Story time with a special guest!!

I am very excited today because Miss Lynn is coming to Sing Songs Old and New!!! HOOOORAY!!!!!! I've had Miss Lynn come to do story time before, and she is ALWAYS a big hit!!

She's also coming out with a CD of her awesome music soon - stay tuned, I promise to get you the deets on that as soon as I get them!!!

And, yet another exciting thing about Tuesday - FMRNS!!! Hell to the YEAH baby!!!! Last week, we decided to go with the movie Monte Python's Life of Brian, a comedy from 1979 with Graham Chapman and John Cleese. HILARIOUS!!!

Also last week, we had a Saturday Movie Marathon!!! Both A and I were feeling a bit under the weather, so we curled up with some Matzah Ball soup from Noshville (YUM!!) and a bunch of movies. First we watched Sex and the City - which, of course, was FABULOUS!!! After that, we were in for a bit of a drama with The China Syndrome from 1979 with Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and Michael Douglas. And then, we went in a totally different and very fun direction with Wigstock: the movie - a documentary from 1995. Seriously - what a fabulous way to spend a Saturday!!!

This week, we've decided to go with Fiddler on the Roof, a musical from 1971 with Topol and Norma Crane.




P.S. Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway!!!

Hannah's Dream Review and Giveaway

I just finished Hannah's Dream by Diane Hammond. What a beautiful story!!! First, here is a description of the book from the publisher:

An elephant never forgets...but can she dream?

For forty-one years, Samson Brown has been caring for Hannah, the lone elephant at the down-at-the-heels Max L. Biedelman Zoo. Having vowed not to retire until an equally loving and devoted caretaker is found to replace him, Sam rejoices when smart, compassionate Neva Wilson is hired as the new elephant keeper. But Neva quickly discovers what Sam already knows: that despite their loving care, Hannah is isolated from other elephants and her feet are nearly ruined from standing on hard concrete all day. Using her contacts in the zookeeping world, Neva and Sam hatch a plan to send Hannah to an elephant sanctuary — just as the zoo's angry, unhappy director launches an aggressive revitalization campaign that spotlights Hannah as the star attraction, inextricably tying Hannah's future to the fate of the Max L. Biedelman Zoo.

A charming, poignant, and captivating novel certain to enthrall readers of Water for Elephants, Diane Hammond's Hannah's Dream is a beautifully told tale rich in heart, humor, and intelligence.

**Disclaimer** I don't write reviews often. I just read for fun. I am not terribly good with words, and I tend not to explain myself very well. Just so you know...

I found this to be a completely charming story about a beautiful friendship. The conflict seems a bit predictable, but the characters really make the story. Each character brings with them their own history, which relates to the relationships they have formed with Hannah. These stories you read about each character add a tenderness somehow. For me, the story just seemed to have a nice flow to it. And while I wasn't surprised by the ending, I was touched - it even brought a little tear to my eye.

So, all that said - I enjoyed this book, and I am glad I read it! It touched me, and I was entertained, and really that's all that matters!

And now it's time for the giveaway!!! HarperCollins sent me a SIGNED copy of Hannah's Dream for one lucky reader!!! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. One thing, though - if you don't leave an email address or an active blog link with your comment, then I will delete your comment and you will not be entered. I'm not doing this to be mean, but hey, I've got to have a way to contact you in case you win, right?

The last day to leave a comment is Tuesday, October 7, and I'll announce the winner on Wednesday, October 8th. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only.

Welcome Fall!!

It's Fall!!! And that means it's time for some fabulous things in life, such as leaves changing color, football (Go VIKINGS!!), and Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks (MMMMMM!).

It's also time to read some fabulous books about Fall. I picked some great fall books out - but I have to be honest with you. This is the exact same story time I did last fall. I figured that was a whole year ago, and chances are none of the little ones will remember the exact books I read at the last fall storytime. So, once again here are the books for Fall

Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall


Mouse's First Fall by Lauren Thompson


Fall is Not Easy by Marty Kelley
It's also time for FMRNS!!! Last Tuesday, we decided to go heavy with Hotel Rwanda, a drama from 1994 with Don Cheadle. Wow, talk about drama. We also had a Bonus Night last week where we watched MOST of Tie Me Up Tie Me Down (Atame!), a foreign film from 1990 with Antonio Banderas (:::drool:::) and Vicrotia Abril. I say MOST because we were within the last 15-20 minutes of the movie when the damn library video lost consciousness. How unfortunate!! And, since NetFlix says that the wait time for this movie is "unknown," that means we'll have to scrounge around the video stores to see if we can find a copy.

This week, we once again have several choices. Here is the complete list of movies we have to choose from for this week.

Strictly Ballroom, a dramedy from 1992 with Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice.
Monte Python's Life of Brian, a comedy from 1979 with Graham Chapman and John Cleese.
Beautiful Thing, a dramedy from 1996 with Meera Syal and Martin Walsh.
But I'm a Cheerleader, a comedy from 1999 with Natasha Lyonne and Michelle Williams.
Legend, a fantasy from 1985 with Tom Cruise and Mia Sera.
Fiddler on the Roof, a musical from 1971 with Topol and Norma Crane.

