Silence Interrupted

It's been a minute since I've updated this here blog. For whatever reason, my motivation has waned, and it's felt more of a chore to keep up, one intensified by the backlog of books that keeps piling up, creating a stress that further drains said already-diminishing motivation. It's a vicious cycle, really. And the past few months, I've let it sit on the back burner, out of sight and out of mind.

However, it's an effort I think I would ultimately regret abandoning. I began this blog as an outlet to talk about what I and others read. And though at this point, I may have an audience of about four readers, it has long been a dedicated personal practice in thinking and responding to books more critically while also inspiring a broadening of my reading horizons. Both of these things, in turn, have helped me remember and recommend books in far greater detail than I ever used to. For that individual accomplishment, if for nothing else, I think it's a practice worth continuing.

I've reached a point in my reading life where I am finally able to "quit" on a book if I'm not enjoying it. (It only took 30 years!) So perhaps I will start treating this blog the same. I don't promise to speak to every single book I read—maybe only the ones I feel motivated enough to reflect upon. I would like to delve deeper into purposeful reading projects—longer ones, like the Lions of the West discussion, Evolution of God musings, and People's History exploration from years past. And finally, though they sometimes feel more like clutter than substantial content, the musings on middle grade [hey, I like that!] titles are perhaps actually the most relevant and helpful to me (since my every-day target audience has shifted down a couple decades), so I plan to continue with them.

I never feel 100% confident or accurate with what I call this blog or what its purpose and coverage is supposed to be, especially as compared to what it ends up being. Regardless, I hope to continue with it and just needed the universe to know.

Tales from a First-Year Middle School Librarian

This past weekend, I was unpacking boxes of books in the house that Colin and I now own and I was hit with this desperate longing.

I miss reading.

[And I also miss writing about it!]

It's ironic that my job title is "Librarian" and I've barely read a book in the past three months. I work with books every day, but my own interaction with them is different than it used to be. I no longer have subway commutes nor lunch breaks to bury myself in a story. My after work hours have been filled with new homeowner tasks, pep-talking my first-year teacher husband, and unwinding with mindless TV shows or movies (because, currently, my attention span matches that of my middle schoolers). I've read a couple books here and there but mostly titles from my library's collection—gotta connect with the kids and all that.

But as I unpacked and shelved books from our old life, I was overwhelmed with that familiar all-consuming desire to read as much as humanly possible. All of my shelves—physical and virtual—are lined with so many stories that have piqued my interest that I don't even know where to start...so I haven't. That night I made a vow to veg out with books rather than HGTV, and with Thanksgiving and winter holidays just around the corner, I'm excited to spend cold days curled up on my couch with a cup of tea on the table and a book on my lap.

But enough about my longings for books, I also wanted to share some tidbits about my first year as a school librarian, since part of the motivation for re-branding this blog was to share these experiences.

In a nutshell, I absolutely love it. My school is a perfect fit, and the kids have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Our middle schools are grades 5-8, and you always hear that teachers either love or hate middle school. Well I love it. There are such a range of personalities and maturity levels. I've got wide-eyed 5th graders who give you a hug every chance they get, 8th grade girls that want to impress the high school boys next door, and everything else in between.

My Library Ambassadors, "swearing-in" to their duties on Harry Potter Book 7

I'm under the impression that the former library wasn't so energetic. There were a lot of rules and its accessibility was more limited. I am fortunate this year to have a full-time clerk with me, which the previous librarian didn't have, so perhaps that was part of it, but I've been working really hard to get students involved and excited in something they have overlooked in the past. My 5th and 6th graders are absurdly enthusiastic, but it's been harder to reach the 7th and 8th grades who have already dismissed the library from their radar. 

The most fun thing to happen so far is the launch of a Library Ambassador program to get students involved in what's happening in here. I had several kids ask me how they could help out in the library (which is awesome for generally apathetic preteens), so this was a solution to get kids helping out but also doing outreach to their peers that may not come in so often. I now have 22 kids from all four grades spending one class period a week in here checking in and shelving books, creating displays and recommendations, helping with collection development, going to classes as a "mobile library" to give book talks and collect returns, and helping plan events and activities. I'm actually having to limit them to only one day a week, because they keep trying to sneak in more often and I don't have room for them—all in all, not a bad problem to have!

Sorry for the ramble of updates, but I just wanted to check in and say that this blog hasn't had the plug pulled on it yet. There is still more to come!

Happy fall!

New Format, New Focus

Hello! If you're visiting this blog at its URL (as opposed to a feed reader) and you've been here before, you may be noticing some big changes! I mentioned these changes a couple months ago, but I've just now found the inspiration to make those plans a reality. So welcome to the new face of The Five Borough Book Review!

Actually, truth be told, The Five Borough Book Review is dead.

But its content isn't! Over the past five years, I've amassed an amazing collection of book recommendations! They're a wonderful resource for anyone in need of a new read or curious about a specific title (and for me to go back and remember what I've read!). The best way to encourage readers is to create excitement, and that's what I hope many of these posts have done—and this will never change!

Now though, in addition to posts about books, I'll be sharing movies, music, TV shows, podcasts—any cultural product that piques my interest. And, because I will soon be entering a new phase in my lifelong bookish career (now as a middle school librarian!), this blog will also be a space to highlight some of the things I encounter and learn along the way. Call it a professional makeover as I move from 20-something sideline bookworm to late-20-something enthusiastic educator.

For a bit more information on this blog transformation, you can check out the revamped About page. I will eventually be changing the URL (if I can figure out how to do that with Google and Blogger), so keep an eye out for that information as well.

Most of all, thank you for reading! This will continue to be a space to share a passion for books, inspire exploration, and incite discussion as we consume the oodles of culture at our fingertips. I hope you'll stick around for the ride.