Summarize your thoughts about this program in a blog post. What have you learned that was helpful?
I've enjoyed the Be More Bookish training overall. When the training began, I was in the middle of LATI, and as soon as that was over it was time for Summer Reading Club. As a result, I am pretty much down to the wire in completing my assignments. (I have one day left before the deadline! Woohoo!) I am glad that we were given a longer block of time to complete the assignments, because I wanted to be able to take the time needed to complete the assignments thoughtfully and get the maximum benefit from this experience.
Given that all of us have plenty of other work to do, I think one or two assignments per week (as in one or two actual tasks--1. read this article and 2. write a book talk for book xyz) would have been more manageable to keep up with instead of some of the weeks in which we had four or five separate tasks to complete. Most of the assignments made sense, but the week 6 assignments in particular were vague, and week 6/assignment 3 in particular was really asssignments 3, 4, and 5. Also, for week 6/assignment 2, it would have been a lot more helpful to have the content of the Prezi on an 11x17 piece of paper; if each branch could have received one or two copies I think that would have been helpful. That way, those of us who like to get the big picture could see all of the content at once instead of having to move around the page.
Another thought I've had here and there along the way is that I wish I could have had more interaction with other librarians' blogs. I liked the parts of some assignments that asked us to look at another staff member's blog and would have liked to have spent more time reading through more of them.
Finally, thank you to the folks who made this happen. It's been a good learning experience and I appreciate the time you have taken and the work you've put into creating this training program.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Week 9, Assignment 2
Book trailers...do they succeed in marketing books? In my opinion, not really. They often seem to only capture one aspect of the book. They focus on one issue or aspect of the story; they do not (in general) summarize the whole work. In some cases, book trailers may be somewhat successful in capturing the tone of a book. I don't think a book trailer has ever made me want to read a book. In my mind, using movie-style book trailers to promote a book is akin to showing a person carrots when they're trying to decide which variety of apple to eat.
As I said in the previous post, there may be some instances in which a book trailer could be useful, and I think that the interview-style book trailers in which authors talk about their books are more effective for marketing a book than a movie-style trailer. Interview-style trailers are similar to hearing an author on NPR or seeing an author on the Today show talking about his/her book(s).
Are book trailers useful for RA? Not in my experience. I've never pointed a customer to a book trailer or even had a customer tell me that they saw one. One last thought: I think the interview-style trailers might also be of interest to someone who has read a book and wants to see the author in action.
As I said in the previous post, there may be some instances in which a book trailer could be useful, and I think that the interview-style book trailers in which authors talk about their books are more effective for marketing a book than a movie-style trailer. Interview-style trailers are similar to hearing an author on NPR or seeing an author on the Today show talking about his/her book(s).
Are book trailers useful for RA? Not in my experience. I've never pointed a customer to a book trailer or even had a customer tell me that they saw one. One last thought: I think the interview-style trailers might also be of interest to someone who has read a book and wants to see the author in action.
Week 9, Assignment 1
I agree with the author of the Tribune article; watching book trailers has never made me want to read a book. The write ups and reviews, conversations with other readers, a new book by an author I've previously enjoyed reading--those are the things that make me want to read a book.
Now, in looking through different book trailers, I will say that there are differences in their styles: while I dislike the trailers that are like low-budget films--the ones that try to be movies of the book (yech!)--I am more amenable to the book trailers that are done in interview format with the author talking about his or her book in the first person; for example, I didn't object to Mary Karr's book trailer for Lit or Jeannette Walls' trailer for Half Broke Horses. That kind of thing makes a little more sense to me. But the movie-type trailers? No thank you.
Now, in looking through different book trailers, I will say that there are differences in their styles: while I dislike the trailers that are like low-budget films--the ones that try to be movies of the book (yech!)--I am more amenable to the book trailers that are done in interview format with the author talking about his or her book in the first person; for example, I didn't object to Mary Karr's book trailer for Lit or Jeannette Walls' trailer for Half Broke Horses. That kind of thing makes a little more sense to me. But the movie-type trailers? No thank you.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Week 8, Assignment 4
Next, here are book talks for two of the titles I recommended in Assignment 3.
