The Librarian Writer

Now that the shitstorm that was 2016 is over, it's time to greet the New Year with some hope. I have sorely neglected this blog, but I hope to do better this year. In fact, that's pretty much my resolution for the year. To do better. Not perfect. But better. Better will do. 2016 isn't something to put behind me, but something to learn from. So here's a bit of optimism for 2017:

Happy Easter, everyone! (or Passover) (or lazy Sunday) Enjoy the day and enjoy this video:

Jake and Elwood The thing about being a cat person is that you can't go very long without a cat. So when our beloved Pablo passed away earlier this year, it wasn't too long before we went to the local rescue. These are the new kittens, Jake and Elwood. Pretty cute, huh? And if that's not enough cuteness, here are some random cat videos for you: Cat Man Do: Sad Cat Diary: Trololo Cat: Happy New Year, everyone!

Pablo the Cat I can no longer put it off. This weekend I have to sort through my papers and organize my tax information. But if you can put it off a little longer, here are some random cat videos to help you procrastinate. (And that good-looking cat in the picture is Pablo, who gets his fluffy coat and big paws from some Maine Coon ancestor.) First up is Henri, the French Existentialist Cat . There are a whole series of Henri videos now, including an endorsement deal he got with Friskies. But the first is still the best. Henri the French Existentialist Cat: If you think teaching your cat how to walk on a leash is hard, you might have better luck teaching them how to walk their human. How to Walk Your Human: Finally, this video was so funny that the tears of laughter blinded me and I had to watch it again. And again. Scientific Proof that Cats are Better Than Dogs: Enjoy!

Happy holidays, everyone! I've got some book reviews to catch up on and some screenwriting news to share, but that's all going to wait until the New Year. Have a fabulous holiday season with your family and friends!  And my gift to you are these singing penguins. Bonus Video: San Francisco Jingle Penguins

Every year the literary world loses great authors, but somehow it seems unfairly cruel to lose both Maurice Sendak and Ray Bradbury so close to each other. Both have been banned numerous times. Both are icons in their genres. Both will be deeply missed because their books were so deeply loved. Books are precious to people because they become friends. Friends who cheer you, challenge you, and invite you into their worlds. You don't want to see your friends hurt. That's why there should be outrage when a book is banned. That's why Fahrenheit 451 means so much to people, as a moral tale of it-could-happen-here, or as some people may think, it's-already-happening. To take away books is to take away friends, good friends, best friends. The ebook revolution threatens some people who love the physical heft of a "real" book. I'm more pragmatic. It's not the format that matters, digital or paper. It's the content. It's the ideas and character...

"Mr. Holmes is kind of hawt." May has been a super busy month, so I haven't been able to get that much reading in. I did finish The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks , which is remarkable and important and everyone should read it. I started the YA mystery The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman, which has been enjoyable so far. I also started A Study in Scarlet , the first of the Sherlock Holmes tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I never read any Sherlock before, but I've loved the many incarnations in films and television, especially the version portrayed by Jeremy Brett . But, of course, the latest incarnation is the best. ( No, Robert Downey, Jr., that isn't you. ) I'm talking about the Steven Moffat produced Sherlock series on BBC and PBS. This is a modern, sexy, oh-so-smart adaptation of the detective in the deerstalker hat. Benedict Cumberbatch is spot-on as the brilliantly mercurial Sherlock Holmes, but it's Martin Freeman as the long-suf...

So much has already been written about the fearless brilliance of Maurice Sendak. For example, Neil Gaiman wrote this heartfelt tribute about his hero. And he wrote another one , too. Maurice Sendak seemed to care as much about fame as he did controversy. He did what he did and didn't care much what people thought about it, good or bad. Lucky for us, his work was remarkable. Even iconic. And always honest. So honest that some people feel his books are dangerous, telling children things they shouldn't know. What Maurice Sendak realized was that children already know these things. He was a picture book master that will never a equaled. He will be missed, but librarians, teachers, and parents will ensure that he is not forgotten. Below are three videos that celebrate Maurice Sendak and his work. The first video is Part 1 of the interview Stephen Colbert did with Maurice Sendak. It is hilarious. The second video is President Obama reading Where the Wild Things Are t...

I'm in the middle of revising the outline of the screenplay I'm working on and blanking on a blog topic. I thought maybe I'd write about my new Pinterest obsession. Or how much I can't wait to see The Hunger Games movie. Or even more random cat videos. But then I saw this video that I thought was hilarious. Finally, young adult books are getting a little respect. Because young adult novels can save the economy! Obama's Young Adult Novel Plan : Of course, writing isn't as easy it looks. Although some people refuse to believe that. So You Want to Write a Novel: But if you've got writer's block, you can always use the people around you for inspiration. George Lucas in Love: Happy writing!

I happen to be sitting in a bar in Maui right now. I can see the waves heading lazily to shore and soft breezes drift through the open lanai windows. It seems as un-Christmaslike as possible. But I want to wish all of you a very merry Christmas. And my gift to you is a cute cat video. How to Wrap a Cat for Christmas : Mele Kalikimaka! Merry Christmas!

