Wrap up! The end is here!

So, this is my final post of the Be More Bookish training.   Though, in the future, it may not be my last post, who knows where the future my lead?

I have to say I enjoyed the training!      I DO feel that I am pretty good at reader's services.  It is what I enjoy most about my job, and why I  became a librarian in the first place.   I DO feel that every librarian, even those that feel good about readers services should always "refresh and renew" as it were, because there are always new sources of reviews to look at and genres that we could use brushing up with.


I really enjoyed the format of  Be More Bookish.  As much as I love the genre boot camps,  that one is sometimes hard because you have to read three titles and these are the same titles that everyone else is reading.  I much enjoyed selecting a web page to follow from a list,  examining it, but also knowing that other librarians were selecting different web sites and I could read about on their blogs.    I liked the self pacing of the training and I really liked the surprise of Monday mornings when I got to read about the "theme" for the week.

I really was happy to take part in this training and it did promote discussions among staff, as we talked about what we discovered as we were working.   I think a big part of  readers services is sharing titles and thoughts with coworkers and this training really prompts this to happen.

This would make a great training for new staff members or those in the LATI program.   I think it would definitively help familiarize staff with genres and resources. 

I would love to do this again in the future, maybe for childrens or teen fiction,  and maybe even an entire mini Bookish dedicated to non fiction.

Happy reading everyone.  Tell me what you are reading. Always happy to listen.

Non fiction book talk two

Love, Life and Elephants: An Africal Love Story by Dame Daphne Sheldrick is housed in the 599.67 S call number,  so it would take a librarian's knowledge to know it was there, in order to give it to customers.   This is another non fiction title that may have wide appeal,  far beyond the subject of "elephants" that the call number would have you  believe.

What strikes me first is the setting.    Daphne Sheldrick's family is originally from Scotland but first came to Africa in the 1820's.   When you first open the front pages, the reader will see a map of Kenya and then the Tsavo East National Park, so someone interested in learning about African  culture, landscape and personal events of someone living there will be interested in the book.  Sheldrick is known for hand rearing baby elephants, and developing formulas to allow her to save a wide variety of African species from death in a harsh climate.   Many photographs are also present, in black and white and color, to allow the reader to see the various people described in the book as well as many of the animals that play such a big role in the story.   Learning/experience is one of the large appeal factors, because you follow her story, written in the first person,  through her adventures.   She is a very descriptive writer and the passages are more dense and detailed,  so it would be a more in depth read that would take more careful reading.    I would consider the pace to be more on the slow, leisurely side.  She covers many years and a lot of information.    The story also includes the love story between the author and her husband,  who died young, and prompted her to start the David Sheldrick Wildlife trust.   People int rested in memoirs featuring an accomplished, remarkable woman who is able to face adversity and still succeed will also enjoy this work.

This is a prime example of a book that falls into a specific subject area but is so much more,  and requires a careful summary read through to help librarians be aware of the title to get it into our customers hands.  Many customers would like this, if they are drawn to it via book talk or its presentation on a display.

Book talk non fiction

My first book talk (well book POST)  is for Saltwater Buddha: A surfer's quest to find Zen on the sea by Jaimal Yogis.     I will be working with appeal factors.    YAY.

It appears to be a fast paced novel.   The chapters are short, and written like diary entries, most sections of a chapter are only one or two pages long.  This would make for a breezy read, and a reader could finish much of the book in a few hours.   I think another major appeal factor for this particular title lies in the learning/experiencing factor.    We follow the author across several countries and along the way learn both about surfing and Zen Buddhism, through the eyes of a person learning and experiencing and growing through this experience.   There are also passages about the art of meditation and letting go, so someone interested in the spiritual nature of Buddhism would find a lot to learn here.   The tone is conversational.  Written almost like a memoir,  the author writes in a style that is speaking directly to the person reading the book.   The text is not dense or heavy or literary, but more simple and straight forward, matching the short passages.    It appears to be a book that could also be read in short segments,  while sitting at a bus stop or waiting for something.   A reader could carry this one along and enjoy it in segments.    I also think that someone interested in character would also like this book because it is the author's own story and tale, making him the most important character of the book.   You learn about his family and friends through his eyes, and witness his growth and change through the course of the story.    It would appeal to someone who is interested in biography and memoir, even though it is housed in the 294 call number area.

Looking at the book as a whole, I think it could appeal to a wide variety of readers.  

Book Trailers

Yes, I know, I must do my two booktalks for non fiction.  Those are coming,  I promise, but I decided to read the two articles about  book trailers and do this post now.  While I am thinking about it.


I can understand the use of book trailers, but I, myself am not a fan.  To me, a book lies in your imagination, and you create in your mind the image of the characters, setting, ect.  If the character is already defined by an actor, I think it loses something.  I also agree with the article that says that many book trailers are a bit cheesy and overdone,  they are trying to be too much like a movie, and sometimes that does not work.

Watching several book trailers I did discover that the ones I like best are written for children.  I thought this one for the One and Only Ivan was rather nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtPdqV2crQ0

It was not a lot of dialogue or fast action,  just simple graphics with text quotes about the book, and piques your interest and makes you want to learn more.

Many book trailers (like Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters) were so cheesy, I knew immediately it was NOT a book I wanted to read, so perhaps a book trailer could backfire.

I also didn't mind the ones with the authors describing their own book and letting us see who the author is.  I find that somewhat interesting, and it keeps the video book related.  It especially works in the biography or memoir category because they can use images from the book, photgraphs, ect.   and the authors words to sell the book.  I really liked the trailer for the Glass Castle, as she described that her mother was on the street, but you also saw her mother and knew that she was currenlty OK.  As this is a biography, a reader would have interest in the true "characters" of this book.

I think book trailers may gain great appeal to younger readers.  Teens and kids are always online checking out videos, and making things viral, so I do believe the audience is more geared to them.    Perhaps as they grow older, adult book trailers will gain in popularity.     It is a tool to keep an eye out for, even if they are not for everybody.

Week 8 - Narrative non-fiction titles.

