Yesterday Annalyn came home from preschool, excited that today is the last day of the month. I’m not sure what makes that so exciting, but for a good five minutes, she danced around the kitchen, saying, “New month! New month!”

I promise our January hasn’t been that bad.

Actually, it’s been a great month. After all, as I said to a friend over the weekend, it’s January so we’re doing everything right. We stuck to our budget (mostly), had a date night even though our babysitter didn’t work out as hoped, and I’ve dusted off my treadmill. I’m also helping our pastor’s wife lead a small group that has just gotten started, and over the last weekend of the month, we visited our good friends who had the nerve to move three hours away last year.

Several weeks ago, I came across a fun post from Megan at Sorta Crunchy. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure how I found her. I am pretty much her opposite – Not Crunchy at All and Proud of Myself for [Usually] Remembering to Use Canvas Grocery Bags. But I love some stuff she’s written for A Deeper Story, she loves talking about Once Upon a Time, and she has a really fun monthly post called “What Are You Into?”

And for me, that’s enough. We are now [in my mind] total blog friends. The kind of friends who copy each other’s monthly “into” posts. I’m kidding, of course. Not about being friends, but about copying. I’m pretty sure this idea was meant to be shared. Either way, I’m doing it. I’m talking about what I’m into today.

What I’m Reading: As I’ve mentioned a time or twenty, I’ve been reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Yes, it’s a kids series. Yes, it’s about a make-believe world full of mythical gods and monsters. And yes, it is fantastic. The stories are save-the-world epic, and the action and adventures are non-stop. But even more important to me, the characters (and their dialogue) are realistic, and every book is really funny. That’s why I’m not too embarrassed to tell you that I’ve now moved on to the Heroes of Olympus series (same world, adventure and humor, some new characters), and I’m anxiously waiting for book two from the library.

Another book I’ve read recently that I simply loved is Heiress by Susan May Warren. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, and I can’t remember reading any book set in the United States’ Gilded Age. It took me a while to pick this one up, but once I did, I was hooked. The novel tells the stories of two sisters whose father is a rich newspaper owner. Their stories are tragic but not hopeless, and the historical part of the book was fascinating. I was satisfied with the endings both daughters got, but also happy that the author didn’t choose a simple, fairytale formula.

I’m also reading Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman and  A Confident Heart by Renee Swope in small groups.

What I’m Watching: I’m watching less TV these days than I have in the past, but when I type all my shows out, it still looks like a lot! I can’t call anything “appointment TV,” since I watch most everything after taping it [yes, on my VCR] or online. But the shows I’m not missing are Once Upon a Time, How I Met Your Mother, Hart of Dixie, Castle, NCIS, White Collar, New Girl, Parks & Recreation and Up All Night.

I know. It’s a lot. And you find this surprising because . . . ?

A show that I won’t be watching every week anymore? Chuck. It’s sad but true: The series finale of Chuck aired last week. My all-time favorite show of ever is over. I’m okay with it being over. But still sad, too. I’m pretty sure I’ll be watching the two-hour series ender again this week . . . and saving up for the DVDs starting now.

Okay. Confession time. I’ve also been watching Jane by Design, a new teeny bopper show on ABC Family. It is silly and fluffy and cliched, but for some reason, I have watched every episode since it started a few weeks ago. I’m also watching season three of Greek, but only when I’m on the treadmill. I started the series over the holidays when everything was in reruns, and I really love it. It is super soapy and about the Greek system I avoided throughout my years in college, but it’s kind of my new favorite. And using it as a bribe for exercising is working really well so far. I actually want to find time to get on the treadmill now!

On the movie front, we rented Moneyball a couple weeks ago and saw Haywire on date night. Moneyball was a bit slow to me, but interesting. Mark, of course, loved it. And Haywire was a simple spy movie but I loved that the main character was a normal-sized (though abnormally strong) woman who kicked a lot of bad guy butt. I didn’t love watching her take hits, though. Call me a hypocrite, but that bugged me.

What I’m Eating/Cooking: The big excitement in my kitchen this month has involved menu planning and counting Weight Watchers points. But since that might not float your boat like it does mine, let me tell you about the brownie fudge cupcakes I made over the weekend. They were ridiculous. As in, crazy rich and sweet but not too sweet and delicious. As in, I left every single one (after we each ate one) at my friend’s house for fear I would stuff myself silly. Yes, I will be sharing the recipe soon.

I’m also working on a recipe for mini baked chicken taquitos. Stay tuned.

(And I suppose I could also tell you about the barbecue chicken salad I had on Sunday night. Mark pretended to be offended when I said I loved it so much I wanted to marry it. At least, I think he as pretending . . .)

What I’m Listening to: I’m really enjoying my Mumford & Sons Pandora station, especially since I’ve bulked it up with the Avett Brothers, Eddie Vedder and The Head and the Heart.

What have you been into this month?

Last week I went to the library after I dropped off Annalyn at preschool. I’d finished reading the first book of a series and wanted to check out the second installment. According to the library’s website, the second book was available at the library branch not far from the school.

I looked for the book but couldn’t find it. I’m no stranger to the library or its shelving systems, but I just didn’t see it. So I grabbed the third book, which was easy to find, and walked up to the counter. I pointed to the book and said to the librarian, “I’m looking for the second book in this series. Can you help me find it?”

She squinted at the book, then turned it around to face her. As she started to click on her computer, she mumbled the name of the author and then asked me, “Do you know the title?”

She didn’t know anything about this series of books.

