"His Talon was Raised to Attack..."

Could it be a spin-off on the Medieval Epic? #librarylife #shelfie

A photo posted by Christopher Jimenez (@cjmnz8) on Apr 8, 2016 at 10:45am PDT

Which Literary Monster are You?

Dr, Frankenstein's Monster - My result from this quiz

I don't always do these, but when I do I enjoy them. Happy Halloween!

How to send ebooks straight from Gutenberg to Kindle

Intro

Every librarian loves/hates Project Gutenberg. It's an incredible resource which has offers way more pros than cons. However, some warranted feedback on the site has to do with its cumbersome nature. Books have to be found, downloaded, and then sideloaded. It's much quicker and easier to just click on a magic Amazon button and have it magically whisper-synched to your device. I've found a way to do just that!

What you will need

• DROPBOX - You can get it here.
• IFTTT - The big workhorse
• GMAIL - You might be able to use another email provider on IFTTT's list (Yahoo?) but this is the one I used.
• KINDLE EMAIL - You can find it in your Amazon settings, it's going to be username@kindle.com. Also, make sure your Gmail is authorized to send attachments to your Kindle.

The basic concept

We are going to use Dropbox and IFTTT to automate the process of loading the .mobi file into your Kindle via email. The Gutenberg website has Dropbox functionality baked into it. Kindles allow you to email files from an authorized account. IFTTT will bring these two processes together.

NOTE: you will need to set up the following before going through these steps. Call them your pre-requisites, if you will.

• Make sure your Gmail is an authorized sender to your Kindle.
• Make sure your Dropbox and Gmail channels are activated in IFTTT.

Step by Step

1. Log into IFTTT and make a new recipe.
2. Start with Dropbox. Fire this recipe off with IF a new file is uploaded. Note that the folder is/will be: Apps/gutenberg.
3. THEN we will trigger GMAIL to send an email with the attachment. The attachment will be sent to your Kindle email address. The recipe is now created. and should look like this:



What the IFTTT Recipe should look like

4. Go to Gutenberg and find an ebook that you would like to read. You will have the option to save the .mobi (Kindle) to Dropbox / Drive / OneDrive. Choose Dropbox.
5. You will be taken to Dropbox, where Gutenberg will install as an app. This will create the Apps/gutenberg directory. Your ebook will be saved there.
6. IFTTT should take over and automatically email the file from Dropbox to your Kindle using your own email address.
7. Your Kindle should automatically download the file, making it instantly available for reading.

BONUS: Grab the Dropbox email (no-reply@dropboxcom) and add it to your Kindle approved senders list. Then, you can resend the ebook file to your Kindle by clicking on share. You could just do this and forget about IFTTT, but it won't be automated.

DOUBLE BONUS: I have made this recipe public so you can just go the lazy route and just take it from my IFTTT profile.

Conclusion

And that's it! You can freely browse the treasure trove of literature that is Project Gutenberg and know that any title on there can be auto-delivered to your Kindle. I would love to read your comments below. Suggestions for improvement or other recipes are appreciated.

George R. R. Martin's Character Development

• Book: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1)
• Book: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2)
• Author: George R. R. Martin

A Quick Observation

This is not a full review. I plan to read these books and watch the HBO series and write a review on the entire saga once I have finished. However, after book two I needed to pause and express a bit of praise for a particular literary quality.

I found myself rooting for Renly Baratheon.
I found myself supporting Robb Stark.
I found myself backing Danaerys Targaryen.
Everyone hates Joffrey Baratheon.

I was engrossed in their stories and motives. I wanted them to succeed. Then I realized something, each of those characters are enemies of one another. For just one of them to succeed, the other two would have to fail. They even outright threaten each other.

Though they stood in direct opposition, I still hoped the best for them. It is an interesting dynamic that I have never felt while reading a novel before. Kudos to Mr. Martin for great writing!

Merlin (TV show) Rapid Reaction

It's not like we devoted our lives to the watching of this program, but tonight was a bittersweet evening as we viewed the final episode of the Merlin TV Series. It took us about a year and a half to finish all 5 seasons. 

The story is captivating and compelling, while some of the twists may be a little off-putting. The plot, in short, pits the king of Camelot against all forms of sorcery. This is troublesome because Merlin, the greatest sorcerer in history, is the once and future king Arthur's personal servant. The tension between Merlin's desire to help Arthur and the fact that the practice of magic is illegal fuel the entire story. 

The first season is light and fun to watch. Clearly, the special effects budget increased as the show continued. After a couple seasons, random episodes take on a dark nature until it climaxes with war for the future of Camelot. 

A lot of the legend of King Arthur is presented here, though clearly the creators take liberties to tell their own story. If anyone finds that offensive, I suggest you look elsewhere. The myth weavesd here is excellent and entertaining. 

