the grad school edition

Grad school is kind of driving me crazy right now. I feel like I'm going insane over the amount of work I'm supposed to be doing this semester. I have to make a Pathfinder and I have yet to start on it. At all. Go me. I just spent the last 2 weeks in the library looking up seemingly impossible reference questions, which really just reiterates the fact that I DO NOT want to be a reference librarian. But then, there was no chance of that anyway. And tomorrow I have to give a Book Talk, which is the "project I have been dreading most this semester," which is funny, cause a book talk won that title last semester as well. *Sigh* Overall, I am just not looking forward to public speaking in general, let alone in front of a bunch of 7th graders. But I like the books I have chosen (The Westing Game, Chasing Vermeer, and Never Trust a Dead Man), so hopefully it will go well and I won't get the death eyes of boredom. Of course, it's the last period of the day for them, so I'm not too hopeful. Anyway, I'll spend more time worrying about it than actually speaking. The good news is, now that I'm taking Young Adult Literature, I'm really enjoying most of the books I've read. The bad news is that I have NO time to read anything else, like I bought this book a few weeks ago and I'm really excited to read it, but I don't have time so I just look at it longingly. So some of my favorites so far:

Paper Towns by John Green (I'm officially in love with him right now and can not wait until Will Grayson Will Grayson comes out, but again, I won't have time to read it). I absolutely love the road trip in this book. It is amazing. And when I got to the end, I was shocked. Shocked. Also, did you know this won an Edgar Award? yeah.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - interesting book about a girl who has a secret and withdraws from everyone around her. Very powerful.

Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger I think when I read this I didn't like it too much, but that was around the time my grandfather passed away. But thinking back, it was a really good book. I really like how it had a positive look at a transgendered teen.

The Arrival - Shaun Tan. This is a graphic novel, and there are no words. But it is amazing and everyone should read it. Go to the library/book store and read it. It won't take long, but the illustrations are awe-some.

The Graceling - Kristin Cashore. I love fantasy and I just got wrapped up in this story. Good characters, good romance. A lot of people don't like the main characters attitude (cause she doesn't want to get married), but really, what's wrong with that? As soon as I have time I plan on reading the companion to this one, and there's a third one coming out soon.

Feed - MT Anderson. Ok, so I didn't love this one mainly cause the dialogue drove me crazy. But it was an interesting concept and really cool. I think it's supposed to drive one crazy.

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld. Awesome sci-fi book about an alternate WWI with a war between the Clankers and the Darwinists. Second book coming out in Oct. (maybe I'll have time to read it then).

That takes me about halfway through the semester. Right now, I'm listening to the audio book version of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. I enjoyed the book when I read it (doesn't it have a lot of illustrations?) but I'm not digging the audio book. It's read by the author, which is cool, but he has a funny accent that bothers me. I'm also getting ready to start (right now) Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff (hey, she was born in Portland!), which I swear I've read but I can't seem to remember. Darn.

Books I'm excited to read the rest of the semester: Sunrise Over Fallujah- Walter Dean Myers, The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins, The Uglies Series - Scott Westerfeld, Going Solo - Roald Dahl.

Also, I just signed my Learning Contract, so this summer I will be interning at the Lexington Public Library. I'm excited cause I get to hang out with kids and help with Summer Reading.