Of course this librarian is doing a library reading challenge in 2016

Last year, I did a library-related reading challenge. I was hoping to do it again this year, but it did not seem available. Lucky for me, I found a new one to try out this year. I do read a lot of books from the library, so this falls right into my reading flow. For this challenge, the host is requesting we write a bit about why we like using the library, so let me tell you a bit more about me and libraries. This is the very brief version of the story. Maybe some day I will write it in full.

To be honest, as a child, I never really used a library. I am not one of those kids whose parents took them to the library. Yet we did have access to books in the house, and reading was encouraged. My mother was an avid reader, and she was a big influence in me becoming a reader. In school, I barely remember libraries as small rooms that in retrospect at times seemed like afterthoughts. My high school library was fairly small. By the way, this was before the Internet.

I really started using libraries when I got to college. In fact, my first work study job as an undergraduate was at one of the libraries on campus. At the time, I did not know I would become a librarian. That came later. In college, I started appreciating libraries. I became a high school teacher, and for the first time I began to see how libraries can help students to learn. In the end, it was in graduate school where I really began to use libraries in full. And it was in one of those libraries I decided to go to library school, and the rest is history (at least for now).

So here we go with the challenge.

The 2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge.

Let me highlight some rules.  You can click the link above for further details as well as to sign up if you wish.

• The challenge runs January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016.
• Any reading material that can be checked out of your library counts - print books, audio books, digital books, magazines, etc. (I thought this was interesting. It allows for other types of materials. I will likely concentrate on books, including some audiobooks to go with the audiobook challenge I am doing.) 
• Books may overlap with other reading challenges. (Excellent. I usually cross books from the library to my other reading challenges.)

I usually do pretty well on this kind of challenge, so I am going to commit initially to the following level:

Young Adult: Read and review 24 books. 

I may be able to do more, in which case, I will upgrade, but for now, let's see how it goes. As I always do, I will add books to my reading list here as I get to them. I will link the reviews as I post them to the blog.

List of books read for this challenge:

1. Lewis Black, Me of Little Faith (audiobook edition). 
2. Elizabeth Warren, A Fighting Chance (audiobook edition). 
3. Paul Barret, Glock: the Rise of America's Gun. 
4. Kevin B. Eastman and Peter A. Laird. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: the Ultimate Collection, Volume 3. 
5. Brandon Badeaux and Rob Williams, Star Wars: Rebellion Volume 2. 
6. Don Brown, Drowned City. 
7. Greg Rucka, Star Wars: Shattered Empire. 
8. Jen Campbell, The Bookshop Book. 
9. Ted Rall, Bernie. 
10. John Leguizamo, Ghetto Klown.
11. Margie Lapanja, Food Men Love.  
12. Donny Cates, The Ghost Fleet, Volume 1. 
13. Julio Patán, Cocteles con historia: guía definitiva para el borracho ilustrado.
14. Jim Berg and Tim Nyberg, The Jumbo Duct Tape Book. 
15. Christopher Hansard, The Tibetan Art of Positive Thinking. 
16. Daniel Lipkowitz, LEGO Star Wars in 100 Scenes. 
17. Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, My Bad: a Zits Treasury.
18. Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, Zits Unzipped.
19. Richard Matheson, Hell House. 
20. Josh Mack, The Hobo Handbook. 
21. Kim Andersson, The Complete Love Hurts. 
22. Charles Soule, Star Wars: Lando. 
23. Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, Black Mass. 
24. Jessa Crispin, The Creative Tarot. 
25. Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer. 
26. Donny Cates, The Ghost Fleet, Volume 2. 
27. Ellen DeGeneres, Seriously...I'm Kidding (audiobook edition).  
28. Adrian Tomine, Scenes from an Impending Marriage. 
29. Jason Aaron, et.al., Vader Down. 
30. Daniel Way, et.al., Deadpool: The Complete Collection, Volume 1. 
31. Wilfred Santiago, 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente.
32. Bill Maher, New Rules (audiobook edition). 
33. Thich Nhat Hanh, Silence. 
34. Denis Leary, Why We Suck (audiobook edition). 
35. Nicolas Pileggi, Casino. 
36. David J. Wilkie, Coffee With Jesus.
37. David J. Wilkie, A Second Shot of Coffee With Jesus.
38. Benjamin Law, Gaysia. 
39. Barbara Moore, Tarot for Beginners. 
40. Sarah A. Chrisman and Thomas E. Hill, True Ladies and Proper Gentlemen.
41. Stephanie McMillan, The Beginning of the American Fall. 
42. Gustavo Duarte, Monsters! and Other Stories. 
43. Jonah Stern, Cats in Sweaters.
44. G.B. Trudeau, Yuge! 30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump.
45. Miguel Ruiz, Jr., The Mastery of Self.

Update note (7/8/16): With 26 books, I complete the initial commitment for this challenge. I am going to go ahead and upgrade to the next level. I have some more reviews that qualify in the queue, and I know I will be reading more library books over the year:

Adult: Read and review 36 books.

Update note (12/30/16): With 45 books, I completed the upgrade commitment of Adult level for this challenge. I have not done my final reading tally for 2016, but I am sure a big number of books on that list were library books. I have more books from the library I have read, but I do not have the reviews up yet, so I will post those reviews in 2017. This is a challenge that I am likely to sign up again in 2017 if offered.