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.