Sketchnoting is that next step. It’s a type of note taking that includes visual components to make it more pleasing to the eye and engaging for the brain. Often this can be the act of hand lettering, where the words themselves are the art. Adding drawing to note taking activates different areas of the brain that aren’t used with note taking alone. I have written about my fresh ADHD diagnosis before....
Librarians all over the United States have been fighting back. They are working to change laws and starting online movements to get representatives’ attention. Students are curious about why these books are being banned, so in response are starting their own banned book clubs. If you’re interested in starting an anti-censorship book club in your community, here are some tips for how to start a banned book club. I’ve written before about how to start a teen book club, and many of the strategies are the same....
How to Tell if a Book is a First Edition 1. Copyright Date The first thing you want to do is check the copyright date! If the copyright date is the same as the year the book was published, then that is a good first sign! 2. Look for the Words “First Edition” on the Copyright Page This will fluctuate depending on the publishing house, but most publishers will designate that a book is a first edition on the copyright page....
How To Install the Kindle App on PC Step 2: Locate the “Kindle For PC [Download”] item and click it to get to the product page. Click “Add to Cart”. When the next screen pops up, click, “proceed to cart.” Then finalize your purchase. You will need to have a method of purchase on file to buy, even though Kindle for PC is free. Step 3: Once you’ve purchased, you’ll be redirected to a confirmation page....
It’s not like I don’t have options here. Sure, Latinx authors may not be the best represented in traditional publishing, but they’re out there. Some have even gotten significant attention, like I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (apologies for cribbing the title, by the way) and Mexican Gothic. But have I read either of those? Nope. Maybe that’s excusable for the former title, as I don’t read YA, but Mexican Gothic?...
That kind of change is often scary. But when it finally came, this transition felt like a relief. I was leaving a city I had lived in for the seven years, but still never fully felt at home in. Letting go of teaching (at least temporarily) was harder. My work is inherently political and I care about it. It involves teaching, research and writing about race, gender, and sexuality and our political system....
A note to booksellers I’m an independent bookseller too, and I know what it’s like out there. We’re busy, we’re exhausted and residually stressed from the last two years, and we’re hungry to do our jobs well and make sure that quality books are put in the right readers’ hands. Time is at a premium and so is our energy. Sifting through requests for shelf space or author events from self-published authors can feel like the proverbial straw on the camel’s back — especially when it seems like these authors are often not all that well informed about how the business works....
After all, some people were gifted with natural talents that enable them to make their home spaces look like they should be featured in a magazine. I, for one, am no such person. I like all kinds of weird stuff and have no idea how it all fits together (or if it even can). But these interior design books break down some of the key elements of interior design so they’re accessible....
I have been a user of Goodreads since 2007, the same year it launched. I have used it as a reader, author, book reviewer, editorial assistant, Pitch Wars mentor, publicist, journalist, library event planner, podcast producer, author’s assistant, and probably more. I am a Goodreads Librarian, a volunteer with minimal power to edit some book and author information. As a reader, I use the most basic of functions. Early on, I also used it to see what friends were reading, but my friend list is unwieldy now....
Poetry makes me sleepy — As a diploma-carrying English major, and a life-long book nerd, yes, it’s a bit odd that I don’t read poetry. I never have. Perhaps it’s just because I’ve never found the right poem that’s “moved” me, like most poetry fans, but unless a poem’s set to the guitar stylings of one William Patrick Corgan, Jr., I’m skipping the verse. If that makes me a oafish non-literary chucklehead, so be it....
Harjo will also be the first Oklahoman to become poet laureate. She was born in Tulsa in 1951 and went on to study at the Institute of American Indian Arts, the University of New Mexico, and the Creative Writing Program at the University of Iowa. She has published eight books of poetry, including How We Became Human: New and Selected Poems and In Mad Love and War, which won an American Book Award....
If you’ve got a big summer vacation planned, perhaps you’re looking for more than one new book to explore. That’s where your moon sign might come in handy. You probably already know your sun sign. It’s what most people mean when they ask, “Hey baby, what’s your sign?” Determined by your birth date, it’s the sign that has the biggest impact on most aspects of your life. Your moon sign, however, is determined by the exact location of the planets at the moment of your birth....
July is the perfect time to talk about the amazing zine movement. July is International Zine Month, “a celebration of independently published and underground magazines and fanzines—a medium that is growing more and more popular in libraries. Zine culture has spanned science fiction, the riot grrrl movement of the 1990s, and the efforts of people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community, tackling large-scale personal and political matters in small circulations....
The history of archaeology, as I’ve covered elsewhere, is fraught with moral ambiguity. White-dominant cultures have a long, sordid history of storming into Black- and brown-majority nations and taking whatever they want in the name of “science” and “discovery.” The world is now in the process of reckoning with these thefts: so far this year, we have seen western museums return several Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, the remains of indigenous Hawaiians to their descendants, and religious artifacts to Nepal....
According to their website, Versify “reflects Alexander’s vision that accessible and powerful prose and poetry—in picture books, novels, and nonfiction—can celebrate the lives and reflect the possibilities of all children.” Plus, Versify is seeking new authors and artists while publishing established writers and illustrators. Their first book is Alexander’s own The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, and you can see the trailer here. The book is a gorgeous, poignant poem celebrating black history and perseverance....
For $29.99/month you’re guaranteed to receive: 1 graphic novel published in the last 60 days featuring a female lead 1-3 single issue comics 1-3 comic-related extras 1 caramel apple lollipop I held off reviewing the subscription for a few months just to get a feel for it and see how consistent it is, so let’s take a look at my first three boxes. The November 2015 box was a bit hit and miss for me....
But that still leaves the question of which LGBTQ book you should read for Pride. Lists are a great place to start, sure, and trust me I’ve already added way too many new books to my own TBR that way. Some of us need a bit more guidance, though. The decision paralysis is real. That’s where this LGBTQ Pride book quiz comes in. Featuring a few of my favorite queer reads as outcomes, you’re sure to come out of this quiz with a truly spectacular book to read....
Some Jamestown residents responded by starting a GoFundMe campaign for the library, which received donations from around the world. It soon raised over $100,000, which is when Nora Roberts added a $50,000 donation — the maximum allowed by GoFundMe. It topped out at over $250,000 in donations. These donations were never meant to be a replacement for local funding, though: libraries depend on a reliable budget and can’t last long with a one-time lump sum....
Nancy Drew Shirt Feeling old school? This Nancy Drew mystery shirt from Soul of Sunshine Co is just for you. Frankenstein Quote Shirt Channel the original goth queen, Mary Shelley, with this Frankenstein quote shirt from Neena Creates. Sleepy Hollow Tee Get punny with a Sleepy Hollow shirt from The Ink Sirens. Cthulhu Shirt A Cthulhu Awakens shirt from Pixel Elixir Shop to show off your love of horror (if not the author behind it)....
My personal favorite? A digital gift card to the independent bookstore of their choice popped into a card with a downloadable, printable bookmark. It feels a little more thoughtful as a package than just a gift card, and it allows you to inject a little personality into the gift. Or maybe you’d like to find some bookish art that you can quickly print, frame, and wrap? The best way to print these sorts of downloads, I’ve found, is usually to take the file to a local office supply store or print shop....