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
Readers who enjoy reading about World War II will not want to miss Erik Larson's bestselling title from 2011, In the Garden of Beasts. This very readable narrative nonfiction title traces Hitler's rise to power as seen through the eyes of the family of American ambassador William Dodd, who lived in Germany as Hitler rose to power. While the book describes events in Germany as Hitler gained power, it's also a biography of Dodd and the members of his family--in particular, his grown daughter Martha, who engages in several affairs while in Germany, including one with a high-ranking Gestapo officer.
This is a true story of the Nazi era replete with a suspenseful and compelling plot, a quick pace, and fully drawn characters. I suggest this title for readers who enjoy both nonfiction history and historical fiction works set in the World War II era because of the narrative and information about that era presented from a slightly different angle. I also recommend this book those who enjoy narrative nonfiction because it's an archetype of this genre.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
Medical stories have the potential to get bogged down in gory and boring detail and to seem impersonal; however, that is not the case with Oliver Sacks' 1985 book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. In this book, neurologist Sacks recounts the intricacies of the cases of various patients with rare disorders in a way that is compassionate, reflective, and moving. The book is well-written, and while there is a good bit of medical jargon and the descriptions of neurological function are a bit science-heavy, the stories are so compelling that the book is worth the effort.
I recommend this title for fans of Lisa Genova's Still Alice and fans of Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind, as well as those who enjoy science writing and short stories, since it's essentially a book of case studies presented as stand-alone short stories.
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
Readers who enjoy reading about World War II will not want to miss Erik Larson's bestselling title from 2011, In the Garden of Beasts. This very readable narrative nonfiction title traces Hitler's rise to power as seen through the eyes of the family of American ambassador William Dodd, who lived in Germany as Hitler rose to power. While the book describes events in Germany as Hitler gained power, it's also a biography of Dodd and the members of his family--in particular, his grown daughter Martha, who engages in several affairs while in Germany, including one with a high-ranking Gestapo officer.
This is a true story of the Nazi era replete with a suspenseful and compelling plot, a quick pace, and fully drawn characters. I suggest this title for readers who enjoy both nonfiction history and historical fiction works set in the World War II era because of the narrative and information about that era presented from a slightly different angle. I also recommend this book those who enjoy narrative nonfiction because it's an archetype of this genre.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
Medical stories have the potential to get bogged down in gory and boring detail and to seem impersonal; however, that is not the case with Oliver Sacks' 1985 book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. In this book, neurologist Sacks recounts the intricacies of the cases of various patients with rare disorders in a way that is compassionate, reflective, and moving. The book is well-written, and while there is a good bit of medical jargon and the descriptions of neurological function are a bit science-heavy, the stories are so compelling that the book is worth the effort.
I recommend this title for fans of Lisa Genova's Still Alice and fans of Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind, as well as those who enjoy science writing and short stories, since it's essentially a book of case studies presented as stand-alone short stories.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Week 8, Assignment 3
For this assignment, I've selected the following four nonfiction genres and their Dewey areas, along with a sample title from each that I could recommend to someone who normally reads only nonfiction.
1. History (900s) - In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson is a book I've recommended to numerous customers who like historical fiction, particularly stories set in the World War II era, as well as those who express an interest in nonfiction history books.
2. Sports (790s) - Summer of '49 by David Halberstam is a great baseball book about the long-running rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox.
3. Food (640s) - Blood, Bones, and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton is essentially a memoir of food and of an unusual life, compellingly written.
4. Medical (610s) - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks recounts case studies of patients with unusual neurological disorders from the perspective of a medical professional.
1. History (900s) - In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson is a book I've recommended to numerous customers who like historical fiction, particularly stories set in the World War II era, as well as those who express an interest in nonfiction history books.
2. Sports (790s) - Summer of '49 by David Halberstam is a great baseball book about the long-running rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox.
3. Food (640s) - Blood, Bones, and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton is essentially a memoir of food and of an unusual life, compellingly written.
4. Medical (610s) - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks recounts case studies of patients with unusual neurological disorders from the perspective of a medical professional.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Week 8, Assignment 2
The SLRC video Readers' Advisory with Non-Fiction described sixteen different types of narrative nonfiction, and the primary feature that differentiates narrative nonfiction from fiction is that it's true. Story is the key element that differentiates narrative nonfiction from other nonfiction, although I've read some cookbooks that have a lot of narrative in them, which makes them fun to read, too!
