Week 16 Prompt

When I was in elementary school reading was not really encouraged. When we had "Reading" as a subject, we only ever read out of our textbook, which contained short stories of age-appropriate reading level. Usually they were way below my reading level and of no interest to me. Plus, they were very contrived because they had to use oi/oy words, or whatever this week's unit covered. While we were reading the teacher would ask questions over the story. Then we had to fill out workbook pages over the phonetic element of the week. I was always in a hurry to be done so I could read a little in my book before we had to start the next subject. If my teacher had said it was time to find a comfortable spot in the classroom and read our library books for 30 minutes, I wouldn't have known what to think. It would have been too good to be true! I was always getting in trouble because I was reading instead of following along in our social studies book. I couldn't wait for school to be out every day so I could go home and finish my book.

From Kindergarten to 4th grade, the only books I had access to in school were in the very small classroom libraries my teachers had, which we had access to but I don't remember ever having "library time" where we were encouraged to browse for reading material. It was only expected that we have a book to read at our desks so we had something to do if we finished our work and others were still working.  I had the public library and a big collection of books at home, but the schools I went to in two small towns did not have libraries. So I would say reading has definitely changed a lot since I was a girl. Now schools put a great deal of emphasis on reading books, not just the reading textbook. I haven't always agreed with the methods used to encouraged reading, but I believe the best way to learn to love reading is by being read to as early as possible, and by lots of practice reading real books.

It seems that reading has increased in popularity with adults as well, although my life is full of people who love reading now, instead of being full of other kids who do not. So my view on this may be a little askew.

Ereaders may have a part to play in this, as well as audiobooks. The new technologies may make reading more accessible to busy people, and may make it more appealing to technophiles. I don't think the advent of ebooks will make books obsolete, anymore than the popularity of television made going to movie theaters obsolete. It's just another medium to give people choices. You could argue that television made radio obsolete, but only in some ways. TV did replace radio shows like "The Jack Benny Show" and "The Lone Ranger", but we still have radio. The programming just took a different form. So maybe Kindle, Nook, etc. will have a similar effect somehow on books and the publishing world.

I have really enjoyed this class and reading everybody's blogs! Good luck in the future!

Prompt: Promoting Fiction in the Library

The library I work at, while awesome on many ways, is sadly deficient in encouraging browsing. It is an open plan so there is not a lot of wall space for posters and things like that. We have a couple of display areas but not near the fiction. It could definitely be made more welcoming to browsers in general, and I would like to implement some of the ideas I have learned in this course to appeal to readers. These three ideas I think would have the most impact.

1. Signs-  I think a simple sign like suggested in the Saricks chapter, "Looking for a Good Read? Ask here for Help" or something would at least let people know that librarians do that. I think a lot of people are intimidated by approaching us for assistance in finding a good book. A sign welcoming their inquiries would help break the ice. In fact, we could do with a lot more signs through the whole library. The nonfiction collection is awesome, but the ends of the shelves are labeled with only the Dewey number range they contain. Adding signs like "Cookbooks", "DIY", "Gardening", etc. would make it much more appealing and easier for patrons, who usually don't know that cookbooks are in the 640s, to navigate.

2. Displays- If we could get taller shelves for the fiction, it would give us more shelf space for the collection, as well as give us more space to put those end-of-shelf units we could use to showcase various authors, genres, topics, etc. Since the collection as it is does not inspire browsing, little displays every shelf or two would bring to the attention of patrons something they may have missed. I also like the idea of having a display of reading suggestions near the entrance and at both the reference and circulation desks, even if it is just a book truck with 30 or so selections. Right now the only display we have is the ends of the new book shelves, which are placed not at the entrance where they should be, but clear across the library by the nonfiction. Not conducive to Reader's Advisory efforts.

3.Bookmarks- We have lots of bookmarks for other library advertisement, but I think it would be better if  most of those things were kept to the (few) poster displays we have, and RA bookmarks were added to them. At least half of the bookmarks offered should be RA. Lists of favorite series in order, similar authors/titles, what to read while you wait for, would all be popular with our patrons.The book marks are a favorite with readers of all ages at the circ desk, so I think this is an awesome way to reach our readers and let them know what we can help them with. This would be something that would be quick and easy for patrons to take and peruse at their leisure, and relatively easy for us to keep up with and keep fresh.

Prompt: To Separate or Not to Separate?

