One blog that I recently stumbled on was the http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/. It's very interesting! She seems to update her blog every couple days or so. I like that she inserts videos, pictures,etc in some of her posts. Her blog is easily maneuverable and has links to her other social media sites.

Books

Hi! So I need some suggestions on what to read next. I also went back through my Kindle and found a couple books I overlooked and haven't reviewed so I'll be reviewing those soon. I currently am borrowing the book The Monuments Men from the local library via their new online system for Kindles and the like.

Please leave a comment suggesting a couple good books to read! I would greatly appreciate it. Also, if you come across any interesting library news please feel free to share it with me as I love reading about library-esque type things.

Thanks! Now, Go Read!

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

I was so excited about this book! It is Grimm brother-esque in its origins and telling. Why do I say that? Probably because this tale is told from the perspective of the ghost of Jacob Grimm. The story is about a young boy, Jeremy, his ghost Jacob and a girl, Ginger. It did start a little slow for me but it picked up quick and I read it in a day.
Jacob tells the story of Jeremy and his friendship with Ginger, a pretty and popular girl in his class. It revolves around a bakery where every now and then green smoke comes out of the chimney signaling to the town that Prince cakes are ready. Delectable little pastries that have green icing on them and that sell in a matter of minutes. (Let me stop and mention that Jeremy can hear the ghost, Jacob and often talks to him). The story really picks up when Ginger and her girlfriends come to Jeremy's window and gets him to accompany them on a mission. The mission is sneaking into the baker's house and putting pop rocks into his cereal, which he eats every night. It's all going well until the milk is poured and the baker goes crazy. He calls the Sheriff and they end up pinning everything on Jeremy. However, the Baker sees that Jeremy is remorseful and drops the charges.
This act leads puts all the other things in the book into motion. Jeremy and Ginger working for the Baker, them becoming great friends, and then going out in the middle of no where with the Baker. I don't want to give away the ending but it all turns out 'happily ever after' and they do go to a place the Baker calls Far Far Away.
Kidnapping, drugging, poisoning, being held captive...all pull this tale together. It is definitely a tale that I think would have been written by the Grimm's. It has everything they usually put into a tale and then some..like the ghost of Jacob who is looking for the 'light'.

If you like Grimm this a great tale and very well written book.

5 out of 5 stars!

I also want to mention that I 'borrowed' this book thru my Kindle Fire via PG County Library System.

A Potion To Die For by Heather Blake

I'm a lover of mystery books. Especially the kind where mystery, love, and humor are all weaved together. This book is probably one of the best first books of a series that I've read in a while. The main character, Carly Bell Hartwell, is strong, independent, funny and also a witch. Her specialty is potions for the mind, soul, and body. As the oldest cousin she has the family 'secret recipe' to making potions. Her cousin Delia is constantly trying to find out the secret so her hexes will be more potent. The whole story revolves around Carly and how a dead lawyer is found in her store with one of her potion bottles in his hand. The whole town of Hitching Post, AL thinks she did it. And now, her business is taking a hit. What a girl to do? Solve the murder of course. With many twists and turns and you'll never guess who did it end this book is great!
One of the characters that did steal the show for me was Carly's best friend Ainsley. She was once a wile child but now a preacher's wife with 3 crazy kids. She brings the humor and Southern love and charm to this but also a sense of kickassery to the story too.
Another character worth mentioning is the swoon-worthy love interest of Carly's, Dylan, the sheriff. Those two have some history! Like being engaged twice and both times never getting hitched history. Burning down a chapel is mentioned a few times throughout the story too.
Aunt Marjie is also a character that people will love! She's a crazy old lady who has an itchy trigger finger. I loved her!
I really think that if you want to start reading good mysteries you should start with a good series...START WITH THIS ONE! Loved it sooo much. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars!