Summer Reading
It's almost the summer break and I'm really looking forward to spending some down time at my Indian Arm cabin, enjoying a glass of ice tea and reading a good book. Bring on the sunshine because I plan to plow through my sadly neglected pile of reading! Actually, come to think of it, even the rainy days hold special magic, curled up on the sofa reading with a fabulous read.
As a teacher librarian, part of my job is promote reading. So I could justify that reading as much young adult fiction as possible is actually my homework. After all, I have to be able to chat with students who need a good book recommendation, or a book that’s just as enjoyable as the last one they read. I work hard at learning as much as I can about current titles and their authors. How? By reading reviews, visiting reading blogs, chatting with students in our Literary Alliance book club or discussing great reads with my teacher librarian colleagues and friends. I always have a good chuckle when students ask, “Have you read every book in this library?” Nope, I haven’t, but I’m working on it!
One of the best perks of being the school's teacher librarian is that I can usually snag the new books first. I have them precariously piled on my desk and my bedside table. The latest sequel to a fantasy series, information books about invasive species and earthquakes, manga titles, graphic novels, and professional books about ways to make our library even more fabulous. Books lurk in my carry bags and coffee table. I’ve even got some stashed in my car. The car ones are mostly the shorter Orca titles because I can easily gallop through one waiting for an appointment.
I have absolutely no problems reading numerous books simultaneously - I just choose the one from the pile that best suits my current mood. I've always got the best intentions of reading a book from start to finish, and I can do this if it’s an amazingly gripping storyline. That’s what happened with Shadow Run and Ready Player One. But, being a Gemini, and rather guilty of the trait of jumping from one thing to the next, I usually find it more interesting to juggle several titles at a time. Not everyone’s style but it works for me. Reading helps me fall asleep at night but not when the book is a thrill ride, or the main character has me so invested in their antics that I can’t wait to see what happens next. That’s when I need to choose a different type of novel; maybe something easier to put down... After all, even teacher librarians have to get up in the morning to go to work – except when it’s summer!
What are your reading flavours? Are you also looking forward to catching up on your reading this summer? Did you know that our library encourages students to take books home over the summer? Drop by and ask us for the details on how we can connect you and some amazing reads!