Definitely a great slogan!

Nashville Public Library just got some love over on LISNews. The Friends of the Nashville Public Library just started selling T-shirts with our classic slogan on them.

I have to agree - it IS a great slogan!!

Funny - the difference of opinion

Forgive me. I know I shouldn't have. And I usually don't. But, when the teenage girl (15?) at the computer directly in front of me starts practically jumping out of her chair laughing and clapping, I am intrigued by what she's looking at.

I look up from my computer at my desk to see that she's watching a YouTube video of two teenagers beating the shit out of each other. They are kicking, screaming, pulling hair, punching and she's sitting at the computer LAUGHING and CLAPPING. Is this really what things are coming to? Why the fuck is that funny?

I just don't understand...

Want to know what makes me jump out of my chair laughing and clapping? The Evolution of Dance. EVERY.TIME. Yeah, there might even be snorting...



And, on a totally unrelated note, today is my One Monthiversary from the day I QUIT SMOKING!!!! GOOOO MEEEEEEE!!!!!

Who wants to go dancing?

HOOORAY!! Once again, it's Tuesday. Like I always say, you can't get ANY better than Tuesday!! Today is also my 6 year anniversary for working for my library system - which is insanely cool. Go me!!
So, in honor of the fact that it's Tuesday, and my 6 year anniversary, I decided to go out dancing. Ok, not really...but reading books about dancing is JUST as fun!! Since the first two books are a little on the longer side (and I want to be sure to keep their attention!), I thought I would read a shorter audience participation story at the end...even though it has nothing to do with dancing.

Hilda Must be Dancing by Karma Wilson


Cha-cha Chimps by Julia Durango


Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin


**previous dancing storytime** (Yes, I'm reading Hilda again - I LOVE Hilda!!)

And, as always, the other reason why Tuesday is so.freakin.cool: FMRNS!! WHOOOOOOT!!! My friend A and I had a couple chances to get together last week for Bonus Night, so I've got some updates! We watched Children of a Lesser God, a drama from 1986 with William Hurt and Marlee Matlin. We also watched Revenge of the Pink Panther, a comedy from 1978 with Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom. We also got into The Original Kings of Comedy, stand up with Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac.

We have some options for today, so I can't even begin to guess what we'll be watching. Here's just a couple from the list of what we have to choose from:

Strictly Ballroom, a dramedy from 1992 with Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice.
Monte Python's Life of Brian, a comedy from 1979 with Graham Chapman and John Cleese.
Hotel Rwanda, a drama from 1994 with Don Cheadle.

So much to read!

Here's what's on my TBR pile these days:

1. Hannah's Dream by Diane Hammond
2. Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover if her Life Makes her Ass Look Big by Jennifer Lancaster
3. Two Brothers: One North, One South by David H. Jones
4. Flower Children by Maxine Swann
5. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

I am looking forward to all of these books (YAY!! I finally got my copy of Such a Pretty Fat in at the library!!!), but I just wanted to point out a couple of them. First of all, I was contacted by Nicole from HarperCollins (Hi Nicole!!), who asked me to review a copy of Hannah's Dream on my blog! I am SO excited!!! Oh, and not only did they send me a copy of the book to review (Thanks!!!), but they also sent me an extra SIGNED copy that I can give away to one of you!! HOOOORAY!!!! Sooooo, since that's next on my TBR pile, stay tuned for my review, and the giveaway!!!

I am also really looking forward to Two Brothers: One North, One South by David H. Jones. Trish over at TLC Book Tours (and author of Hey Lady! Whatcha readin'? - Hi Trish!!) has invited me to participate in a Virtual Book Tour! (Ok, seriously - how cool is that?!?!) This book will be stopping at my blog on Friday, November 14, so look for my review then!!

Can I get a WHOOOOT WHOOOOOOOOT for reading?!?! (Yes, I know, I'm a big geek...and I like it!!!)

Take a look at my updated 2008 Book List!

p.s. I was just told that I won a book!!! Thanks to Confessions of a Literary Persuasion for hosting this giveaway for True Detective by James A. Huebner!! I was looking for a good mystery to read!!

Is it just me?

Is it just me, or should 10 year olds be able to spell words like "crazy," "monkey," and "games?"

They should at least know what a Y is right?

Chugga-chugga Tuesday

After noticing that I have never done a train specific story time (well, during the life of my blog, anyway), I decided it was about time! I found some great train books out there (which are listed in our catalog as under the subject "railroads trains juvenile fiction", NOT "trains juvenile fiction" as I had assumed. After searching for "trains juvenile fiction" and finding only about 12 books, I figured there was a problem).

Anyway, here are the books that I chose for today's story time!

The Goodnight Train by June Sobel


Dinosaur Train by John Steven Gurney


Clickety-Clack by Rob and Amy Spence


And, as always, it's FMRNS!!! WHOOOOOOOT!!!!! A and I were lucky enough to be able to get together a couple times this past week to have Bonus Night of FMRNS! We watched The Pink Panther Strikes Again, from 1976 with Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom and Lesley-Anne Down. We also watched True Grit, from 1969 with John Wayne, Glenn Campbell and Kim Darby (not to mention Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper) - the only western on the list.

