Posts by Anne Rouyer

I always look forward to watching the MTV Video Music Awards. The performances and the scandals always make for a good time unlike the usually staid Grammy award shows. Who can forget last year's epic Lady Gaga performance complete with fake blood or Kanye West drunkenly interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech both of which were rated 10 for pure entertainment value. The awards that aired this past Sunday on September 12th, were nowhere near as great as last year's NYC version (I think they're just better in NYC in general) but it still sported plenty of great music and great moments. And, bonus, the majority of the artists featured have albums that are available 

There are the Twilight books, the Twilight movies and then there is the music. For Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series, music (particuarly alternative rock) was always an important part of her writing process. For fans of the books and films, the music on the soundtracks adds another layer to experiencing the stories and characters but there is plenty to love and enjoy for non-fans too. The Twilight soundtracks have quickly become showcases for the best bands in the alternative rock and indie rock world. They are not just teen film soundtracks but really great mix cds featuring such music artists as Sia, Thom Yorke, Death Cab for Cutie, Iron & Wine and Band 

As the temperature and humidity outside reaches ridiculous levels, my reading taste gravitates towards romance. Stories full of love that burns brightest during hot summer days and moonlit filled nights. Where there is a feeling of rediscovery and endless possiblities. As if summer would never end and autumn would never creep in. Close your eyes. Listen to the roar of ocean waves as they crash onto the sandy beach, feel the hot sun on your skin and get the knotty sick feeling in your stomach when you glimpse them out of the corner of your eye or the heart stopping, breathless moment when they smile at you and say, "Hi". 

I love it when a plan comes together and teens are doing it for themselves. When there is no namby-pamby, sissified hand-wringing or waiting for an adult to tell them what to do or help them out of a tough situation. These teens are smart, emotionally mature, able to hack computers and security systems at will, fly around the world without supervision, con adults without batting an eye, do blackbelt kung fu, jump from airplanes and whose moral compasses lurk in the grey areas of problem solving. In other words, I want these characters to be my best friends. Books like these are what I mean by the phrase, "reading for fun." Not all reading is fun. Homer's 

So who do you think will be the big star of summer? Rob? Taylor? Jake? Angelina? All these actors have hot new films coming out but I think the breakout star will be the relatively unknown Alex Pettyfer.

If I had to pin down my favorite genres of fiction they would be: numero uno mystery/thriller, followed closely by romance and historical fiction (I love fantasy and sometimes sci-fi too but that is another blog post). I know I have found my own personal nirvana when I find a book that has all three! There has been a recent resurgence of great teen mystery titles in the past few years in teen book publishing. Books that have classic mystery plots and where teen detectives are at the forefront of the story.

Here are some of my new favorites that are in collections now:

Teens of New York City, you and your wallet are in luck! The library has gotten very good about getting the newest and hottest cds straight into the branches fast and into your hands for you to take home. Right now, you can find some of the most popular songs and artists playing on the radio and through videos at libraries across the system.

For a librarian, discovering a great new book is a definite perk of the job. Every once in awhile -- not often, mind you -- I find a book that sends a tingle up my spine. A book that makes me sit back and go, "Wow". A book where the caliber and honesty of the writing, and the truth of the characters pull you out of yourself and bring you a better understanding of who you are. A book from the recent past that did that (and still does) for me is "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen. Recently, I discovered that same shiver of self-discovery with "The Six Rules of Maybe," a new book by Deb Caletti.

The other day I discovered a great new British movie on dvd, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. This straight to dvd film (Stateside only) is based on the first two books of the uproariously funny Georgia Nicolson diary series by author Louise Rennison, "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging" and "On the Brightside, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God". In the (British) words of Georgia and her Ace Gang, the movie is totally "brill!", “marvy!” and "double cool with knobs on!" In other, more American words, it is completely charming, fun and rockin'!

In 2009, Lady Gaga exploded onto the music scene with her debut album The Fame.

Her 2009 album The Fame Monster, an update of that album featuring the songs "Bad Romance" and "Telephone", made it onto the Stuff for The Teen Age 2010 List.

Paramore or Justin Bieber?

Whose fans would win in a head to head match-up? And, are they really that different?

The teens from the Tompkins Square Library are an opinionated and passionate bunch and they made sure that some of their favorite books, music and movies made the Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List!

Gleeks Rejoice!

The start of the new batch of episodes of "Glee" starts on April 13th. This is a moment 4 months in the making or 16 weeks or …oh, who am I kidding, I’m a theater geek not a math major and I just know that it has been a very long time since my favorite show was on.

The thing I love about music is how it gets into your DNA and becomes a part of you. Even now, I can remember songs from childhood, high school, college and beyond and know where I was and what I was doing when I heard them. For example, I remember listening to Madonna sing "Borderline" on the radio. I was home sick and bored and I thought that I never heard anyone like her before. Or "Slim Shady" by Eminem--I was working in Harlem, and wherever I went, that song was playing from radios, cars, and bodegas, and the posters for his first album were all over buildings. I had no idea who he was--I just knew that he made me laugh. The artists and albums on the Stuff for