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.


------
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?



---

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