I will be making two official appearances:

Wednesday from 10:30-11:15, on Track F, I will be presenting Unleash the Power of Your People, a session on how to use unconference principles for training and other things. This will not be a sit back and sleep session, so come with lots of questions, ideas, and a willingness to share. If you know nothing about the unconference style or you are an old hand at it, you will learn something new. In a room full of intelligent people, passionate about people and libraries, how could you not leave inspired to change the world?

Wednesday evening, 5-5:45, I will be signing copies of Mob Rule Learning in the Exhibit Area. Drop by, grab a book, and come chat!

Other appearances are assured, probably with this guy, but do not hold that against me. I am easily befriended by either complementing me on my incredibly handsome, intelligent boys or buying me a drink.

–Jane, safe travels

The list has a lot of romances, as always. I went back and read some older Nora Roberts that I had not read. I realized that there are quite a bit Roberts I have not touched and decided to remedy that. Interspersed in the list are some award winners and non-fiction. I also read some YA and sci fi/fantasy.

Total books read in 2011: 67
Most books read in one month: May, 11
Least book read in one month: February, 2
Worst book read: The Debutante’s Dilemma by Elyse Mady – I could have bought the whole stuck between two lovers at the same time thing, but the ending just did not seem plausible to me. It was all a bit silly and made me realize that the menage genre was definitely not for me.
Best new to me book: I read a lot of great books this year. A plethora, you might say, so choosing one is really hard. So hard in fact, I am completely cheating and putting four books here.
One is a series and one is non-fiction. This is my list so stop complaining. The fiction series is an older Nora Roberts: Sea Swept; Rising Tides; and Inner Harbor. – I fell in love with the family in this book. The non-fiction goes easily to Everything I Know About Love I Learned From Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell. – I am a huge fan of Sarah. I even have a picture of us when she came to ALA last year. I have shielded my share of scoffers for my reading tastes, but this book reminded me why romance novels are not just good, but great for the soul.
Best reread: The Bride by Julie Garwood – I have a whole shelf of old Garwoods and they are my go to books when nothing else appeals. What is not great about a man in a kilt?
Worst book I did not finish (and thus it is not on this list): Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard – all around awful.

Books Read
January – 3
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale by Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, and Chris
Samnee
Goose in the Pond by Earlene Fowler

February – 2
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

March – 3
Start Your Family by Steve and Candice Watters
Torment by Lauren Kate
Betrayed by Claire Robyns

April – 3
Sea Swept by Nora Roberts
Rising Tides by Nora Roberts
Inner Harbor by Nora Roberts

May – 11
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts
Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts
Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts
Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison
The Spurned Viscountess by Shelley Munro
I Wish (The Witches of Desire) by Wren Emmerson
Collision Course by Zoe Archer
Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley
The Spiral Path by Lisa Paitz Spindler
Blood of the Maple by Dana Marie Bell

June – 7
Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator by Janni Nell
The Bride by Julie Garwood
Almost Innocent by Jane Feather
Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
The Debutante’s Dilemma by Elyse Mady
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell
The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourne

July – 5
The Lion’s Lady by Julie Garwood
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
Ashes by Ilsa Bick
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
X-Isle by Cosby, Nelson, and Scott

August – 4
Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman
Offworld by Robin Parrish
Superman: Red Son by Miller, Johnson, Plunkett, Robinson, Wong
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

September – 7
Defying Convention by Abby Niles
Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
Undeniably Yours by Shanon Stacey
Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey
Cat’s Tale: a fairy tale retold by Bettie Sharpe
Sevenfold Spell by Tia Nevitt
Tankborn by Karen Sandler

October – 7
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Sparks in the Cosmic Dust by Robert Appleton
The Outlaw Bride by Kelly Boyce

November – 8
My Lord Jack by Hope Tarr
Goddess With a Blade by Lauren Dane
Captive Bride by Bonnie Dee
Everything I Know About Love I Learned From Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Born In Fire by Nora Roberts
Born in Ice by Nora Roberts
Born In Shame by Nora Roberts

December – 7
Daring to Dream by Nora Roberts
Holding the Dream by Nora Roberts
Finding the Dream by Nora Roberts
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Brighid’s Choice by P. C. Cast
Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas

In the article I discuss some classic unconference facilitation styles, like fishbowl and knowledge cafe, and how they are best applied to business meetings and trainings.

–Jane, are you a fish in a bowl?

Mob Rule Learning is reviewed over at ForeWord.

These kinds of things make me do one of two things: make me think, “Hey, I wrote that!” or look behind me for that smart person being discussed; she sounds interesting.

–Jane, is occasionally interesting

It is both hilarious and touching to read how romance has impacted its readership. I am almost halfway through the book and I just finished the section on the top 9 romance heroes. I was a little meh on the list as I read it as none of my favorites were listed, until I got to the top two: Jamie Fraser from Outlander and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. *swoon* Both books are my two favorites of all time and by extension the heroes are two of my favorite as well.

Outlander is one of the books that I bang people over the head with until they read it. When I was in grad school, my roommate, the only other person I had met up until that point that read as much as I did, had never read Outlander. It was too much romance for her and I never did succeed in forcing that book upon her.

