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.






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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.




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(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.