The question of whether to separate African-American or GBLTQ fiction from the general fiction section is a question that should be answered based on your particular library and patronage. At my library we have a fairly large readership of African-American books, but we really don't have room to have a separate section for that sub-genre. Other libraries in the system do have a separate section for those books. Patrons travel around the system all the time and so far no one to my knowledge has made a major fuss over either way the books are shelved. What we have done at my library is to designate the African-American books and the Christian fiction with stickers on the spine. That way people looking for those particular fiction books can easily find them. I suppose some people could complain that those books are being stigmatized, but most people are appreciative that they can go right to the shelf to browse and if they are looking for a particular type of book they can be guided to them without wasting time on other stuff.

As regards GBLTQ fiction, it is just mixed in with the fiction without any particular designation. One patron came across a book with homosexual themes and let us know that she wasn't particularly pleased, but she didn't blame it on us or require that certain authors be placed elsewhere. In fact, she didn't even change libraries. I think in spite of all the conflict displayed in the media over things like this, most people are capable of realizing that just because we are not in agreement doesn't mean we are at war, and that not everything that doesn't go their way is done deliberately and with calculation to offend them.

I don't think there is one particular answer to questions like this one, but that the librarian should do what will work for the branch he/she works at. You are always going to have people who are happy to get offended no matter what you do, but most patrons realize that they are not the only people we serve, and that we really are doing our best to be fair and impartial with regards to how library materials are shelved.

Prompt: YA fiction and Graphic Novels

I think that if adults wish to read YA, new adult, or graphic novels they should not only not fear judgment by the library, they should be marketed to by the library. Many of my favorite novels/series are YA, and I know many adults (not new adults, either, people in their 60s) who read this genre almost exclusively. The characters feature teenagers, true, but they have appeal to all ages. I can read YA fantasy and science fiction and really love it, something I can't do with those genres aimed at adult audiences. They usually just get too weird for me. I also appreciate that while there is some romance and sex may be hinted at, it isn't graphic and there is much more to the story line than physical attraction and who likes whom. Also, fantasy aimed at adults doesn't have the same charm and mystery as that written for a younger audience. I read the first book in the Deborah Harkness series,  A Discovery of Witches hoping that it would be an adult Harry Potter, but it wasn't even very interesting to me. So I can totally relate to adult patrons who prefer genres aimed at a younger audience. Also, I noticed when reading fan sites about Harry Potter while waiting for the next books in the series, that many of the younger readers did not "get" the stories in the same way as adults did. If these children re-read the stories as they grow older they will find deep riches that they weren't aware of the first time around.

I don't have a personal stake in graphic novels as I don't read them, but I feel the same way about the issue here. If adults want to read comic books or graphic novels (and many do!) they should be promoted in the adult areas of the library as well as the teen areas. How are you going to reach anyone at all and turn them into a regular patron if you don't meet them where they are and connect with them in supporting their enjoyment of books THEY like, not what you think they should like? Who would want to use a library where they didn't feel comfortable checking out what they want to, or that didn't carry titles that appeal to them?

Young Adult Annotation: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Published: 2015

400 pages

Setting: Fictional future world of Norta, in what used to be part of the United States

In Mare Barrow's world you are either a member of the ordinary, lower class Reds, those with red blood who have no chance of control over their own lives, or Silver, an elite class with silver blood and supernatural abilities which gives them power over the Reds. Mare is born a Red. She bleeds red blood and her only chance to help her family survive is her skill as a thief,  However, Mare is not your ordinary Red. After she is chosen to serve at the palace at the ceremony for choosing a new queen, an accident reveals that she has the power to control electricity and lightning. Her new-found ability gains her admittance to not only the Silver world, but a place as a future princess by betrothal to the younger son, as well as great deal of danger. Not every one is as they seem, and Mare is caught between her new "family", whom she isn't sure are entirely trustworthy,  and her loyalty to the Red revolution, who are counting on her to be the strongest chance they have of finally overthrowing Silver oppression.

Elements of Young Adult books:
Fast-paced- Mare moves quickly from thief in the village, to servant in the castle, to newly "discovered" Princess with previously unknown powers.

Likeable Young Characters- Mare and the other characters are all teenage, and very likeable. There is sympathy with them even though you are not sure who is good and who is evil.

Issues- The characters face tough issues of leadership and  pretending to be someone other than you are for the protection of loved ones, as well as the usual teen love stuff.

Read-Alikes:
The Young Elites by Marie Lu

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Personal critique: This was a great book! The story holds together very well, and you are kept guessing until the end as to which side is good and which side is bad. The elements of dystopia were mixed well with the elements of fantasy to produce a highly enjoyable story. I can't wait to read the next one, Glass Sword!

