ByGD
I don’t know if Seattle Public Library usually does this. But this was the first year that I saw their year-end roundup of most popular reads. The library is an important part of my reading life; my borrowing history shows that I checked out 37 books in 2022. So I thought it would be fun to see how my library usage compared with everyone else’s.
ByGD
The Global Reading Challenge is a Battle of the Books program for 4th and 5th graders enrolled in Seattle Public Schools. The ten Challenge books selected by Seattle librarians each year are varied in genre with a diverse cast of main characters and a disproportionate number of Newbery medals gracing their covers. That’s why I’ve tried to read all ten of them each year since I discovered the challenge when my oldest daughter was in second grade.
ByGD
From the awesome Gratisography.com
In March, most of my work involved endless revisions of technical documentation only a solid waste engineer could love. It’s good money and flexes writing muscles I don’t often use anymore, but I don’t think most of you are solid waste engineers, so I’m not going to share any of that here. But as I reviewed my work flow spreadsheets and invoices for the month of March, I was pleased to see that my output of charming web-based articles continued apace, and was reminded that I got to write about some pretty interesting stuff. Read More
ByGD
Ariadne auf Naxos explores high/low art. The Prima Donna (Marcy Stonikas) with Zerbinetta (Rachele Gilmore). Elise Bakketun photo courtesy Seattle Opera
As I took my seat at the Seattle Public Library’s preview of Ariadne auf Naxos, I was reminded that in the opera world, 40 is young. Or maybe I’m just the only opera fan under 60 who is free to attend a lecture at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday. Of course the library hosts opera preview lectures at a number of different times and locations, which is fortunate because the lectures are very good. Read More
ByGD
As so many significant events in my life, it happened at the library. It all started with a stack of bookmarks printed with a list of middle grade books. My oldest daughter had just finished second grade, and had already cloistered herself in the world of high fantasy. The books on this list were varied in genre with a diverse cast of main characters and a disproportionate number of Newbery medals gracing their covers. The bookmarks were labeled “Global Reading Challenge,” so I challenged my daughter to read all ten before the summer was over. Read More