I’ve been reading the staff handbook for my new school library job and my dress is supposed to meet or exceed the standards expected of students. Based on what I saw last year as a parent, I should be fine wearing glittery poofy dresses or cosplaying as Taylor Swift.

San Diego Comic-Con starts tomorrow. Here are a couple resources that help me feel like I’m part of it.

Finished reading: Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean 📚

If you want to see Sarah MacLean do a magic trick and turn the villain of two books into the hero of the third, read the Bareknuckle Bastards series.

🔖📚 Read Sherlock Holmes self-insert fanfic written by a 7th grader in 1903.

I love this so much.

Updated my bio:

Middle-aged magical girl. Mom. Once and future school librarian. Contract curator for Micro.blog. Citizen of Romancelandia. I manage multiple chronic illnesses. I love books and games. 🌈♿

🔖 Read Frida Kahlo’s life of chronic pain by Carol A. Courtney (OUPblog).

Looking for examples of chronically ill and disabled creatives to be models for myself. Frida Kahlo is such a great one.

I was reading Austin Kleon’s newsletter and feeling jealous of how he seems to do so much and see so much. I realized that I spend so much of my time in physical pain; if I didn’t, I’d do more other stuff. So now I want to figure out how to modify other stuff so I can do it with the body I have.

🔖 Read Welcome to Your Cronehood by Catherine Newman (Cup of Jo).

I am not psyched about menopause. I’ve already lived a lot of my life for me rather than other people, so I feel ahead of the curve there.

🔖🗺️ Read How Paris Hopes the Summer Olympics Will Transform the City—for Good by Lindsey Tramuta (Condé Nast Traveler).

This is a fascinating article. Paris’s commitment to hosting the most sustainable Olympics ever and transforming an underresourced area for the long-term is inspiring.

🎮 I got Metroid: Samus Returns. I’m really enjoying it. I know there will be parts that are super difficult, but I am happy to use walkthroughs or whatever. I’m also finding that I don’t mind having to repeatedly try a fight in this game as much as I sometimes do, so that’s nice.

🔖📚 100 of the Greatest Posters of Celebrities Urging You to Read by James Folta (Lit Hub)

This is the kind of content carefully calibrated to please me, specifically.

Hey y’all! The Connected Learning Lab published the work from my postdoc today! Two new reports for library staff and leaders compiling valuable insights and recommendations to foster teen engagement through Connected Learning. Learn more about the project and find reports and checklists here.

The image is a colorful infographic titled “How can public libraries foster teen engagement?” It features four key points with corresponding illustrations: Holistic Partnerships: The foundation for teen engagement involves holistic relationships with staff and community partners, symbolized by a handshake. Community Partnerships: Expanding capacity to serve youth in all areas of connected learning, represented by an open book. Storytelling About Youth Outcomes: Demonstrating impact through compelling storytelling, depicted by a light bulb. Innovative Staff: Effective champions are staff who are lifelong learners and innovators, symbolized by a rocket ship. The bottom of the images highlights two new reports titled "Transformative Outcomes through Community Engagement" available at clalliance.org/connected-learning-through-libraries

Finished reading: Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean 📚

Sarah MacLean is just the best.

Some years on my birthday, I share who I want to be in the following year.

This year, in addition to the stuff from earlier years, I want to add:

I want to be someone who gives the same attention to writing that she has to other creative hobbies.

🎮 Finished Metroid: Zero Mission.

This is a remake of the original NES Metroid with a lengthy epilogue. I mostly enjoy Metroidvanias for the exploration.

I think my thumbs need a rest after this. It might be time to play an RPG or puzzle game. But eventually, I’ll move on to Super Metroid.

I’ve been doing French on Duolingo for a bit over a year (and Dutch before that) and this morning I realized I can translate a not insubstantial amount of Threw It On The Ground into French.

Je suis un adulte!

Mon pere n’est pas un téléphone! Duh!

Hey friends of Micro.blog.

  1. I am a contractor working mostly on M.b curation for about 5 hours a week. So if you perceive I’m not doing as much as Jean did, you’re right!

  2. I also haven’t been around for about a week because of a big family medical emergency. Everyone’s okay now.

💗

Finished reading: Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean 📚

I love this one. The hero is so dreamy.

“I luxiriated in books.” Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

📚💬 “All I ever wanted was to belong, to wear that hat of belonging.” Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

📚💬 “Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to show up anywhere.” Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

📚💬 “I understood immediately the thrill of seeing oneself in print. It provides some sort of primal verification: you are in print; therefore you exist.” Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

📚💬 “One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore.” Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

🔖📚 Read Notes on Romance Novels as “Camp”.

Andrea, author of the Shelf Love newsletter, does an amazing job of arguing for romance novels as Camp.

Finished reading: The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean 📚

This one made me cry. I just really love a second chance.