Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

CHAPTER 12
GIANT BLUSHING MESS


Y'all I can't handle these love birds...I can't I can't I can't.
THE WRITING IS SO MAGICAL AND PRETTY AND I CAN'T ANYMORE. SFDJKLSFDA;JKLSFDA;JKLSFD;JKLSFDA
So there's that one scene in the little mermaid.
And the scene where All Might is trying to save Bakugo from the League of Villains.
...The Upside Down y'all....or a wrinkle in time....
The Adam Driver yelling compilation tiktok sound....perfect for this book
I was not expecting the book to go in this direction at all...soo yeah.
LAINI TAYLOR WHY MUST YOU TORMENT ME SOO
Grandmaaaaaa
....I need a second epilogue....because wish fulfillment.... NOW.
544 Pages

Bright We Burn by Kiersten White

Radu honey.. Precious cinnamon roll who deserves the world and the world treats him like garbage. My beautiful baby.
....sooo that's the sin of presumption, but imma let it slide
I love Cyprian. He's wonderful.
Everyone deserves to have friends, y'all. It's not fair.
I hate these stupid summer allergies.
I can't believe Kiersten made me feel these feelings. I am betrayed, and yet I am not angry.... what is going on.
THEODORA
432 Pages

Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

Ok but Soren is Prince Eric, but blonde....
Also.... my brain hears "Soren" and goes to:

I love the magic in this world.
All the prison metaphors and imagery. ...just like...all the captive stuff... I'm fine...
And pirates... Man this is like oe of my fanfic AUs that I read.
All the manipulation and sneaking and scheming. Perfection.
I love Soren.  My baby boy.
528 Pages

Professional Development

Be Opportunity Minded: Start Growing Your Career Now by Caitlin Williams

This was a great book for thinking about how to expand in a library career. I especially liked the emphasis of a career lattice-able to expand in multiple directions-rather than just a career ladder. Working through the exercises gave me a good idea of what I can do now and in the future to grow as a librarian.

224 pages





The CREW Method: Expanded guidelines for collection evaluation and weeding for small and medium-sized libraries revised by Belinda Boon

I'm pretty sure I read this in library school, but I wanted to read it again as a quick refresher. Unfortunately, I grabbed the copy we had in the library instead of reading the online pdf. The basic concepts are solid, but man is this 1995 copy outdated, discussing things like vinyl records and art prints, and the "new shift" to CD's and DVD's. Is it bad I want to weed a book on weeding from our collection? (No, the answer is no...)

65 pages




The Weeding Handbook: A shelf-by-shelf guide by Rebecca Vnuk

This book was great! Vnuk really does break down section by section how to decide what items should stay and which should go. This book is a lot more detailed than the CREW manual, so I may refer back to this one in any weeding projects for the future.

196 pages

Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson

Rafe...sigh

Broooo either I wasn't paying attention or that was the biggest con since ever

I wanted a specific ship and I didn't think I was gonna get it, and then I did.....Ohhhhh perceptions and assumptions y'all.
MARY E PEARSON HOW DARE YOU TRICK ME

Strangle gif. I can't believe I didn't figure this out... I'm a good judge of character son of a --
My ship..
....Shawn Spencer is that you?

...The God of grain.... sooooo beer.

;fjkldasfd;jklsfdajklsfdjk;lsfdasfdjklsfdjk that ending though
512 Pages

Learn Something New

The Year of Cozy by Adrianna Adarme

This is a very cute book, and the images are beautiful. My biggest issue with it is some of the recipes and crafts use obscure ingredients and materials you would probably need to order online. The contents also seem to be thrown together helter-skelter. It was fun to read through though. 

259 pages

From Freezer to Table by Polly Conner & Rachel Tiemeyer

Although I thought their second book was better than their first, this one still has some great ideas on how to prep meals in advance for easy healthy weekday cooking. I love the idea of setting up a freezer club, where each person contributes a few meals and they all swap. Probably not a good idea for right now, but it's still something to keep in mind for the future!

233 pages 

Body Reading by Sasha Fenton

This short and sweet guide reviews how humans have traditionally attributed meaning to different parts of the body. The author goes through the reading of heads, hands, eyes, feet, even moles and itches.The chapter on phrenology was especially interesting. Does any of this actually reflect someone's personality and fate? No, but it sure is fascinating to read about what people thought and believed in the past. 

144 pages

The Witch's Book of Self-Care by Ann Murphy-Hiscock

This is a great collection of self-care techniques, meditations, recipes, and activities. I love how simple and clear the instructions are. They are all very doable with little need for materials. Self-Care is a huge focus for me right now, and this book is just what I needed. I may end up buying my own copy. 

224 pages

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich, with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul

Soooooo Evan's anxiety..... I feel seen.
Also all the self-loathing and feeling like a burden.....
I loved the musical (I haven't actually seen it, but I love the music!) so getting to be in Evan's head and see Connor's perspective....
I love that the audiobook was read by the actors that play Evan and Connor (and we get to hear Zoey singing).
368 Pages

Dreams of Gods and Mosnters by Laini Taylor

A character named Eliza....

The books keep getting longer and I have absolutely no complaints. Bless up y'all.

Alexa play the climax of "My Heart Will Go On" ....it fits the pining....
fjkldssfdajklsfdajklsfdjklsfdjklsfdjklsfdjkl;sfdjljld;saf
Laini Taylor:


Chef's kiss. It's magical and beautiful and I'm not crying, it's my allergies. I love the chemistry... Plus my ships. Oh my ships...  All the twists and turns...Also when everything is going great but there's still like....a hundred pages left.....one fear.

