A peak at what YourNextRead.com recommedation interface looks like.I've recently finished two books I really enjoyed: Cutting for Stone and The Cookbook Collector. I was so excited about not taking any classes this summer so I have time to read and listen to books, but last week after finishing a book I had been meaning to read for a while I have reader's block.  What is readers' block you ask?  I define it as not wanting to read anything on my to be read list and not finding anything new to read that excites me enough to do nothing but read.  This is a real problem for me because I am usually the one people go to when they are looking for something interesting to read.  It was one the favorite parts of my job as a librarian to help match up readers with books.

Enter this morning's quick check of Facebook and Twitter where I found Lifehacker's article, How to Create an Awesome Summer Reading List.  Lifehacker offers up some great suggestions; some I've tried, but others I hadn't heard of.  Of course it suggests looking at your book list and asking your friends (which I haven't done yet).  It also suggests exploring websites like Amazon.com, LibraryThing, Goodreads and other ones I had already explored.  A new one I plan on checking out this afternoon is Your Next Read, which allows readers to enter a title of a book they like and it will recommend (I know a word that isn't usually used in readers' advisory, but it is used on this site) other books to try.  I look forward to exploring the site further.  Don't worry librarians the article also suggests visiting your local library for ideas.

What is on your summer reading list?  Are you revisiting the ones you didn't have time for this winter?  Taking the recommendations of your friends or trying something new and unlike anything you've read before?

As a library student, sometimes I feel pressure to have a well organized bookshelf.  I know the Dewey Decimal System and shouldn't my home library reflect that.  After we moved, I put off organizing the bookshelves for months because I wanted to be very organized, but the shelves that I have are a bit limiting because of the spacing of the shelves.  Also, after the move, my bookshelves were required to hold more then just books due to our limited storage.  I settled on a subject and size organizational method that works for me (and sometimes Joel, but most of the time he just asks me where his books are).  Check out this ammusing video with a few whimsical ideas for sorting your books!

I discovered the video on Unclutterer.

How do you orgainze your bookcases?  By subject? Author?  Color?  Size?

Over the last couple of days, I've noticed an advertisement or two for the new movie Limitless starring Bradley Cooper.  As I watched, I thought to myself that probably was a book first.  Sure enough I did a quick Google search and  with a visit to Wikipedia, I found that Limitless is based on the book The Dark Fields by Alan Glyn.  The Dark Fields is a suspense filled thriller that poses the question: what if there was a drug that could make your brain function perfectly?  MDT-48, an illegal designer drug does just that, but with some nasty side effects.  Eddie Spinol takes advantage of the drug becoming the success he's dreamed, but faces some dark and unwanted consequences.  The movie comes out March 18th, so if you want to try the book first you still have time.

Also, NPR has a list of books that are coming out as movies in 2011.  This is not a comprehensive list, but a good place to start if you are looking for books that inspired movies.  The Dark Fields is going on my to be read list.  Do you like books that were made into movies?  Which do you read first: the book or the movie?  Does it matter?

Today, I received an email from Audible.com.  In honor of Valentine's Day, Audible polled its staff for their first book crushes. The list includes a variety of titles including a few classics, contemporary non-fiction and children's books. The list got me thinking about what I would consider my first book crush and I had a really hard time narrowing it down to one.

• Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder is one of the first books I remember reading as a child.  I remember being fasinated by Laura's life in Western Wisconsin, partly because the book took place very close to where I lived and partly because it is her story.  I read all of her books and even convinced my parents to go to Pepin, Wisconsin to see her "little house".  It was even smaller then I imagined.  On my last trip home to Wisconsin, my mom and I went through a few boxes of books and I discovered my set of Little House books, I left them there, but with instructions for my mom and dad that I would retrieve them on a visit when I had more room in my suitcase.

• Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan is the book I was trying to hunt down at my parent's house.  I loved this book, but what makes it even more special to me is that it was a book my mom liked when she was young.  She liked it so much that she saved it for years and I got to read her copy.  I was delighted when I found that we still have the book, this one actually fit in my suitcase and is happily nestled on my bookshelf in California.

• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is another book that has stuck with me over the years.  I can't remember if I saw the movie first or read the book, but I loved both.  I loved the story of young love and is probably part of the reason I am a hopeless romantic.  I would consider this book to be my first romance novel!

What was your first book crush? Or are you like me with multiple crushes?

One of my reading resolutions this year was to take a photo with or of each book I have read this year.  While I haven't been overly creative... yet... I have done it.  I  post them on flickr and now you can see them here.  I believe I am only one behind.  I just finished Going Bovine by Libba Bray this week and haven't returned it to the library yet.  I find photographing audio books more challenging then regular books.  I would like to do a more self portraits, but always seem to find a reason not to.

What do you think?  Do you have any ideas for me?