Prompt Response Week 16

1 - They've changed in format: I read most of my books on my kindle now, as it's easier to transport around and I don't have to remember to renew the book or return it on the right day. My audiobook listening is about the same, but I typically get those through electronic means, too, which means I'm listening to them on my phone instead of a CD or cassette player.


2 - Honestly, I see it changing some in regards to formatting, but not drastically, like it did when ebooks were introduced. People have still shown that they like physical books, and ebook sales have stabilized over recent years to help back this up. They've actually dropped, according to this article, but that brings up my second point: if the tides are going to change in regards to books, it's going to be the publishers changing, and/or the types of books people are reading changing.

By publishers, I'm referring again to the above article, that notes that while ebook sales have dropped, they've only really done so in relation to the big publishing names. Indie publishers, or self published authors, are picking up some of that slack. This will mean changes and challenges for public libraries in the future, if it continues in this manner, as they may need to reevaluate their collection development criteria, and the wants of their populations.

By the types of books people are reading, I'm thinking of author and character diversity of populations generally underrepresented in traditional publishing. We Need Diverse Books
is a great place to start if you're new to the movement, though it generally focuses on YA and children's books. I hope this trend continues over the next two decades, and that it travels further into adult fiction.

Prompt Response Week 15

Social Media

I really liked the route that Jessica Trouter took in Hilyard’s (2010) article. Bringing readers advisory, book lists, and suggestions to social media is a great idea in my opinion. And as she says, it keeps things more interesting so patrons don’t tune you out as easily. About a year ago my local library started posting a wider variety of things to their Facebook page, and they started up an Instagram account. It was honestly refreshing. They still advertised events, but it was mixed in with other things: photos of programs or contests, asking people to take ‘shelfies’, and on occasion they’ve had random quizzes asking people what quote a book is from. They don’t really include RA to this, but I think it would be a great way to add to the progress they’ve made towards broadening their social media presence: if you like X try Y, book lists, involving people so see which book they’re currently reading, or want to read, things like that.

Genre Studies

Again, from Hilyard’s article, Martha Patten’s discussion of a yearlong genre study at her library was fascinating, and it makes me want to participate in one! There are some genres that I know I’m going to have to spend more time with after this class is over, as there simply wasn’t enough time. The only downside is the likely untenability of the study without a grant to help fund the project, especially at smaller systems. This, of course, is all behind the scenes work as opposed to marketing the library’s collection. Patten mentioned that they had an author talk at the end to bring a close and bring the public in, but I wonder if they did or could have done more.

A book club that focuses on a different genre each year or so could be an interesting program to try to bring marketing and programming back into the picture. Members could be unfamiliar or very familiar with the genre (I think a mix would be ideal), and the different subgenres could be explored and then compared to one another - what makes legal and political thrillers differ from crime thrillers? It would take the right mix of people willing to both focus on a genre and potentially read out of their comfort zones, but I think it could turn out well.

Book Displays

This is a classic way of promoting the libraries materials, but I think it’s really effective if done right. Sarick’s notes in this week’s chapter on promoting and marketing that one still needs to be careful about what books they chose, because with time readers will rely on our choices in the displays for quality material that’s accurate to what genre or subject of book the display is promoting. I’m all for the entertainment value on the “the cover was X color” displays, but I worry that sometimes the selection process for those displays is lacking in picking quality items. And, the less rigorous we are in picking out accurate quality books for our displays, the less likely they’ll be seen as a place that readers will go to and look for books - if it’s hit or miss if the book is good, they may well begin ignoring the displays, which would defeat the purpose of creating them.

Urban Fiction Annotation: Murder Mamas

 
Author: Ashley & JaQuavis
Title: Murder Mamas
Genre: Urban Fiction
Publication Date: October 2011
Number of Pages: 236
Geographical Setting: California, Barbados
Time Period: 2000’s
Series: Makes occasional references to the Cartel Series, by the same authors. Not officially part of the series, however.
3 terms that best describe this book: violent, gritty, fast pacing
Subject Headings: Organized Crime, Assassins, Families, Extortion



 

Plot Summary: Aries thinks she’s in the clear, free from her old life, when she returns to Los Angeles one last time to see her fellow Murder Mama executed in prison. Robyn’s death leaves Aries as the last surviving Murder Mama - a group of women who made their business as assassins for hire in LA - and she’s more than ready to return to her family in Barbados. Unfortunately, she’s been followed back home by Case, the man who hired the Murder Mamas for the last time, five years ago, when everything went wrong. Case finds Aries because she ran off with the money meant to pay for a job that Case wanted completed. He’s got a new job for Aries, and it’s more high profile than she’d like.

Appeal: 

Language: “Is often narrated in a straightforward tone that reflects casual spoken language” (Honig, 2011, p. x). This is true for this novel, and there is abundant usage of street slang, non-standard grammar, and cursing. The novel is narrated in third person, making it easier for the narrator to switch between characters.  

Authenticity: “Many street lit authors write directly from personal experience” (p. xi). Ashley and JaQuavis were disccused in one of the articles we read this week (https://www.ft.com/content/08785ece-86ee-11e5-9f8c-a8d619fa707c), and, indeed, add a personal touch to their stories, lending them authenticity.  

External Action: “The vast majority of action in street novels is external, happening between characters rather than within one characters mind” (p. xi). While there is internal monologue for some of the characters, most of the action is external: characters killing one another, threatening one another, having sex with one another, etc.  

Matter of Fact Treatment of Sex, Drugs, and Violence: “sexuality, drug use, drug dealing, and street violence are part of the landscape of street lit” (p. xi). All of these feature prominently, especially the violence.  

Pragmatism: “tells stories of characters making choices based on getting their basic needs met” (p. xi). Aries left the streets and only returns to them after she is tracked down by Case, and only works with him to ensure the safety of her family. She isn’t concerned whether what she’s doing is right or wrong, she’s concerned for her family.

Similar Authors and Works:

Mafia Princess by Deja King: Chosen for its violence and gritty writing style, though the setting is New York instead of LA, and there’s more focus placed on drug dealing than murdering.

A Hustler’s Wife by Nikki Turner: Chosen for its high drama and gritty writing style. Also focuses more on drug dealing and prison sentences than Murder Mamas.

Never Die Alone by Donald Goines: Chosen for its focus on revenge, this novel follows David as he rises to the top of the streets.

My Take: Urban fiction is a genre I've not read before but have had an interest in, which is why I chose it as one of my annotations. I was intrigued by this book, and might look into the Cartel series by the same authors after the semester is over. There was so much happening it was a difficult novel to put down for any length of time. The only thing I didn't like as much were the transitions between perspectives: there wouldn't be a break in the text, the next paragraph would just go to another character's thoughts or actions, and it took some getting used to. I will say that I read the ebook version of this, so it might have been formatted oddly and the transitions might be there for a physical book. A lot of the urban fiction titles were checked out at my library, and it was easier to find a title electronically.