Prompt: Nonfiction Matrix

Title: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Author: John Berendt

Published: Jan. 13, 1994

Pages: 388

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?
      Highly narrative

2. What is the subject of the book? 
     The book depicts the author's discovery of what life is like in Savannah, Georgia and the trials of Savannah antiques dealer Jim Williams as he is tried for murder.

3. What type of book is it?
     Nonfiction: History (cataloged under History but also could be considered True Crime)

4. Articulate appeal
     What is the pacing?     a quick read with leisurely pacing
     Describe the characters of the book. Quirky, eccentric, and individualistic
     How does the story feel?  funny, gritty, and grim
     What is the intent of the author? To share his personal experiences in discovering life in Savannah and the interesting characters he meets there.
     What is the focus of the story?  One of the people the author meets in Savannah is arrested for murder. The story covers the subsequent trials and details of the crime as well as depicting the many eccentric people living in the city.
     Does language matter? Yes, the elegant, lyrical language is an interesting juxtaposition to the grittiness of the story.
      Is the setting important and well-described? Yes, the setting is important and well-described. The reader can feel like he is actually there.
     Are there details, and if so, of what? There are many details pertaining to the city, the characters, and the crime. Life in the city of Savannah is made very real.
     Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? None.
     Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? Yes, it clearly relates the author's experience of the city of Savannah and its residents.
5. Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)?
     1. Detail
     2. Language
     3. Learning/experiencing

Western Annotation: Dreams to Dust: A Tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush

Author: Sheldon Russell

Published:2006

296 pages

Setting: Oklahoma Territory. 1889

The future is up for grabs when the Oklahoma territory is opened up for settlement in April 1889. Creed McReynolds, a half-breed Kiowa, returns from the east where he went to law school, to become a lumber baron in the building boom following the settlement of Guthrie Station, first capitol city of Oklahoma. The lives of others intertwine and collide with Creed's on the dusty plains: businessmen, con-men, freedmen, and orphans, all trying to make a new life in a new land that is sometimes harsh and unforgiving, but always bursting with opportunity.

Elements of Westerns:

Strong sense of place: The story is very descriptive of what it feels like to live on the southern plains. The reader feels present in the hot, humid, wind-swept landscape with its odd combination of being barren and unforgiving, yet teeming with life, albeit life you may not want to meet.

Violent: There is a bit of violence in the telling of events in the story. Characters often instigate and are the victims of lawlessness in a newly settled territory where the law is sometimes a little behind but gets its justice in the end.

 

Lone Hero: The lone hero in this tale is Deputy Buck Reed, a freedman who uses a bit of ingenuity to tame the lawlessness of the Territory, and overcome prejudice of those he seeks to help and those he brings to justice ("I ain't never seed a colored deputy before"). He always gets his man, in the end.

Read-Alikes

The mercy seat by Rilla Askew

No man's land by William W. Johnstone

The lawman by Lyle Brandt

Personal Critique

I was surprised that I really enjoyed this book! The pacing was slower than I expected, but not enough to make me bored. The western-ness of it was not like traditional Westerns, which have no appeal to me at all. This book is a good example of the new type of Western that crosses over with Historical Fiction. It was definitely a Western, but the place and time were explicitly part of the story, and there was accurate depiction of historic details and events even though the characters are fictional. Sheldon Russell also has a mystery series that I want to try as well, but I am not against reading another one of his westerns.

Prompt: Ebooks and Audiobooks

I have only recently (in the past year) begun using ebooks and audiobooks, so my experience is limited. I started listening to audiobooks in my car as an attempt to get more reading done. However, the audiobook is best suited to a different kind of mind, one that is not always thinking very deeply on several topics at once. I will listen well at first, then get distracted by what is going on inside my head (usually prompted by what I just heard) then "wake up" sometime later, wondering where the character with the Scottish accent came from, and what is going on. So I am going to try to stick with books in the car that I have already read so that I know what is going on when this happens to me. At least it's a nice change from radio and my limited music collection.

My husband, on the other hand, is much more of an auditory person than I am. He drives a lot for his job, so it is a challenge for me to keep him in audiobooks. The only complaint I've had so far is if the book is too short. One of my patrons is a local truck driver, and he stocks up on everything from popular bestsellers to YA dystopia. I think he's even tried a vampire fantasy or two. Other patrons have occasionally mentioned that the reader can make or break an audiobook, but mostly our audiobook patrons seem to just want something to listen to while they perform mundane tasks. Length and genre seem to play a bigger role than audio appeal, but then I've never taken any type of survey of them, just what information I've collected from random observation.