Overall, I give this TV Show aired on BBC five stars and a hearty recommendation. Now I need to find something else to watch on Netflix!

Moon Over Manifest - Book Review

** I am currently taking a Young Adult literature course and I will be reading and reviewing several materials using a new format. This review follows a template given to me by my professor.**

---

Publication Information

Name: Christopher Jimenez	Media Format: Book (eBook)
Title: Moon Over Manifest	Genre: Realistic fiction, Historical fiction, Mystery
Author: Clare Vanderpool	Selection Source: 2011 Newbery Medal
Publisher: Yearling	Recommended Audience Age: 8-12
	Reading Recommendation: 3 out of 5
	Curriculum Connections: Literature, Leisure, History, Politics

Review

Abilene Tucker was sent to the town of Manifest, KS by her father, Gideon Tucker. She jumps off the train and into a town with a rich past and a bright future. At first, she s cold to the town and its residents, but after a while her story becomes entwined with the likes of Sister Redemptia, Miss Sadie, Jinx and Ned and the Rattler--a mysterious entity who floats in and out of the narrative.

Clare Vanderpool weaves Prohibition, World War I and a town of immigrants into a historical fiction about a town that rediscovers its roots by retelling the stories of their neighbors.

Evaluation

While Abilene Tucker is not necessarily an orphan, she is abandoned by her father for the length of the story. He leaves her in the town of manifest and does not engage her in the story. She is left to wonder about the whys, whens, whats, and wheres of the town and his relationship with it.

This story is replete with literary devices like symbolism and foreshadow. The elements that are introduced in the first few chapters are shelved and reintroduced later on to complete the circle. This title would make an excellent companion to a literature class that is currently teaching these devices.

#litnerd Progeny

I'm a Parent (to be)!

I don't have much time for an extensive post, but I had to announce this with a literary quote about parenthood. Who could be more quotable than my main man, Oscar Wilde?

Oscar Wilde in New York (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them. 

Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

This quote takes the natural tensions between parent and child to the extreme in order to illustrate a message. At some point, love become intense. I hope and pray that I'm ready to experience that kind of love.

What do librarians do? THIS!

I can't wait 'till I get to do this stuff for a living! Remember, you can't do this with an eBook...

http://jmnz.us/14czhCJ

#LitNerd Goes to Epcot

Sophisticated, no?
#mlis #litnerd #tumblphoto
(Photo credit: CMJimenez)

A Little Disney Trip

The Mrs. and I both love Disney World. What can I say? It translates endless deadlines into long lines which end with Soarin' or Test Track or Off Kilter. It takes a painful world and lets you relax for 8 hours in a fantasy world. So yes, we love Disney, OK?

But I am a Lit Nerd at heart and here are some of the pictures from my Instagram/Flickr (Follow: cjime008 or CMJimenez respectively) that relate to the topic. Enjoy!

Never got that in library school.
Scare Ref? Sign me up.
@disney #monstersuniversity #mlis #litnerd
(Photo credit: CMJimenez)

Huzzah for Peter Pan in the UK Pavilion.
(Photo credit: CMJimenez)

More Reading

• A Happy Birthday Post
• Part of my #goofychallenge training. It starts in #epcot...

Male Librarian FTW

A little something for the Disney Lover slash Lit Nerd.

No Other Way: A Book Review

Image Courtesy of B&N

Book

Title: No Other Way
Author: Roger Real Drouin

Guess what, I know a real-life, bonafide, published author! His name is Roger Real Drouin & he has officially busted into the publishing world with this full-length novel. Sure, it came out in June. Yes, it took me six months to read it in between assignments & other things that clutter my life these days. But I got my hands on it & kept reading it & tweeting about it until I finished.

I actually talked to Roger last Sunday about the book a little bit. He was surprized at the awesome stuff he wrote and forgot about, but I will never forget it (mostly because I highlighted & took digital notes in my kindle & sent them to evernote after tweeting them). I look forward to broadcasting a full-length interview with him on my podcast (which has now been given it's own page on the blog, see the crossbar on top).

Technical Merit

Drouin was described in an Amazon review as Hemmingway-esque. By this, I assume the reviewer was referring to Roger's attention to detail. He describes some of the most mundane aspects of life--like getting a cup of coffee--with painstaking detail, reverence and awe. While reading, you may notice some of the nuances of life in a way you never considered them before. He holds true to this style throughout the book.

I had a little bit of trouble following some of the characters early on. After a few chapters, I got them straight & could focus more on what they were actually saying & feeling. For that reason, I give No Other Way a 3.5 on my 5-point scale for Technical Merit.