Here are some titles to ponder, that I managed to find on my search.  I will start with Faith:

In the 294.3 call number I found Saltwater Buddha: A surfer's quest to find zen on the sea by Jaimal Yogis.    It seems to be a little bit memoir with a spiritual twist, and follows his travels with a surfboard to communes and monasteries while looking for enlightenment.    I have read memoirs with a Buddhist twist before, and think I might enjoy this one.

 

 

There is a healthy dose of zoology science non fiction lurking in the 599's.   While browsing the new book shelves, I happened across two that look interesting.   Into the Great Silence: a memoir of discovery and loss among vanishing orcas by Eva Saulitis follows a young college graduate who becomes fascinated by orcas, and how that changes her career path to follow and study them.   It appears to have a strong ecological message and a poetic, literary style that will be sure to appeal.   The other one I found was called Love, Life and Elephants: An American love story by Dame Daphne Sheldrick.    Part love story as the author marries the warden of the Tsavo National Park , and part story of her ability to hand rear orphaned baby elephants,  this is sure to be a treat for people who like to learn as well as learn about a remarkable woman. 

For history,  in the 900's,  I discovered   The Borgias: The Hidden History by G.J. Meyer.     I chose this one because of the current television program that highlights this famous Italian dynasty.  People who watch the show will want to learn more about them, and this book is thoroughly researched and promises to cut through gossip and slander about the Borgias, to settle in on something closer to the truth.

 

Finally, I give you true crime.  You only need to wander over to the 364's to find a myriad of choices that you can take home, from contemporary, gruesome tales of madness to more detailed and researched historical stories.  I usually prefer the latter, so I discovered  The Inventor and the Tycoon: a gilded age murder and the birth of moving pictures by Edward Ball.  This one looks rather fascinating because it is about Eadweard Muybridge, who many of us know as the inventor of slides that could be sped up to show movement.    What we did not know is that when he discovered that a child born to his wife was not his, he also became a killer.    This is more literary with rich historical detail that will give a reader much more about a time period than simply a crime.  I also found  The Prince of Paradise:  The true story of a hotel heir, his seductive wife, and a ruthless murder by John Glatt.   This takes us to a glamorous time of excess in Miami Beach Florida in the 1950' and 60's  and introduces us to the heir of the Fontainbleu Hotel.   He was surround by the rich and famous in his youth, Sinatra, Elvis, Ann-Margret.   But years later he is found beaten to death and duct taped to a chair.  Who could have committed this heinous crime?

 

All of these books look like things I would read and enjoy, so I found some great narrative non fiction to work with.    Reviews of two of them, later.

 

Week 8

Assignments 1-2

I was able to read both articles and watch the presentation.   I am usually a fiction reader, but do enjoy narrative non-fiction a great deal,  but, like anything, it is using appeal factors to really find the right book.  The articles pointed out  the necessity for a librarian to familiarize themselves with current narrative non fiction titles, to best help customers who come to the branch.   Showing them a dewey area may not be enough, you may have to pull out a title or two and actually do a booktalk.   There are several non fiction titles I like to use as "go to" non fiction, but I also have to keep on top of titles that are currently coming out.   Sometimes looking at the New York Times bestseller lists for non fiction can give me a quick fix of what is popular.

The four genres I will be working on are:

crime
faith
science
history


Crime will be easy because I love true crime and am anxious to look and see what titles have recently surfaced in that area.   The others are non fiction that I don't normally read at all, so I see it as a bit of a challenge.    I will be sure to post what I have discovered.

Perhaps anopther trend?

Looking at the publishing sites,  it also appears that there is a trend for underwater kingdoms.   This probably would also tie in with mermaids,  and selkies and the like,  I assume.       Dark Shore by Kevin Emerson is the second book in the Altantean series,   which stated with the novel the Lost Code.

Renegade follows the story of a young woman trained to be "Daughter of the People"  in an underwater kingdom known as Elysium, but of course, a surface dweller is going to discover Elysium and change her path.

Trending

Spending some time on teens at Random and one trend I discovered is not a new trend but seems to still be a trend still going strong.

Last year or maybe the year before I started  noticing historical series fiction with much more attractive, appealing covers that really could catch a modern audience.  These titles are a little lighter and fresher than a dense historical,  have a bit of romance and adventure and the historical detail is the background but does not bog the text down.     Many of these are series titles, so you can return to a favorite character if you like them.

Take Spirits Chosen by Esther Friesner as an example.  This is set in ancient Japan, but the cover is bold and strong, with a great, powerful looking woman on the cover.   The cover really captures you and pulls you right into the setting, and someone who may not read historical novels as a rule, may pick this on up and give it a try.  This cover is perfect.

 

 

Here is another example.  Heart of Glass by Gould.  It is set in the  1500's in Venice, but the cover is sharp and modern and appealing.   Would look great on a face out display and would have people picking it up to learn more.

 

 



I love this current trend of sharp historical novels that seem a bit more modern.  Now that the Great Gatsby  has hit the theaters, this is a great time to market these titles on a display.

What are these Mortal instuments?

The other site I have been following is the Cassandra Clare Tumblr site.   Cassandra Clare is the author of the Mortal Instrument series,  soon to be a movie coming out in August.

http://cassandraclare.tumblr.com/

The first book is City of Bones.  I have not read it, but after reviewing the site, I am anxious to give it a try.  It seems like something that I may really enjoy.  And it seems to have quite the following.
Cassandra Clare has set up the Tumblr and posts to the site.  It is really a site for the fans of the series,  and is very visual and in this way, I think it really works.   The visuals are sharp and catchy and really pull you in, and make people want to check out the book, or the movie.

One thing about the site that I love is the Tarot cards based on the book.

 

I have an interest in the Tarot anyway,  and it makes me wonder whether tarot cards figure into the novels in some way, and how.   It really makes me more curious about the series and wants me to investigate further.  I wonder, when the cards are finished, they will print them as a set, and teens will start performing divination.    Hopefully the future will be bright.

