When I Was Young: Stiletto Storytime
Blog Name: Stiletto Storytime
Blog URL: http://www.stilettostorytime.wordpress.com
Twitter Name: @Stiletostrytime
LibraryThing: Stilettostorytime
When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.
I started my blog in December of 2007. I was in my first year as a children’s librarian. It was great platform for me to review books, talk about library related subjects and even express opinions on other topics of personal interest. I read so much back then to be acquainted with my collection that it seemed a shame not to review and keep track of what I was doing. And so my blog was born and bred at the children’s reference desk of a public library.
My blog is called Stiletto Storytime, which may seem a little odd but as always there is a story behind it. I graduated from library school at the age of 25, I didn’t exactly fit the profile of what people expected of a “librarian”. I was young and refused to act old before my time. I was innovative and always trying a fresh approach to old school library practices. Instead of clogs, I still dressed in stilettos and heels. I did storytime, dancing and shaking my sillies out dressed to the nines. My colleagues all joked I should have a “Stiletto Storytime” since I was always creating new themes and dressing fashionable. From then on…the name stuck! Stiletto Storytime is a blog devoted to helping readers find that perfect book! I review everything from board books to classic literature. There is also a large amount of Jane Austen related material since I am a devoted Janeite.
Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.
I am a twenty something wife and mother to a one year old son. Little man and his Daddy are my world. We also have a dog Zoe who is a cocker/westie mix that rounds out our family. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Masters in Library Science. I am now a SAHM and am working on my first book, which is the first in a middle grade series for girls. I am a southerner born and bred. I love to read more than anything and carry a book everywhere I go. Reading is my escape from the busy world around me. When I pick up a book all my stress and worries float away and it is simply the story and I.
Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.
One of my favorite books as a child was The Chimney Witches by Victoria Whitehead. It was this magical book about a girl who finds a way into the world of witches through her chimney. In fact it had a lot in common with Harry Potter in some ways now that I think about it. I have no idea where that book came from. The author was British and I remember the cover was solid blue with gold lettering. I so loved that book though and the idea of going to another world. I also loved The Little House on the Prairie series, Anne of Green Gables and oddly enough I was obsessed with R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series. By fifth grade I had every one lined up in perfect order on my bookshelves. I wish I had kept them. I now collect them and am always on the hunt for a new one at yard sales or library book sales. In all honesty as a child I was such a voracious reader, I read anything and everything I could get my on. I just loved and still love books!
“Courtney is fabulous! I just love her to pieces and her site always has something I’m interested in reading. I’ve been reading her site for some time now, but I think I really caught on during the last Dewey’s Read-a-Thon when she read through an entire stack of Charlaine Harris Sookie books. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge fan. Not to mention she also loves Sarah Addison Allen (another favorite), she loves children’s books and she’s a mom!
“Stiletto Storytime absolutely has something for everyone and if you haven’t stopped by yet, what are you waiting for? A must read for book lovers!
“Thank you so much, Courtney, for visiting There’s A Book today!”









































