November 23, 2009 - Thank you Ms. Collins and Ms. Meyer (with help from CW)

This past week -
I've been captured, captivated, and changed because of a book.
I've been pleased, passionate and positive because of a movie adaptation of a book.

I will try not to include any spoilers as I describe the crazy cloud I've been floating on. I probably should be working on my proposal for my capping paper (due Dec. 1 - and if my advisor from U of A is reading this, then I *am* working diligently on it) but I'm one of these people that get engrossed in books - sometimes a little too empathetic, a little too absorbed.

At first, it was Shiver, an absolutely amazing read. I loved the significance of temperature to the plot. I loved the dual narration. I had to walk away from the book several times as I was reading it because it was just so intense. I cried, not at what was happening, but at my anticipation of what was to happen. My husband threatened to hide my books from me.

Then, as if to confirm that his initial threat might be a good idea, I read Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I lay awake in bed way after 1:00 a.m., just thinking about the plot and the characters. I interrupted my husband to explain why the ending made me sob just as hard as the middle. I dreamed about the characters and frantically emailed fellow teacher-librarians that I knew had read the book so I could "decompress" (thanks GD and AS for the talk). I just finished reading the second in the trilogy, "Catching Fire" (the perfect title). The action, the terror, the strategy - I was just taken aback by how well woven it was.

On the back of Catching Fire is a quote praising The Hunger Games from Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight series, of course), who said "I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn't have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it." Speaking of Stephenie leads me to mention that I got to see New Moon on November 19. The theatre was 3/4 full and I had empty seats on either side of me. I wore my "tua cantata" shirt and sat and let the movie wash over me.

Now, I am usually a harsh critic of film adaptations of books. I still won't even watch True Blood from HBO because I've heard they deviate from the Sookie Stackhouse series too strongly for my taste (Tara is NOT the bartender at Merlotte's! Bill does NOT change someone over!) However, I have to say I really enjoyed New Moon. The changes made to the plot made cinematic sense. The acting seemed better. I like how they handled all the things that went on in Bella's head. (And yes, the eye candy was nice as well, from heroin-chic hip dents to six-pack abs and lots in between.) Thanks to my generous pal JM, I am the proud owner of a ALA Taylor Lautner poster (you can buy yours at the OLA Store) and my only troubles have been the students that want to buy it off me or paw it.

So what does this have to do with school libraries? Just that I hope that my students can have the same marvelous relationship I have with books and movies made from books.