 

Also, I have discovered the Robert Sheehan will be playing Simon in the movie.  I LOVED him in Misfits.  If this doesn't sell me on the movie, I don't know what will.

 

So, City of Bones is now on my reading list.  All I need is time.

 



Week 7 Assignment 1 -2

Here is the first part of the assignment.   For those of you reading my blog to give me credit for the bookish training, I do apologize.  As you can see, I am slightly non-linear and chaotic in my thought process.   This can be a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask.

The flow-chart was fun and informative.  I really liked the look of it and I am sure it would have great appeal for library customers looking for a new read.

The two articles I read were:

The Next Big Thing: Adults Reading Teen Literature
and
New Adult:Needless Marketing-Speak or Valued Subgenre

I enjoyed and understood both articles.  As a librarian, I have been reading teen literature my whole career, and have thought nothing of it.   But, as I progressed in my career, I watched the teen book market explode and become more important and larger than life.   I saw how the influx of television shows and movies influence readers.  Adults are also going to see the Twilight films, the Hunger Games,  Pretty Little Liars.  And many adults like to read the novels based on their favorite entertainment programs.  They also love to find other novels that are similar to what they have enjoyed, and so finding  a readalike is important,  and easy to do in the same collection where you find the original.    I often have had many parents reading what the kids liked, and then wanted more for themselves.  I have also had many teens who have grown into adulthood, but still like their favorite writers.   I think there is less of a stigma now,  teen books are more "cool" and "popular" and appeal to many people on so many levels.  If you are reading the Hunger Games, you are now in a massive army and are not an oddball.   I call this progress.

The New Adult moniker,  I think is a marketing ploy that is apt to fail.  I pretty much think this is a needless term.  I appreciate that they are writing books in the "new adult" area but those books have been around before, and people tend to gravitate toward them.  It would be hard for a library or bookstore to create a special collection just for these books, so they are going to end up in fiction anyway.    I think they should focus on marketing the actual book itself,  getting readers familiar with the author and making sure that book has a following.    I think the term New Adult is kind of silly sounding, and it may turn people off.  Savvy readers will be able to head to the adult section, browse and find the books they need.

Week seven... part the first.

So far, I have been reading Forever Young Adult

http://foreveryoungadult.com/

And I have to say, so far, I just don't get it.  It appears to be written by older women who enjoyed young adult stuff,  but the posts seem to be pretty random,  except there appear to be a  lot of posts about:

The Gilmore Girls
Game of Thrones
Doctor Who
Nashville

Now, it may be just me, but I never really associate Doctor Who OR Game of Thrones as anything primarily geared to young adults.  And, I think they are not watching the Gilmore girls, I believe they are REWATCHING the Gilmore Girls, and reiterating the plot lines after the fact.    I have to say, I have NEVER seen the Gilmore Girls, Game of Thrones,  and I tried to watch Nashville but thought it was a bit boring.  I do watch Doctor Who, so we have that in common, at least.   Oh, and Veronica Mars pops up a bit, too.   I would not discount Veronica Mars, I never saw it but I DID want to see it,  so I can read about it here.

This seems to me like a vanity blog and the writers just blog about what is interesting to them, but they have a following so go to it.     Nothing here that I find particularly interesting so I will move on to another blog, and see what I find.

Perhaps I would like it better with more Jennifer Hudson.

Contemporary Western Titles

My final category is Contemporary Western.   Here are some titles that I have found:


The Son by Philipp Meyer might also fall into the category of literary or even perhaps family saga,  but it follows a Texas family from the 1800's to the oil boom of the 20th century.  It would have a bit of historical appeal, but as a saga, it should also cover a more contemporary time period.   This novel is highly anticipated and well reviewed and apparently works with story as well as character and should appeal to a wide range of readers.

I might add the Orchardist by Amanda Coplin.    This looks like another gentle, literary find about a lonely Orchardist in the West who opens his home to runaways.    I think those who want the Western setting but paired with a more thoughtful story and an emphasis on solid writing will find much to like in this novel,.   It is another novel that received very good reviews.

Finally, a classic tale that was recently uncovered but contemporary in its time,   Woodie Guthrie's  House of Earth.  Readers may know Guthrie from his folk music, but this novel was written in 1947 and lost until only recently.

It tells the story of a couple living on the Texas panhandle in a haphazardly built wooden shack.   But the husband learns how to build an adobe dwelling,  and yearns to build them a better home, and hopefully a better life.  This novel also seems a more thoughtful, careful and poetic read,  capturing a more literary audience who like novels with deeper meanings.

Science Fiction - Outer Space!

So to start this post I found a great fan site I want to share.

http://classics.jameswallaceharris.com/

This site reviews the classics of science fiction, so if you are a new reader or want to go back to the roots of sci-fi, or need a good reading list to get you started on new authors,  this is the list for you.    Lots of good information, even separated by decade.   Check this site out!

Here are three "outer space" authors I have found!

Arthur C. Clarke is a prime example, where would we be without the Space Odyssey books?
You can either read 2001, 2010,  2061 and then 3001, the final Odyssey!  Apparently they involve the HAL-9000, some sort of super computer that kills a main character in the first saga, but by the final saga, technology has improved so much that a freeze dried person can be brought to life.  The series seems to have information on what is happening on Earth as well as space travel, and life on other worlds, super-technology and colonies on the moon.  I may be too dim to understand all of this, but I am sure it would appeal to someone who really likes an in depth space saga.

Isaac Asimov would definitely appeal with the robot saga, beginning with "I Robot"
Yes, I know I am going with many classics here, but classics are perfect to attract new readers and are also mainstays in the genre and will have appeal even long after they are written.   Many of us can probably recite the three rules of robotics beginning with "a robot must not injure a human being" and we will see how long this rule lasts!    During this saga, the galaxy is colonized and the positronic brain spreads far beyond just Earth,  hence the factor of outer space and the outer planets.  There is also a bit of mystery and detection in this saga so may appeal to non sci-fi readers as a novel that they may like to try.

