decaf Jess

After years of trial and error with both paper calendars and Excel, I've found a library programming stats system that works for me. I'm going to share with you all a downloadable copy of my programming stats workbook to help you keep your data together.

It has a sheet for each month, with a final total sheet at the end that aggregates all of the monthly data into one sheet that will help in particularly if you are an Illinois librarian filling out our annual report, the IPLAR. If you are not an Illinois librarian, it should still be useful in tallying your monthly info for your own records.

There is a readme sheet in the workbook with more info on how it works and how best to use it.

Reach out if you have any questions. :)

Monthly Sheet Layout

Final Tally Sheet Layout, Optimized for the Illinois IPLAR (but usable for other states!)

Click here to see my shareable Google Sheet. To get your own copy, make sure you are logged into a Google Account, click File, and Make a Copy.

★★★★

Battle Ground (Dresden Files #17) by Jim Butcher

out September 29, 2020
ISBN: 9780593199305

If the Harry Dresden books were a video game, Battle Ground is when Harry gets to the big boss fight. *THE* fight.

The vast majority of the book takes place within a couple of hours, tops, and is really one huge fight scene. Sure, it's exciting. But if you're a speed reader who gets bogged down by details, this will take a while to read. Every punch. Every spell. Every tumble. I got a little tired of reading after a while, which is not how I usually feel with Harry Dresden.

There are a few unexpected treats, though. Some characters really get their time to shine, and during the worst of circumstances, you really see what people are made of -- the good and the ugly.

Any book called "Battle Ground" is going to have at least one or two people die who you wish would have survived, so don't be surprised.

So, while this is my least favorite Dresden book, I still enjoyed it. I still want to talk about it with people. And that's the mark of a really great series -- even when I don't love it, I still like it.

It may feel a little bit like the end of the series, at times, but there are plenty of loose ends pointing the way to at least a few more books.

arc received from the publisher for review

★★★★★

The Sea of the Dead (Magicians of Venice #2) by Amy Kuivalainen

out September 17, 2020
ISBN: 9781643971339

Another delightful story from Amy Kuivalainen. For the life of me, I don't understand why this series isn't trending like wildfire among the urban fantasy / paranormal romance / historical fiction crowd.

Penelope is settling into her new life as the Archivist for the magicians of Venice, learning about her new abilities and getting to know the collection that she stewards (and her new handsome beau, Alexis). Unexpectedly, she receives a strange piece of mail from Tim, a close friend and fellow archaeologist, that suggests that not only has he stumbled into a strange magical artifact, but that he is now being chased by the same evil cultists that have been troubling the magicians.

Penelope and her new family must find Tim before his pursuers, solve the mystery behind his great find, and reckon with a new and disturbing prophecy that ties them all together.

An exciting read, and I eagerly await book three.

arc received from the publisher for review

★★★★

A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (And Some Bears) by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling

out September 15, 2020
ISBN: 9781541788510

There were several instances while reading this that I laughed out loud and had to tell my husband about it. There were also several instances where I skimmed pages at a time because I was growing disinterested.

Packed full of ursine-pun-laced schadenfreude, this reads like a cross between a journal article and a standup act. It tells the story of the growth and (inevitable) dissolution of a libertarian settlement in New Hampshire. To put it simply and use a metaphor from Parks and Recreation -- the town would have worked if everyone who showed up was a Ron Swanson...

...but instead, they got a lot of Jean-Ralphios. (And hippies and sex offenders.)

In sum: living in a government-free utopia sounds great until you realize that no one is filling potholes, repairing bridges, putting out house fires, or controlling the surprisingly out-of-control bear population.

A fun read that could've benefited from more aggressive editing. Still recommended.

arc received from the publisher for review

★★★★★

Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy #5, Catalina #2) by Ilona Andrews

out August 25, 2020
ISBN: 9780062878366

When an author you like starts a new series, it can be a weird shift. Emerald Blaze is the second book in a new series that is based off of another new-ish series. It can feel like a jump.

But it's so, so worth it.

Catalina, the protagonist (and little sister of Nevada, the main character in the Hidden Legacy trilogy) is crazy tough, incredibly brave, and solid as a rock. She's the head of a family of magic-using private investigators who finds themselves in the crosshairs due to the nature of their work. She is unflappable in her handling of the case and in protecting her family, even as her boss hires her handsome and dangerous sort-of-ex to assist her.

This is equal parts urban fantasy adventure and romance. I say that because you could take out the adventure and it would stand alone as a good romance, and you could take out the romance and it would stand alone as a good adventure story. So, if you're here for the adventure, but not the romance (or vice-versa), just hang around. You'll like it. You'll be cheering for Catalina as she whomps the bad guys, and rooting that true love will work out in the end.

arc received from the publisher for review

★★★★★

Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne

out August 25, 2020
ISBN: 9781984821256

Recommended for: Fans of urban fantasy, fans of fiction with older protagonists, fans of crude Scottish insults, fans of adventure comedy

Ink and Sigil takes place in the same universe as Mr. Hearne's Iron Druid series, but the Iron Druid series is not a prerequisite to enjoying this; and, while the finale of the Iron Druid series is alluded to, it won't spoil that series if you choose to dive into it next.

By day, Al runs a printing business in Glasgow. When he's not on the clock, he is a sigil agent for Brighid, first of the Fae, writing and enforcing magical contracts that hold gods and fae in check on the mortal planes. He works with a crew of delightful oddities and kicks a surprising amount of behind for a sixty-something year-old man with a fancy mustache.

When Al stumbles onto a fae-trafficking ring right in his backyard, he is compelled to find those responsible and punish them for their crimes. He enlists the help of other sigil agent around the globe, a rude little pink hobgoblin man, and an accountant who is uncharacteristically vicious.

Quick paced, hilarious, and heartwarming. You'll be stalking Kevin Hearne's website for news on book two.

arc received from the publisher for review

★★★✰✰

Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16) by Jim Butcher

out July 14, 2020
ISBN: 9780451464415

This book was not as joyously exciting as any of the other books, but it's not a dealbreaker for me.

There were a few times in the plot where the story seemed to hop a bit -- maybe the formatting was wonky on my ARC? Like one second they're here, then they're there, then this person is with them, then this person is gone -- I got pretty turned around.

THE GOOD: It felt good to see Harry and the crew again, and we begin to get a little bit of an explanation for why Harry is such a magical heavyweight. Plus, we learn a bit more about some characters we've known a while.

THE LESS GOOD: Nothing in this book gets resolved. You can tell that this story went long, and rather than put out an enormous book, it got cut in two. It's a good thing the next one comes out in the fall, because if I had to wait another year or few to get some resolution, I would be an unhappy camper. A main character is left in a bad way cliffhanger.

THE VERDICT: For Dresden fans, it's a must-read. How could you not? It's not as great as the others, but we're in this for the long haul, right?

For folks who haven't read Dresden, what are you even doing with your life? Go get Storm Front already and start catching up.

arc received from the publisher for review

★★★★★

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

out June 30, 2020
ISBN: 9780525620785

First off... everything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes is pure gold, and any year that she writes a book, it will automatically be my favorite book of the year. If she writes two, it will be a tie. That's just how it is.

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Click here to see my shareable Google Sheet. To get your own copy, make sure you are logged into a Google Account, click File, and Make a Copy.

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