Merry Sisters of Fate --- Watcher Prompt Contest and poem

You might not be familiar with The Merry Sisters of Fate, but then again.... maybe you do know them (just not on this site).

The Merry Sisters of Fate are three authors:  Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton.   And, they have this marvelous site where they share their writing and all sorts of fantastic things.    In honor of their new blog home, they have a small contest running  --- to write something original based on this prompt, and then share it.

I did this once before, and it felt really good to compose something.   In fact, I might try to do this more often, just to stretch my writing a bit.....       I thought I'd try again, so here's my contribution:

Moving past you

“The Turret Stairs” by Frederic Burton

    in this passage,

time slows

           as  I steal as much

of an embrace as this

      narrow stair allows.

But for a promise made when I was a girl,

I would be free to be yours, not

              trapped,

smothered in the bell jar of my marriage.

All the gifts in the kingdom cannot

     undo the ache in my heart

for you.

Even as I am fixed firmly in my station,

I dream

            of climbing from the high tower,

            down to your embrace and the promises

of distant shores.

BBAW --- a bit of appreciation for everyone involved

Considering my blog turns two in September, I thought it was appropriate to put up a short post about Book Blogger Appreciation Week, which is an annual celebration of book blogs.    I read a lot of blogs, and I do appreciate all the hard work that people put into their blogs, so I plan to do some appreciating during that week.   I also plan on appreciating all the people who are nice enough to read my blog, so I have giveaways planned in September, as well.   More on that soon......

If you want to know more about BBAW, here's what it's all about, straight from the main site:  Book Blogger Appreciation Week is an annual celebration of book blogs. It’s a jam packed week dedicated to acknowledging the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to preserving our culture of literacy. This year’s celebration takes place September 12-September 16th. The week includes guest posts, daily activities, giveaways, games, special podcasts, and an awards program exclusively devoted to book blogs.

Pretty cool, eh?  I think so, so I plan on registering and voting for some blogs!     If you'd like to see the various categories, they're all here.

Wordless Wednesday - mosaic in chapel on San Michele, Venice

Dael and the Painted People by Allan Richard Shickman

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads):   A prehistoric adventure, this is the third of the Zan-Gah young adult books. When Dael, guilty and tormented, came to live with the tribe of the painted people, he longed for peace and restoration; but without knowing it, he made a powerful enemy. Luckily, Dael had friends-including a troop of crows-and his own mystical powers. The disturbed and violent hero learns from the Children of the Earth, and from his submissive wife, a new way of life that is peaceful and generous. Dael and the Painted People is a story of conflict, healing, hate, and love by the winner of the Eric Hoffer Award, a finalist for the ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award, and the Mom's Choice Gold Seal for Excellence in a family-friendly book series.

And here's what I thought:  This is the third in the Zan-Gah series, and it smoothly continues where the last story leaves off.   What I like about these books is that it is obvious that the author works in authentic details of what prehistoric life was (most likely) like.  He doesn't shy away from some gritty details just because the books are aimed at younger readers, and I think that's good.    The stories tend to have even pacing, interesting characters, and detailed descriptions.  

In this story, we follow Dael and his female companion, Sparrow as they set out looking for the Red People,  and then find them.   Dael isn't a perfectly likeable character, but he's interesting, and the more you read about him, the more you begin to understand him.   Sparrow is a good counterpoint to Dael - her personality is completely different, and how she relates to people is a good contrast to Dael, as well.   

This book, like the two before it, was a quick read, and an engaging story. 

 
First sentences: To dream of a head dripping with blood and look into its glazed and lifeless eyes might, even in sleep, leave the dreamer changed and chastened.

Thoughts on the cover:  I like how vibrant this cover is, with the red hand feeding the raven.  It reflects part of the story, and is eye-catching.

Wordless Wednesday - Springfield, IL

Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman

Summary (courtesy of Smashwords):   “One, two! One, two! and through and through the vorpal blade went snicker-snack!” Blood pounded in Tjaden’s ears as he breathed in the acrid odor, and his sword didn’t falter. Not after the convoluted road that had led him to set out alone to find and slay the manxome Jabberwocky. But the secrets he’d learned about the Jabberwocky’s sorrowful past made it a sour victory.

How different would the situation be if the girl he loved wasn’t at risk? Why didn’t anyone tell him the dark secrets surrounding the Tumtum tree?

Jabberwocky, a short novel by Daniel Coleman, is the untold story behind Lewis Carroll’s beloved poem. Meet the characters and creatures that inhabit the world long before Alice ever fell down the rabbit’s hole.

While staying true to every detail of Lewis Carroll’s masterpiece, Jabberwocky provides twists that will keep you turning pages. You might know how it ends, but you won’t believe how it happens.

And here's what I thought:  This is Daniel Coleman's first story set in Wonderland.   You might have already read my review of Hatter, which I read first.   I enjoyed this story just as much as Hatter, although it was completely different.

Compared to Hatter, where there are two character paralleling each other throughout the story, this book focuses mainly on one character, Tjaden.  He's a talented and brave young man, determined to prove that he can be taken into the Elite Guard.  It almost seems like his dreams won't be realized this year when, already injured by a fight with  a bandersnatch, he loses a critical fighting match.  However, the Elite seek him out, taking Tjaden and his best friend, Ollie, to train towards becoming members of the guard.


