Monday, June 4, 2012

Armchair BEA - Getting to Know You :)


Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

    Welcome to the Brunette Librarian! :) I am thrilled you are here for Armchair BEA - it’s my first year participating. My real name is Rachael and I live in a tiny town in the smack dab middle of Missouri. 

May 2012 - Kansas City Zoo
   I am an actual librarian (yay me!) and actually serve a community of about 45,000 in a neighboring town. I began my life in the library world in circulation checking in and checking out books, changed jobs and went to the Outreach department. Not many libraries have an Outreach department, but my library does. Through the Outreach program, the librarian pulls books for homebound people. It’s a great way to send books to people who normally wouldn’t have a chance to read. You have no idea of the look on people’s face when you bring books to their door. It’s pretty priceless! AND, after Outreach a job came open in our Teen/Adult Services department, I applied and here I am. I am now the Teen & Adult Services Librarian, and I have to say, it may be my favorite job yet.

My Library :)

      I began blogging in October 2011. I’m still a fairly new blogger but love it. While at a Missouri Library Conference so many of the librarians there had a blog and shared their views on books...it seemed fun, so I decided to try. Here I am all these many months later, still blogging and still reading and still having fun.

Tell us some non-book-related things that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.
     Hmmm...I have all sorts of crazy things to share.
  • I’m 26 years old.
  • I have five piercings all in my ears.
  • I have a dachshund named Daisy Jane. She’s 6.
  • I live in a town that has less than 300 people.
  • I hate chocolate.
  • My favorite TV shows are The Office and Bob’s Burgers. Love them!
  • I’m a huge genealogy nut - I have my family traced back 8 generations

What is your favorite feature on your blog?
I love “What are you reading? Mondays” The meme is sponsored by by Sheila from "One Person's Journey" I enjoy visiting other blogs and seeing what everyone else is reading. It’s fun to find book ideas, and share your love of favorite books with one another.

Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?

One of my favorite posts that I have posted so far is my spotlight on “Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.” It’s been one of my favorite books of the past few years, but what makes it a favorite is that the author, Beth Hoffman, actually commented on my review! MADE MY YEAR, let me tell you.
Have you read "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" By: Beth Hoffman ? The book is amazingly sweet, heartfelt, funny, and just endearing. Love, love, love it.




Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

I am a hardcore romance fan, I have been for years. I love the romance of it all - the heroes, the heroines, the locales...all of it. However, since starting my new job in Adult Services, I have to coordinate five different book groups. That’s a lot of book group reading, trust me. I personally don’t feel that romances are super condusive for great book group discussion, so I’ve definitely had to broaden my reading selections. 

So, since starting my blog I’ve picked up a ton more young adult novels, mysteries, and just general adult fiction. I’ve even added a few nonfiction titles in there! Definitely broadening out my reading horizons!

52 comments:

  1. Your dog is so adorable!
    And I agree, having authors comment on their posts is sooo cool.. unless it's not a stellar review, LOL.

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  2. Hi, this is the first time at Armchair BEA for me, too.

    Wow, your library looks beautiful!

    I'm confused as to how anyone could hate chocolate. I wish I did... but no, no such luck.

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  3. Hi, Rachael! Your dachshund is cute! I know you have an awesome job! Librarians rock!

    See you around!

    -Len of Musings of a Reader Happy

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  4. I am so jealous of your job! I think it would be so great to work in the library with teens!!

    Your dog is just the cutest thing ever!!!

    So nice to "meet" you!

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  5. I am so excited about this week as we get to know old friends better and make new ones!! You puppy is adorable!!
    I think I have told you before I am very envious of your job. I would love to be a librarian!!!

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  6. What a gorgeous library! I find working with books makes it pretty tough to be selective in reading -- everything starts to look appealing after a while!

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  7. So nice to "meet you"!!! You're library is beautiful! What a dreamy place to go to work. I've been meaning to get into reading romance books, but need that gateway book to get me there. I welcome recommendations :)

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  8. Hi Rachel, it is great getting to know more about you. I love the pictures you shared. And yes, I've read and loved Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.

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  9. Love it when an author comments on a review...

    I'm from Illinois, just across the river from St. Louis -- so we're close! I'm also a Brunette Librarian, but I'm a high school librarian.

