How's All That Reading Going? A Printz Committee Update

I've been hearing that question so much lately! It's September and that means the Fall Publishing Season is upon us. Which means my mailbox is starting to look like this:

(sorry it's so fuzzy!)

Ahh...the life of being on an award committee.

OK-first off. I want to remind everyone that suggestions are not limited to committee members and that ANYONE can make a suggestion (authors and publishers can't suggest their own books of course). Have you read a book that you think should be considered by the Printz Committee? Suggest it! Don't assume we've read it and it's in our pile. I think it's better to have multiple suggestions of a title than none at all. You can suggest a title for Printz on this handy form from YALSA. (And you suggest for other committees too-Fabulous Films for Young Adults, Best Fiction for Young Adults, The Morris Award. Pretty cool, huh?)

Now, up to this point, the mail hasn't looked like that every day. There have been a couple of crazy everything comes in at once days, but things have been coming more at a steady pace, which is good for my reading sanity.

I thought I had enough bookshelves to hold all the books, but I'm finding out that's not the case. I still have room, but my organization system (read, to be read, needs comments, nominations) is running out of room so I may have to readjust yet again. Not to mention I have piles of ARCs on the floor and boxes all over my house.

Now I don't want you to think that being on the Printz committee (or any award committee) is just a fun way to get books and then look at them lovingly as they fill up your house. It's a TON of work. I knew this going in, but I don't think hearing how much work it is from people really prepares you until you're in the midst of it all. I've been trying to balance my full time job and trying to have a social life on top of my reading. But the reading takes over. Every free time I get, I'm reading. I always have a book in my hand and I'm constantly trying to multitask my reading. (Which OK, admittedly isn't that different from my regular reading life, but I'm just doing it more.) I even told Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan that the upcoming social events we have for the rest of the year are all I can do-the rest of the time I have to be reading!

So all that to say, the reading is going well but it's starting to feel overwhelming again. After Annual there was a bit of a break which gave me a chance to catch up on things I wanted to go back and read that I didn't get a chance to before our meeting. But then came Fall, which is a very heavy publishing season, and the books are piling up all over and a deadline is looming. I'm reading and taking notes. Then I'll be re-reading and taking more notes. And marking up books. And sticking post-its on passages or things I want to remember. And then I'll read more books. And take more notes. And so on until Midwinter in January.

So that's my committee update. Wish me luck as it gets even crazier! And please forgive me if the blog doesn't get updated as often. I'm trying, but reading is taking over and I can't post reviews of any YA titles from this year, which means my topics to post about are a bit lean. 

I'm off to read now!!