Week 9: Book Trailers & Training Wrap Up

Both articles discuss book trailers as if they are the ugly stepsisters of the media world. According to the authors, many are "unwatchable" and some are "embarrassing". I didn't realize there was so much distaste for book trailers in the literary world. Personally, the only book trailers that I've encountered were books that catered to tween/teenage readers. I assumed that this was a tactic used to reach younger readers, given their captivation with all things media based. Even now, it seems as though more time and money is spent on creating quality book trailers for YA books rather than adult titles. If more of an effort was made to grab the attention of all readers rather than just the youth, then I think that book trailers could succeed in marketing titles. I think that readers' advisory can cross different mediums, whether it's the traditional way (using a librarian) or through social media. I feel as though we do a disservice to readers when we fail to consider other ways to exchange information. For our visual learners, book trailers may be a great way to pique their interests.


Final Thoughts:

If I'm being honest...when we initially started this training, I thought that it would be like those tedious online classes that I took in grad school. I expected it to be tolerable, but not entirely enjoyable. I am happy to report that this training was a lot better than I anticipated. I loved the idea of using a creative blog to share thoughts and opinions. We were able to show our individuality in our blog designs as well as our book recommendations. I've added a few new titles to my "to-read" shelf as a result of this training.

The information being shared through this training was also helpful. Our recent training on narrative nonfiction was most helpful, because suggesting alternative genres to readers can be intimidating and sometimes difficult. Be More Bookish has also exposed me to new reader advisory resources, such as Early Word and Stop You're Killing Me. I do wish that some of the articles referenced in the modules were more up to date; however, the information they provided is still valid for everyday customer interaction. All in all, I'd say that this training was a success.

Week 8: Nonfiction

I'm fairly new to the world of narrative nonfiction. Growing up I always associated nonfiction books with research projects, and therefore, considered them to be less intriguing then their fiction counterparts. I really only picked up a nonfiction book when I needed to learn more about something. My relationship with nonfiction was strictly fact based, until a couple of years ago when I became obsessed with reading memoirs. There were also times that I'd find myself needing to know more about a real life event referenced in a fiction book. Currently, more than half of the items that I have checked out are narrative nonfiction.

The E-Learning video mentioned several genres of nonfiction that are popular among customers. The following genres are ones I find myself most attached to:        

• Memoir-Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes (found in the 800s)
• Contemporary Issues-There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz (early 300s)
• Crime-In Cold Blood by Truman Capote(300s)
• History-Come Hell or High Water by Michael Dyson (900s)

All of the titles listed above would serve as good recommendations; however, my favorite titles were Year of Yes and There Are No Children Here. 

Year of Yes is part memoir and part self-help, though I'm not sure if that was Ms. Rhimes intention! Shonda Rhimes shares how one year of opening herself up to new experiences, ultimately changed her life. This book is perfect for readers who want an inspirational story with witty banter and honest experiences. The author includes personal photos and transcripts that make the book feel more conversational rather than preachy like other motivational books. This transformative reading will leave readers feeling energized and inspired.

There Are No Children Here is a compelling work that explores the major effects that poverty can have on a community and ultimately family structure. Readers get a front row seat into the lives of the Rivers family, who are struggling to survive in public housing complex in Chicago. The book focuses primarily on the stories of the two younger brothers, Lafeyette and Pharoah. The novel's fast pace and exploration of themes related to crime and violence within the urban community may pique the interest of urban fiction readers. Readers with interest in the realm of human rights may also be attracted to the books investigation of the Chicago Housing Authority. There Are No Children Here uses the art of compassionate story telling to bring attention to serious issues affecting urban communities.

Week 7: Not Just for Teens

Assignment 1:

After reviewing the "What to Read Next" flowchart from the Lawrence Public Library, I must admit that I was impressed. The flowchart provided an option for nearly every type of reader. I myself am not a huge dystopian fan. I have read the Hunger Games series, but outside of that I haven't really had an interest in reading any other dystopian novels. That is until I took a look at this flowchart! Particularly the classics listed at the end caught my attention. A few of them I had already read, but titles like The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley really stood out to me. These titles have now been added to my ever growing "to-read" bookshelf on Goodreads.