Each reader is different, and so the list of appeal factors that distinguish one title from another is important to keep in mind when working with a customer. Narrative non-fiction isn't a catchall genre; a customer who likes to read about sports, with lots of stats and charts and photos, won't necessarily be interested in one of Mary Karr's memoirs. It's important to think about the appeal factors that make a book interesting to a customer.
Each reader is different, and so the list of appeal factors that distinguish one title from another is important to keep in mind when working with a customer. Narrative non-fiction isn't a catchall genre; a customer who likes to read about sports, with lots of stats and charts and photos, won't necessarily be interested in one of Mary Karr's memoirs. It's important to think about the appeal factors that make a book interesting to a customer.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Week 7, Assignment 4
Assignment: Choose any two of the following teen imprints and spend some time on their websites. Blog about any trends you find in either current or forthcoming teen fiction.
My first thought as I look at the pages of teen imprints like Harlequin Teen and Teens at Random is that I prefer to read blogs and sites that are not affiliated with a publisher, simply because they offer broader coverage and less biased (possibly? hopefully?) reviews. Some books are just meh, but the publisher isn't going to say that! Also, I think it's more helpful, as I think I've said elsewhere in this blog, to see the books that are getting a lot of buzz or attention from a range of reviewers. That being said, there are always books that inexplicably don't seem to be "on the radar" but truly deserve more attention than they receive.
As far as trends that I pick up as I look at these sites...dystopian, zombies, and other paranormal fiction is still popular, without a doubt, as are books with fairy tale elements. Honestly, I find it hard to judge trends by looking at publisher sites. While you can see what's being published, that's not always the same as what kids are actually reading or asking for in the branch. If I want to really look for trends, I would not start with publisher sites, I'd look at independent reviews and blogs and bestseller lists.
My first thought as I look at the pages of teen imprints like Harlequin Teen and Teens at Random is that I prefer to read blogs and sites that are not affiliated with a publisher, simply because they offer broader coverage and less biased (possibly? hopefully?) reviews. Some books are just meh, but the publisher isn't going to say that! Also, I think it's more helpful, as I think I've said elsewhere in this blog, to see the books that are getting a lot of buzz or attention from a range of reviewers. That being said, there are always books that inexplicably don't seem to be "on the radar" but truly deserve more attention than they receive.
As far as trends that I pick up as I look at these sites...dystopian, zombies, and other paranormal fiction is still popular, without a doubt, as are books with fairy tale elements. Honestly, I find it hard to judge trends by looking at publisher sites. While you can see what's being published, that's not always the same as what kids are actually reading or asking for in the branch. If I want to really look for trends, I would not start with publisher sites, I'd look at independent reviews and blogs and bestseller lists.
Week 7, Assignment 3
For this assignment I've been reading Stacked and Teenreads. (Teenreads has tested my patience. It is very sloooow to load. But I'm trying to look beyond that since they have good info.) I really like the content of both sites; prefer the layout (and loading time) of the Stacked site.
Stacked is produced by Kimberly Fransisco and Kelly Jensen, both librarians. The focus of this blog is on the blog content; other features line the margins of the page in smaller type, which makes it easy to see where the most current information is: in the middle. To my eye, it's a pleasing and streamlined layout. I feel like this blog is directed toward book consumers as well as book professionals--librarians, booksellers, etc.. They seem to talk about library things pretty often. And I love the entry Kelly posted today about her system's summer reading club. I am now kicking myself for shipping all the middle school entry slips back to Youth Services without mining them for the titles that kids are reading. Brilliant! Also, she mentions teens reading Nicholas Sparks. Quite a few teen girls have asked me for Sparks' books since summer started, and now that she says it on her blog, it makes me think that we could do a display of adult books that appeal to teens. (Jodi Picoult would also be on that display.)
Now to the other site. Teenreads seems to be directed at teen readers or any readers who enjoy teen books. They have a corporate team that manages their affiliated sites but also have a number of book reviewers, and they elicit input from their readers. Also found it interesting that Teenreads is part of a network of sites produced by The Book Report Network...and that this network includes a site called 20SomethingReads...which reminds me of the "New Adult" label I read about in Assignment 1 this week. Teenreads has a search features that enable readers to search by title, author, or (especially) genre. The site is busy with scrolling banners that change out every few seconds (surely that's part of the reasons the pages load at glacial speed) and it's packed with articles and features, so it takes a minute or two to figure out what the highlights are. I don't find the layout all that user-friendly, but it may just be me.