--
Honig, Megan. (2011). Introduction. In Urban Grit: A guide to street lit. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.

Week 13 Prompt

How can we as librarians, work to ensure that we are able to serve adults who enjoy YA literature or graphic novels? Or should we?
 
The biggest thing we can do is make sure they’re available and easily accessible. My local library has a teen area that’s open only during certain times of the day (usually after school), effectively making a portion of the collection inaccessible part of the day. To alleviate this, the library has a separate section of YA books near the main fiction collection. This means the library has to buy duplicate copies of a number of books.

Conversely, their graphic novel/manga collection is only separated into an adult section and a children’s section, making it easier to maneuver. Long story short, the library goes to great efforts to both give teens their own space, while also allowing adults access to YA books. With this library, it works; they have a large enough budget to acquire the extra books. I’m just not sure it’s a model that would work everywhere.

Going all the way back to the beginning of the semester, we read about the current definition of RA, and the history of RA. Saricks notes that we shouldn’t be trying to ‘elevate the masses’ but instead we should be helping them connect with books that they enjoy reading (Saricks, 2005). To me, this includes YA books and graphic novels - and even middle grade novels, if it’s appropriate - because if it’s something the reader is going to enjoy, then they should be able to access it and read it without judgement from librarians. Just because it has images (graphic novels) or has a main character who is between the ages of 14 and 18 (YA) doesn’t mean an adult can’t read and enjoy them.

Previous to this class, the majority of my RA interactions were with teens or kids looking for books. I know that when I make the shift to recommending more books for adults that I’ll be mixing in YA and graphic novels to people who will enjoy them, simply because I’m familiar with them. A big step towards ensuring that we can serve adults who enjoy YA and graphic novels is simply being somewhat familiar with the materials, just like we’re doing this semester.

Saricks, J. (2005). History and introduction. In Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library. Chicago: ALA. Pp. 1-13.

New Adult Annotation: It Ends With Us

Author: Colleen Hoover
Title: It Ends With Us
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: August 2016
Number of Pages: 367
Geographical Setting: Boston, Massachusetts
Time Period: Contemporary; 2010’s
Series: No
Subject Headings: Abuse, Homelessness, Love triangles
3 terms that best describe this book: Issue oriented, compelling, heartwrenching



 




Plot Summary: Lily is settling into her life in Boston when her father dies, opening up old wounds for her to contend with. Lily begins reviewing old letters that she had written - but never sent - to Ellen DeGeneres when she was fifteen. She meets Ryle after returning to Boston from her father’s funeral, but Ryle wants no strings attached and all Lily really wants is a relationship. Over the next two years she begins her own business, and when a chance meeting at a new restaurant in town puts her back in touch with her first love, Atlas, she begins to see that her relationship with Ryle might not be so perfect after all. This heartwrenching novel considers the issue abuse and how Lily manages its lasting effects.

Appeal:

Tone/Mood: Heartwrenching: the tone and mood are impacted by the story line, with certain chapters being more upbeat than others.

Story Line: Issue oriented: While Lily is finished with college and has a job at the beginning of the novel, she does quit her job to start her own business, which is it’s own plot. For the most part, however, the story line deals with abuse, both from Lily’s past and her present.

Style/Language: Compelling: the style and language are easy to process, making the novel easy to read even if the topics are heavy. The novel relies on a lot of conversation and old letters to keep readers engaged.

Characterization: Sympathetic: the characters are easy to relate to, and don’t do anything too out of line, and they are easy to empathize with.

Pacing: Steady: while some events unfold quickly, the novel does span two to three years worth of time, though we only see the periods of time where there is upheaval or change in Lily’s life. This keeps the plot moving along rather quickly.

3 Relevant Works and Authors:

Beautiful Oblivion (Jul 2014) by Jamie McGuire: Chosen for being a new adult contemporary romance with an emphasis on family dysfunction.  

Chasing Red (Sep 2017) by Isabelle Ronin: Chosen for being a new adult contemporary romance that’s intricately plotted.  

I See You (Nov 2016) by Molly McAdams: Chosen for being a new adult contemporary romance that deals with love triangles.

My Take: It took me three tries to find a Colleen Hoover book that I could read without hate-reading, while also having it be new adult. This novel was really well done, and I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end.

Week 12 Prompt

Reader’s Advisory Matrix: 
The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn

Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

A mix (computes highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose)

What is the subject of the book

The subject of this book is Jim Jones - it’s a biography of his life with a focus on his time at Peoples Temple.

What type of book is it?

True crime / Biography

 Articulate Appeal

What is the pacing of the book? 

The book is long, but the pacing is relatively steady throughout, though it speeds up marginally when Jonestown becomes involved.

Describe the characters of the book

The big character in this book is Jim Jones himself: we follow him through his entire life, and there are brief moments of focus on people who were around him, like his mother, wife, children, and others in Peoples Temple that he interacted with frequently.

How does the story feel?

Creepy but informative - the first chapter begins with reports of something happening in Jonestown, but then we go back to Jone’s childhood and work our way back to Jonestown.

What is the intent of the author?

To convey, objectively, the life of Jim Jones.

What is the focus of the story?

Jim Jones - though most people would be reading it for the focus of the Jonestown Massacre, and it is the second big focus of the book.

The does language matter?

Yes. 

Is the setting important and well described?

Yes - each time a move is made to a different city, be it Richmond to Indianapolis, or California to Guyana, time is spent with the geography and population makeup of each place, as well as the buildings and land that Jones inhabits.

Are there details, and if so, of what?

All of the things. There’s so much detail, which makes it a long book, but it’s not overly dry or unnecessary information.

Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear?

No, and they’re not needed.

Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding or experience?

Yes - there are moments, for example, where the author stresses how Jones slowly escalated, and many of his followers didn’t even realize things were getting worse, per se.

 Why would a reader enjoy this book? (Rank appeal)

1 Comprehensive, 2 Disturbing, 3 Intensifying

Week 11 Prompt

Audiobooks have always had an impact on my life, which I suppose somewhat shows my age. I grew up listening to them as well as reading them and would often listen to the same ones over and over again (I’m looking at you, Harry Potter with Jim Dale’s narration). I quit listening to them for quite a few years before picking them back up about a year and a half ago, when I was required to review different formats for my materials for youth class. Since then, I usually have an audiobook downloaded through overdrive at any given time. I’ll listen to about anything, though I do generally focus on middle grade and young adult fiction, as well as general nonfiction (I wouldn’t get through the nonfiction otherwise).