Woven throughout this story is Tjaden's love for Elora, a young woman from his town.  His encounter with the bandersnatch actually came about because of her, and she accompanies him and Ollie to Palassiren (a larger city), so that she can recount his bravery in the fight with the bandersnatch.   All seems like it is going well, and Tjaden is settling into his new life as a trainee ---- until he receives news that Elora has been taken by a jabberworky, a fearsome beast.   Determined to save her, he asks one of the Elite, Captain Darieus, to train him to slay the jabberwocky.    Darieus agrees, providing him with training and knowledge, but it seems like he might have some kind of hidden motive in sending Tjaden to rescue Elora.

And, of course, Darieus does --- and all becomes revealed throughout the story.   There's adventure, intrigue, and even some love (and a bit of heartbreak).   There's a smooth, even flow to this story, and plenty of Wonderland in it (we meet more creatures, like borogroves, for example).   Something I found interesting in this book, and in Hatter, was that the description of the fighting, whether it is with staff or sword, seem very accurate.   I don't know about the author's own experiences, but from the way he writes, it seems he is familiar with both.  I've encountered this before in writing (Tim Powers' The Drawing of the Dark is one example -- Tim Powers has fencing experience, which really comes through in his writing).   I liked that there were these realistic elements in the story, in addition to the more fantastical elements --- it made for a good balance.    

Even though I read the books in reverse order, it didn't matter too much --- other than the fact that we meet Chism, one of the main characters from Hatter, in this story.   Tjaden encounters him when he meets the other recruits.    I thought both of these stories were interesting, and really good reads --- and I would welcome another story set in Wonderland.  

 
First sentences: Misha and Teia stood on the outskirts of the wabe, peering into the crowd of townspeople gathered to witness their Sixteenery. Each held a new red ribbon with gold tips, to be tied in their hair until their wedding days.

Thoughts on the cover:   I really love the typeface, and the cover art is subtle, but perfectly suits the story.

Library Lagniappe --- what the heck is an MLIS?

What is an MLIS?  How do I get one?  Why would I want one?

You may have encountered this term before, if you've ever looked at ads for library positions, and wondered what it was.   Or, you may already know what it is.   Or, you may think it sounds like some kind of strange abbreviation --- Monkeys Like Illicit Sweets?  May Lunch Involve Sauerkraut?

An MLIS is a Master's in Information and Library Science, and is the required degree for many professional librarians in the United States.   It's also sometimes termed an MLS (Master's in Library Science), and the two are kinda the same (some schools call it MLIS, some call it MLS).  Basically, a lot of times, people just call it "library school."  To get an MLIS or MLS, you need to find an accredited school, which means a school which the ALA (American Library Association) has approved for the degree.   To get into a master's program, most schools require: a bachelor's degree, that you take the GRE (Graduate Records Examination), and .... a lot of money.    Sorry, but that last part seems to hold true no matter where you go to school --- getting a master's degree is usually pretty expensive.   The good news is that your bachelor's degree doesn't have to be in library science, but can be in anything.  In fact, a lot of schools encourage diversity in backgrounds, which makes for a lot of students from different backgrounds, but who all have a similar interest in libraries.

My MLIS is from  Dominican University in Illinois.   Illinois only has two schools that offer the MLIS: Dominican and the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana).   When I was in library school, they didn't have online classes at Dominican, which was a complete bummer, since it would have been nice to do classes on my own time, at home.  Instead, I worked a full day of work (7 am - 4:30 pm, sometimes with no lunch break) and then went to school at night.    While online classes would have been convenient, I'm glad all of my classes met physically, face-to-face.    Having to drive to school and attend class meant that I had a full commitment to going to school, and there was no way to slack off.  Face-to-face classes make for a lot of instant discussion and interaction, which, depending on the class, meant for some really interesting sessions.   Physical classes let you make friends that you can study with, and commiserate with -- and it lets you ask questions in class and get answers right away.    That being said, I would have enjoyed having one or two classes as online classes, because I didn't feel it was necessary to physically be in class to learn the material.

Since obtaining the degree, I have taken a few online courses to continue my education, and I've enjoyed them.  It's really nice to be able to take classes without needing to travel.    I chose Dominican over University of Illinois mainly because of the location.   U of I was less money, and had an online learning program (called the LEEP program), but at the time, required physical presence on campus for some sessions --- which would have necessitated me using up all of my vacation time from my job in the first two semesters.....   not an option for me, since I did not tell my employer that I was getting my degree (that's a whole 'nother story, which I may tell some other time).    I think online classes are great, but I wouldn't want to give up the physical classes, simply for the interaction that happens when you get together with a group of people to discuss things face-to-face.  However, online classes do allow people to get the degree who otherwise wouldn't be able to travel back and forth to class, or take the classes from an accredited school in another state --- which is very convenient.  

So that answers the first two questions: what is it? and how do I get one?     But maybe you're wondering -- why would I want an MLS?

Library positions for Librarians (Reference Librarians, Catalogers, Assistant Directors, and many others) usually require that you have the MLIS.    If you want a position that pays more money, you need the degree.   At least, most of the time --- there's no way to make a blanket statement for every single library, and every single position, but this seems to be the general way things go.   However -- don't despair if you would love to work in a library, but don't have the money or inclination to get a master's degree.    The other degree that you can get is a LTA, or Library Technical Assistant certificate.   Some library positions ask for an LTA, but others don't require any kind of degree at all.   Depending on the library, and the job, the required qualifications can really vary (which is why it's important to read any job descriptions carefully).    There's a great article I found which compares the MLS to an LTA, if you want to know more.

Ok -- enough lagniappe for now.   Comments and questions are welcome, as always, especially since I'll probably work them into future posts.   Thanks go out to Kelly, who commented last time and asked about my degree experience!