My third title is a new title,  called The Human Division John Scalzi and apparently there is something called the human Colonial Union,  and this union has been created to keep information from humans about threats from the outside universe.  So, some outside visitors from the world beyond have arrived and are now forming an alliance to try to take down the Colonial Union.    Whether the union is good or bad remains to be seen,  but sometimes you need a group of people willing to protect you from alien invasion.     This novel appears to be earth centered but as the threats seem to be coming from outer space and they are probably arriving on starships, this may be a good title for a person who likes a little political drama as well as a hearty space battle. 

Mashup Take Two!

It was only a matter of time before Steampunk and Romance would intertwine.

In this novel, a beautiful woman and a surly gentleman bent on exposing her secrets wind up in Iceland where there may be hidden some legendary secrets that seem to be mechanical in nature.   Though, a disaster happens, leaving the two stranded on a glacier,  trying to escape a madman and letting nature take its course...

This is part of a series called the "Iron Seas"

I think Steampunk will appeal to many romance readers, as the men have the air of Victorian swagger and intelligence, and the heroines can take center stage, be smart and plucky,  escaping from the confines of traditional Victorian values while still wearing traditional Victorian romantic garb.    BCPL has this novel catalogued in our science fiction collection,  but there is definitely a high romantic bent to this one, sure to appeal to our romance readers.

Disaster - Adventure!

Though, I have not come across a "fan blog" for this type of novel, I found some titles that would probably work.

James Rollins - Deep Fathom has an ex Navy SEAL who surfaces to find the world on fire, because of some horrible solar flares that are causing no end of trouble.   It seems that there is more to the story, including an ancient civilization, but it appears that the flares, the burning and the earthquakes would probably appeal to someone who wants high adventure and people in peril, plus a strong hero to save the day.

Now, Stephen Coonts is more military action, but in Deep Black: Death Wave  there is definitely a threat of a disaster,  as a fault line is compromised, and there  is a plan to set off a landslide that will activate the fault line and create giant waves that may wipe out a lot of cities.    So, I would put this definitely in the "threat of disaster" category and think that I could convince  a reader to try it.   It does look like it also has an engaging adventure hero working to prevent the disaster from happening. 

The third will by by old adventure standby, Clive Cussler.
I found one called Zero Hour,  and apparently, there is a new energy source called zero point energy,  but perhaps harnessing it is not a good idea, as it weakens the Teutonic plates and will probably cause massive earthquakes that will destroy the planet.   So, in order to prevent this from happening, an underwater team of specialists need to head deep into the depths of the ocean and find these energy creating devices before it is too late.  This also falls more into the "preventing a disaster" category, but I think would be enjoyable for readers who like a lot of action and adventure with a disaster theme.

Assignement 3 : Mashup #1

My first mashup is a book I am struggling with  to finish, mentioned earlier on the blog.   The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates is a mix of several sub genres, but ultimately I am not sure if they work well together.

The first sub genre is literary.  We can all agree that Ms. Oates has a tremendous vocabulary and is very apt with description and turns of phrases.   The book moves at a more leisurely pace as a result because the text is so rich.  She chooses words carefully to get the best results and readers who like language have much to discover by her writing style.

Secondly this book is historical.   She appears to have done quite a bit of research on certain characters in the novel that are drawn directly from history,  Woodrow Wilson, Upton Sinclair, and Mark Twain all make appearances and the works of Aurthur Conan Doyle are discussed at length.   Woodrow Wilson's days at Princeton University are discussed,  and his ultimate disgrace at being asked to leave Princeton.  I don't know all that much about Woodrow Wilson, so am at a loss as to what is true in her account and what is embellished, but there is a lot of history in the novel, taking place in 1905-1906.

Oddly enough, this is also somewhat paranormal horror.   There is a curse on the main family of the book, the Slades,  and there is a mysterious devil type character who can shape shift, and almost create illusions.  At one point in the novel,  one of the main characters runs off with the devil character and ends up in a horrific locale with strange an unknown creatures.   The legend of the Jersey devil is brought up more than once and appears to be a thread in the novel.

I can only imagine that Ms. Oates wanted to write a horror novel, but ultimately this is too literary with too much historical detail and to this reader, it makes the thrill or the "fear factor" as it were, to suffer.    I think this title may have a hard time finding an audience, but it cerrtaily is a mashup of several genres,  and I do applaud Ms. Oates for trying something new.

Sub genres!

I am going to work on some subgenres of fiction this week,  and tell you what I discover.  I have narrowed down the playing field, and these are the subgenres that  I have chosen.

Adventure - disaster!
Science Fiction - outer space!
Western - contemporary!

So, my assignment is to find a fan site or blog about each subgenre and find at least three titles or authors who fit the genre - making sure I note appeal factors.    I will admit, I DO like Adventure - disaster books but I rarely read anything set in outer space, and have not read anything with a Western setting in a very long time,  aside from

And as this is not contemporary,  or a Western for that matter, I don't think it counts.

I just wanted to show y'all how smart I am!

Genre site (week six assignment 1)

I posted this last week as part of my other assignment, as I thught we were supposed to blog about both sites we were following.  So, I will repost the assignment now.  Sorry for the duplication, if you happened upon my site and are enjoying yourselves.


REPOST:

Heroes and Heartbreakers is updated much more frequently, and is much more fun, with enticing cover shots, excerpts from the novel,  and sometimes even including "classic" novels or bits of pop culture, like movies or TV  (Game of Thrones seems to be a popular discussion topic).  I also appreciate the "categories" section which breaks down the posts to specific types  -  contemporary,  paranormal, historical.  I would be most likely to read a historical romance,  so I can get a quick snapshot of new books in that genre.   I also have discovered many new authors writing in romance that I can now have name recognition when I am browsing the new shelves to help customers with authors that may be currently popular.     I love this site's layout.  Easy to use, attractive and would be a good site to share with customers who would like to look for reviews from home.

Some new additions since last I blogged:   Atlatnean goddesses,  fairy tale princesses,  the Fast and the Furious and more beefcake.   The beefcake alone makes the blog worth reading!

