"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where you feature a yet-to-be-released title you're anticipating!

Title: Cosplay in Libraries: How to Embrace Costume Play in Your Library
Author: Ellyssa Kroski
Release Date: October 23, 2015 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

About the Book:

"Cosplay, comics, anime, and geek culture have exploded into the mainstream over recent years and have resulted in a thriving community of costume enthusiasts and pop culture fans. Today’s cosplayers find inspiration on the pages of comics, classic literature, and even history, as well as film, television, and video games to inform their creative and oftentimes elaborate ensembles. They utilize all manner of materials and techniques including 3D printers, thermoplastics, craft foam, fabric and more to design their costumes and props.

Libraries on the leading edge are already embracing this new worldwide sensation by integrating cosplay into their programming and events. Learn all about the world of cosplay and how you can host cosplay events, workshops, makerspaces, clubs, and more in your library!

This one-stop guide includes quotes and interviews with librarians who are incorporating cosplay into their programming as well as with cosplayers. You’ll also find 32 full-color photographs of cosplay in action to give you both ideas and inspiration for getting started!"

Why I'm "WoW" about Cosplay in Libraries:
I don't know if I really would need this book, as it sounds like it might be meant for librarians unfamiliar with costuming or cosplay.  BUT it is almost as if it was made for me.  I mean, when have you ever seen a serious discussion or writings on cosplay in library literature?  The only thing that would be more applicable or connected to my focus/interests would be library literature on art education in public libraries or Christian fiction in public libraries.  $50 seems a bit steep of a price for 168 pages, but I'd love to get my hands on a copy to see what types of programming and events Kroski will highlight ... I also think it's kind of neat that Kroski's bio says she cosplays also (guess I'm not the only librarian costumer)!  Needless to say, my anticipation for this non-fiction title is off the charts!

Are there any titles releasing this month you're "WoW" about?  Let me know (and tell me why) in the comments!

About the Author:

"Ellyssa Kroski is the Director of Information Technology at the New York Law Institute as well as an award-winning editor and author of 34 books including Law Librarianship in the Digital Age for which she won the AALL's 2014 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award. Her ten-book technology series, The Tech Set won the ALA's Best Book in Library Literature Award in 2011. She is a librarian, an adjunct faculty member at Pratt Institute, and an international conference speaker. She blogs at Cosplay, Comics, and Geek Culture in Libraries. Her professional portfolio is located at: http://www.ellyssakroski.com

Ellyssa is also an avid cosplayer and has appeared on TLC's Cake Boss TV show as well as in the official music video for New York Comic Con and many other events. Her cosplay portfolio can be found at http://www.giallogirl.com"

Apologies for the lack of posts this month!  Just got through the worst midterms of my life --and to top it off, my family lost our internet, phone line, and cable tv (a sarcastic thank you, company-that-shall-not-be-named)!  =)  I think God was trying to show me I should stop my procrastinating ways ... LOL.  Anyways, since Peter Jackson's spectacular finale The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies is released on home media (blu-ray, DVD, digital download, etc.) today, I thought this review would be apropos.

Title: On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis
Author: Louis Markos
Published: 2012 by Moody Publishers

(c.) 2012 Moody Publishers

Are you ready to go on a quest?  In On the Shoulders of Hobbits, English Professor Louis Markos highlights some of the many "life lessons" that can be learned through two of literature's most beloved fantasy worlds: J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth and C.S. Lewis' Narnia.  Appropriate for high schoolers and adults, this book would also be good as a discussion guide for parents and teachers to utilize with younger children.

Professor Markos separates his book in four parts: The Road (focusing on "the journey of life"), The Classical Virtues, The Theological Virtues, and Evil.  Each part of the book is broken down into chapters, which focus on a single topic such as justice, wisdom, friendship, hope, and temptation.  Though primarily focused on Tolkien's works (the Lord of the Rings trilogy and related books such as The Hobbit or The Silmarillion), Markos closes each chapter with an example or two drawn from C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.  As a self-professed "Narniac" (Narnia fan), I really liked that Markos did this and it is neat to compare (and contrast) how Tolkien and Lewis dealt with different concepts (e.g. "forbidden fruit" or friendship).

Markos's states that this book isn't intended to be an academic or scholarly work (17).  I appreciated his introduction, as he gives the audience a clear view of what to expect.  Despite this, I felt that there is a more formal, in depth air to this book, compared to other Lord of the Rings and Narnia companion books I've read.  However, it is still very readable.  I also loved the "bibliographic essays" at the end of the book.  One focuses on Tolkien and Lord of the Rings and the other on Lewis and Narnia.  I've never encountered bibliographic essays in my academic career (perhaps because I wasn't an English major?) but think of it as an annotated bibliography written in essay form.  I definitely will be looking at some of the further reading suggested. 

As someone who loved Peter Jackson's movie adaptations and slogged through the books in high school only because of those films, I don't really consider myself a true "Ringer" (LotR fan). However, I really enjoyed Markos' look at the literature themselves and am inspired to take another look at Tolkien's well known works.  Anyone want to read-a-long with me this summer?  =P

Have you ever read any books like On the Shoulders of Hobbits?  What was it and what book/book series was it about?  Why did (or didn't) you enjoy it?

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have done.]