Assignment 2:

The first article that piqued my interest was A Not So Young Audience for Young Adult Books by Meg Wolitzer. Wolitzer kindly addresses critics who deem that young adult novels should not be read by adults. Wolitzer challenges this ideology by examining the ways in which adults are able to connect with young adult stories. I agree with the author when she mentions that reading YA titles "serves as a continuation of [her] education." In my opinion, reading is all about gaining new experiences and perspectives through the eyes of the characters. I feel as though when I read a title that I loved as teen as an adult, I'm looking at the story with new eyes. There may have been components to the story that completely went over my head when I was a teen. But now that I've gotten more life experience as an adult, those coming of age stories mean more to me. I sympathize with some of the characters a little more.

The second article that I read was YA Comes of Age by Sue Corbett. Corbett explores how the face of YA is changing to accommodate the current population of young people. She made a good point when she mentioned how this current group of young people have never known a time when the country was not at war. So it's not surprising that current literature reflects these real life events. I think that's part of the reason why it's so easy for adults to connect with some YA novels. These novels are addressing heavier topics and are no longer written in a way that is solely for teens.

Assignment 3:

The two blogs that I decided to follow for this assignment were John Green's Tumblr and Cassandra Clare's Tumblr. Being that I am an occasional Tumblr user, it was pretty easy for me to monitor these two blogs. Though these blogs use the same medium to deliver their information, they are far from similar. It's obvious upon first glance that the intended audience for both of these blogs are young adults. However, John Green's blog feels more personal. Followers are given a glimpse into his everyday life, through shared photos of Green along with his family and friends. My first day monitoring the blog, Green shares a heart warming post honoring a young friend (a cast member in The Fault In Our Stars film) who recently passed away from cancer. The one word I would use to describe Green's Tumblr is community. Several posts remind followers that they are special and not alone. He even has a campaign called "DFTBA: Don't Forget To Be Awesome". Green also hosts a weekly podcast with his brother Hank, entitled "Dear Hank & John", during which they offer advice and interact with fans. Green's Tumblr feels as though its intention is to make adolescence a little less lonely.

Also based on fan interaction, Clare's Tumblr on the other hand seems to be more character driven. There are less posts showcasing Clare's personal life, but many blog posts that explore character traits and flaws. Given the nature of her books, Clare's blog is obviously intended for fantasy readers. She advertises upcoming novels and is big on reblogging fan art. Clare's blog definitely gives off a angsty vibe, the Tumblr feels very dark and mysterious. Though different, I believe that both blogs are successfully connecting with the young adult community.

Assignment 4:

I decided to follow the trends of "Harper Teens" and "Teens at Random" for the week. Harper Teens appears to promote several titles that include some form of character transformation or "coming of age" component. In these titles, the teen is often struggling to navigate through a hardship. They eventually set out for a summer trip/adventure that changes the way in which they see themselves and the world around them. Harper Teens also showcased several fantasy/scifi titles, such as the new Veronica Roth and an interesting book about a teenage psychic government spy.

Teens at Random had a spotlight for author James Dashner. Several of his books were showcased and his new series was being advertised. This site really put the focus on science fantasy/paranormal titles (i.e. Fallen, Maze Runner series). Based on these sites, it appears that fantasy and "coming of age" are the teen summer trend.

Week 6: Building Base Knowledge (Genres)

*In Week 1: Assignment 4, you began following one of the genre links on the right.  Write a blog post about your discoveries.*


During Week 1, I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and monitored a site devoted to monitoring books of the mystery genre. I set out to monitor the site "Stop, You're Killing Me"; if I'm being honest, I chose this site solely because of it's cool name! Similar to Early Word, SYKM is a bit overwhelming at first glance. There are so many index options to choose from and loads of information being shared. However, SYKM delivers this information in a more modest fashion. Lacking the flashy design template, but not holding back on the amount of information it provides. What I love about SYKM is that it provides a monthly update of newly published titles. It is also sub-categorizes each title; for example, there's a list for newly released large print mysteries, cozy mysteries, thrillers, etc. This is especially helpful for those customers who have specific reader advisory inquiries.

*Pick 3 subgenres that you are unfamiliar with. List three authors or titles that are associated with or typify each of these 3 subgenres. What are the hallmarks or appeal factors of each of the subgenres?* 

Cozy Mysteries: The stories typically take place in a small village or town. The characters are usually unofficial detectives (i.e. retired persons or small business owners) with a knack for solving crime. No violence or brutality is detailed, rather it occurs behind the scenes to maintain the novel's lighthearted tone.