This evening, A and I are going to watch a silent film from 1927 called Metropolis. It's been a while since we watched a silent film (the last one was Nosferatu, from 1922 based on the Dracula story), so I am excited!!

It takes all kinds

Do I have a story for you!!! This is a good one, I promise. It features a woman that we'll call Crazy Copy Machine Lady. Yes, definitely crazy.

Our story begins at the Adult reference desk, where Crazy Copy Machine Lady runs over to the copy machine. Unfortunately for her, there is already someone using it. She (loudly) asks the man how many copies he needs to make, and he tells her it's none of her business. (Well, he's got a point!)

As she speed walks back past the Adult reference desk, she YELLS at the librarian telling her that the man was RUDE to her and she NEEDS to make a copy. Luckily for CCML, there is another copy machine on the other side of the building by the Children's information desk, which is where CCML enters MY life.

CCML practically runs by my desk (not bothering to stop), where my co-worker and I are sitting.

CCML: (in a loud voice and talking so fast that we can't really understand what she's saying) COPY MACHINE! COPY MACHINE!
Real Librarian: Excuse me?
CCML: (in a voice so loud that she could be heard in the next county) I NEED THE COPY MACHINE, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!?!?!?!
RL: ***stares in shock*** (it's okay that I was too shocked to answer her. Turns out, she knew EXACTLY where the copy machine was.)

This is when my co-worker notices that CCML is carrying a dollar. Now, this wouldn't be a big deal, except that the copy machine in the Children's department is ANCIENT. It takes ONLY dimes and nickles, and only 10 cents at a time, so there is no way that the woman will be able to use her dollar. Rut-Roh...

The next thing you know, she goes running FULL TILT back down the hall to the other copy machine. When she passes the Adult reference desk, she screams for the whole building to hear...

COPY MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yikes. Well, this is the last that we heard from her. I guess she was able to make her copy and leave.

But that's when I realized something. This CCML is the same woman who months ago told me that I was mean and miserable to people because I was a fat bitch. Yup, she called me a fat bitch - in the same loud tone (well, not the screaming tone, but the louder than normal conversation tone), and caused the 12 people on the computers in the immediate area to stare in shock and horror as she walked away.

The reason she called me a fat bitch? Because I was helping a patron on the phone when she walked up, and wouldn't drop what I was doing to help her. Even though I was standing beside another librarian at the time who was actually sitting at a computer not helping anyone and ready to assist her.

Nice, huh? I told you it was a good one!!!

And the winner is...

First, I just have to say WOW!! What a turnout for my first giveaway!!! There were 56 entries - a great success!! Thank you to everyone who entered!!! And now, the moment you've been waiting for... The winner of Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin...

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

CARRIE!!!!!

I've left you a comment on your blog to send me your snail mail address!! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!!!

Well, I have to say, this was SO much fun that I will definitely be doing it again!! Keep an eye out for the next giveaway!!!

**Winner chosen at random using Random.org Sequence generator**

• 6
• 13
• 16
• 36
• 42
• 11
• 9
• 28
• 12
• 45
• 17
• 56
• 27
• 32
• 3
• 38
• 41
• 39
• 49
• 40
• 26
• 35
• 29
• 19
• 5
• 46
• 15
• 22
• 2
• 34
• 44
• 21
• 43
• 18
• 25
• 8
• 50
• 4
• 20
• 55
• 24
• 7
• 33
• 48
• 52
• 47
• 14
• 31
• 37
• 30
• 53
• 23
• 51
• 1
• 54
• 10

Froggy Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, everyone!!! I hope y'all had a marvelous Labor Day weekend!! It was great to have four days off, and though I am sad that I had to come back to work at all, at least I get to come back to work on TUESDAY!! WHOOOT!!!

Of course, it's story time day. I decided last week that I would read stories about frogs, because I found a really sweet book in our Story Time Use stash. So, here are the books I am reading this week:

Bee Frog by Martin Waddell


The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog by Ana Martin Larranaga


Hop Jump by Ellen Stoll Walsh

**previous frog story time**

And, of course, it's FMRNS!! Last week, we were going to watch The Queens of Comedy from 2001 with Adele Givens, Laura Hayes, Mo'Nique, and Sommore, but the DVD from NetFlix was damaged (BOO!) So, we decided to watch Gilda, a drama from 1946 with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford.

NetFlix sent me a new copy of The Queens of Comedy, so that will probably be tonight's feature! YAY!!



I have to give a HUGE shout out and THANK YOU to Shaunesay from Shaunie's Happy Place. I entered a book give away for A Babe in Ghostland by Lisa Cach - and I WON!!! WHOOOT!!!! It sounds like a great book, I can't wait to read it!!!

Also, today is the last day to enter to win Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin in my First Book Giveaway!! You have until midnight (Central Time) to enter, and I will announce the winner tomorrow!!