With Overdrive, I appreciate that you can speed up the narration if you want to. I typically listen at 1.25x so I pay more attention to what’s happening in the track. If not for this ability, there would be more narrators I wouldn’t enjoy listening too, simply for pacing. There are still narrators I avoid, but I’m more likely to find a narrator I love. The narrator’s style can have a big affect on appeal - what usually impacts me the most is tone, as Saricks describes (2015). Narrators can make the tone better or worse, depending.

Additionally, the number of narrators can also have an impact. Some people don’t like multiple narrators, and there’s definitely more risk when choosing an audiobook with more than one narrator that one of them won’t be stellar. Music can also be added, and I wish it was noted more beforehand: there are instances where it works beautifully (I’m thinking of Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan), and others that are off putting. Knowing if an audiobook contains music and the use of multiple narrators and their impact on appeal should be taken into consideration.

I avoided ebooks until I was in graduate school, when I realized reading fiction was far easier to read electronically than a textbook and that having a kindle meant I could bring whatever book I wanted with me, and no one would know what I was reading. Since then, it’s my generally preferred method of reading and I read more now than I did before using an ereader. I don’t feel as if appeal factors change as much with ebooks, at least in terms of the novel’s content. Other aspects, like font or length can be mitigated if using ebooks. If someone prefers a particular font, or size they can read a larger variety of books electronically as they would have control over those aspects.

I will say that I learned about Amazon’s Kindle in Motion format this past week, and it does affect the appeal factors. I’m currently reading Hell’s Princess by Harold Schechter (one of Amazon’s First Reads this month, it’s about Belle Gunness, a female serial killer active in La Porte, Indiana from 1902 to 1908), and it’s my first experience with the format. Amazon released the format in 2016 and for those unfamiliar, Kindle in Motion more or less allows for the addition of photos, illustrations and small animations throughout the book.

an example of one of the illustrations

In the case of Hell’s Princess, there’s a lot of newspaper clippings and photos, and the background ‘pages’ are yellowed. There have also been a few illustrations and animations, which is an interesting experience. For those who might be bored by nonfiction I could see it as being a way to keep the reader drawn in, as the format impacts the pacing and style of the book. I know I’m certainly reading this book faster than I normally would if it was just blocks of text on my paperwhite and it feels more interactive. I’m going to have to keep an eye out for a novel that utilizes the format, to see if it’s equally appealing.






--
Saricks, J. (2015). At Leisure with Joyce Saricks: Listening for the Appeal of Audiobooks. Booklist, 111(19/20), 131. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Historical Fiction Annotation: The Alice Network

Title: The Alice Network
Author: Kate Quinn
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: June 2017
Number of Pages: 505
Geographical Setting: Europe
Time Period: 1915, 1947
Series: No  
Subject Headings: World War (1914-1918); Women Spies - England - Fiction; Underground movements - Fiction
Appeal: Flawed characters, dramatic tone, dual narratives, descriptive writing
3 terms that best describe this book: women spies, suspenseful, steady pace



Plot Summary: In 1947, Charlie finds herself pregnant, unmarried, and on a trip with her mother to Europe to have her pregnancy taken care of. When their boat ports in England, Charlie takes the opportunity to flee to London, in search of a woman named Eve Gardner, and more importantly, the whereabouts of her missing cousin, Rose, who hasn’t been seen since the war ended. We also follow the story of Eve, in 1915, and her journey to becoming a spy in France, working under a woman named Lili. Eve and Charlie’s paths collide in London in 1947, and their journey to find Charlie’s cousin forces Eve to come to terms with her experiences during World War I.

Appeal: 

Tone/Mood: "The mood of historical novels runs the gamut from rollicking to somber" (Saricks, 2005, p. 292). The tone for The Alice Network is one of dramatic suspense, if I had to narrow it down. The reader spends most of the book following Charlie, trying to figure out where or if she'll find her cousin. Similarly, the reader is on edge during Eve's chapters, because she's spying for the resistance in France. You constantly question when or if she's going to get caught, and what will happen. Obviously, she makes it through, but not unscathed.  

Frame/Setting: "Unlike the magical worlds of Fantasy or the Western landscapes, which are sometimes realistic and sometimes mythical, worlds in Historical Fiction require accurate historical facts" (p. 292). Both the 1915 and 1947 timelines feel accurate, and in the authors note the reader learns that Lilli was based off an actual woman during World War I. There are a few other events that happen or are discussed in the book that bear great significance on the plot that are also accurate.

Story Line: "Characters take center stage, and the lives of the protagonists are more important than individual events" (p. 295). The Alice Network definitely takes into account the characters more so than the events. Though events do play a role, they are not the focus. The novel spans portions of two world wars in addition to times immediately following the wars. Events happen because they are important to the character's development, not the other way around.  

Style/Language:  "While some readers are put off by attempts to make the language authentic to the times, others relish that touch" (p. 297). The language is authentic in that Quinn does occasionally employ the use of phrases from the time, and she does point out Finn's Scottish accent on occasion. 

Characterization: "Readers expect accuracy in the presentation of characters as well as in other details. Even if they are not real historical personages, they must fit within the times" (p. 296).  Quinn's real historical personage was Lilli, along with a few other very minor characters. Quinn held very closely to known accounts and events that Lilli partook in, which formed some of the plot line for the 1915 story arc. The characters acted in line with the times, both 1915 and 1947.  

Pacing: "Historical novels are usually big books, with stories that unfold at a leisurely pace" (p. 292). The Alice Network is 505 pages long, which is somewhat substantial. It was necessary, however, to fit both time frames in. Additionally, the alternating of the narratives slowed the pace down a bit while simultaneously creating more suspense and keeping the reader eager to finish their current chapter.

3 Relevant Works and Authors:

Restless by William Boyd: Sally Gilmartin appears to be a respectable English widow, until her past catches up with her and her family learns of her past, namely her days as a spy during World War II. Dual narratives alternate between Sally’s past and her daughter, Ruth’s, present, as Ruth grapples with her mother’s past and tries to learn as much as she can. Chosen for its focus on women spies, dual narratives, and historical nature.

Trapeze by Simon Mawer: Marian is recruited by the ‘Inter-Services Research Bureau" during World War II. She thinks it’s because she’s bilingual, but as she completes training and heads to France to become part of the resistance, she finds that she may have been chosen for the job for other reasons - personal connections. Chosen for its suspenseful nature, use of women spies, and focus on France during World War II.