I told her, and she did find the book for me. (It was shelved in a special section for award-winners.) She was friendly and even walked over to the section with me instead of doing the discount store point and wave. But I was shocked – and, yes, a little appalled – that she didn’t know the book I was looking for.

It reminded me of a scene in “You’ve Got Mail,” where Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) has closed her children’s bookstore and visits the box store that put her out of business. As she sits, sadly, in the children’s section, she hears a customer ask a sales associate: “Do you have the “Shoe” books?”

The salesperson has no clue what she’s talking about, so Kathleen pipes up with the author’s name (and spelling) and a recommendation for which book in the series to read first.

As she walks away, she says to herself, “They know nothing, they know absolutely nothing.”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that a librarian should know about every book on the shelves! But I do think they should be familiar with the most popular books or series in the most popular genres. And the book I was looking for? It is a popular one.

Even worse? It’s a KIDS’ series. What if I’d been a 10-year-old kid asking for help? Imagine the difference it would make if the librarian responded with, “Oh yeah, that’s a great series! Who’s your favorite character?” or even, “Oh, right. My nephew read these books and loved them!”

I know I’m asking a lot here. And maybe it’s too much. But I don’t think it should be. After all, I’ve never watched an episode of True Blood, but I know that the show is based on a series of books. And I can tell you the name of that series and the author’s name, even though I’ve never read one of the books either.

Later that day I went to a different library while Annalyn was at Awana. While I was sitting at the computer, I heard a young person ask a question. The librarian’s response simultaneously made me want to throw up my hands in disgust and enroll myself in a library science master’s program: “Oh, I don’t know that section very well. But you can look up young adult books online.”

Online?! Online. Of course he can look it up online. But he was asking YOU, Mr. Librarian.

See, I think kids should read. A lot. But I know that’s not always the case. So if a child is asking for help? For the love of the Dewey decimal system, that child should get some help! He shouldn’t be told, “Oh, look online,” or “I don’t know anything about those books.”

I could go on. I really could. But I realize this is the second ranting post I’ve written this week, so perhaps I should focus on my own revelation from that day: I think maybe I should be a librarian.

Why I Would Make a Great Librarian:

1. I love to read.
2. I love books – actual books. I love the feel of them and even the smell of them. Sure, I’m a blogger and I love technology. But even more than that? I love books.
3. I love reading lots of different types of books. Right now I’m on a big paranormal YA kick, but I also read tons of gritty mysteries, spy novels and political thrillers, Christian mystery novels, romance and Christian romance. I also read some historical fiction, some Christian historical fiction and the occasional classic. And while I don’t love them as much as novels, I read non-fiction books, too. (Just a lot more slowly than the novels I inhale.)
4. My first job was in a library.
5. Sometimes I still find myself straightening books on the shelves, and I never put books down or back out of order.
6. I am a huge proponent of the library, because it’s dumb to buy a book I’m only going to read once. I even check out movies, CDs and TV shows from the library.
7. Goodreads.com is one of my favorite websites.
8. I really like things/people to be quiet, so I’ve got that librarian <i>Ssshhh!</i> down pat.
9. One of my favorite books from last year was all about libraries and librarians. It was not even a novel. It was a non-fiction book about librarians, and I found it fascinating.
10. See above story. I was in two different libraries in one day. If that’s not a sign I should be a librarian, I don’t know what is.

I’ve actually done some research on this idea of mine. Becoming a librarian would require another degree. I’m not opposed to that idea, because I love school, but it seems higher education is still not free. So until I win the get-your-master’s-degree lottery, I suppose I’ll have to make do with reading every book I can get my hands on and straightening my own bookshelves.

Although the next time I hear a clueless librarian talking with a kid, I might have to pull a Kathleen Kelly and help out.

Have you ever thought you’d make a great [fill in the blank]? What would you be, if education or training were free?

This post will be linked to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda. And it has a few affiliate links.

I started out this year by vowing to read 35 classics before turning 35. Since I turned 33 just a few days ago, I suppose I owe you an update.

But I don’t wanna tell you.

Okay, fine. Here it is. I’ve read stacks of mysteries and dozens of YA books, many about aliens, witches and other glittery teenagers. [I know.] And I only managed to read a few classics.

And I might be using the term “few” loosely. I read Catcher in the Rye and The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I know. Nerd City. But it’s kind of a classic, right? Oh, also, I read about half of Pride & Prejudice and watched the whole movie. [FYI, I loved the movie, but not so much the book.]

I’m still hoping to read some more classics, but to all of you who suggested the Count of Monte Cristo? Yeah. I looked at that one in the library. It is crazy long, and probably not on my 2012 list!

Some of my favorites from the 2011 list include:

• Good Enough Is the New Perfect: Finding Happiness and Success in Modern Motherhood
• The aforementioned The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
• Lisa Tawn Bergen’s River of Time series
• The Hunger Games trilogy
• Quitter by Jon Acuff
• Bossypants by Tina Fey
• This Book is Overdue! by Marilyn Johnson
• The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
• Paper Towns by John Green
• The latest books by my favorite authors: David Baldacci, Brad Meltzer, Iris Johansen, Catherine Coulter and Janet Evanovich
• And, yes, reading the first (or more) in several paranormal or dystopian YA series: Graceling, Across the Universe, Delirium, Hex Hall and Firelight

My list for 2012 includes the next book by all my favorites, as well as Jesus Calling by Sarah Young and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling.

What did you read in 2011? What did you love – or not love? And what’s on your list for 2012?

This post includes affiliate links.