It could have been like the Romeo x Juliet anime, or it could have been like LOTR....pheww. They were stressing me out... because that was a different kind of angst than I was prepared for....
640 Pages

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

I heard "secret lover" and my brain went "secret tunnel."

I WILL PROTECT MY CHILD. I would kill for Karou. She deserves the world and she deserves better.
Thiago has Iago in the name...

Seriously paste all of the Lion King 2 gifs....

I live for pining and for angst and for sufffering.....I'm going to die alone...This is fine..

New characters and they're amazing

Wait is that ace representation?!
544 Pages

Locke and Key, Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Ok but why would....in a semi truck...really... my faith in humanity died a little bit....
So I love the mystery and the paranormal aspects of the story..Just the house in general...And it's dark and it's gritty. Wonderful....if I can just erase that one scene out of my brain...
152 Pages

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

....Evanescence... and now "My Immortal" is playing in my head... IT FITS DON'T JUDGE ME...I'm totally here for the interlude with the electric guitar. It fits, and you can't prove otherwise. I live for angst.

Also svdjklsgda;jklsfdjklsfd;jklsfd;jklsfda;jklsfda;jklsfd;sgjlds
Agh the angels and the world building and the characters and the drama. Send help.
Magical
I love Laini Taylor. Fantasy. Chef kiss

Aaaaaaaaaand the title is here.

Angst. Angst angst angst angst. It's beautiful.

448 Pages

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The Great and Powerful Woz.

....Anyone else want to reference Top Gun.... Wingman stuff.. 
I just hear Will and Elizabeth's theme from Pirates of the Caribean a lot of the time....
and Ezra give me Peggy and Captain America vibes for a very specific scene.
"...guns and ships...and so the balance shifts...." "rag tag volunteer army" .... y'all how many Hamilton references....
aaaand there's a Les Mis reference....
I'm really glad it wasn't THAT Top Gun reference...
...I just love Ezra...
640 Pages

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Insert all of the gifs from Wicked. Just insert the entire show... Especially the bits about Elphaba dragging Dorothy.
We can't all come and go by bubble.
All of "Popular"
480 Pages

Apex by Mercedes Lackey

It was better than the last two...but I think it was because there were more battles, so there was less narration. I love the concept of the story and the setting...but can we just get rid of the main character....  I think I would have liked her better if there was more showing and less telling of how amazing and strong she is... And if there was character growth and development and....flaws, you know, besides her personality...
I feel like Jefferson in "Washington by Your Side" in Hamilton.....
...I swear I don't hate everyone.

304 Pages

One-Punch Man Volume 1 by ONE

It was a super quick read, and I loved Saitama's just "doneness" with the world. I love his sass and his attitude. His dissatisfaction with life...
200 Pages

Elite by Mercedes Lackey

I can get past her personality. I can get past her personality. If I can just ignore her "I want to learn things" when her character clearly knows "everything".....I'm not cranky...
I can get past her condescending and judgmental personality. She's more than a Mary Sue.
I want to like her...because there are moments when she's not annoying, but I think I'm just being prejudiced against her... I just don't believe her.
Way to take an entire religion, stereotype it based on a tiny sect, and paint it in a bad and inaccurate light.
Yup all people who believe the same things act the same way; no need to get to know the person individually. And they believe in different things that appear to be stupid, so they must be stupid...
I'm just gonna be over here on my soap box about how stereotyping a religion and the people who practice that religion, and assuming you know them because you've seen people like them before is just a really crappy thing to do. And she thinks she's so forward thinking... Alexa play that song by Lily Allen that was in Pitch Perfect and was performed by the sock puppets... (;
....like....can you try empathy and seeing from someone's perspective instead of judging their views, please....
384 Pages

Endure by Sara B Larson

Authors really do be ruthless about characters....
Aaaand there was more HTTYD2.
I love Damian.
Also I love watching characters suffer and pine.
320 Pages

Ignite by Sara B Larson

So my brain thought of the scene in the Little Mermaid where Ursula is disguised and is singing on the boat before the wedding...
And there's a specific moment from How To Train Your Dragon 2.
Aaaand Ella Enchanted.
This one was definitely better than the first one.
Also protect the cute baby.
304 Pages

Defy by Sara B Larson

...the main character's name is Alexa...how am I supposed to not...like..make Alexa jokes... So I'm really glad she went by Alex for a lot of the book..
I love Alexa's heart and how much she cares. I think that could have been a really amazing thing to explore, because she has a different perspective (because she's a GIRL)--like I would have loved to see more with the women's houses and fighting the system there. There could have been like a hundred pages of "character vs. world" conflict. Less angst about boys (dare I say it) and more angst about the world... I dunno.
..I kinda wish it had been darker...like...I dunno... Maybe it's because I'm in a dark and gloomy fantasy kick rn...
I feel like the conflict could have been done better, and there could have been more showing/observing of the characters.
I really liked the concept and the characters. I love Damian and Rylan. They're cool.
336 Pages

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Armand is great. Rachelle is great. Armand, like I said, is great.
I love fantasy and fairy tales, and I loved the atmosphere of this book.
I had a gif in mind at one point and I lost it.
........Dude all the Catholic things... and the imagery and metaphors...Confession is a wonderful thing.
Like I know that it's not technically Catholicism in the book, but like....come on.
Totally had some The Last Battle vibes going on there for a sec.
Ok but she's a Catholic author, and I love her.
464 Pages