The spy who loved: the secrets and lives of Christine Granville by Clare Mulley: This nonfiction work followed the life of Christine Granville, born Krystyna Skarbek in Poland in 1908. Immediately following Poland’s invasion in 1938, she and her husband traveled to London, where she offered her skills to the British Secret Intelligence Service. Following the war - and many missions - the book concludes with her death in 1952, at the hands of an obsessive suitor. Chosen because it focuses on a spy with many connections, though set during World War II.

My Take: Eve's plot had more depth to it, and I feel like some of that had to do with Louise de Bettignies and Quinn following her story as closely as possible. I also enjoyed Charlie's narrative, as it brought Eve and Charlie together, and showed the lasting effects of Eve's time as a spy. I was also very curious about where her cousin was and in the beginning I was more drawn to Charlie's plot as it had more of a mysterious ending - we knew Eve would survive, so things couldn't get too dark, but there was still a big question mark over Rose's fate. I'm a sucker for historical fiction, so this was an easy choice and read for me, even though it was a tad lengthy.

Book Club Experience

I observed a book club back in January. My local library only runs two book clubs at the moment geared towards adults, and I wanted to make sure I was able to participate in one of them. Though the system has few book clubs, they’re interesting ones (and there was discussion of 2-4 more book clubs that would be starting at the library in the coming months), the one I chose to observe met monthly at a rotating list of bars in town. Appetizers were provided at no cost.

The books chosen for the club didn’t stick to a specific genre, and were chosen quarterly by the group, which aligned with the book choice tips discussed in Starting a Book Club (n.d.). It also appears they they do ‘bring your own book’ meetings roughly once a quarter, which I could see being appealing. For January, the club was reading The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North. This month the book is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and next month will be Dark Matter by Blake Crouch.

I did inform the librarian beforehand that I’d be attending, and taking notes. I also made an effort to read the book beforehand, and made it three quarters of the way through before the meeting - I still haven’t finished the book, honestly, and I’m not sure I will. It was an intriguing premise, and I liked the way North writes for the most part, but alternating time frames each chapter seriously slowed the plot down and it was hard to hold my interest. I did have enough read to participate in the conversation, though.

The leader of the group was the librarian running it, and she did have a list of questions that we ended up discussing. She had (or at least appeared to have) read the book, and did participate in the conversation after the group had a chance to respond to her questions. The group consisted of seven total, including the librarian, and three to four of the attendees seemed to be regulars. It was a roughly even split between men and women, which was refreshing.

The timing of the event influenced participation: this particular meeting was held at 5:30 in the evening, and during a discussion of future meetings it was revealed that most of the other meetings were held after 6:30, and resulted in higher attendance rates. The times were contingent on how late the bars and restaurants were open, however, which is part of what restricted January’s meeting. The librarian noted that for future meetings she’d be choosing venues that would be able to accommodate a later meeting time so more people could attend.

The book club ran for roughly two hours. The first 5-10 minutes were spent on introductions, and then the bulk of the time was spent discussing the book. About halfway through, we were asked about choosing appetizers, and there was then a brief period dedicated to eating. Administrative matters were held until the end of the meeting, which I found interesting after reading Starting a Book Club, where they mention completing administrative tasks first (n.d.). I feel like it worked for this group though, and everyone stuck around to see where the next meeting would be and what the next book would be. Since the next book was a title that the reader chose, not one book for the whole group, there were some questions regarding what would count within the BYOB category (it needed to be a biography on an artist or musician, and she said she'd give book lists to people if they wanted them).

As the group was relatively small, the entire group participated in conversation, and even though I tried to stay in somewhat of an observatory roll as opposed to participatory, I did find myself participating quite frequently over the course of the event. I do wonder how things would have gone had I attended one of the meetings with more members. There were some questions that didn’t really start a conversation but might have if there had been more people there with differing opinions (for the most part, everyone seemed to feel the same about the book). Some were more frequent participants, but no one took over the conversation.

As the book club took place at a bar, the atmosphere was extremely relaxed. As it was a Monday night, it was relatively quiet and we were definitely the largest group there that evening. Appetizers were provided at no cost to participants, and we had our choice in which appetizers we received (we got two for the group total - it was more than enough food). Drinks were available, but each participant paid for their own. Two of the members also bought entrees, but it wasn’t required one way or the other, and no one minded that they got more food.

The venue is part of what drew me to wanting to attend this book club over the other book club that the library holds, which occurs monthly in one of the library meeting rooms. While this sounded fine, I was much more intrigued by the prospect of meeting at a different location each month. One of the other book clubs the library will soon be starting will occur monthly on Sunday mornings, and be held at various coffee houses around town, which I also thought sounded intriguing and a nice option for individuals who don’t like to drink.

While the library only currently oversees two adult book clubs (with a few more planned) they do keep a healthy collection of book club kits. These kits contain 8 books and checkout for longer than the standard checkout period, allowing enough time for everyone in the group to read and participate in discussion. They have quite a selection of kits available that contain genres beyond those that the library run book clubs discuss, which is a nice option for individuals who want to hold their own clubs.

Overall, I really enjoyed the group and would love to go again, but at the moment it conflicts with my work schedule, making attending a hassle. I enjoyed that it was laid back, and that the venue changed each month. I also appreciated their variety in book choices - they are ones that I mean to read, but likely wouldn’t get around to on my own, and they contain enough material to keep the conversation interesting. I imagine going during meetings where more individuals were in attendance would make the conversations more interesting, too.




--
(n.d.) Starting a Book Club. I Love Libraries. (n.p.) Retrieved from http://www.ilovelibraries.org/booklovers/bookclub/bookclub

Special Topic: Manga

I chose to focus my special topics paper on Manga. Manga is not so much a genre as it is a format, much like graphic novels are. They differ from graphic novels in a few ways: they read from right to left, they’re rarely colorized, and they’re almost always serialized. They’re usually translated from their original Japanese, and this can potentially cause some delay in publishing English versions, though this is not always the case. Manga are typically grouped into types - these aren’t genres so much as they are age ranges for the intended audience of the manga. 

There are five big groups: Shonen (aimed at tween to teen boys), Seinen (aimed at (younger) men), Shojo (aimed at tween to teen girls), Josei (aimed at women), and Kodomomuke (aimed at children) (Eisenbeis, 2014). Within these groupings can be a variety of genres, with some differences in protagonists and the like -- Shonen will usually have male main characters, while Shojo will typically have female; the former usually has more adventure and the latter usually has a wider variety of stories focused on interpersonal relationships. This doesn’t mean that only guys can read Shonen and girls Shojo, but it can skew that way (Lipinski, 2015).

