Category: Libraries

Links Galore

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Lots of good links this week:

No Guilty Pleasures

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It’s easy to look down on something. You tell me your favorite book is by Nicholas Sparks or James Patterson, and I judge you as a particular kind of reader. This happens a lot for people who love YA. Even though I’d go to the ropes with anyone over whether or not there is excellent writing in YA (of course there is!), a lot of times adults talk about reading YA as if it’s something they should be ashamed of. And even if you’re not reading the most cutting edge, well crafted novel, shouldn’t that be okay too? Why can’t we let people read what they want to read?

At Stacked, Kelly has a fantastic post up about taking away the judgment in book choices. Really, I want to quote half her post here, but I’ll limit myself to one part I liked in particular:

“I have a huge problem with the notion of a guilty pleasure. If something brings you pleasure, there should be no guilt associated with it. The reason people find themselves talking about guilty pleasures is because someone has taken their right to enjoyment from whatever it is that they like doing. It’s because someone has asserted themselves as an authority, as a person with privilege, and cast judgment upon an activity.

No one has the right to tell you what you should or shouldn’t like.”

I love that Kelly takes issue with the idea of guilty pleasure reading. Not everything you read has to be some impressive tome or work of experimental fiction. Sometimes you’re in the mood for something a little fun and lighthearted. Heck, maybe all the time you’re in the mood for something a little fun and lighthearted. Maybe the rest of your day involves caring for your ailing grandparent and when you get home, all you want to read about is sparkly vampires. Or maybe you just enjoy sitting on the porch with a glass of lemonade and an action-packed pseudo-spy novel. That’s okay, too. Not everyone needs to love Infinite Jest.

It’s kind of like not everyone has to love baseball. Or curling. Or sports in general. Why impose such harsh moral judgments on what is, for most people, a leisure activity? Again, I’m guilty of book judgment. I think we all are. But it’s so important to remember that your history, likes, goals, and values as a reader aren’t the same as anyone else’s.

Make sure to check out the full post for lots of other de-shaming goodness. Do you ever feel judged for your reading choices?

A YA Room of One’s Own

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From Callie’s “Why YA?” post at Teen Librarian’s Toolbox:

“I’ve realized teenagers are, quite possibly, the most forgotten group among libraries. And this fact is infinitely sad. And we, as adults, aren’t fooling anyone. Teens know they’re forgotten. It can be seen simply in the size of so many library YA departments. YA departments are tiny and, unless you’re in a large city, usually don’t actually have their own librarian. A teenager comes in with a question and is referred to a children’s librarian. And, come on folks, you remember what it was like. No teenager wants to be called a child. Teenagers aren’t children.”

I remember having this exact experience when I was in middle/high school. We had a small local library which had a children’s section but nothing like that for teens. Similarly, at Barnes and Noble I felt caught between the children’s section and the adult section. There was a small collection of YA books, but it was incorporated into the children’s section–not where I wanted to be at 13. Fortunately, libraries and bookstores are offering a lot more for teens these days, including their own sections and programming, but as Callie says in her post, it’s essential adults remember what it felt like to be caught between the world of kids and the world of adults.

New Voices in YA Reading Recap

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The last week has been filled with writerly goodness. This weekend I was at the annual NESCBWI conference (more on that later); before that, I was part of the Brookline Public Library’s New Voices in YA and Children’s Literature series. It was awesome!

Confession: readings (or any kind of public speaking) make me nervous. I’ve never had a terrible experience, but I always get anxious a few hours before the actual event. Fortunately, the vibe at the reading was so enthusiastic and low-key that I quickly forgot about nerves.

I read with three other YA writers, two of whom (Beth Brenner and Mike Dwyer) are good friends. We all have fairly different styles, so it was cool getting to hear everyone’s readings. A few topics covered: girl detectives, reincarnated guards, magical families, and drivers ed. I’m sure it’s hard to plan for different styles in advance, but it worked out really well. Fellow New Voices writers, I need to hear more of your work, immediately.

Series organizer Dorrie was wonderful to work with. She made sure we had necessary info and felt taken care of beforehand, and she kept things interesting during the reading. Usually I stress about Q&A sessions, but Dorrie came up with fun questions that we all got into answering. Dorrie also included a drawing of a bird Amelia Earhart in the program handout. How cool is that?!

Many thanks to everyone who came out to hear us read. It made a huge difference to have so many friendly faces in the audience. And thanks to the wonderful librarians and staff at the Brookline Public Library for putting together such a cool event.

New Voices in YA Reading in Brookline–Including This Very Blogger!

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Hey there, Boston-area YA fans! Tomorrow night (Thursday, April 19) from 6:30-8pm I’ll be taking part in the Brookline Library’s New Voices in Y.A. and Children’s Literature series. Three other YA writers and I will read from our work and talk a little about what it means to write YA. Two of the other readers are also two extremely good friends and excellent writers, so it’s sure to be a fun time.

The details:

New Voices in Y.A. and Children’s Literature Reading
Thursday, April 19
6:30-8pm
The Public Library of Brookline
YA lit, new writers, refreshments, and general awesomeness

And if you’re headed to NESCBWI this weekend, you can consider this an unofficial conference kick-off event. (I sure am!)