    It's really nice to meet you. Have a great BEA. Thanks for visiting.

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  10. I want to be a librarian too and your library rocks, I wish my country would have the same libraries as yours. I have to check out Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, sounds like an amazing book.

    My Introduction post here

    -Jay
    We Fancy Books

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  11. Nice to meet you! This is my first year doing armchair as well, and I'm super excited. I have to say, I absolutely love your background!!!!!! HAve a great week!

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  12. Happy Armchair BEA. My first too. Your dog is adorable + I love your website!

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  13. The Outreach program sounds really cool. I bet my library could use something similar.

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  14. Hi Rachael! Your library's Outreach program sounds amazing! What a great thing. Also, The Office is AWESOME. And based on your love of that, I highly suggest The Big Bang Theory.

    Happy ABEA!

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  15. Ha, I like Bob's Burgers too. They're an interesting family. ;) Welcome to Armchair BEA!

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  16. Love reading these cool details about your life! So glad you decided to start blogging!

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  17. Wow! The library you work at is gorgeous! :D And the Outreach program sounds so wonderful. That's great that people who wouldn't normal get library books can get them that way, and the Teen department sounds awesome! :D

    Awe, I have a dachshund, too! :D My dachshund is named Molly and she turned three in May. :) I also have a male long hair chihuahua named Riley. We used to have a cockapoo, too, but he passed away in February. I just love dogs, so I'm always happy to meet other bloggers with them. Although we've met through the Monday meme before. ;)

    Thanks for sharing some stuff about yourself with us. :)
    Ambur
    My Armchair BEA Introductions Post

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  18. You....hate....chocolate? I don't even know how to process that!

    And your library is so pretty! You're so fortunate to be able to work there!

    Thanks for stopping by my Armchair BEA Intro!

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  19. Ooooooh look at Daisy!!!! I love dachshund! I have two of them. My third died last November.

    My Hershey is the BEST reading snuggle buddy!!!

    Thanks for participating!

    Here's my intro

    Valerie
    StuckInBooks

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  20. Librarians make the best bloggers! Sounds like a cool job - even though work is work, you can at least surround yourself with things you love. Nice meeting you and your blog!

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  21. Another romance reader! I didn't realize there were so many out there until today. I read a mix of stuff, but the busier my life is the more I fall back on romance. My armchair bea post is here: http://bookslistslife.blogspot.com/2012/06/armchair-bea-introduction-lisa-books.html

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  22. Daisy is adorable and I'm not a huge fan of chocolate either, I'm so glad I'm not alone on that one.

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  23. Uhhmm can I just say that I am so incredibly jealous of your profession?!.. especially the outreach programming- how awesome!

    So glad to "meet" you as well! :)

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  24. I live in a town too but my graduating class has 800+ people which means my high school has more than 4000 people! haha. My wal-mart has as much people as your town xD that is SMALL! I'm also a romance fan!! I started out with YA and very few adult books but I have discovered SO many awesome adult contemporaries and now it's one of my favorite genres!

    Racquel @ The Book Barbies♥

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  25. Outreach sounds like a great department for a library, and a great one to work in. How much fun to be able to take books to people who can't just go out and get them. =)

    Daisy Jane is a cutey! I've got a dachshund, too. His name is Rudy, and he's about 5. Gotta love those doxies! =)

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  26. Hi, I was able to work as the summer librarian the year I graduated from high school in my teeny weenny town of Appomattox, Virginia. It was my all time favorite job! I got to read so many books and meet so many wonderful people....had many regulars who became fast friends! I spread my wings and read every kind of book I could that summer.
    Oh, I also had 2 mini-dachshunds myself: Lady and Pickles, but they passed away and I now have Cocoa, my Pom, whom you "met" on my blog! Please, please follow my so I can increase my Klout score! thanks

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  27. I love participating in the It's Monday...What Are You Reading meme, too. I find it's a great way to organize myself with what I have coming up next and the reviews I still need to do. Plus, I love seeing what everyone is reading!

    Here's my Armchair BEA Intro Post.

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  28. Oh, I love your library! I want to live there! Your dog is super cute!!

    Thanks for stopping by my Armchair BEA post!

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  29. Love your answers Rachael, and it is great meeting you! I gotta say, I LOVE your library!

