Wendy the Super Librarian is Sharing the Shallows

April 22, 2017shallowreader 19 Comments

The first time I remember seeing SuperWendy’s name mentioned was in the early 2010s and someone was discussing a librarian who was running readers’ advisory training for Harlequin Mills &Boon category novels at her library. I just died of envy! I wanted to be at the training! I wanted to be the librarian that ran the training. I wanted to KNOW the genius who was able to run with this. At that point, I had been running readers’ advisory training in my own workplace for close to five years but never once did I have the opportunity to run any training that was genre specific, let alone on my favourite genre ever. Having discovered Super Wendy, I started following her on Twitter, chatted with her, followed her excellent blog, I take part in her most excellent TBR Challenge and one day, I know, we will meet in person. In the meantime, I am so happy that she has agreed to share my shallows today.

Wendy the SuperLibrarian

Wendy is a librarian, working in administration these days. According to her Mom, she is a “big shot.”

Can you describe yourself?

Wendy fell in love with romance shortly after accepting her first professional librarian gig. Prior to succumbing to romance, an addiction that took hold with frightening speed (seriously, like three books in and she was hooked!), she preferred her books with at least one dead body, by no later than page 50. While she still reads suspense, it’s romance that truly has her heart and she reads it almost exclusively. Wendy’s been kicking around the online romance community since 1999 – and her various scribblings have been on so more online walls (some defunct, some still in existence) that she can barely keep track anymore. A Midwestern girl at heart, she now lives on the US west coast where, when she’s not reading romance, she’s obsessing over her Detroit Tigers baseball team, drinks more tea than is likely good for a person, and devotes way too much time to Law & Order (the original and best flavor) reruns. Continue reading →

Elbowlass is Sharing the Shallows

April 8, 2017April 8, 2017shallowreader 1 Comment

I first met @Elbowlass in Kindergarten. Well our sons’ kindie to be exact. Ours was one of those slow growing friendships. One that starts as parents standing around the school playground being bored. We discovered we both love reading, we go to bookgroup together, we gripe about our sons’ (now former) school, we swap academia stories, I cry on her shoulder, she swats me and says “get a grip” and then, in her ever-so-British ways, offers me a cup of tea and somehow I fortuitously ended up with an absolutely excellent and dear-to-me friend.

Can you describe yourself?

I am currently employed in various jobs in the academic world. I am from Manchester in the UK originally and although I have been in Sydney for over twenty five years I still feel like I am a stranger here in so many ways.

I am @Elbowlass because Elbow the band, are from Manchester and so am I. It’s also a crap name which I like.

Vassiliki and I have such different tastes in reading, music, films and television shows it’s brilliant and amazing that we are still friends. We have a love of cutting through bullshit and a passion for social justice and good shoes.

What is your main reading medium (books, blogs, games, news, etc) and how much time do you spend reading a week?

Lumberjanes I read most nights before I go to sleep and still occasionally curl up during the day for hours if I have an unputdownable book. I read all sorts of books, graphic novels, blogs, cartoon books, poetry, gardening books whatever takes my eye. At the weekend I indulge in the luxury of reading The UK Guardian online which takes me ages. I also have to read everyday as part of my job. Not sure I can add up how much reading I do but it’s a lot.

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What or who is your joyful reading (guilty or otherwise) pleasure?

I love all kinds of books but especially those where the author has a sense of humour or sense of fun in the way they write so Terry Pratchett, Janet Evanovich, Ben Aaronovitch. I really like fantasy/crime fiction books including steam punk novels. [My son] introduced me to the Lumber Jane series which I think is fab but sadly there are no more. I have no guilts about reading.

Do you have a favourite storyline or plot? And do you have one you will not read?

No favourite story line or plot, just books that make me want to read on because of the beauty of the language, great characterisation, humour or the intrigue. Not a fan of books with gratuitous graphic violence or those hard core sci fi genre books full of ‘I know more than you do’ facts. I have never made it past the first few pages of Catch 22 couldn’t relate to it at all.

Why do you/don’t you use a public library?
I do use the public library, but did even more so when the kids were little. The new library at Dulwich Hill is lovely but doesn’t seem to have many books in it! I buy lots of secondhand books and use kindle too, especially when I am travelling.

Do you RUI*. If so, what?

Nope I don’t RUI because I would fall asleep too soon and wouldn’t remember what I had read the next day. I enjoy the whole process of engaging in reading too much to not be fully present.

Do you have a favourite reading spot?

I love reading in bed, and on the big sofa in our lounge. In winter I adore reading in the bath with a strategically placed towel by the bath for drying my hands on before turning over a page. Never kindled in the bath though and wouldn’t recommend it.

Toilet reading:
I don’t take reading material into the toilet when I am making use of the facilities, although I did when I was a kid. It was a sanctuary where I could be alone and wouldn’t get pestered to go out and play with the other kids. I do remember having a ring around my bum when I’d got lost in a novel. Thinking back on it I was such a twit for actually pretending I was going to the toilet and sitting there bare cheeked, I didn’t really need to do the method acting bit.