Reminds me, I have always wanted to try one of these!   This looks like the type of romance I would enjoy.  A little romance, a little classic fairy tale, a little bit of a historical setting. 

The things I find.

As many of us do,  I have an extensive paperback collection that I have amassed over the years, that only grows bigger with each passing day.   Sometimes when I am at a loss for something to read, and nothing new is jumping out at me,  I like to peruse the "stacks" as it were to discover a hidden gem that I have always meant to read but haven't as yet got around to doing so.

Hence, the John D. MacDonald you see before you.   I had a friend who loved the Travis McGee novels, and I have since discovered that I own three of them.   I selected this one as my first, appears to be written in 1964, the year before I was born.

Travis is an interesting character.  He is a self proclaimed "beach bum" that lives on a houseboat and goes through money rather quickly.  Whenever he needs some new cash, he takes a case, rakes in some dough and then goes back to spending it.   In this novel, he meets a new woman who is having trouble divorcing her husband.   He had control of all her finances and the trust left from her father, but had told her the trust ran out and she has nothing.   She doesn't believe him.  Travis is not about to get involved, thinking this a case best left to lawyers but then a shot rings out and she ends up dead at his feet.   Great start to a mystery.  It surely pulled me right in.   Now, back to reading.

Something anticipated (Week five, assignment 3)

Looking at the list, I came across THIS title, due in August.   Baba Yaga by Toby Barlow


Will is a young American ad executive in Paris. Except his agency is a front for the CIA. It’s 1959 and the cold war is going strong. But Will doesn’t think he’s a warrior—he’s just a good-hearted Detroit ad guy who can’t seem to figure out Parisian girls.
     Zoya is a beautiful young woman wandering les boulevards, sad-eyed, coming off a bad breakup. In fact, she impaled her ex on a spike. Zoya, it turns out, has been a beautiful young woman for hundreds of years; she and her far more traditionally witchy-looking companion, Elga, have been thriving unnoticed in the bloody froth of Europe’s wars.
     Inspector Vidot is a hardworking Paris police detective who cherishes quiet nights at home. But when he follows a lead from a grisly murder to the abode of an ugly old woman, he finds himself turned into a flea.
     Oliver is a patrician, fun-loving American who has come to Paris to start a literary journal with the help of friends in D.C. who ask a few favors in return. He’s in well over his head, but it’s nothing that a cocktail can’t fix. Right?
     Add a few chance encounters, a chorus of some more angry witches, a strung-out jazzman or two, a weaponized LSD program, and a cache of rifles buried in the Bois de Bologne—and that’s a novel! But while Toby Barlow’s Babayaga may start as just a joyful romp though the City of Light, it quickly grows into a daring, moving exploration of love, mortality, and responsibility.

Reading the description, I can't help but think I would like it.    The setting is the first thing that jumps out at me,  Paris in the 1950's is rather an exotic locale and time period, so that is a definite appeal.     The next appeal factor would be the characters,  they seem quirky and a bit humorous and definitely not run of the mill, there is a unique feel to this title that will appeal to readers who like an unusual read.     I get the feeling that there is humor, but also a more thematic literary thread, so it may be a more thoughtful read that spans many levels, so a reader who likes to think about things under the surface would enjoy this one.   I think for the same reason it may be a good title for book groups.   The cover itself gives it that slightly literary look, so I don't imagine that this would be a fast page turner, but have a slower, more leisurely pace.  I imagine that this title might be  a slow burner, and not have as much appeal for the bestseller readers, but more toward the serious fiction fans that want to branch out and try something completely different.   I sure am willing to give it a try. 

Of Love and Bonnets.

Week 5 Assignment 2     

What is popular with my customers?  What authors do I need to learn more about?

Well, let me tell you,  currently,  Amish fever seems to be sweeping Baltimore County.   This is even narrower than general Christian or inspirational fiction!  At several stops, I am specifically asked to provide Amish fiction.   I was told by one customer,  "the woman needs to be wearing a bonnet on the cover."    As a good librarian, I try to comply,  but having never read Amish fiction in my life,  I was at a loss as to where to begin.  

It seems that Early Word is at a loss, too.  I checked several of their links along the side, and came up with not a lot of Christian titles.  They DO list the Christian Bookseller's Association (http://www.cbaonline.org/nm/BSLs.htm)  and that is a place to start.  It lists the current bestsellers, but in text form without covers and no descriptions,  so you get what is current, but not a lot of information about that particular title.

I dug a little deeper  and found Christianbook.com  (http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?page=1999184&sp=1001&kw=amish%20fiction&event=PPCSRC&p=1018818&gclid=CLmPr6fZrLcCFUqZ4AodJFMAUQ).  This is a Christian bookstore, but it has an entire shop for Amish fiction and the hottest and newest authors.  It has a section on new releases, and also tells you the series numbers for series books.   This site seemed just the ticket, so I can quickly look for titles when asked, provide new authors, and reserve titles that may be coming.  It will also help me to pull books from the shelves when I need to stock my shelves when I am heading off on the road.

And naturally I learn my lesson. Wouldn't you know that my old nemesis, Goodreads, would have an entire Amish fiction list!  http://www.goodreads.com/genres/amish-fiction

It just goes to show you, that you are never to old to learn new things.  I still may not be reading a title about bonnets and buggies and the simple life.  But I know where to go to find an author and title, and get my customer just the book they desire.

Week 5: Assignement 1

So, what am I learning?

I have been following Salon.com

This is not a hard task, as Salon does not post reviews very often,  maybe one or two a week.    The reviews are also pretty detailed and in depth, so you get a lot of information about the book.   Salon does deal primarily with non-fiction and are usually books that I would not choose to read, so having the review is very useful because I get enough information to be able to tell a reader the general idea of the book without having to read it.