• Ms. Marple series by Agatha Christie
• Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton
• Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs

Historical Fiction: The characters in these stories may be fictional, but the way in which they interact with their environment is reminiscent of the historical era. In some cases these characters interact with actual historical figures of that time. They also respond to situations that are realistic for that time period (i.e. segregation, civil wars, the Holocaust, etc.).

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Red Tent by  Anita Diamant
• The Book Thief by  Markus Zusak

Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction: These novels explore how characters respond to a world wide catastrophe. They often start with civilization ending or being endangered in some way. The characters struggle to survive in all the chaos, often contributing to the novel's depressing tone. These stories take place in an imaginative world, yet cause readers to consider their plausibility and question "what if???!".

• The Stand by Stephen King
• Cyber Storm by Matthew Mather
• The Passage by Justin Cronin

*Mashups of subgenres, e.g. steampunk westerns, are becoming increasingly popular. Find two titles, not shown on the flowchart, which could cross over into another subgenre. Describe your rationale.*

Sick Lit is a fairly new term used to describe titles that involve characters who a trying to navigate a traumatic personal situation, which in the case of these titles is terminal illness. In my opinion, these novels are combination of the realistic fiction and romance genres. In each of these stories, the characters are of course fictional, but could easily exist in the real world. They are facing challenges that many readers have either experienced themselves or know of individuals who have faced these challenges. While the characters in these novels are navigating these realistic situations, they are also making interpersonal connections and ultimately finding love with other characters in the book.


Sick Lit Examples:

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Week 5: Building Base Knowledge (Part II)

What useful information have you learned from the resource that you have been monitoring  since week one?  Blog about it.


During week one, I decided to monitor Goodreads as a resource. But since I was already familiar with Goodreads, I decided that I was technically cheating and began to monitor Early Word. I was somewhat intimidated by the layout of the website at first. It felt like there were so many components that I needed to explore in a limited amount of time. I eventually reminded myself that this was a learning experience, so I should definitely take my time when exploring what the site had to offer. Right from the start, I appreciated the many reader's advisory list that the website offered. I also thoroughly enjoyed how the titles were categorized by released date. This extremely helpful when customers request suggestions for new releases.


More than likely, you have a diverse mix of customers who have equally diverse reading preferences, but all of these resources are available via Early Word.  Take a look at the site and click around; there are lots of links in both sidebars.  Post to your blog: What resources are new discoveries for you?  What do you think that you will continue to use?

At Rosedale, thanks to Storyville we have a large circulation of kid titles. One of the things that I found most helpful about Early Word is it's archive for children and young adult titles. Parents are often overwhelmed by the number of titles and topics made available to their children, so the enlist our help to help them narrow their search. I will definitely put Early Word in my bag of resources to use when attempting to locate new/popular titles for our youth and adult readers a like.  

Pick a title from Amazon’s Best of the Month, found under the right-hand “Coming Soon” sidebar on Early Word.  Write a blog post using appeal factors or read alikes to describe the title.  Why is this title expected to be popular and to whom would it appeal?


SPOILER FREE REVIEW!: In If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo, readers are introduced to Amanda Hardy, a high school student starting her senior year at a new school. Readers follow Amanda as she attempts the all too familiar act of trying to fit in with her peers, all while concealing a personal secret. Along the way, she unexpectedly falls for golden boy, Grant and struggles to let him into her world. Feeling alone and afraid that her secret will push Grant away, Amanda struggles to come to terms with her new life. Russo's novel has begun to fill a major void in the world of young adult fiction. Readers both young and old will be able to relate to the universal story of feeling different, while wanting to fit in.

Week 4: Building Base Knowledge (Goodreads)

Link to Goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/47024578-varshea-smith

I am fairly new to the world of Goodreads. According to their record, I have been a member since September of last year. I must say that the ability to maintain an ongoing book list was intriguing to me at first, but over time my "to-read" shelf began to rival my "read" shelf. I'm friends with several of my coworkers on the site and I often log on just to see what books they're currently reading. On several occasions, my coworkers have written a review that ignited my interest in a book and/or author. Hence why my "to-read" list is growing by the minute.