Romance fiction of the Happily Ever After (not the love tragedy) kind – are you a Lover or a Hater and why?

I have no idea how to answer this, romance maybe in the books I read but I don’t necessarily choose Romance books. Having said that I don’t really mind what the outcome of a relationship is as long as it’s well written and convincing.

What would you give up reading for**?

Sorry I definitely can’t answer this because I can’t imagine a life without reading. If I had no books I’d read the back of a toilet duck.

Can a romance/crime/super/etc hero be the driver of a hatchback?

Of course they can, they can have roller skates, a bicycle and wear bicycle clips or catch the bus – I am not one to judge.

*Reading Under the Influence

**I like stranded prepositions

March 2017 ShallowreaderBingo write up

April 4, 2017April 4, 2017shallowreader 4 Comments

Lately, I have been whining a bit about being in a reading slump but in actual fact, I am only in a novel/fiction reading slump. The rest of my reading is pretty much buoyant and happening. So much so that I’m hitting those Bingo Squares for March. I could have doubled up on some of the squares but I have gone with only one square per reading. And I still fail at my own game as I can’t seem to score a straight run, dammit!

The circled squares for March are: Love thy neighbour, Bodily fluid, redundant, It's all Greek to Me, Comfort and Pretty.

Bodily Fluid

I would argue that Aaron Blabey is in the top five Australian picture book authors evah! And his latest book Busting is a very funny, verse book about holding your wee in and bladder control.

Lou is BUSTING for the loo.
But the loo has quite a queue.
So what on earth is Lou to do?

This is an excellent book not only for kids who are being toilet trained but for anyone who enjoys the occasional toilet humour or struggles to find a toilet alternative. Continue reading →

ShallowreaderBingo! March 2017

March 27, 2017shallowreader Leave a comment

For those of you that are playing, here is the March Bingo Sheet! Each player that posts about their reading Bingo gets a square in the next round!

Enjoy and I hope to read your Bingo hits in a few days!

Row 1: Father Figure; Knock three times; March; Bear Witness; Dancing. Row 2: The Black Moment; Love Thy Neighbour; Buff; Hero/ine; Patience. Row 3: Terribly Sad!; Bodily Fluid; An Elegant Madness; Kind; It's all Greek to me. Row 4: 45; Independence; Redundant; Tropical Orchid; Glass Madonna. Row 5: An ill wind; Comfort; Pretty; Ready and Willing; Suite.

Sandra Antonelli is Sharing the Shallows

March 18, 2017March 18, 2017shallowreader Leave a comment

I first met Sandra Antonelli on Twitter in 2009 where we were both taking part in the #badsongFriday posts. We bonded over our mutual love for glitter, glam and a sprinkle of kitsch. We then discovered that we had sooooo much more in common. We both loved romance fiction. We both love Mike Brady. We think poop and fart jokes are funny. And we are both married to men called John. And we both have a love for mini-foxies with Sandra influencing me to buy one through her fabulous loving tales of the late Budman. We live in cities far far away from each other so it is a total treat when we get to catch up in person. Sandra is one of my favouritest people ever. However, we will never agree on the topic of hatchback cars. We have been debating their sexiness (or lack thereof) online for many years and her answer today signifies that the debate will continue. Feel free to join in the argument! And yes – Question 10 in my Sharing the Shallows was put there for Sandra’s benefit.

Sandra Antonelli head shot

Sandra Antonelli

Author

Can you describe yourself?

Reader, writer, movie-lover, coffee drinker, Dr. Sandra Antonelli is passionate about the portrayals of older women in the media and fiction. Her masters and doctoral work focused on the viability of mature aged-women as protagonists in romance fiction. Her research includes creative writing, popular culture representations of older women in the media, representations of age, and age marginalization in fiction publishing. She engages in public discourse on her scholarly and fictional work on a variety of social media platforms. Sandra likes fart humour and poop jokes, and is basically a 12-year-old boy trapped in a middle-aged woman’s body. She is the author of A Basic Renovation, For Your Eyes Only, Driving in Neutral and Next to You, romance novels that all position women over 40 as romance heroines. She is currently writing the In Service series, a romantic thriller-comedy featuring a middle-aged female butler and the spy who loves her. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter: @SandrAntonelli, and sandraantonelli.com. Continue reading →

Comfort reading and librarian romances

March 16, 2017March 17, 2017shallowreader 17 Comments

It’s March and my fiction reading still has not taken off. I’m a tad busy at the moment (understatement) as I have my part-time librarian work, I have taken on teaching a new subject which is slightly shifted from my previous subjects, and of course I am still chipping slowly away at my PhD meanwhile I am continuing with my whole family’s habitual 2 episodes a night of How I Met Your Mother (priorities peoples!) while trying to perform motherly duties, so there will be no self-flaggelation over my lack of recreational reading. That said, I still wanted to contribute to SuperWendy’s TBR this month as I really love the comfort reads theme so I dug out an old draft post I had started writing on my favourite librarian romances which are high up on my comfort reads list.