This is a photograph of my cat Jasmine, who passed away earlier this year. She was 17 years old and I adopted her when she was 5, so that's 12 years I'm very grateful I got to spend with her. Because it's Thanksgiving weekend and we've all got places to be, things to do, and leftovers to eat, this week I've collected a series of random cat videos for your entertainment and in honor of Jasmine. Pepper, An Actor's Life : Ninja Cat : I'm a Kitty Cat : An Engineer's Guide to Cats :

I recently saw Hanna , an action movie that came out earlier this year about a 16-year-old assassin. I thought it did a great job of using YA tropes (friendship, boys, identity), plus it's a pretty kick-ass movie. Hanna wasn't a mega-budget film and wasn't a mega-blockbuster, but there are good performances by Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett (if you can get past her Southern accent). And Saoirse Ronan as Hanna is amazing. (Oh, there's a pretty kick-ass soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers, too.) It's definitely worth renting, streaming, or putting on your Netflix queue if you missed it in theaters. Here's the trailer for Hanna :   Hanna also got me thinking about some teen-centric movies you may have missed entirely, because I almost did. These are indie movies that didn't have wide distribution and that I stumbled upon, either through recommendations or dumb luck. The Chumscrubber stars Jamie Bell as a teen in suburbia whose drug-dealing friend ...

I finally made it to LACMA's Tim Burton exhibit , which was all the awesome that I was expecting. No one is allowed to take a camera into the exhibit, but people are permitted to take a photo of the entrance, which is suitably twisted. I am a huge Tim Burton fan, although I acknowledge that his work has been uneven ( Planet of the Apes , anyone?) . But in the spirit of Halloween, I thought I'd share some Tim Burton love. First of all, Cakewrecks recently highlighted Tim Burton themed cakes that you just have to see to believe. Secondly, I stumbled upon the original version of The Nightmare Before Christmas poem, narrated by Christopher Lee, and here for you to enjoy: Finally, here's a sneak peek at Tim Burton's Dark Shadows , which releases next year. (Yes, I have ridiculously high expectations.) Bonus video : And because it's Halloween, I have to include Neil Gaiman's (why isn't Tim Burton directing The Graveyard Book ?) pitch for All Hal...

My husband thinks I'm a total Harry Potter nerd, but that's not true. I've never: gone to a midnight book release party dressed up in character read one of the books in a single day created a fan video Now that the final movie has come out, I find myself unwilling to say good-bye. So I've collected some of my favorite Harry Potter videos to watch (over and over) again. (And it's quicker than re-reading all the books.) Enjoy! Harry Potter in 99 Seconds : The entire series for those with ADD. Literal Deathly Hallows Movie Trailer : Now that I've seen both parts, this is even funnier. A Very Potter Musical : This is just the first part, but worth watching the entire musical (with Glee 's Darren Criss as Harry!) Gandalf vs. Dumbledore Epic Rap Battles of History : OMFG. Hilarious. Potter Puppet Pals : There's a slew of these very funny videos, but I heart this one the most. Harry Potter and the Brokeback Gobl...

Two of my favorite things are making a convergence this weekend. Neil Gaiman has written the episode of Doctor Who that will air this Saturday, May 14th. To say I am excited is to understate the level of squee this fangirl is capable of. If you haven't seen Doctor Who since, oh, the 20th century, don't let preconceptions of bad special effects and cheesy aliens stop you from enjoying the reboot of the franchise that began in 2005. Christopher Eccleston starred as the Ninth Doctor, bringing a edginess to the role. David Tennant took over as the sexy Tenth Doctor from 2006-2010. Matt Smith, the goofiest doctor I've ever seen, now stars as the Eleventh Doctor. The BBC obviously upped the budget, but what made a new generation of viewers fans of the show is the remarkable storytelling. These stories are smart, funny, tragic, and scary, often at the same moment. Not every episode is an A+, but rarely is an episode anything less than a B. I highly suggest th...

The big day is tomorrow! Yeah, yeah, there's some kind of shindig going on at Westminster Abbey, but I'm talking about the screening of Royal Wedding at the TCM Classic Film Festival . Royal Wedding is a little gem, often overlooked as one Fred Astaire's best movies. Directed by Stanley Donen, the 1951 film stars Fred and Jane Powell as a brother/sister dancing team going to London for the royal nuptials of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Of course there's romance and hijinks and plenty of dancing. One of the highlights of the film is the sequence where Fred Astaire dances on the ceiling. It is flat-out awesome and a remarkable achievement of choreography, filmmaking, and ingenuity. See for yourself: Once you've picked your jaw up off the floor, you may want to know how that was done. A revolving room was created and a camera mounted to follow the room. Someone on YouTube was kind enough to deconstruct the scene. Even though Fred Astaire makes eve...

In honor of National Library Week, I thought I'd post some of my favorite library related videos. Cookie Monster in the library : Old Spice parody in the library : Mr. Bean in the library : Library Girl music video : Ghostbusters parody in the library : Erik the Librarian : Grover in the library : Please share some of your favorite library videos!