Heroes and Heartbreakers is updated much more frequently, and is much more fun, with enticing cover shots, excerpts from the novel,  and sometimes even including "classic" novels or bits of pop culture, like movies or TV  (Game of Thrones seems to be a popular discussion topic).  I also appreciate the "categories" section which breaks down the posts to specific types  -  contemporary,  paranormal, historical.  I would be most likely to read a historical romance,  so I can get a quick snapshot of new books in that genre.   I also have discovered many new authors writing in romance that I can now have name recognition when I am browsing the new shelves to help customers with authors that may be currently popular.     I love this site's layout.  Easy to use, attractive and would be a good site to share with customers who would like to look for reviews from home.

Week four. Why I hate Goodreads (in case you wanted to know)

I am glad we are using Goodreads as an assignment,  I have been a member of Goodreads for years,  but in the last two I have pretty much avoided it.   When it started I found it to be a useful tool but the more I used it and the more commercial it became, the less likely I am to use it for anything now.  But as it has become the focus of week four,   I guess I will share my thoughts.

Things I hate about good reads:

Inappropriate tagging. 

Because Goodreads is based on users reviews,  they can tag anything with any tag they want.  I usually like to search for mysteries,  because I read them and they are my favorite genre.  When I look on the page for mystery,  I am assaulted with 17 steampunk titles,  5 romances,  6 mainstream authors,  and maybe 5 overly popular thriller writers that I don't enjoy.   Not one I would classify as a "mystery".  Sure, there may be a mystery embedded in there somewhere but it is not the main appeal of the book for me.   I don't have time to wade through all of that to find exactly what I am looking for.

Listmainia and the Twilighters.

Yes, you can make lists of books you think other people should read.  When Twilight was popular, EVERY SINGLE list had a twilight title as one of the books I was expected to read, and every time I logged in, this list was first and foremost on my page as if everything I was currently reading would be a read alike for Twilight.   We all know that this is not so, and I got sick of looking at the cover of the book.

Desperate Ebook authors:

They about on Goodreads and always want to "friend" you so you buy their book.  You get friend requests all the time from people you don't know or care to know, and they want you to purchase their books.  Many of the books are only available by Ebook and would not even be purchased by the library system, so you have to wade through those to get to the books you can actually use in your day to day activity.

Improperly written or weighted reviews.

Let's face it, all reviews are not created equally,  you have to read quite a lot of reviews by people who either overly enjoy or hate a title,  don't offer any pertinent information,  or are quite possibly a publisher plant who is only trying to sell a title.    And beware of Spoilers.  Some people don't understand when too much information is too much information.


In conclusion, I think that Goodreads can be useful  if you are keeping a shelf of books to keep tabs on what you read, but it is kind of overwhelming to use as a site to search for reviews or new things to read.   There really isn't any rhyme or reason to the categories, and like I said, you can tag a book any way you want and put it on any list you want, however inappropriate.    I much prefer review sources that are weighted and the books actually selected to fit the category described.

Be More Bookish - Conversation 3

I just read this great book The River of Doubt.  It was about Teddy Roosevelt and this ill fated expedition to chart an uncharted river in the Amazon.  They lost almost all their provisions, the president was injured, and it turns out one of their crew was a murderer since there was a murder.  And the most amazing thing was that it true.  It was fascinating and really fast paced.  Do you have anything to recommend that is like that?


This person clearly likes non-fiction with a bit of a historical mystery thrown in.. I would try "Devil in the White City" by Larson,   probably "Suspicions of Mr. Whicher" by Summerscale and the "Girls of Muder City"  by Perry.

I may throw in Flawless by Selby  -  this was a more contemporary Diamond Heist, but was full of action and really told you a lot about the Diamond industry and may appeal as something similar enough  but could steer the reader to a new direction.

Be more bookish conversation 2

Everything, but especially that teen love story – way too much angst! And way too slow.  Have you read any good vampire stories lately?

This was somewhat easier for me, as I like vampire stories but ones that are in the horror category and veer away from sparkly love vampires.

I would suggest   The Passage by Justin Cronin, or maybe Salem's Lot by Stephen King. 

If they like graphic novels, I would also suggest I Vampire from DC,  or American Vampire, just to mix things up.

Be More Bookish Assigment time.

This is my response to "conversation one"

The last book I read was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Everyone is reading it so I had to pick it up. It was lovely. She is such an interesting woman and so brave. I enjoyed the descriptions of the countries she went to and what she did while she was there, of course, but I think what I liked most was how she shared her inner thoughts — so reflective but funny too. I thought it might be just light fluff or all me, me, me, me, but it was so much more than that. I read all the Oprah books and just love them. Anyway I wanted to ask you for a few suggestions for my book group. It’s my turn to pick the title.


Here I picked up on the fact that she liked the setting and the description of the setting,  she also liked a personal twist with a little introspection and enjoyed things that were slightly literary with less fluff.

So, I would suggest   "A walk in woods"  by Bill Bryson and "Under the Tuscasn Sun" by Frances Mayes, both have the travel, new vista element but also have the introspection and could be discussable.

I may also throw in "Julie and Julia" for fun, because it is about someone who learns about herself while learning the art of French cooking.

It's like my birthday!

Yesterday I arrived at work to find THIS waiting on the hold shelf.

One thing you can say for the King family,  they do not shy away from long novels.   It's pretty heavy, but I am super excited to start it.   I think, once I find time to finally finish the one I am currently reading, I can move on to this. 

I love the cover.   Something about a smashed insect and a license plate covered in blood that makes you just feel all giddy inside.   Better go now.  The book is not going to start itself.

Everyone needs a hobby

This past week, I have been on a crusade.

My free time is limited but when I found myself with a spare moment, I worked on trying to save the TV series SMASH.   NBC has not been kind to the struggling show,  starting the season in February,  limiting the number of episodes,  and then moving it to the "death slot" on Saturday nights.

SMASH fought back, though.   They hired Jennifer Hudson to belt out a few tunes.  They added Bernadette Peters as a recurring character.  They even featured Liza Minnelli. They put pizazz back on the small screen,  and add some catchy tunes to boot.  I figured that I should do my part.  A Facebook campaign was launched.  Emails were frantically sent,  petitions were signed and even E! Online had a frantic few days of mad power  voting to see which one show that was being canned deserved another shot.   The SMASH fans fought hard and victory was won.  SMASH won the poll, but will NBC listen?

