Thursday, December 30, 2010

Talking to the Dead

So I was browsing through random award nominee lists, since it is that time of year and I found this book: Hold me Closer, Necromancer.

I then moved on to lists of popular titles on Barnes and Noble and Goodreads. I see books like Fallen, Hush, Hush and Entice.

I have a question to ask, and don't mind me if I sound naive.

When did the dead become a main character in young adult literature?
And when did dead people become so lovable?

Is this the trend path that literature is going to follow? First wizards, then vampires and werewolves, and now a whole bunch of the dead (or undead)? I am going to blame this on Harry Potter.

Right now I am reading Hold me Closer, Necromancer, so far it is an amusing story of an underachiever who happens to raise the dead. I have also started  Fallen, about a girl who keeps falling in love with an angel, over and over again. For some reason I have book ADD, can't read one character at a time.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

YA (in) Revolt

Revolt
verb (used without object)
  1. to break away from or rise against constituted authority, as by open rebellion; cast off allegiance or subjection to those in authority.
  2. to rebel in feeling
If you ask some, the teenage years are all about rebelling and revolting. I didn't, but can see why everyone does. I chose to revolt in my 20's for some reason. My growth was stunted, too much priorities and  education ruined it. I say this with a huge grin on my face, it's my joke. 

Some wish they could go back and relive the teen years, I wouldn't if you paid me a million dollars. But, I would go back just to understand what happened between my generation and the one after me. They all look so old. Act so old. And they're loud! This is a new world to me. 

As is the new Library world I am in. It's been a week. Coming from the Toy Library, the chaos/loudness factor is nothing. It has been a good first week. We're getting used to each other, this Library and I.
  • By Friday last week two teens actually spoke to me.
  • I have met the majority of the clerks and pages and can safely say I know their names.
  • I have already rearranged part of the collection and have plans for more.
  • I have started a wishlist for my first order of materials. (My favorite part.)
I do have to admit, I feel like an anthropologist in my new setting. I am trying to see how things work so I don't interfere or seem domineering. I feel like the narrator from the March of the Librarians video a few years back... "And this is a hipster librarian...." I have the title upgrade and no idea how to dress, how to act, if there are changes, or if I have to change. Hmmm... Thoughts to ponder.