Author: Amy Weir

Amy M. Weir is a public youth services librarian in SW Pennsylvania, and there’s nothing she geeks out about more. Outside of work she obsesses over music (especially rock especially psychedelic pop especially The Beatles), sews clothes, gardens when the weather’s nice, avoids housework, and generally is the poster-child for Enneatype 9, which she attempts to counteract with yoga when she remembers. Her entire family has ADHD. This includes an RPG-and-firearms-geek husband who asked her out by playing a Paladin-in-Shining-Armor devoted to serving her character in D&D; a vehicles-and-video-game-geek 14yo named after a hobbit; an art-and-animation-geek 12yo named after a SFF writer; and an Imaginary Husband named Martin Freeman, who isn’t actually aware of this relationship.

Geek Links: Sci-Fi Wins a Newbery and More From the ALA Youth Media Awards

January 24, 2022Amy Weir

The American Library Association announced the winners of the 2022 Youth Media Awards, including a rare science fiction take of the Newbery Medal! Courtesy: ala.org

"I support #FReadom" with a picture of an open book

Speak Up for the Freedom to Read!

November 19, 2021November 21, 2021Amy Weir

All geeks, regardless of political persuasion, appreciate intellectual freedom, right? So speak up!

Paperback covers of the Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer

Read Up On ‘Enola Holmes’ Now

September 1, 2020August 31, 2020Amy Weir

Did you know Netflix’s upcoming ‘Enola Holmes’ adaptation is based on a fantastic middle grade book series that’s fun for the whole family?

The author making a love sign toward the camera, sitting beside a cheerful puppet shaped like a globe with a face

Do You Know What Your Library Has Been Up To?

July 6, 2020July 5, 2020Amy Weir

Public libraries can’t operate “as usual” during COVID, but you should check out the ways we’ve found to safely serve the public anyway.

‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ to the Rescue!

June 24, 2020June 23, 2020Amy Weir1

In these unprecedented times, as the ads say, being on social media can get a bit overwhelmingly dark. Being in real life can be pretty overwhelming, too, admittedly more for some people than others.

Editing page of a google form titled "Enter the Labyrinth!" with ancient Greek mosaic of The Labyrinth as a header picture and an introduction to the escape room puzzle that follows

Inertia and Working From Home

May 27, 2020May 26, 2020Amy Weir5

Inertia makes it hard to separate your day into “work” and “non-work” hours when working from home. Without a closing time, I just keep going….

cartoon drawing of a video conference screen. One participant is hiding under a blanket

Zoom Is the Tool of the Extrovert

April 9, 2020April 9, 2020Amy Weir1

Constant video conferencing can be quite the drain on an introvert.

collage mice carry corn and scold daydreaming mouse who claims he is gathering sun rays for winter

Bound Only By the Limits of My Imagination

March 24, 2020March 23, 2020Amy Weir

What, me worry about being in quarantine? I’m too busy daydreaming to notice.

Barely visible pre-teen holds T-shirt that reads "PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME DO STUFF"

There’s Too Much to Do During a Quarantine

March 19, 2020March 18, 2020Amy Weir

Looking for ways to keep busy during a quarantine? You’re apparently not me, then.

three identical cartoon kids lined up in a bed with thermometers in their mouths and a skin rash

Family Sick Days Can Be Good

March 6, 2020March 5, 2020Amy Weir1

Why is it so hard to call off sick? When we’re all in it together, sick days become a relief.

labelled fan drawings of headshots of the seven Heroes of Olympus from Rick Riordan's series of the same name

Thoughts on Demigods and Representation

February 27, 2020February 26, 2020Amy Weir

Reading the ‘Heroes of Olympus’ series with her two ADHD children is making Amy appreciate, again, when characters are more than token “types.”

Who Tells Your Story? Acknowledging Bias in History

February 19, 2020February 18, 2020Amy Weir1

All writing is biased. The trick is to recognize the biases and to seek out as many different biases in your reading as you can.

A Reminder About Story Middles: Heroes Don’t Give Up

February 5, 2020February 4, 2020Amy Weir

Things always look bleak for the heroes in the middle of the story. They just don’t give up until they find their happy ending.

Covers of New Kid by Craft and The Undefeated by Alexander

Graphic Novels Win Writing Awards & Other Notes On the ALA Youth Media Awards

January 28, 2020January 28, 2020Amy Weir

Announcing the American Library Association’s 2020 Youth Media Awards, and several of Amy’s opinions thereof!

screenshot of a blank Scrivener file labeled "Here is a new blank page for you to write in!"

Tricks to Play on Your Brain

January 24, 2020January 23, 2020Amy Weir

You can’t just order yourself to do what you need to (at least not with executive disfunction): sometimes you have to trick your brain into working properly.

"Hello My Name is" nametag that reads "Disordered The Sequel!"

How Do You Find a Word That Means Disordered?

January 19, 2020January 18, 2020Amy Weir

Amy ponders the words used to describe people who nowadays might be diagnosed with ADHD.

On Video Game Earworms and the Compulsive Singer

January 10, 2020January 9, 2020Amy Weir1

Amy has an annoying (to her kids) habit of bursting into song at the slightest provocation, and video games provide so much repetitive provocation!

How Fanfic Is (Slowly) Restoring My Faith in My Writing

December 29, 2019December 29, 2019Amy Weir

To quote my AO3 bio: No, I don’t write a lot of fanfic, and I read it even less. But when I get the roots of one in my head, it gets me WRITING again, which is great because I’ve been on a bit of a fiction-writing dry spell for the past decade. And it’s nice to have a place to share it.

Thorough and Pointless Radio Station Study: Christmas Edition!

December 21, 2019December 20, 2019Amy Weir1

In which Amy reprises her Radio Presets study in order to analyze what the 24-Hour Christmas Music station has been up to this past month.

Geek Links: RIP Caroll Spinney

December 9, 2019December 8, 2019Amy Weir

The beloved performer of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch died yesterday. Courtesy: www.sesameworkshop.org