The Little Free Library at Texas Woman's Universiry

Approximately an hour after I made my first blog post yesterday, I received an email from Texas Woman's University about an event going on at 4:00 pm. It was a dedication ceremony to a Little Free Library that Phi Kappa Phi won. It was like it was meant to be, so I had to go!

"Last year, there was a national PKP book drive. The five chapters that got the most donations would win a Little Free Library. Our chapter collected over 1,200 books, vhs tapes, magazines, and dvds to donate to Denton Country Friends of the Family. Some of the items went to their shelters, and some of the items went to their resale shop." said Heather David, chapter president of PKP.

The Little Free Library is an non-profit organization dedicated to bringing literacy to the public for free that started quite by accident when Todd Bol built a schoolhouse model in honor of his mother, who was a teacher and avid reader. After filling it with books and attaching a sign that said "Free Books" to it,, he put it out in his yard as a take-a-book-leave-a-book lending library, with books for children as well as for adults. It caught on and grew into a worldwide literacy organization with over 15,000 Little Free Libraries all over the world, and now we have one right here in Denton!

The box itself comes from the Little Free Library organization, and it is then decorated by the community. Mark Davis built the support beam that it is settled on and Elaine Davis painted it in a log cabin pattern, in honor the TWU's mascot, Minerva the Pioneer.

Attendees were asked to bring books to donate, and The Little Free Library overflowed with books on its first day! Everyone who donated a book was invited to attach a sticker to it that said who donated the book and why they recommended it.

The dedication ceremony had a number of adults and children, and children were invited to take part in a trivia game where they answered questions about authors, book characters, and basic literary concepts.

During her speech, Heather Davis quoted various people about the importance of books and reading. My favorite was from Groucho Marx.

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friends. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

TWU's chapter of PKP began in 1980, and is an academically based organization that recognizes the achievements of students through inviting them to join, sponsoring local scholarships for student members of PKP, and also nominates one student member a year, and has for the last several years, for the national fellowship competition.

PKP members are now the stewards of the TWU Little Free Library, making sure it stays in good condition, doesn't get vandalized, and is always full of books.

If you're interested in getting more information about either the Little Free Library, you can visit this website: www.littlefreelibrary.org. If you're interested in learning more about Phi Kappa Phi at TWU, then visit this website: www.twu.edu/phi-kappa-phi/.

Note: I do have photos, but I have to get them to properly upload. Don't worry, they will be up soon!

An Introduction To "No Wasted Words"

I love books. I am a total bookworm. My bookshelves are full. I am always searching for a new and interesting book to read. I am always searching for cheap and sturdy bookshelves. I visit local libraries, though perhaps not as often as I wish I did.

I spend a lot of time reading my favorite genre, young adult fiction. I love how accessible it is, and the creative and fantastical journeys the characters go on. I love seeing the world through their eyes, learning lessons with them, and taking every step of their adventure as they do. It may not be the most fashionable for a grown woman to be reading books meant for kids, but here is my philosophy: it doesn't matter what audience the book you're reading is aimed at, so long as you are enjoying yourself while you read it!

My favorite author is Diana Wynne Jones, a woman that wrote over forty books in her forty year literary career, and who, sadly, passed away back in 2011 from cancer. When I found out, I cried for days. Let me tell you why.

Her books reached me as a child in a way that was totally new to me. I had enjoyed books, being taught to love reading by my parents and two older siblings. I spent so much time at the library in Sharon Springs, New York, that I even won a savings bond from them. Books were a way for me to connect to the world in a way I felt I couldn't when pages weren't in front of me. The first book I read of hers, brought to me by my father, was Howl's Moving Castle.

I adored it. It's my favorite book to this day, and that book led me into the dynamic, magical, and multifaceted worlds that Diana created with paper and ink. Her books are most often marketed to young adults, though she has written in a variety of subjects and mediums. I am ashamed to admit that I haven't even read half of the things she wrote. It is a life goal of mine to collect and read, cover to cover, multiple times, all of her works.

I have chronic abdominal pain from endometriosis which has be bedridden a couple times a month, and I am never without one or four of her books when I feel my worst. Her books offer such a comfort After all, if Sophie could handle being old for so long, I bet I can handle this.

One of the things I love the most about her books is that nothing is superfluous. Every single word matters and is there, right where it is, for a reason, and a very good reason at that. Not a single word is there for filler, not a single syllable is an accident. Every single detail is essential to the story or creating the many worlds of her numerous stories. I have taken that thought into my everyday life, understanding that no detail of the world around me is an accident. Not that stray cat prowling for hidden rodents, not the plastic bag flying behind the grocery store, not the advertisement with a boot print on the sidewalk- everything is there for a reason, and there is a story behind all of the details which create our world. It is those details that cannot be taken for granted if we are to make the world a better place. I take the same stance when dealing with people. Every single person matters, and I hope to help encourage all of those people to pick up books, read until their heart is content, and learn as much as possible!

I believe Diana left the world a more magical place than she found it, simply by gifting the world her profound imagination and bountiful stories.

I only wish I could achieve a fraction of what she did. If I can impact one person in the way she impacted me, I will consider myself a success.

Now, for the reason for this blog. I want to help encourage reading in as many people as possible. I don't want anyone to feel ashamed for what they're reading. Whether you're a teenager reading a book meant for young children just learning to read, or a school child reading beyond the level of those around you, never apologize for reading, and never apologize for what you're reading (unless you're reading your sibling's diary- try to stay out of that!)

I would love for everyone with a favorite book to write in to me about it. Just because there is a book I didn't much care for doesn't mean that it is a bad book! I want to encourage people to read as much as they can, not discourage anyone from reading something simply due to my own preferences.

As far as what you can expect from this blog, I will be putting in reviews of various titles and genres. I won’t only be focusing on young adult fiction, though there will be plenty of that as it is my favorite genre. I will also be keeping up with new and upcoming titles, writing author profiles, and making list articles.

Currently, I am reading Reflections: On the Magic of Writing, with a forward by Neil Gaiman and introduction by Charlie Butler, both of which had the honor of knowing Diana through their mutual profession. It is a collection of essays, interviews (including her last), literary criticism, autobiographical details, and discussions about the origins of several of her books. At this moment, I have only read the forward and introduction.

I have cried every couple of paragraphs, first and most prominently at Mr. Gaiman's description of Diana, which perfectly fit how she had always been in my imagination, right down to her laugh. I won't spoil anything about the book because I want everyone to read it, but I promise to write more about it later as I finish reading it. And let's be honest, that probably won’t take more than the weekend because I have a habit of not letting her books go until I finish them.

Speaking of which, I've been away from my book for too long. I’ll be back to the realm of the living as soon as I finish this last chapter…