Review

That being said, amid the detail and description, brilliance can also be found. When I read longer works, what I (personally) look for are lucid moments where either a character or an omniscient narrator makes an observation that transcends the novel & is applicable to life. This story, framed around a potential environmental catastrophe, has several of those moments. A few of my favorite quotes are as follows:

On Faith

Some people had faith in things they grew attached to, or could claim ownership over. That wasn't true faith, was it? Was faith the very thing that made us reckless?

On Points of View

Awe and solitude are the two most immense points of view, and here they were the same.

On Long Shots

Hell, everything worth anything is a long shot. 

On the Dangers of Ignorance

The ones who won't listen will be the ones to say why didn't someone warn us. Maybe then they'll realize: Hey, there was a warning, they were trying to warn us... 

I always assumed Roger was a South Florida boy like me. I know he attended Florida Atlantic University (I have forgiven him for that), but the following quote is For Us Floridians:

The northerners would say there are no seasons in South Florida... But Ryan could feel those seasonal changes, and he came to love those subtle variations. Now in early March, the breeze was almost the same, except you could feel how it had lost its coolness, and smell how everything was about to bloom.

Takeaway

Mr. Drouin wrote an excellent novel that transcends the basic story of a bird-photographer & park ranger versus a gas company. He delves into real issues like Faith, Awe, Wonder, Knowledge, Ethics & how those principles manifest themselves in real life.


This is a strong first novel for Roger Real Drouin & I heartily recommend it to anyone who appreciates nature & a good read. I am saddened by the fact that I probably would not have had the pleasure of reading this book if I did not know Roger on a personal level. I look forward to more material from desk of Mr. Drouin & hope my readers will also look into this excellent author.

More Reading

You can connect with Roger Real Drouin on the following channels!

• Twitter: @rogerreal - he is active and engaging!
• Blog: Roger's Outdoor Blog - Roger loves the outdoors & Birding
• Website: Roger's Web Page - In case there's anything else you want to know about him.

Visions of Gerard: Book Review

The Book

Title: Visions of Gerard
Author: Jack Kerouac

I picked this title off a used bookstore shelf in Bryson City, North Carolina along with Dharma Bums. I have always been mildly interested in Kerouac's work since being introduced to him in the Eleventh grade. Dharma Bums was a good read, but for some reason I put off Visions of Gerard until this weekend. It took Tropical Storm Isaac & 72 hours inside my own home to make me read it.

Technical Merit

I have a personal affinity for the stream-of-consciousness style which Kerouac writes with. Therefore, I naturally give him high marks for technical merit. I was amazed that the man neglected to use any punctuation save the dash (--) until page 5 (practically). Yet, the effect of floating between thoughts seems fitting for the narrator of the story: himself at the age of 3--at least, that is what he would have you believe. Clearly, Kerouac writes with a measure of outside knowledge of the situation. Further, the mingling of his childhood Roman Catholicism with his later formulated Buddhist enlightenment--a clear revelation that Kerouac has infused his childhood with adult rationale.

I also love the way he weaves his home-grown French slang into the narrative. Granted, this probably means that I lost some of the substance of what was actually being retold, yet I gained a real feel for what life was like for the community as a whole. I tried using Google Translate, but gave up after the slang failed to translate for the fifth time. The real translation was not of importance anyways, the French was about setting the mood.

My Takeaway

I was struck by the recurrence of the phrase: It is what it is, or some re-wording thereof, throughout the text. Given the tragedy of losing a sickly child, what other explanation could possibly be offered? Life owes us neither apology nor explanation. What happens, simply happens--we must only pick up the pieces and move on. Clearly, this is a Buddhist interpretation of life's events, pinning earthly suffering not on the occurrence of spiritual deficiency (read: sin) but on pure chance. Consider the questions: How do you comfort the mother who has sacrificed her own health for a dying child? How do you console the father who detached himself from home life in order to deal with the pain?

Your answer to these questions will reveal a lot about your world-view.

I Read a Few Books

I have been busy during this intermediary period between Summer C & the beginning of Fall 2012. I have read & written several book reviews, all of which are on Religious topics so I will not be posting reviews here. However, if you're interested in a full review, feel free to click on my links!

Everything You Know About Evangelicals is Wrong by Steve Wilkens & Don Thorsen
A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis
The All-Sufficiency of Christ by C. H. Mackintosh
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Lit Style Mother's Day

Let the Rumpus Begin!

Where the Wild Things Are

So I have been mourning Maurice Sendak's passing since I heard of it. My lovely wife bought me these Where the Wild Things Are cuff links for my birthday. (She bought them before Sendak passed)

I decided to wear them this Mother's Day because WtWTA is my favorite work of Children's Literature. It was the book my mommy used to read to me at night. So here's to literacy! Here's to reading to your children! Here's to wild rumpuses! Here's to moms that make sure you get hot soup before bed!