Knowing these five categories is the first big step in understanding manga, whether it be for personal reading, collection development, or reader’s advisory. Most of the mainstream review journals don’t typically focus on manga, and I find myself using a few different websites to keep up with the newest releases. I typically frequent the following sites: Comics Worth Reading, Kotaku, Honey’s Anime. These sites don't focus solely on manga, but I don't think I've actually found a site that does.

Another aspect of manga to keep in mind - it’s generally serialized. What one would normally see as chapters would have previously been published in magazines or online, and then compiled into bound books. This can mean that some series are small - just one or two books - while others can have many. Bleach, a popular shonen title, currently has over 70 published volumes.

I chose to focus on manga for this assignment because I myself was somewhat daunted by manga and avoided reading it until a few years ago when I finally sat down and began researching how to find manga that I’d enjoy reading. The difficulty I now have with manga, now that I’m familiar with its types and how to read it, is finding it in libraries. Most collections are still relatively small and even then it can be difficult for most libraries to find the funds to add a title, especially if it’s an extensive one, like Bleach.


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Eisenbeis, R. (2014). How to identify the basic types of anime and manga. Kotaku. Retrieved from https://kotaku.com/how-to-identify-the-basic-types-of-anime-and-manga-1538285518

Lipinski, A. (2015). Manga 101: a primer that will turn you into an otaku (fan). School Library Journal, (6). 38.

Week 7 Prompt

I'm honestly not quite sure how I missed all of the controversy surrounding A Birthday Cake for George Washington, but somehow I did. After reading Ganeshram's (2016) article, many thoughts and other instances were swarming around in my head. Ganeshram brought up some fantastic points, and I'd like to address a few of them with further questions and examples.

First, the banning of books has always been a an interesting topic, and it's something that is always shifting. There's constantly a question, and honestly a tension, for most librarians, as to what books should be held within a library's collection, and which should not. We're the gatekeepers of books for certain communities, and that has impact. Maintaining a collection that only subscribes to our personal beliefs is wrong - but then at what point do we say a book has gone too far? I know I've heard countless stories of The Satanic Bible going missing from local rural libraries, where staff were convinced that it was actually another staff member that was removing the book. There are countless other examples, and recently, Milo Yiannopoulos' book deal that didn't last. At what point, though, is there a difference between the librarian who walks off with the library's copy of The Satanic Bible and the one who refused to buy Yiannopoulos' book, or even A Birthday Cake for George Washington? 

In her article, Ganeshram (2016) also discusses her work (or lack of) with her illustrator. This is something that I've also seen occurring most recently with a Facebook post by Terry Goodkind, mocking the cover art for his most recent book. The illustrator, Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme, was upset by Goodkin's post, and responded with his own post. There's been much back and forth between the author and the illustrator this weekend, and much discussion about it not just on Facebook, but also on Twitter and Reddit. In short, Goodkin, in an apology, stating that the art was fine, but the depictions of the characters were not in line with how they were represented in the book, and that is where he found fault with the cover. This wasn't discussed in his initial posting, leaving his opinion rather open for interpretation. This seems very similar to Ganeshram's issues with her illustrator - they weren't allowed input into how their words and works would be represented until the publisher had already made a decision. At what point will this be recognized as an issue and addressed? Is it truly difficult to have authors and illustrators - especially those of picture books - to communicate with one another?

Lastly, in my materials for youth class last year, we discussed Emily Jenkin's A Fine Dessert. Having only vague memories of this conversation, I thought we had discussed A Birthday Cake For George Washington, but when I reviewed the Amazon page for the book, I realized that I had the wrong book. We'd actually discussed A Fine Dessert, which hold similarities to the issues had by A Birthday Cake for George Washington. This article presents the issues well. And yet - this book was not banned as A Birthday Cake was. Why? Was it the way in which the issues were dealt with? It's interesting - and mildly frustrating - to compare and contrast the two. It again makes me question: at what point do we say a representation has gone too far, and at what point (is there ever a point?) is it okay to remove the book from publication, or our libraries?



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References

Barak, L. (2015, November 3). Emily Jenkins Apologizes for 'A Fine Dessert'. School Library Journal. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/2015/11/industry-news/emily-jenkins-apologizes-for-a-fine-dessert/#_

Ganeshram, Ramin. (2016, February 11) Why the Banning of ‘A Birthday Cake for George Washington’ Really Matters. Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ramin-ganeshram/why-banning-a-birthday-cake-george-washington_b_9210992.html.

Goodkind, T. [Terry Goodkind] (2018, February 23). SHROUD OF ETERNITY is a great book with a very bad cover. Laughably bad. So let's have some fun with it.  [Facebook Update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10214444857609320&set=a.2863583142769.136893.1055443022&type=3&theater

Lecouffe-Deharme, B. [Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme] (2018, February 24). I am appaled by the unprofessional behavior of Terry Goodkind, who is publicly attacking the artwork I created for his own book [Facebook Update]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/terrygoodkind/photos/a.395754121821.178804.111426611821/10155072794701822/?type=3&theater

Science Fiction Annotation: Annihilation

Author: Jeff VanderMeer
Title: Annihilation
Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: February 2014
Number of Pages: 195
Geographical Setting: Area X, an area that borders on a large body of water, and which has been reclaimed by nature.
Time Period: Unspecified
Series: Southern Reach Trilogy
Subject Headings: Science Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Suspense Fiction
3 terms that best describe this book: Dark, Suspenseful, Engrossing

Plot Summary: The first installment of the Southern Reach Trilogy introduces readers to Area X, a portion of land that has been separated from the rest of the continent since strange occurrences began happening. Jeff VanderMeer gives us access to this new, dark world through his descriptive style. A group of five women (an anthropologist, a surveyor, a psychologist, a biologist, and a linguist) participate in an expedition of Area X. This expedition is the twelfth to enter Area X, and this particular expedition is tasked with further mapping and exploring the area for as long as they are able. They are to make observations within their notebooks, and Annihilation is written from the perspective of the biologist’s notebook. It follows the group’s initial decisions, as well as its eventual downfall, all while detailing the strange occurrences happening around them.

Appeal:

Tone/Mood: “Tone may disorient (or reorient) readers” (p. 229). There’s a portion of the story where you realize that the biologist is not a reliable narrator, and that she has been emphasizing certain points and downplaying others in her story to reflect herself and her choices in the best light she sees fit. When the reader hits this point, it can be disorienting - were certain descriptions accurate? Did interactions with her group actually occur? Was there ever a linguist?

Frame/Setting: “Setting is crucial and invokes otherness of time, place and/or reality. Both the physical setting of the story and the inherent technical and scientific detail create this essential frame” (p. 226). This is achieved by not telling the reader when the story is set - is it present day, past, future? The reader is unsure. Hints are given, like when discussing the type of technology used in Area X, and how it hasn’t been “updated” to meet current levels of technology but instead is a more primitive form.