I've been a member of the Goodreads community for several months now, but I have never taken the time to explore its many features. I stumbled upon "Listopia" a few months when I was looking to expand my knowledge of literary works written by African American women. The lists offered by the site were very helpful and led me to several new favorite authors. The title recommendations offered through the site are also very helpful. I'm pretty peculiar about what books I read. So when I find a book that I enjoyed, I look forward to finding to exploring other read-alikes.

Until this assignment, I have only rated a few books. Usually titles that I strongly connected with or strongly disliked. I had never taken the time to offer a review or recommendation, because who cares what I think...right? Well, it turns out, as a librarian people do actually care about what you think. They want to know what you loved about that author you read as well as the things that you might not have enjoyed. After exploring the recent reads of my colleagues, I decided to offer a couple of recommendations.  

Recommendations:

#1- I noticed that one of my colleagues recently read Between the World & Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and based on their rating, they appeared to enjoy it (also one of my recent favorites!). Since they enjoyed Coates' novel, I decided to recommend Buck by M.K. Asante.

"Hey Kelsey! 
Per Be More Bookish instructions, I wanted to offer a book recommendation based on your enjoyment of this title. This first title that came to mind was Buck by M.K. Asante. A modern day coming of age story, Buck chronicles Asante's memories of growing up as a teenager in Philadelphia. Asante, who is both a writer and a rapper uses hip-hop metaphors to express his struggles with the disintegration of his family and the decay of his neighborhood. Offering an intimate look into his daily struggles and triumphs, Asante's story is sure to inspire readers!"

#2- I noticed that another one of my colleagues enjoyed reading I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai & Christina Lamb. Based on this I decided to recommend A long way gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah.

"Hey Kayla!
Per Be More Bookish instructions, I wanted to offer a potential book recommendation based on your rating for this novel. Since you enjoyed I am Malala, you might enjoy A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. In this captivating memoir, Beah chronicles his time as a child soldier during the civil war in Sierra Leone. As a soldier, Beah was exposed to a great deal of violence and ultimately developed a substance addiction. A Long Way Gone is the remarkable tale of Beah's struggle for freedom and overall journey towards redemption. Readers will be both heartbroken and inspired by Beah's story."

Week 3: The Readers' Services Conversation

Scenario 1:

Librarian: Hi, is there anything I can suggest?

Customer: I’m looking for a good story, you know, something that draws me in. But I don’t know where to start looking.

Librarian: What was the last book you read? Could you share something you liked about it?

Customer: 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.

It sounds like this customer thoroughly enjoyed the personal reflections of Eat, Pray, Love. He/she connected with the character and were truly inspired by her experiences. For this customer, I would recommend another memoir such as My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme. This book chronicles the years that Ms. Child lived in France with her husband. It is during this time that Ms. Child discovers her passion for cooking and her love for life. I believe the customer will appreciate the personal touches included in the book, like photographs taken by Child's husband himself along with additional candid family snapshots. Similar to Ms. Gilbert, Ms. Child gives readers a glimpse into her inner reflections that is both moving and entertaining.

Other reflective pieces that the customer may appreciate:

• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Scenario 2:

Customer: Can you recommend any vampire books that are nothing like the Twilight series?

Librarian: Let me see how I can help you. What don’t you like about Twilight?

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

It appears to me that the customer is in search of book involving vampires minus the staged love story and excessive teenage angst. I would probably introduce this customer to the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Anita is a supernatural consultant for the police department, who is a vampire hunter. This series offers action packed crime-fighting scenes, while also exploring the personal and romantic experiences of the main character. The Anita Blake series has plenty of vampires without the slow burn of a teenage love story. 


Scenario 3:

Librarian:  Hi, are you looking for anything in particular?

Customer: 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 particular customer seemed to enjoy the fast pace and historical nature of the book. He/she enjoyed the well-described historical landscapes and loved that the story was actually based on factual evidence. For this reason, I would recommend other non-fiction titles that featured historical expeditions/events. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson offers a enthralling historical narrative about the sinking of the Lusitania during World War I. Larson explores this piece of history in a way that is both thrilling and emotionally powerful. Similar to The River of Doubt, Dead Wake gives readers an intimate look into the nation's history.