I like that both sites are not only current with new releases, they also include older titles for consideration. I'm glad to know about both of these sites and I'm sure I'll continue to refer to them.
Stacked is produced by Kimberly Fransisco and Kelly Jensen, both librarians. The focus of this blog is on the blog content; other features line the margins of the page in smaller type, which makes it easy to see where the most current information is: in the middle. To my eye, it's a pleasing and streamlined layout. I feel like this blog is directed toward book consumers as well as book professionals--librarians, booksellers, etc.. They seem to talk about library things pretty often. And I love the entry Kelly posted today about her system's summer reading club. I am now kicking myself for shipping all the middle school entry slips back to Youth Services without mining them for the titles that kids are reading. Brilliant! Also, she mentions teens reading Nicholas Sparks. Quite a few teen girls have asked me for Sparks' books since summer started, and now that she says it on her blog, it makes me think that we could do a display of adult books that appeal to teens. (Jodi Picoult would also be on that display.)
Now to the other site. Teenreads seems to be directed at teen readers or any readers who enjoy teen books. They have a corporate team that manages their affiliated sites but also have a number of book reviewers, and they elicit input from their readers. Also found it interesting that Teenreads is part of a network of sites produced by The Book Report Network...and that this network includes a site called 20SomethingReads...which reminds me of the "New Adult" label I read about in Assignment 1 this week. Teenreads has a search features that enable readers to search by title, author, or (especially) genre. The site is busy with scrolling banners that change out every few seconds (surely that's part of the reasons the pages load at glacial speed) and it's packed with articles and features, so it takes a minute or two to figure out what the highlights are. I don't find the layout all that user-friendly, but it may just be me.
I like that both sites are not only current with new releases, they also include older titles for consideration. I'm glad to know about both of these sites and I'm sure I'll continue to refer to them.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Week 8, Assignment 1
Both articles about readers advisory with nonfiction made some good points. I like the idea of creating mixed displays of fiction and nonfiction materials. This is some thing we've done at my branch, although having our fiction and nonfiction collections on separate floors makes this a little tricky. In particular, our mystery readers who "have read everything" would enjoy a true crime/ mystery display, and on occasion I have remembered to suggest titles by Ann Rule or Erik Larsen when in conversation with such a customer.
With regard to readers advisory, I have found that people who identify themselves as nonfiction readers are somewhat less likely to be willing to read fiction; they tend to prefer the facts to fictionalized accounts of historical events. For example, readers who are interested in nonfiction about World War II have been less likely to want to switch over to read historical fiction about that period; yet readers who enjoyed The Book Thief have been interested in reading more about what really happened and have been receptive to titles like In the Garden of Beasts. But there are always readers who cross quite happily between fiction and nonfiction because they enjoy a good story; I fall Into this category, while my husband is a "just the facts please" nonfiction reader. According to him, you can't improve on the truth. And truth can, at times, be stranger than fiction.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Week 7, Assignment 2
So, thus far I have read three of the five suggested articles for this assignment. In the interest of getting this project completed, I had to stop there (for now). The first article I read was this one from Publishers Weekly about the "New Adult" subgenre. I found myself both laughing and agreeing with one of the comments that follows the article--the writer described herself as a "cranky Gen-Xer" who had managed to become an adult without this subgenre, but who at the same time likes the label if it gets (or keeps) people reading (and yes, a latte while reading the next Hunger Games would be lovely...just make mine with coconut milk, please).
I think that "New Adult" is probably more of a marketing tool than a new section that needs to be added to our shelves, at least for now. A number of years back as part of my coursework when completing my Master's in teaching, I took a kid-lit class, and one of the key ideas from that class that has stuck with me is the notion that children need to see themselves in books. Well, I don't think it's just children...I think that all people like to see something of themselves in books. Not exclusively, mind you; most readers, at least some of the time, look for an escape or something that takes them away from reality...but it seems like the books that resonate most with us tend to be the ones that tell us something about life and how to live it.
Moving on to the other articles I read ("Who is Buying Teen Books?" from Christian Science Monitor and "The Next Big Thing" from YALSA), another thought that all of these articles brought to mind is that a good book is a good book is a good book. I don't hesitate to recommend The Book Thief or Code Name Verity to adult readers who say they enjoy historical fiction set during the World War II era, or The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian as a book club selection, because they are Just. Good. Books.
I posted comments on Cynthia W. and Eileen K.'s blogs.
