Free Kiva Loans

As a young, fairly broke American, I can't do much of anything for anyone. I do have a lot of opinions, though. I like to worry that I could be buying things made by mistreated sweatshop workers, and when I think about it, I buy fair-trade chocolate. But what's worry good for?

Recently, my pal John Green (he's coming up a lot lately) told the Nerdfighters that something amazing was happening--a rich dude donated a ton of free twenty-five-dollar loans to Kiva. Kiva, for those not in the loop, is a magical web site that allows people to lend a mere twenty-five dollars at a time to entrepreneurs all over the world so they can better their situations. Mostly in developing countries, but there are people in the United States, too, for the days you feel especially patriotic.

I used my free loan to help a woman in Peru who grows bananas. I think bananas are great, so the choice was pretty easy. Later on I'm going to use my real money to finance some other enterprising individual in hiring a sheep wrangler or buying more merchandise for the store or repairing the roof. It'll make me feel a little like a fancy banker.

Some people take issue with the way Kiva does business. So while I'm here specifically because of the free loans, I'm not advocating one microfinance organization over another--I haven't done enough research for that. I just enjoy that I can do a little to help entrepreneurs while I'm hiding out in continuing education because I'm afraid of the real world.

Get your free Kiva loan today before they run out.

Best wishes!

Maureen

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green was finally able to announce the name of his latest book! Rather than hide it, he named forum topics and YouTube videos for it, to make the announcement easier. So I did the same with my blog post.

The Fault in Our Stars is due out next year. I haven't read it yet, of course, so I don't know anything about it, except that the narrator is a girl named Hazel, and she probably doesn't take off her bra in the course of the story.

John explains. Eventually. Sort of.

John will also be signing every single book in the first printing, for some reason. So pre-order for your very own J-Scribbled book today! Or later!

Pre-order through Barnes & Noble for $9.98.

DFTBA,

Maureen

"May the odds be ever in your favor."

That Cate, always talking about accessories and fashion and things I don't understand. She's so crazy.

Let me just get this out, all right, folks? I recently bought Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games, because I decided I was allowed to go buy books, and because the Nerdfighters recommended it to me. And then I finished it that very day. The next day I bought its sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay, and I finished those by the next day, making it a three-day marathon of young adult sci-fi. Normally I read a lot more fantasy than science fiction, but when you add deadly children to the mix, it seems I devour the stuff. See also: Ender's Game.

The Hunger Games is about Katniss Everdeen, whose name is either cool or weird (but definitely much cooler than poor Peeta Mellark's) and the eponymous Hunger Games. The Games are a yearly event in which all the Districts in what used to be North America send children to the Capitol to kill each other.

Katniss, obviously, ends up as one of these children, and she tries to kill people, and people try to kill her, and it's pretty exciting, except for when it's worrying.

Also, you fashion types would dig it because there is totally fashion. That's right, Cate. Fashion. In a book about children being forced to kill each other. It's like The Baby-sitters Club meets Battle Royale, except, well, not really.

I would tell you more, but I think you should visit either your local public library or a small locally-owned bookstore and see for yourself.

Best wishes!

Maureen

Tonight I've Got a Date with My Bookshelf

I've told you a little about Nerdfighters before. Nerdfighters are cool types who work to decrease World Suck. They tend to be nerdy, and they watch the video blogs of John and Hank Green.

Sometimes, two Nerdfighters meet and become so enamored of each other that they end up in a situation known as Nerdfighterlike. Nerdfighterlike is the subject of musical Nerdfighter and YouTube video maker devilishlypure's song, "Nerdfighterlike."

Nerdfighters are not known for making things very difficult.

Now, you won't understand a lot of the song if you aren't a seasoned Nerdfighter like I am. But worry not! There is hope for you yet. There are plenty of videos on YouTube to get you up to speed.

And once you understand what's going on, perhaps you, too, can fall in Nerdfighterlike with a fellow Nerdfighter.

They tell me you can buy the song through iTunes, but watching the numerous videos on YouTube is easier. So do that.

Best wishes!

Maureen

It Was the Best Day Ever

Yesterday I went to the small, locally-owned bookshop and spent a hundred dollars. A hundred dollars of other people's money. Because I had gift certificates.

It was basically the best day ever. I have never spent more than maybe twenty or thirty dollars on books at a time. And then it was my money. This time it was everyone else's money. And it was great. I bought four books for my little brother (he just turned sixteen) and two for my mother and three for me. I would have gotten more, and I still have about fifty dollars on my certificates, but I have never had that much money in my book budget. I was addled.

Two of the books I bought were Looking for Alaska by John Green and Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan.

I first learned of John Green by watching YouTube vloggers Sister Salad, when Salad Sister Lizz talked about his latest book Paper Towns. Then I finally got around to watching the Vlog Brothers, of which John is one. The other is Hank Green. If you want to know a secret, I like John's vlogs more. Hank is an eco guy. He's all about being nice to the earth. Which is cool and all, but John Green writes books! Books are what interest me.

Sister Salad was, of course, inspired by the Green brothers. The vlog is run by three sisters: Alexandra, Lizz, and Invisisis. They don't reveal Invisisis's full name or face because she's too young. It's very considerate. The Vlog Brothers are much better about the vlogging than Sister Salad, but that's probably because they engineered the siblings-communicating-through-video thing, and don't have traditional jobs. The sisters have to do things like go to work and school and stuff.

Go to YouTube to watch the Vlog Brothers and Sister Salad.

And buy the books from the nearest locally-owned bookshop.

Best wishes!