The future is unclear,  but I can tell  you this.   If SMASH returns next season, I still will be watching.   I have stayed with the show for this long, and I need to know if the imaginary Broadway shows "Bombshell" and "Hit List"  will win the imaginary Tony award.

You can currently check out season one at your local library so you can catch up on what you missed, with season two just around the corner.   If you are not sure what to expect, think GLEE, but in the world of musical theater with a healthy dose of Debra Messing and Katharine McPhee. Yes, it sounds like I am name dropping but this show has talent in spades. 

After all, who could EVER get enough of Anjelica Huston?

Pop culture.

Today I am very excited for Cyndi Lauper.

I am including a Broadway musical post, because as librarians, we do need to know what is going on in the world around us.

And I adore Cyndi Lauper.   She has been nominated for her score for the new musical Kinky Boots.   I am not sure if you remember, but Kinky Boots was a rather old British film about a man taking over his father's shoe business, a business that was failing.   But,  he is suddenly inspired by a drag queen to create a line of "sexy" shoes, and turns things around.   This is a perfect film to make into a feel good musical, and Cyndi Lauper is a perfect person to give music and lyrics to the project.   I am also excited because Harvey Fierstein wrote the book, and that is another reason to rejoice.

I  have not seen this one yet.   It is on my definite "to do" list.  With all the press, and accolades, I am hoping it will run for a long time,  giving me the chance to book the Megabus and head up to the land of shining footlights.

Feel free to chime in on good shows you have seen, or anything that you want to see.  Live theater.  There really is nothing like it.

The Good House - Week 2 - Annotation 2

Another book I thoroughly enjoyed was the Good House by Ann Leary.

This book is a character study.   We follow the main character, Hildy Good, as she narrates about her life as a real estate broker living on Boston's North Shore.   She is a flawed character, and we are seeing things from her point of view, so she can be an unreliable narrator, and I often like this as a plot device.   We know that her family has staged an intervention because of her drinking and we know that she believes she does not have a drinking problem.   The reader needs to read on to discover the truth.   I think this may fall in the learning/experiencing category because Hildy is becoming more aware of herself as the story progresses.  She is not a stagnant character, but a dynamic one that changes with her surroundings.

This has a setting that is very important as well.  Leary describes the town, adds dalect, and fills the town with quirky side characters that really reflect the area in which they live.  The audio book was delightful because the actress narrating the work really captured the speech of the area,  and the reader really gets a feel for what life may be like in a town with deep historic roots.

The work is slightly literary,  the writing style is more important, though, it is not sluggish.  There are several plot twists and some suspense that does keep the story moving.   I would probably say the pacing for the one would be medium.  This is one novel that would probably appeal to several different types of readers for several different reasons. It has many layers to it, and makes it more complex and I think is ultimately successful.    I look forward to see what this author will write next.

Death on the Nile - Week 2 - Appeal factors.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie is a perfect example to annotate based on appeal factors.

Hercule Poirot is taking a trip to Egypt,  and he encounters a young woman named Jaqueline DeBellefort who is madly in love with a man named Simon Doyle.   Fate intervenes and Simon does not marry Jackie, but instead weds Linnet Ridgeway,  Jackie's beautiful, glamorous and very wealthy friend.  Jackie confesses to Poirot that she would like nothing better than to place a pistol against her skull and pull the trigger.   Soon,  on a cruise down the Nile River, Linnet Ridgeway is dead.

Agatha Christie really creates a great main character with Hercule Poirot.   He is quirky and tenacious and always measures the facts before solving the crime.   But I love Agatha Chrities secondary characters the most.  It is important to have characters with hidden motives, or desires that need to be discovered in the course of the mystery. In Death on the Nile, many characters are hiding secrets and each of these layers need to be peeled away to solve the crime.   I am also a big fan of setting,  and Death on the Nile is a perfect example of an exotic locale.  Not only is it set in the 1930's  (it was written in 1937)   but also has the wonderful landscape of Egypt,  and a large cruise vessel traveling down the Nile.   I would not call Agatha Christie fast paced.  There is suspense, naturally, because Poirot is solving a murder.  But it is also a bit cerebral.   Chrisite takes time to interview suspects and lay out clues slowly, so the reader has time to digest the plot, and think about the new information, so that when the case is solved, it will make sense to the reader.   The story line becomes a bit important in a Christie because it does follow a "traditional mystery" format, with a murder, followed by an investigation and a solution.    The tone is slightly serious,  not comical or sweet as you would think of in a cozy.   It is slightly more glamorous because of the setting, and at times can even be a little sinister.   Truly one of her greatest works.

Modern mystery trap

Come on, really?

I am trying to like modern mysteries.  I really am.   Just once I would like to find a writer of modern day mysteries that has a classic sensibility.    I really miss the way  mysteries used to be written.

I started reading the Frozen Shroud by Martin Edwards and it had promise.   It had real atmosphere.  A small town in the Lake District,  a huge mansion,  a crime that happened in the past that created the legend of a wandering ghost,   a much more recent crime that mimicked the earlier crime,  and all of this happening on Halloween.   What more could you want?   I was ready for twists, turns, and suspects.

Then we meet the man who would be solving the case,  and he starts rambling about his life.   Soon, we meet his ex girlfriend and she starts rambling about her life,  and we have to hear about her ex husband,  and her best friend, and all the problems they are having in their lives,  and pages and pages and pages are going by, and we are NOT DISCUSSING the mystery AT ALL.   Soon, I start to forget why I am actually reading this novel,  and my reading slows down to a crawl.

You guys reading this blog know I love Agatha Christie.   How much do we really know about Poirot or Miss Marple?  Not much, really.  Just enough to keep us interested while they solve the case, and delve into the suspects, motives, alibis and clues.   That is what I want when I read a mystery.   The life of the detective is not important to me, and frankly, it wastes pages.