I think that "New Adult" is probably more of a marketing tool than a new section that needs to be added to our shelves, at least for now. A number of years back as part of my coursework when completing my Master's in teaching, I took a kid-lit class, and one of the key ideas from that class that has stuck with me is the notion that children need to see themselves in books. Well, I don't think it's just children...I think that all people like to see something of themselves in books. Not exclusively, mind you; most readers, at least some of the time, look for an escape or something that takes them away from reality...but it seems like the books that resonate most with us tend to be the ones that tell us something about life and how to live it.
Moving on to the other articles I read ("Who is Buying Teen Books?" from Christian Science Monitor and "The Next Big Thing" from YALSA), another thought that all of these articles brought to mind is that a good book is a good book is a good book. I don't hesitate to recommend The Book Thief or Code Name Verity to adult readers who say they enjoy historical fiction set during the World War II era, or The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian as a book club selection, because they are Just. Good. Books.
I posted comments on Cynthia W. and Eileen K.'s blogs.
Week 7, Assignment 1
Had to print out the "What to Read Next" article from Lawrence Public Library...and as a companion to this, I read another article from Christian Science Monitor, "10 Books to Read After the Hunger Games Trilogy." The latter article was linked from an article I read for Week 7, Assignment 2; just had to take a peek at it (a) to see if there were any I hadn't heard about previously, and (b) to see which titles are consistently recommended, like Divergent and The Maze Runner. These lists come in particularly handy during summer reading season. And many of them will end up on my own Goodreads "to read" list, like Legend by Marie Lu.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Week 6, Assignment 3
The instructions for the first part of Assignment 3 are to choose three fiction subgenres with which I am unfamiliar and to locate a fan website for each. In order for this to be useful, I would like to choose three subgenres that customers have actually requested. So...I selected paranormal romance, hip-hop urban fiction, and epic fantasy. In addition to the websites I list below, I also consulted Fantastic Fiction, NoveList, and Goodreads to get more information for these entries.
Paranormal Romance
Fan website: This was a good subgenre to pick. Finding a fan website for this was easy-peasy: I just googled "fan website for paranormal romance" and came up with a slew of them. I initially choose a site that unfortunately was not up-to-date. Some pages were last updated in 2010; the most recent reviews were from 2012; and the New Releases page didn't have any actual content. So, I selected a blog that appeared at the top of the search results, called "Paranormal Romance Fans for Life," which was updated two days ago. This site keeps tabs on new releases and is maintained by an author in this genre.
Authors/Titles: Danica Winters (blog owner), Nalini Singh, Christine Feehan
Hallmarks/Appeal Factors: According to Goodreads, paranormal romance books feature romantic relationships in conjunction with non-human, other-worldly, paranormal creatures and phenomena ("vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, time travel, fantastical beings, and psychic abilities." ~from Goodreads). These books are also typically fast-paced and can be graphic.
Hip-Hop Urban Fiction
Fan Website: I searched using Google for "hip hop fiction" and came up with a number of websites that discuss urban fiction/street lit/hip hop fiction as interchangeable terms, but had a harder time finding a site that defines "hip hop fiction" in the way that it was defined on the Prezi graphic--as encompassing just urban titles focused on the music industry. There are many good resources and lists, such as this Urban Fiction/Street Lit/Hip Hop Fiction article and The Urban Book Source. Searching for hip-hop fiction on Goodreads produced lists of largely nonfiction titles. I also came across this informative blog about street lit.
Authors/Titles: Teri Woods, Ashley and JaQuavis, Nikki Turner
Hallmarks/Appeal Factors: Hip-hop/street lit/urban fiction books typically feature an urban setting, a fast pace, realistic dialogue, and realistic depictions of life on the streets.
Epic Fantasy
Fan Website: Once again, I turned to Google to see what I could find with a basic search (knowing that of course I could find lots of info on Goodreads and NoveList as well). I found a site called Best Fantasy Books that has lists of all kinds of fantasy and its subgenres, including epic fantasy. A "top 50" list of epic fantasy books can be found on this page.
Authors/Titles: J.R.R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin, Steven Erikson
Hallmarks/Appeal Factors: Epic fantasy works feature struggles of good versus evil, are populated with heroes, wizards, villains, richly detailed worlds, and are often large, multi-volume works.