Story Line: “Authors take a precept, perception, or idea and explore it, often in a setting outside our own world or in a future time, but certainly out of everyday contexts” (p. 226). Annihilation’s storyline occurs in an undefined time frame, but one that might indicate that it is nearer to present day. The idea of a banned zone, contaminated by something unknown is explored in great depth - what happens when humans encounter something they may have helped cause, but aren’t sure how to stop it from spreading?

Style/Language: “Science Fiction offers a range of styles and language crafted to suit the story line and to reinforce the intellectual and speculative nature of the genre” (p. 226). Annihilation achieves this with descriptive paragraphs of Area X and its inhabitants in language that flows and visualizes well. Obscure language is not usually employed, and if it is, further description is given so if the reader is unfamiliar with the term they can still interpret the meaning.

Characterization: “Science Fiction focuses on ideas and setting.The moral, social, and philosophical questions considered in the genre are woven into the storyline and are often pursued through the action, situations and events rather than through the characters” (p. 229). This is true in that one gets the sense that the biologist - the one ‘telling’ us the story - is merely giving voice to the experiences of Area X. The focus is not on the biologist, though we do get glimpses into her childhood and life before coming to Area X, but all of those experiences then weave back into the story of Area X. Further, the Southern Reach Trilogy focuses more so on Area X than it does the biologist. While we see the biologist in further installments, she is no longer the narrator.  

Pacing: “Pacing is usually determined by the amount of action” (p. 230). This novel is short - less than 200 pages - and it seems to fly by. There is more world building as opposed to physical action in this particular novel, but even so the pacing doesn’t seem too slow.

3 Relevant Works and Authors:

Dead Mountain: The true story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar Dead Mountain follows the events leading up to and following the Dyatlov Pass incident in 1959, where nine individuals died on a hiking and skiing trip from questionable circumstances. There is much mystery still surrounding their deaths, and this mystery and tone are similar to that of Annihilation.

Starfish by Peter Watts The first in the Rifter series, Starfish is a science fiction work that follows workers in their dark, suspenseful terrain on the ocean floor. The suspenseful tone and the setting of misunderstood terrain make this a good match for those who enjoyed Annihilation.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Jason Dessen, quantum physics professor, find his life turned upside-down when he is kidnapped and finds himself in a parallel universe. In his attempts to return to his original plane of existence, he has to encounter further universes, with mixed results. Though faster paced than Annihilation, this speculative fiction offers a different type of other-worldness that readers should enjoy.

My Take: While I do enjoy science fiction from time to time, I have to be in the right mood for it. I didn't think I was in the mood for science fiction when I started Annihilation, but I still managed to fly through it. I kept reading more and hoping for answers. I have yet to get to the other two books in the trilogy, but it's something I'm looking forward to. 

Week 6 Prompt

I think it would be intriguing to create a book display for horror that incorporated both horror books and horror graphic novels, and what appeal factors can link certain titles. Much as Dunneback and Towner discussed wanting to promote all aspects of their collection, not the just their fiction collection, promoting the connection between horror graphic novels and novels would be a way to do this, as there are patrons who may be unaware that horror graphic novels exist, or are unsure where to begin with the format. I was this person about a year ago, and I encountered a lot of trial and error in finding what type of graphic novel horror I enjoyed. If the collection was large enough - or too small to pull enough graphic novels to fill a display - it might be interesting to also pull movies that relate, but I like the idea of focusing on the novel/graphic novel aspect. It would also be fun to do the display in a month that wasn’t October.

For example, using my horror annotation from this week, if the reader enjoyed Meddling Kids, they might enjoy the Archie Horror imprint, which produces Afterlife with Archie - Archie re-imagined with zombies - or the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Sabrina the Teenage witch, re-imagined in a darker tone. Both are still nostalgic, basing a lot of their elements off of their original counterparts, but with the addition of a horror twi

Other examples:
World War Z -- The Walking Dead
 The Haunting of Hill House -- Locke & Key, Vol 1
The Missing -- The Revival 

Horror Annotation: Meddling Kids

Author: Edgar Cantero

Title: Meddling Kids

Genre: Horror

Publication Date: July 2017

Number of Pages: 322

Geographical Setting: Oregon

Time Period: 1970’s / 1990’s

Series: None

Subject Headings: Haunted Houses Fiction ; Detective fiction ; Mystery Fiction ; Horror Fiction

3 terms that best describe this book: Nostalgic, Lovecraftian, Engaging

Plot Summary: Meddling Kids follows the story of four friends and a dog, thirteen years after their summer shenanigans as teenage detectives in the small town of Blyton Hills, Oregon in the late 70’s. They return because they are not convinced that they actually solved their final case - they become convinced that they saw and interacted with creatures that should not exist - and they finally want closure. Relying on nostalgia for the era, as well as reader’s familiarity with a group of meddling kids and a dog solving crimes and unmasking the bad guy, this novel attempts to provide all of the above with a darker, Lovecraftian horror twist that makes it unique.

Appeal:

Tone/Mood: ‘Horror appeals first and foremost to the emotions, and primitive ones at that’ (Saricks, 2009, p.109). Meddling Kids begins by pulling at your emotions with a super creepy-feeling-inducing nightmare scene that sets the stage for the rest of the book. The book also has a strong sense of nostalgia running through it, but it is often overpowered by the sense of impending doom. 

Frame/Setting: ‘Horror is populated by monsters of some kind, and they are usually supernatural’ (p. 110). In this case, the fear that the monsters create is met within the first pages, but we do not actually know what the monsters are until well into the novel, and this builds tension within the book. The scenes are also usually quite detailed, using rich language that helps the reader feel as if they’re right there with the gang. 

Story Line: ‘Storylines in the Horror genre do not necessarily flow in a logical order, due to the influence of the supernatural’ (p.111). While the story line does follow a usually logical order, each chapter will change which perspective the story is being told in, which can add some confusion when a new character is introduced. ‘Readers do not know how the story will end...and the endings themselves are often vague, sustaining the menacing atmosphere rather than tying loose ends together’(p. 111). Meddling Kids keeps the reader guessing as to how the story will end up to the final chapter. I don’t want to give too much away here, but the novel finishes with some loose ends that are not resolved as they occur so close to the end. 

Style/Language: ‘Horror novels are rich in adjectives and descriptions’ (p. 112). There are pages that only contain one or two paragraphs each, because the new scene is being described in detail before any interaction with the scene is conveyed, or a fight scene is occurring. Cantero will also occasionally make up his own words (like tragichuckle), which adds dimension. 

