Help! Which Book Should I Start With? #amreading

April 21, 2018 / Eve Messenger / 7 Comments

Decisions, decisions. All three library books I requested from Overdrive became available at the same time! That means I have only two weeks (no renewals) to read all three, and no idea how long it will take before they’re available again. If I were a faster reader, this might not be a problem, but since my days are also filled with writing my own books, taking classes and, y’know, life, I’ll probably only get to one, maybe two, of these three books–and I’m really excited to read all three!

Help! Which book should I start with?

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
“A library with the secrets to the universe.” Yep, that definitely captures my attention. Protagonist Carolyn was once a normal American. Now she wonders if the cruel tutor called Father who captured her and her adopted siblings and trained them in the ways of the library might be God. Then Father goes missing, and Carolyn must battle fierce competitors for control of the unguarded library.

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Unspoken (Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan
Kami Glass is a girl detective from a sleepy English town who has spoken to a boy inside her head all her life. Haunting atmosphere, humorous, and charmingly creepy. This looks like it could be a really fun read.

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The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Ruby survived a mysterious disease that killed most American children, and it gave her dangerous powers. Now she’s on the run for the only haven for kids like her. When she arrives, she finds nothing at the haven is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader (who I’m pretty sure she gets in a romantic relationship with). A lot of readers say the first couple of hundred pages are a slow burn but that the ending is completely amazing (which how I felt about Six of Crows).

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–Eve Messenger

Overdrive is My New Best Friend, Except When Every Book is Checked Out #amreading

April 12, 2018April 13, 2018 / Eve Messenger / 9 Comments

Checking out ebooks on Overdrive is one of my favorite things. Who would ever have guessed that would happen? Flashback to three years ago, me on my soapbox, declaring: “I must have hard copies of books. Reading books isn’t the same without something to hold in my hands, pages to flip.” So now I’m pretty much converted. I officially read more e-books than hard copy books. I like being able to enlarge the font or brighten the screen on my Kindle Paperwhite, especially with its cover that makes me feel like I’m holding a real book (thanks for the Christmas present, hubby.)

Which takes me to why I’ve come to love Overdrive. It’s so great to be able to log in to Overdrive using my local library card and get access to all the ebooks in my county library system. And then have them send directly to my Kindle. Lately, however, it seems every single book I want on Overdrive is already checked out. This even includes older books like Unspoken from 2012 and Alexandra Bracken’s The Darkest Minds from 2011.

So now I’m in this odd book-reading holding pattern. Since I must have something to read every day, as I wait for books I really want to read, I’m settling for books I kinda want to read–but which aren’t overly long so I’m not too invested once the book I really want comes off hold. You get me, right, fellow book junkies? 😀

Here are the elusive little whippersnapper books Overdrive refuses to release to me yet. All of them so good. All of them so not-yet-available.

Oh, and if Murphy’s Law of library books holds true, after waiting so (im)patiently for all of these books, probably all four will come off hold at exactly the same time, right? Meaning I’ll have two weeks to read them all. (Overdrive doesn’t allow renewals, so two weeks is it.)

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

–Eve Messenger

Library-Hopping Adventure #2 #amwriting #amreading

September 3, 2016September 11, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 12 Comments

Some people meditate; I find my center at the library. Libraries are my Disneyland. I write in them, read in them, escape, explore, daydream, and mini-vacation in them. I love libraries so much that, earlier this year, I posted in my blog I’d like to visit a new local library each week.

Seven months(?!) later, I’m finally making good on Library-Hopping Adventure #2. 🙂

Today I visited East Anaheim Library, one of nearly a hundred libraries in Orange County and Anaheim’s newest one, remodeled from what used to be a medical center and featuring the requisite palm tree.
Exterior Facade - shares building with Anaheim PD

East Anaheim Library shares a building with the Anaheim Police Department, so out front there’s a lovely little memorial to police dogs.
Ext Police Dog Memorial front

I got choked up reading the list of canine heroes’ names. Ext Police Dog Memorial names

Just inside the front entrance, really high high ceilings and industrial style architecture let in the light of a beautiful, sunny morning.
Int Entry Industrial Architecture 1

Here’s the cozy back table where I spent three hours writing and reading next to a view of trees and. . . major freeways. The muffled rush of traffic was easy to habituate to, though; after a while, it sounded like ocean waves. Pictured: my trusty red backpack and document holder for transporting my tools of the trade: laptop, manuscript, folder for completed pages, pens, highlighter, water, snack. Cozy Table in the back by trees and freeways

For what it’s worth, the library bathrooms were also extraordinarily clean, but I didn’t take a picture of those. 😀

Here’s to libraries and visiting more of them. They’re good for the soul.

— Eve Messenger