There are quite a few librarian novels and SuperWendy, who is also a romance reading librarian, has an ever-growing Librarians in Romance Novels page with over 125 novels listed. I’ve read many on her list but I’ll only discuss my favourites.

Karina Bliss wrote What the Librarian Did which became an automatic buy up for libraries with a Mills & Boon buying plan (ahem!) I think this was a favourite because we were all wondering “What did she do!?!?!”.

Let’s just say that Rachel Robinson was a great academic librarian but a little bit reluctant in the relationship game because, you know, life decisions can sometimes suck and come back to haunt you.

But this book isn’t my absolute favouritest librarian comfort read…..

Continue reading →

Valancy is Sharing the Shallows

March 11, 2017shallowreader 6 Comments

It would be well over a year ago that I noticed a blog called Blue Castle Considerations begin to follow Shallowreader. I clicked over to the site and discovered the absolutely hilarious Valancy writing on all things romance and Anne of Green Gables and retro Mills & Boon with flare and gif savvy. I have since been fortunate enough to meet Valancy in person (even though she lives far far far far away in a far far far away land). She is funny and sweet and ever so insightful when it comes to reading and related things.

Not so much a selfie, but rather the things that make reading perfect: Bed. Cat. Kindle. (That is Tansy, one of the cat overlords. She rules with a benevolent but draconian paw.)

Valancy

Can You Describe Yourself?

In search of sleep, sanity, & The Shire. Here to serve the cat overlords.

Co-creater of bolognese soup. It’s true. Even if Google doesn’t acknowledge it.

Lover of all HEAs.

Secret Disney Princess devotee.

Heyer aficionado.

What is your main reading medium (books, blogs, games, news, etc) and how much time do you spend reading a week?

Books and blogs. I spend FAR too many hours on both. It means less work, but it’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.

What or who is your joyful reading (guilty or otherwise) pleasure?

I cannot ever go past a fairytale retelling. Regardless of whether it is good, bad or indifferent. I will buy it. I will read it. You had me at Once Upon a Time.

6 Georgette Heyer book covers

Variety of Betty Neels covers Go-to comfort reads: Georgette Heyer & Betty Neels.

Secret Reading Addiction: Vintage Harlequin and Mills & Boon from the 60s, 70s & 80s. Alpha-hole males, punishing kisses, hateful face slaps and women who end up being married to anti-hero-turned-hero in a far flung country with nothing but jersey dress and fringed leather jacket to their name. So Bad. So Good. I will read them all.

Do you have a favourite storyline or plot? And do you have one you will not read?

Did you know that Mozambique National Demining Institute has trained African Giant Pouch Rats to sniff out explosives?? Apparently they are cheap, small, efficient and tireless in their search.

Oh, sorry, my point? It’s a long bow, but that is pretty much me in my indefatigable search for any kind of book that has a romance in it. My favourite plot is anything, as long as it is leavened by an affaire de coeur.

Yep. I am that easy. 🙂

Why do you/don’t you use a public library?

Always.

Online libraries for ebooks and physical libraries for the smell of dust and sandwich wrappers mixed with that soupçon of frowsty damp. (or maybe that’s just my public library…?) Plus I love finding super old relic books that haven’t been cracked open in years.

Case in point: A 1986 compilation of the year’s cutting edge technology: featuring Walkmans, animated Etch-a-Sketch, Discmans and Nintendo NES… I die.

Do you RUI*. If so, what?

I have a super fine knife edge balance of 3 glasses of wine and imminent slumber;

I am a fall-asleep-er under the influence.

Do you have a favourite reading spot?

See pic.

And Bed. Because beds are awesome. If everyone worked from beds, instead of offices, I feel that world peace would not be just something Miss Universe cited, but an actual, tangible possibility.

Think about.

You can’t get cranky in bed. Or throw a temper tantrum; it is always welcoming and never rejects you. Things that make you snap rage would hold no water against an ergonomic mattress and memory foam pillows. Bonus: super short commute.

Toilet reading:

No. Just No.

That is 23 shades of wrong.

POO germs people, they are a THING.

And that has suddenly made me want to completely rethink my public library usage.

So um…thanks.

Romance fiction of the Happily Ever After (not the love tragedy) kind – are you a Lover or a Hater and why?

HEA. Always.

I can manage a HFN too, but only because I do this while no-one is looking:

https://bluecastleconsiderations.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/unicorn-guy.gif

I cite previous Disney Princess & fairytale references. Life sucks too much already, I don’t need that kind of realism in my one legal form of escapism.

What would you give up reading for**?

Um. Nothing. Don’t tell my cats…but I really don’t think I could, not even for them.

Can a romance/crime/super/etc hero be the driver of a hatchback?

Being a driver of said hatchback, I do have a slight bias towards them; so YES, but with a caveat: Only if it has four doors.

NO self respecting hero can ever be knight errant with only two doors. Trust me on this. It is physically impossible. Not only does it make for the MOST UNGRACEFUL exit known to humankind; the doors are heavy and have a tendency to make sweepingly graceful closures on one’s behind. Or hand. Or foot. Or head.

Just saying y’all.

🙂