See Sparks Read

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was recommended this book to fulfill a reading challenge. I needed to read a book with an unreliable narrator. With a title like "We Were Liars," I should have known this would fit the bill. The book begins with a map of Beechwood Island and a Sinclair family tree. Predictably, the main character (and narrator) Cadence is from a rich family. They do have their own island and a family tree, after all. Cady (Cadence) along with her cousins Johnny and Mirren and family friend Gat make up the Liars. The four of them are an inseparable group during their summers at Beechwood from a young age. Then, during summer 15, something tragic happens to Cady and everything changes. She is different, the Liars aren't close anymore. They seem to be keeping something from her. Cady can't remember what happened to her during that fateful summer, but with the help of the Liars, she remembers and re...

Today I attended the annual Illinois Library Association's legislative luncheon. This was my second time attending this event, and though it was the same place and mostly the same attendees, it was markedly different. Last year, most of the lunch was spent talking about the lack of a state budget. While the sorry state of the IL budget was reviewed, it was not the focus of the event. Me with State Senator Jim Oberweis February 12th, 2016 This year, the event was unexpectedly focused on the roles of libraries and librarians. My cup of tea indeed. Unsurprisingly, the legislators present had positive things to say about libraries and librarians. What was surprising, however, was their belief in the library as a "Cradle of Democracy" (Lankes, 2012). I recorded a few noteworthy quotes of the luncheon, however, I will first quote Andrew Carnegie (as one does when writing about libraries): "There is no such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Lib...

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard My rating: 5 of 5 stars "I grew up wondering if I'd have food for supper; now I'm standing in a place about to be eaten alive." -Mare. Mare is a Red. Red, as in the color of her blood. In Mare's world, there are Reds and Silvers. Silvers do have silver blood, but they also have special abilities or supernatural powers that make them the ruling class over the Reds. The Reds are the serving class, going to war for the Silvers in addition to being the workers who make the Silvers' clothing and exist generally to better the lives of the Silvers. They are nearly a slave class while the Silvers either are royals or seem to live like royals. Mare knows she is going to be sent off to war (she will be conscripted, as she calls it), like her older brothers. Her younger sister, Gisa, is an apprentice to a clothes-maker, so she will be able to avoid going to the war. Mare is envious of her sister and her safer path. Mare...