The last part of this assignment asks us to find two mashup titles--titles that blend two subgenres. Here are two that I found and my rationale for each:
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen qualifies for mashup status because it blends magical realism with chick lit and a heartwarming modern romance. A woman of some repute around town turns up hiding in sheltered Josey's closet, urging the hapless twentysomething to get a life and go after the man she admires.
Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce contains elements of several genres: literary fiction (superb writing), fantasy-fairy tale (betcha guessed that from the title, huh?), a good dose of cultural commentary, and a heckuva lot of psychology to boot. Sixteen-year-old Tara goes missing after a major falling out with her boyfriend, and shows up twenty years later, looking the same as she did when she "left." She claims to have been kidnapped by fairies.
Paranormal Romance
Fan website: This was a good subgenre to pick. Finding a fan website for this was easy-peasy: I just googled "fan website for paranormal romance" and came up with a slew of them. I initially choose a site that unfortunately was not up-to-date. Some pages were last updated in 2010; the most recent reviews were from 2012; and the New Releases page didn't have any actual content. So, I selected a blog that appeared at the top of the search results, called "Paranormal Romance Fans for Life," which was updated two days ago. This site keeps tabs on new releases and is maintained by an author in this genre.
Authors/Titles: Danica Winters (blog owner), Nalini Singh, Christine Feehan
Hallmarks/Appeal Factors: According to Goodreads, paranormal romance books feature romantic relationships in conjunction with non-human, other-worldly, paranormal creatures and phenomena ("vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, time travel, fantastical beings, and psychic abilities." ~from Goodreads). These books are also typically fast-paced and can be graphic.
Hip-Hop Urban Fiction
Fan Website: I searched using Google for "hip hop fiction" and came up with a number of websites that discuss urban fiction/street lit/hip hop fiction as interchangeable terms, but had a harder time finding a site that defines "hip hop fiction" in the way that it was defined on the Prezi graphic--as encompassing just urban titles focused on the music industry. There are many good resources and lists, such as this Urban Fiction/Street Lit/Hip Hop Fiction article and The Urban Book Source. Searching for hip-hop fiction on Goodreads produced lists of largely nonfiction titles. I also came across this informative blog about street lit.
Authors/Titles: Teri Woods, Ashley and JaQuavis, Nikki Turner
Hallmarks/Appeal Factors: Hip-hop/street lit/urban fiction books typically feature an urban setting, a fast pace, realistic dialogue, and realistic depictions of life on the streets.
Epic Fantasy
Fan Website: Once again, I turned to Google to see what I could find with a basic search (knowing that of course I could find lots of info on Goodreads and NoveList as well). I found a site called Best Fantasy Books that has lists of all kinds of fantasy and its subgenres, including epic fantasy. A "top 50" list of epic fantasy books can be found on this page.
Authors/Titles: J.R.R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin, Steven Erikson
Hallmarks/Appeal Factors: Epic fantasy works feature struggles of good versus evil, are populated with heroes, wizards, villains, richly detailed worlds, and are often large, multi-volume works.
The last part of this assignment asks us to find two mashup titles--titles that blend two subgenres. Here are two that I found and my rationale for each:
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen qualifies for mashup status because it blends magical realism with chick lit and a heartwarming modern romance. A woman of some repute around town turns up hiding in sheltered Josey's closet, urging the hapless twentysomething to get a life and go after the man she admires.
Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce contains elements of several genres: literary fiction (superb writing), fantasy-fairy tale (betcha guessed that from the title, huh?), a good dose of cultural commentary, and a heckuva lot of psychology to boot. Sixteen-year-old Tara goes missing after a major falling out with her boyfriend, and shows up twenty years later, looking the same as she did when she "left." She claims to have been kidnapped by fairies.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Week 6, Assignment 2
The Prezi graphic of fiction genres and subgenres is a great way to capture the different categories of fiction. I have to agree with a few people who commented that it would have been great to have it blown up so you could view it all together, but the navigation wasn't unmanageable either. The explanations and links between subgenres were helpful.
PS, a day later...on further thought, I think that the graphic in the Prezi would actually be a better item to have offered in print--perhaps printed on 11x17 paper. It would be a great item for future reference, and would make completing Assignment 3 just a tad easier. We could also share it with customers!
PS, a day later...on further thought, I think that the graphic in the Prezi would actually be a better item to have offered in print--perhaps printed on 11x17 paper. It would be a great item for future reference, and would make completing Assignment 3 just a tad easier. We could also share it with customers!