However, about a year after I graduated, got a job, and moved to a different city, my friend and former roommate called me. Instead of the usual greeting, she said, “I want to marry Jamie Fraser!” I giggled gleefully, knowing full well the rabbit hole she had fallen into. Honorable, but flawed, men in kilts. Be still my heart.

There are two heroes not on Sarah’s list that are on mine:

Fenris from Castle of the Wolf
I can not tell you all the ways I love this book and its characters. I have reread it almost every year since first discovering it, thanks to the Smart Bitches. Why do I love Fenris? On the surface he is a snarling, uncaring, and crippled beast, but underneath he is a man who wants only to protect his family and live a dignified life (and find love, though of course he does not know THAT… yet). There are so many scenes in the book that reveal the true heartache of the hero and his struggle to be a better man for the heroine, Celia. The main characters strive to be better in different ways because they love their partner enough to want to be worthy of them. Isn’t that really what true love is?

Mr. Rochester from my real life
I am not talking about Mr. Broody Pants on the Moors by Bronte. I am talking about my Mr. Rochester who recently performed the very important quest of rescuing a silver earring from the drain of the sink, the man who refills my beer (that we homebrewed together!), who does the dishes, loves my cooking, calls me out when I am being less than I can/should be, rolls his eyes at my bad jokes, is a total nerd (just like me but in different ways), makes me laugh, is a wonderful dad, and can still kiss me senseless. Every girl should be as lucky as me.

Whoever your favorite romance hero is, I hope you visit him soon, in the pages of your favorite book or when you lay your head next to his at night.

–Jane, everyone needs a little romance

Today, Mob Rule Learning is officially out. Like a debutante in a white dress, I am hoping it gets a lot of serious attention, but not just for its good looks. I think the book has some good things to say about some very exciting things going on in conferences and higher education.

Order the book or ebook today from Amazon or order the ebook from Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobo, or ebooks.com.

A book is about people you love because without them, you would just be a crazy person with a crazy idea. A lot of people I admire and love got me to this place. Today, I want to especially thank librarians.

Librarians are awesome. They are learned and hard working individuals who are underpaid and overworked. They struggle in a system that often does not appreciate their efforts and they do it all For the Greater Good. Thank you for holding me to high standards and for dreaming your big dreams with me.

–Jane, loves being a librarian

To win a signed paperback copy of Mob Rule Learning: camps, unconferences, and trashing the talking head, you only have to do one thing:

Leave a comment on this post and answer this question: If you could plan and attend an unconference on any topic, what would it be?

I will choose, at random, three winners. This contest will run until noon Central time on Friday, September 30, 2011.

–Jane, loves free stuff

Ever since I read When Christ and His Saints Slept, I have been a fan of Penman. British history has long been a favorite of mine and no one does the English royal court like Penman. Penman does a great job of keeping all the Williams, Georges, and Johns separate for you so you know who is doing what.

Lionheart is the story of Richard and the Third Crusade to the Holy Land. With all the fighting between the French and English kings, it is a wonder there was a crusade at all. Penman shows Richard to be both an inspiring leader who leads men fearlessly into battle and a caring man who loves the women in his life in their own way. This crusade was personal to Richard, like the journey to the promised land was personal to Moses. Penman goes beyond the king to the man and what drove him to do the things that he did during this early part of his reign.

As always, Penman’s language, storytelling, and attention to detail draws you in, making you experience life in the midst of a crusade.

Recommended for fans of Penman and History alike

(minor spoilers)

Alex is hiking in the woods, and has just met up with two other hikers, an older man and his granddaughter, when a loud boom in the sky makes everything go haywire. After the initial chaos, the older man is dead and Alex is left in the company of an 8 year-old girl and a dog.

The loud boom, an EMP of some kind, has altered the brain chemistry of the survivors in strange ways. Everyone of middle age has died, leaving old people and a very few people younger than 30. Most of the survivors in the under 30 crowd turn into animalistic cannibals, like zombies, but alive and breathing. The book follows Alex, Ellie, and later Tom, as they navigate through the dangers of the forest. It is a great story and a very interesting new take on zombies. There is, of course, a Lord of the Flies undertone, as the trio encounters various people along the way.

The only thing that I disliked about the book was the 8 year-old, Ellie. For much of the beginning she is annoying and uncooperative. She is the TSTL, Too Stupid To Live, character, who despite her idiocy, seems to escape fatal consequences to her choices, due in this story to the benevolence of her companions. I almost stopped reading the book, so annoying were her mistakes. Ellie does become less annoying as time goes on, when she finally realizes she needs to stop being such a brat because their lives are all at stake. Hello? People eating zombies?

I like that Bick leaves some questions unanswered and she has set up the next book nicely, though you will be facing a cliff on the last couple of pages.

Highly Recommended for lovers of survival and zombie stories

My upcoming book, Mob Rule Learning: camps, unconferences, and trashing the talking head, is now listed on Amazon for preorder! It is only available in paperback as a preorder but when it is released, I have been told it will be available in all ebook formats.

There is also a web page for Mob Rule Learning attached to this blog where I will put news regarding the book and an updated list of resources.

Expect more blogging here starting next week. I have some fun things to talk about in regards to crowdsourced learning lined up. Bairn 3 starts school a week from today, so I will have a little more time to write.

–Jane, currently writing in a quiet house and has no idea what to do about that