Characterization: ‘They are usually haunted, shattered individuals or in some way vulnerable’ (p. 113). The gang definitely meets this criteria - not one of the members of the Blyton Summer Detective Agency came away from Blyton Hills unscathed in the 70’s, and their paths to adulthood were seriously altered, and this alteration is part of why they want to return to Blyton Hills - they want to see if they can fix where things went wrong. 

Pacing: ‘Is often erratic, with scenes of calm followed without warning, by more intense scenes’ (p. 113). This is very true for Meddling Kids. The begging draws you in, but after that there are periods of very slow progression that picks up exponentially once the gang arrives in Blyton Hills, and especially so on the day they decide to confront the wheezers.

Similar Authors and Works:

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore  The small town of Pine Cove is turned upside down when a sea creature appears - attracted by the guitar at the local bar. The local constable has to solve the mystery as to why so many weird events (and crimes) are happening. Chosen for its humor, quirky characters and adventure that align with the gang in Meddling kids. 

Carter & Lovecraft by Jonathan L. Howard Daniel Carter, homicide detective turned private investigator, thinks he’s about to lead a simpler, quiet life. First, he inherits a bookstore, run by H.P. Lovecraft’s descendant. Then the people around him start dying. Chosen for its use of Cthulhu mythos and mystery-solving antics. 

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas Four writers spend the night in a long abandoned house in what they think will just be a publicity stunt. Unfortunately for them, the house has been inhabited for quite some time by another guest, that’s very much looking forward to their arrival. Chosen for its focus on a haunted house and creepy tone.

My Take: I did have some difficulty making it through this book - there’s a really slow period about one-third of the way into the book where everything drags. Once they get to Blyton Hills, however, the pacing picks back up, and I was unable to put the book down in the last three chapters - I was too concerned that not everyone was going to survive to the end, especially the dog. This book has been in my to-read pile since it was released, however, and I’m glad I finally took the time to read it.  

Week 5 Prompt

Ebook only books, which are increasingly popular (especially in the romance genre) see little to no reviews in professional publications unless they have a big name author, and then still it's usually only RT Reviews (formally Romantic Times) or other genre heavy publications. How does this affect collection development?

This affects collection development because if the selector is only looking at professional review sources, they’re going to miss out on most of the ebook only materials. On the other hand, libraries may already have in place collection development policies that restrict them from buying too many self-published books, as many ebooks are. This can have both a negative and positive impact on collections. Positively, the patron at the library will know that books within the collection will be at least legible and comprehensible, even if the book is not to their taste. Negatively, patrons may not be able to access books they wish, because they are ebook only and the library has chosen not to collect them, therefore keeping the reader from what they want to read. A way to mitigate this would be to take book recommendations seriously, even if it’s an ebook only publication.

I have posted two more documents in the week five files. One is two reviews of an ebook only romantic suspense novel, one from a blog and one from amazon. Look over the reviews - do you feel they are both reliable? How likely would you be to buy this book for your library?

Both reviews concern me, honestly. The first part of the blog review, with the short summary of the story is good, but I feel as if that was pulled from the publisher, not the author of the blog. Both the Amazon and blog review kind of touch on the plot line, but at the same time they don’t - the only way I know how Robyn and Aaron meet is from the summary on the blog review. At the same time, it seems as if there’s been little to no proof reading done to either post for grammatical or spelling errors, which abound and make the reviews more difficult to read and trust. 

In the end, I’d buy it for my library if the library had a lot of romance readers who also used electronic devices. Otherwise it would just languish wherever they store their ebooks, as the story appears to only appeal to those that enjoy the romance genre. I’d also likely dig for other reviews of the title.

The other document contains some reviews of Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, an incredibly popular memoir. These reviews are all from professional publications, feel free to find more on your own I just nabbed a few from the Book Review Digest database for you. How do these reviews make you feel about the possibility of adding Angela's Ashes to your collection?

Overall, all four reviews are positive and if I was not already aware that the book was a popular one, I would likely add it to the collection. I do also like how some of the reviews discuss their potential popularity level. Booklist uses it in this example but others do too, like School Library Journal and Library Journal. While the publication’s urgings may not always be accurate, they can still be utilized by selectors who aren’t as familiar, say, with memoirs, and can research reviews from elsewhere to confirm whether or not they wish to add the book to the collection.

Do you think it's fair that one type of book is reviewed to death and other types of books get little to no coverage? How does this affect a library's collection? And how do you feel about review sources that won't print negative content? Do you think that's appropriate? If you buy for your library, how often do you use reviews to make your decisions? If not, how do you feel about reviews for personal reading, and what are some of your favorite review sources?

No, I don’t think it’s fair, that some types of books (and authors) get much more coverage than others. As Saricks (2009) notes, some genres receive less reviews than others, like romance and horror, which can definitely impact a library’s collection, especially if selectors in those areas aren’t looking outside of professional publications. 

I’m all for negative content if it’s warranted - not every book is going to be the greatest thing written, and people shouldn’t have to read the books to come to the conclusion that the writing isn’t good, or isn’t something they’d enjoy. There are going to be bad books, and I think it’s good for review sources to articulate what isn’t good about them so others know what to watch out for, and maybe the author can understand why some don’t like their work. Constructive criticism is better than just ignoring that the book was published, or putting out a review that only places it in the best light. Especially when selectors are using those reviews to make collection development decisions. 

I don’t buy for my library, but I do use reviews for my personal reading. Finding and utilizing reviews to make reading selections was a requirement for a previous class. I’ve picked up on that and try to stick with it when I can. I do still use sites like goodreads, especially for genres that are not readily covered by the major publications.

Kirkus Review: November 9

Five years, five days together. Fallon and Ben meet only one day a year for five years in an attempt to not get tied down too early in life. Fallon is spending her last day in LA having breakfast with her estranged father when Ben interrupts their conversation, sparking attraction between he and Fallon. She’s leaving town because her once promising acting career ends one night when she is 16 and her father’s house catches fire, leaving Fallon with burns across half of her body. She hopes to make it big on Broadway, instead. Ben is a struggling writer taking classes at the local college, unsure how he wants to proceed with his life and if an English degree is really for him. Fallon still leaves for New York the day she meets Ben, but they make a pact to meet once a year, on November 9th, just for the day and Ben will write a book about their encounters. They do not communicate outside of November 9, adding a level of suspense to their meetings. Readers are privy to both character’s perspectives, as the novel alternates between Fallon and Ben’s perspective each November 9. Over the years, drama abounds - car accidents, babies, fighting - but in the end, Fallon and Ben end up together in LA, seemingly more mature than their 18 year old counterparts and more ready to commit to one another. Did spending five years apart really let them find themselves and grow as individuals, or were their choices influenced by the knowledge that the other existed across the country? Did they meet on that first November 9 by chance though, or does Ben know more than he’s telling? Overall, not Hoover’s strongest work. The instalove, quick forgiveness, and over the top coincidences throughout the novel, as well as cliche plot points, makes the book suitable fluff for readers looking for a predictable romance.