Please, writers, take a note of this.   I want to find a writer that really can write a mystery worth reading.

Elephants can remember, sadly, I cannot.

 The final two mysteries have been selected for my vacation.  I am taking Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie.  I have read this one before,  but don't remember much about the plot.  I do recall that it involves a murder that takes place in the distant past, and someone growing older and realizing what they now know or had seen.   I seem to remember enjoying it greatly.  This one is also being filmed by the BBC this year and is one of the final set of Poirot novels to star David Suchet.    He will have filmed every last one of them.   The other films on the horizon are Dead Man's Folly,  the Big Four and the Labors of Hercules.

I found this Margery Allingham novel while nosing around in my paperback cubboard.  It is the White Cottage Mystery,  and oddly, does not involve Albert Campion.    Further investigation of the novel showed that this was written as a serial in the 1920's and was later collected in its novel form.    It involves a country house,  a shooting,  a throughoughly disliked victim, and a cast of suspects  making it out to be  a true cozy.   I expect to thouroughly enjoy this one. 

This does mean I am taking four novels with me.   Chances are, I will not be able to read all four of them, but, I am better off prepared.     Hate to run out of books so far from shore.

Just delightful

A friend recommended me this novel on audio, and I have to say it is quite delightful.   It is read by Robert Ian Mackenzie who has the most wonderful soft Scottish lilt and it really brings the novel to life.

Alexander McCall Smith writes in his intro that he was intrigued by the idea of a serial novel,  as Dickens used to write in his day.   He proposed this idea to a local newspaper, and was accepted, not as a weekly, but as a daily story.  The story ran, and later, 44 Scotland Street was published.

Centered around the tenants of an apartment building in Edinburgh, the novel is full of quirky characters.  Matthew runs a gallery but obviously knows nothing about art.   Bruce seems more involved with making a good impression and looking good than actually accomplishing anything else.   And poor Bertie,  a hapless six year old,  is forced to learn Italian and play the saxophone while a true helicopter mother looks on.  I am enjoying the novel immensely so far, and have reserved the second volume, Espresso Tales,  also on audio.    It really makes the morning commute a treat. 

Librarian's curse

I love being a librarian.  But there is a bit of a downside.     In order to keep on top of the latest novels and trends to best help my customers,  I often have to ignore books that I really want to read.    There really isn't a good reason for me to be reading something from thirty years ago,  something out of print,  something that our library does not own.   This does not mean that I really don't relish the thought of reading it.

So,  on the occasion that I get to take a vacation and "get away" as it were, I often squirrel away novels that I really want to read for the sake of enjoyment alone,  and spend a week reading titles that I have always meant to read but never did.

This vacation I am going to read Curtain by Agatha Christie.   I am not sure if this is a wise choice on my behalf, as it is Poirot's last case and Poirot dies in the course of the novel.  I have been avoiding reading it for that very reason.  But as the film comes out later this year, I want to have read the book first.     Tissues are at the ready.  I will be prepared.

I also chose a Barbara Vine novel that I hear is quite good - Gallowglass.   Fans of Barbara Vine will know she is also Ruth Rendell,  an author I greatly admire and usually love anything she writes.    I tracked down a paperback copy and will put it in my suitcase.  I often purchase paperbacks for my trips, so if I accidentally lose them or drop them in the pool, I have only damaged my own personal copy.

I am still deciding on a third to take with me.  Things go better in three's.   Ruminating over an old Victoria Holt or perhaps a Margery Allingham.      Happy reading everyone!

Week One, and what I know (or don't know, as the case may be)

Accoding to Sporcle, it is apparent that I do not know the cover of Freakonomics.   It is also apparent that I read very little non-fiction.  If there is one thing I need to do, is familiarize myself with more non-fiction!

But I did reasonably well on Sporcle and judging books by the covers.    I can definitely sell a book based on cover image alone.  Now, if that only worked on getting me to a table in a restaurant faster.  

About the links.   I chose to read Salon, because when I opened the link, it looked like a lot of  non-fiction.  So much non-fiction I thought my head might explode.   I decided Salon would be good for me.

I also decided on Heroes and Heartbreakers, because I don't read a lot of romance, and I need a touch of whimsy and passion, after reading Salon.  I think the two will give me new information but be different enough from one another to keep me interested.

I did like the articles posted.   The tips were great, and some of the six year old's guesses were hilarious.   I am ready for this new challenge in my reader's advisory development.  

Don't do it.

Things to avoid when visiting Midsomer County:

1.  Avoid the church or any church related activity, like choir, or bell ringing.

2.  Avoid any local activity groups, like a garden society or a book club.

3.  Avoid any yearly events, like Morris dancing festivals,  craft fairs or re-enactments of anything.

4.  Avoid any special events, especially if they happen to be filming a movie, or a celebrity is coming to town.

5.  Avoid local shops, or shopkeepers.

6.   Sporting events are completely out.  This would include soccer, cricket and any rowing events.

7.  It would definitely be to your best advantage to avoid any nefarious characters, and if you do suspect wrongdoing,  DO NOT go to the wrongdoer and try to talk him/her out of it.

Following these simple rules may make your world not end in tears.

Long road ahead.

Started reading the Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates, and I like it so far, but suddenly I hit a snag, and a realization about myself.

This book is somewhat dense, and literary and awfully long.  So if you were expecting to get a meaningful review of the book on my blog post, I fear you are sadly disappointed.  This blog post appears to be more about my reading style!

I have trouble as of late getting into a really long book.  I think it is mostly time constraints.  I tend to read a bit, put it aside and have trouble getting back to it.    It is not the fault of the novel, or the novelist.   I think my old, tired eyes are not as easily trained to the page as they once were.

Though, this immense novel is interesting and has Woodrow Wilson as a main character.  There is also a curse, and I believe a paranormal element which is very different from anything Joyce Carol Oates has given the world so far.   I am really hoping to find this one on audio.  I think I would prefer listening to it.   It is very complex,  and the author does have an incredible way with words.