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  30. Your job & your library is amazing! I wouldn't get much work done there ;)

    My Introduction - http://obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/armchair-bea-introduction.html

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  31. Wow your library is gorgeous! That's really cool that you like genealogy. It's really fun to see who you are related to and where they came from. And your dog is adorable :) Great to meet you!

    My intro

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  32. I'm in Western Kentucky (in a small town right outside of Paducah). So, hi "almost neighbor"!

    Your dog is adorable!

    Your library is so gorgeous! I'm jealous of your job, like other comments before me. I'd love to work at a library.

    Thanks for stopping by LIO!

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  33. Hi Rachael,
    Nice to meet you -- new follower!!
    How can you hate chocolate??? I don't think I ever met anyone who hated chocolate!! This messed me all up and I can't comment on anything else!! LOL :)

    http://bellesbookbag.blogspot.com/2012/06/armchair-bea-introductions-first.html

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  34. OMGosh! Your blog is so freakin' adorable!!! And your library is beautiful, too! I'm so jealous! In a town of 45k, I bet you've got quite the selection of books!!! Do you actually live in a township? I used to live in a town of 500, with selectman and town meetings. Small towns are crazy sometimes!!! I love Missouri! I haven't been back in about 15 years but I loved when I had business in Kansas City :)

    Thanks for stopping by and visiting my blog!!

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  35. I am sooooo jealous of your library! We moved and I had to give up my library job. We were very small (pop. 3000) so didnt have an Outreach Dept. but I frequently took books to people who coudn't get into the library. I miss interacting with the patrons.

    Glad to meet you and discover your blog. I'll be back.

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  36. Being a librarian sounds like an incredibly fun job!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  37. Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday :)

    I'll have to check out Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, especially since the author seems like she probably really cares about her readers since she stopped by to comment. Those are my favorite kind of authors.

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  38. That's such a pretty library! Do you know most of the people in your town, or is it like most towns in that there's a smaller circle that you kind of stick with?

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  39. Thanks for stopping by my blog. It's always great meeting fellow book drunkards!

    PS. That library is GORGEOUS!!

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  40. Oh my gosh, your library is gorgeous!!!

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  41. Nice to meet you and thanks for stopping by my blog.

    O! You hate chocolate? I've never meet someone hates it before.

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  42. It looks like you work at a beautiful library!

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  43. Your library is SOOO beautiful. I'm jealous that you're a librarian. :)

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  44. I also hate chocolate - with one caveat: I dig candy bars that have chocolate on delicious things like caramel.

    I love the look of your library, ours is a squatty brick building with no personality. I don't go there much.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  45. The library outreach program sounds pretty awesome. I'm sure it does make someone's day when you show up at their door with books for them.

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  46. Nice to see another romance lover here! Beth Hoffman is the sweetest isn't she? I was able to meet her a few years ago when Saving Cee Cee came out and she is just as genuine and warm in person.

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  47. Omg, you hate chocolate? Lol, that makes me sad. It's so yummy! LOL. But I guess we'll agree to disagree on that one. ;) Nah, I actually know plenty that aren't fans of it, sadly. And that's definitely a small town, with less than 300 people! I wish I could trace back my family as well, but I doubt I have the patience. o: Cool though!

    So nice to meet you! :D And thanks for stopping by earlier! I'm sorry for hopping by late; real life ruined my hopping on Monday, so I'm catching up now!

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  48. Romance but no chocolate ... shock horror Rachael, the two go hand in hand don't they? LOL. You have the perfect job and what a lovely library. Saving Cee Cee was a favourite of mine too. Your little Daisy is adorable, I love seeing photos of her

    Thanks for sharing, was great learning more about you!

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  49. Wow, that library is beautiful, I am kind of envying your job here!

    My Armchair BEA: Introduction post.

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  50. Your library is BEAUTIFUL! I'm so jealous you get to work there! How awesome and to have an outreach program, doesn't get any better than that! ABEA has been awesome, love your blog and it's so fun to meet new people :D

    I hope you've had as much of a great week as I have! :D

    April @ My Shelf Confessions

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  51. I'd love having your job, well any job in a library really. :) And you don't like chocolate? I LOVE IT! Can't get enough. LOL

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