Secret Shopper

This assignment went in two different directions for me. First, I completed an online chat with a librarian at my local library (using LibraryH3lp, for those familiar), as a large portion of the people working the reference desk there know who I am. Secondly, I did actually go to my local library, and I asked for recommendations with the librarian helping me knowing I was in the library science field.

For the online chat, I was pleasantly surprised by my results. I wasn’t expecting much - at most, I figured I would walk away with a booklist the library has on their site, or a link to Novelist (this library features their subscription regularly). Instead, I ended up having a solid conversation with the librarian, and they gave me a few specific recommendations with summaries, and why they thought I would like them, and even offered to put the books on hold for me. 

My in person interaction was interesting. It ended up being someone who was relatively familiar with my reading habits, so they still found me books that I would be willing to read, but they asked far fewer questions about my reading habits than the online interaction did. This could have been because they already had things in mind (the individual in question frequently recommends books to me), or because it was an on-desk interaction and there was quite a bit going on in the library at the time I was available to visit.

Week 3 Prompt

1. I am looking for a book by Laurell K. Hamilton. I just read the third book in the Anita Blake series and I can’t figure out which one comes next!

• The fourth book is called The Lunatic Cafe. I found this by looking up the series, and then viewing which books were in the series. 

2. What have I read recently? Well, I just finished this great book by Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer. I really liked the way it was written, you know, the way she used language. I wouldn't mind something a bit faster paced though.

• Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood, the first in a trilogy, which explores a post-apocalyptic world, ruined by ecological and scientific disasters. Chosen for its lyrical, descriptive writing and fast pace. 
• The Boy Detective Fails, by Joe Meno, a mystery novel that follows Billy who is coping with his sister’s suicide. Also chosen for its lyrical, descriptive writing and fast pace. 

3. I like reading books set in different countries. I just read one set in China, could you help me find one set in Japan? No, not modern – historical. I like it when the author describes it so much it feels like I was there!

• The Pure Land, by Alan Spence, chosen for its writing style (compelling and descriptive),tone (strong sense of place), and setting in mid-19th century Japan.  
• The Teahouse Fire, by Ellis Avery, chosen for its writing style (descriptive and richly detailed), tone (strong sense of place), and setting in 19th century Japan.

4. I read this great mystery by Elizabeth George called and I loved it. Then my dentist said that if I liked mysteries I would probably like John Sandford, but boy was he creepy I couldn't finish it! Do you have any suggestions?

• Peter Robinson (Inspector Alan Banks series), set in Yorkshire, chosen for its compelling characters, intricate plots, fast pace, and not as much violence. Found through similar Elizabeth George authors. 
• Penny Louise (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series), set in Quebec, chosen for Louise’s compelling characters, more leisurely pacing, and intricate plot. Also found through authors similar to Elizabeth George. 

5. My husband has really gotten into zombies lately. He’s already read The Walking Dead and World War Z, is there anything else you can recommend?

• Cell, by Stephen King, chosen for its genre - horror - and its focus on zombies, along with fast pacing and compelling writing style, which both The Walking Dead and World War Z contain.
• Feed, by Mira Grant, chosen for the same reasons as Cell.

6. I love books that get turned into movies, especially literary ones. Can you recommend some? Nothing too old, maybe just those from the last 5 years or so.

• The Yellow Birds, by Kevin Powers. The book was released in 2012 and the movie of the same name in 2017. The Yellow Birds is also classified as literary fiction by Novelist. A reflective novel written by a veteran focusing on two inseparable soldiers during the Iraq War.
• Room, by Emma Donoghue. The book was released in 2010, and the movie in early 2016. Novelist also classifies this book as literary fiction, as well as psychological fiction. Room is a fast paced, haunting novel is narrated by a five year old who never leaves his room because his mother is trying to protect him from the man who kidnapped and has held her prisoner for years.

7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.

• Are they looking for clean thrillers, or just fast paced clean books? For fast paced clean books, I’d recommend M.C. Beaton’s Hamish Macbeth or Agatha Raisin series (found by searching for fast paced gentle reads). For clean thrillers,  I’d suggest Ted Dekker’s books (found by searching for fast paced christian fiction, and then looking for books that were also thrillers). 

How I find books to read: 

• I typically find books to read through Goodreads and some journals - usually SLJ and Booklist - though I do occasionally peruse Kirkus. This combination is usually enough to keep my to-read pile continuously overflowing. I do also generally keep up with awards lists, and will occasionally read books that make them, though not always. It really depends on if the book looks interesting or not. After reviewing Chelton's list, I may end up with a few more sites to refer to for books, too! (500 Graphic Novels & Overbooked.com look particularly useful!)

Reader Profile

I will openly admit that I haven't had much time for reading the past few years, and what time I have had has generally been given to picture books and middle grade or young adult novels, along with graphic novels and manga. I like them because they're easy for me to follow along with and drop and pick back up whenever I need to. I can also generally finish them in about a week, so I enjoy that aspect as well. 

When I do branch out, I generally lean towards romances, historical fiction, and nonfiction, with a focus on 20th century history.

In regards to middle grade and young adult novels, I particularly enjoy historical fiction and horror. Historical fiction, because I enjoy learning about the ways other's lived. Horror, for the pacing and the unpredictability of them in book format (I can't stand horror/suspense movies though!). If I'm in the right mood, I do also enjoy fantasy and science fiction. The world building has to be well done for me to enjoy these genres though, so I'm more picky about which I'll read.

Over the past few years, I've also found a fondness for both graphic novels and manga, and my selections within that format vary widely. I particularly enjoy slice of life manga along with memoir graphic novels, as it allows me to see everyday life through the lens of different cultures, much for the same reason that I enjoy historical fiction.

I'm looking forward to reading more books this semester that are for adults, both for my personal readings habits and so I can feel more comfortable recommending books to others outside of youth materials. I'm also looking forward to better articulating the plots of books as well as their appeal factors through the annotation process. The rule of three that Saricks (2009) explains to us particularly fascinates me, as I'm usually pretty wordy as opposed to concise when discussing books! 

My top 5 books of 2017, from various formats and genres:

Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura (slice of life manga)
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service  by Eiji Otsuka (horror/mystery manga)
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (nonfiction)
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi (fantasy MG/YA)
The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (historical fiction MG)


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Saricks, J. (2009). At Leisure: The Rule of Three. Booklist, 106(3), 25. Retrived from Academic Search Premier.