Friday, July 5, 2013
Week 6, Assignment 1
As I've mentioned in previous posts, we have a lot of mystery readers at my branch, and I am not a mystery reader myself. It's not that I object to mysteries--I enjoy them--it just happens that mysteries infrequently make it to the top of my reading lists. For these reasons, I thought that Stop You're Killing Me would be a good resource to follow. I haven't been disappointed with the site; in fact, I've shared it with several of our customers who are mystery fans. One customer in particular likes gritty police procedurals, particularly those set overseas in Scotland and Europe, so I shared SYKM's page on police procedurals with this customer and we found a couple of new titles/authors to try. Lists like this are quite helpful when doing RA, and I've found several other author read-alike lists on this site useful over the past couple months as well.
Week 5, Assignment 3
A book that made several lists of highly anticipated titles of 2013 is The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes--several reviewers have dubbed it 2013's Gone Girl. Other reviews maintain that this title will be the beach read of the summer. The Shining Girls is a story that involves time travel, serial killers, suspense, a rapid pace, a strong female protagonist, and large doses of blood and gore.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Week 5, Assignment 2
What's popular in my branch? I would have to say that mysteries and popular/bestseller-list fiction are the top requests that I hear from customers--including (of course) James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Robert Parker, Clive Cussler, Catherine Coulter, Janet Evanovich, and Stuart Woods. That being said, customers at my branch also read a good deal of literary fiction and nonfiction, and DVDs are always popular. It really helps to read over the NYT Bestseller List because I can be sure that I'll get requests for those titles.
EarlyWord is, as I mentioned in previous posts, a favorite resource for keeping current on forthcoming titles and on publishing and movie news that may be of interest to our customers. On the EarlyWord site, the links down the sides of the page are so varied and chock-full of info--bestseller lists, award lists, information about new and forthcoming titles for kids and adults, and much more. Back in December we were preparing a "Best of 2012" display at the branch and the many "best of the year" links on EarlyWord were helpful in preparing and maintaining our display. Now that summer reading is here, I anticipate using the "best of 2013" and beach reads links, as well as the links to kids lists.
EarlyWord is, as I mentioned in previous posts, a favorite resource for keeping current on forthcoming titles and on publishing and movie news that may be of interest to our customers. On the EarlyWord site, the links down the sides of the page are so varied and chock-full of info--bestseller lists, award lists, information about new and forthcoming titles for kids and adults, and much more. Back in December we were preparing a "Best of 2012" display at the branch and the many "best of the year" links on EarlyWord were helpful in preparing and maintaining our display. Now that summer reading is here, I anticipate using the "best of 2013" and beach reads links, as well as the links to kids lists.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Week 5, Assignment 1
I've been discovering useful new resources lately, between LATI and the Be More Bookish assignments. Although I continue to rely on old favorites most heavily (EarlyWord, IndieBound.org, Goodreads), I'm also enjoying the new sites and blogs I've been consulting. I have been using Stop You're Killing Me for mysteries, since we have a lot of mystery readers at the branch where I work, and NPR Books, since I do regularly hear "I heard it on NPR" from customers. I've also been using a site called the Readers Advisor Online and its blog, and I've also taken peeks at Entertainment Weekly--ew.com--as suggested by an LATI presenter to see what's popular.
It's helpful to read a variety of resources, and what becomes notable is the books that appear on multiple lists. I guess what I'm finding helpful about these resources--books that are getting coverage on NPR and information about awards and forthcoming titles from SYKM--is not really a surprise; it's pretty much what I expected I'd get. One thing I've discovered, however, is that I pay more attention to, and better remember, books when there's a write-up about the plot and an image of the cover attached. SYKM is more list-based, without images, and seeing a book in a list doesn't have the same impact as does a descriptive write-up (like those on EarlyWord or in BookPage).
It's helpful to read a variety of resources, and what becomes notable is the books that appear on multiple lists. I guess what I'm finding helpful about these resources--books that are getting coverage on NPR and information about awards and forthcoming titles from SYKM--is not really a surprise; it's pretty much what I expected I'd get. One thing I've discovered, however, is that I pay more attention to, and better remember, books when there's a write-up about the plot and an image of the cover attached. SYKM is more list-based, without images, and seeing a book in a list doesn't have the same impact as does a descriptive write-up (like those on EarlyWord or in BookPage).
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