Ebooks, for me, do not have the same appeal as an actual book, be it hardback or paperback, but then the old-timers probably said the same thing when the codex started replacing the scroll. I'm sure there are multiple factors that affect others' enjoyment and preference for or against ebooks that have not entered my realm of thinking yet. Personally, I like holding a real book in my hands. I like the pages, the book jackets, the sound of pages turning, and the ability to easily turn back and forth to reread certain parts, check facts and plot, and easily find my place again. All of these factors are in the background and do not interfere with my enjoyment of a story. At first, I did not enjoy the experience of reading an ebook. I was not able to get lost in the story because I was too conscious of the unfamiliarity of the format. Now, the format doesn't bother me as much. What I don't like is the procedures you have to go through if you want to see how far you've come, and especially if you want to go back and re-read a previous area, then find your place again. As far as patrons go we hardly ever see one who is an ebook reader. People with questions about their readers usually get referred to the reference desk, and patrons who check out print books who are ebook readers as well never say anything about needing help finding ebooks, so I have no experience with helping patrons with this type of need yet. I wonder if the appeal of ebooks for some is the same as using the self check-out instead of coming to the circ desk: you don't have to talk to anyone to get what you need.

Book Club Report

          I attended the February meeting of the monthly book club that meets every first Monday at my library. It consists of mostly women and a couple of men, in their 60-70s. This club meets at our library, usually in the meeting room but on this day in the magazine area (which has comfortable seating) because they were doing taxes in the meeting room. Refreshments were served. This month there were five women and one man attending. I was the only new person. A sixth lady came when there were only 15 minutes to go. She thought it started at 12:00 not 11:00 and she was 15 minutes early!

          The book for this month was Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James. Although I had read this book and I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan I took a back seat approach, choosing to mostly observe.  Everyone knew I was a circ clerk in library school and attending as an observer. I only spoke once or twice, to help clarify some characters and their relationships when the members were wondering who the characters were and couldn't remember who was whose sister or wife. One lady did most of the talking, but there were 4 others who also talked  about equally. One lady never said anything until the end, but she listened carefully throughout. It was a very civilized meeting. There were differing opinions sometimes but everyone listened respectfully to each other and disagreed politely. Cheryl, one of our assistant librarians, is the moderator. Cheryl did an awesome job as moderator, especially considering she had never read Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen isn't really her thing. She did watch the movie (the one with Keira Knightly) and had trouble even getting through that. She did a great job, participating in the discussion some but letting others talk first.

          The questions were edited from LitLovers online book club website. Everyone had a copy of the discussion questions. Most of them had jotted down their observations and opinions while reading the book. Some of the questions assumed a knowledge of Pride and Prejudice. A few people had read that novel, but for most it had been quite a while. One lady (not the over-talky one) seemed to have particular insight into both Death Comes to Pemberley and Jane Austen's works in general, not just Pride and Prejudice. The discussion took the form of going down the list of questions (14 in all) and covering each one until it had been exhausted. A few questions were skipped because the discussion had pretty much covered them in previous questions. Some of the questions got so in-depth that Cheryl had to move things along and remind others of the time. The questions seemed to be equally divided among questions pertaining to the mystery at hand, and questions pertaining to the characters and how they were like the original characters from Pride and Prejudice. My favorite questions involved the Wickhams.

Question: Why is Lydia Wickham never questioned about what happened in the carriage between her husband and Captain Denny?

Consensus: Because she is a dingbat.

Question: What do you think the future holds for Wickham and Lydia?

This one had more varying opinions. Several of the members seemed to think that Wickham would make a huge success of life in America, that it was just his class assignment holding him back in England. They saw him being a successful horse-breeder in the South, and that Lydia would fit in wonderfully as a dingy Southern-belle.The insightful lady had opinions more along the lines of Cheryl and me ( we didn't share these with the group):

Cheryl: Once a player, always a player.

Me: He's gonna get shot by someone's husband.

          I really enjoyed the book club's discussion. This club reads a variety of fiction. Recently they have discussed The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion and Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. I would love to attend regularly if I could!

Special Topic Synopsis: The Development of the Mystery Genre

For my special topic paper I chose to explore the development of crime fiction, for two reasons:
1. It is my very favorite genre ever.
2. I am also taking History of Libraries this semester, so history is sort of on my brain.

          People have been interested in crime and the fate of criminals for millenia. But it was with the advent of the detective in the 1800s that focus in novels that were about crime began to switch from the viewpoint and fate of the criminal to the person who solved the crimes and caught the criminal. Edgar Allan Poe wrote what is considered the first mystery story in 1841, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", and Wilkie Collins followed with the first mystery novel, The Moonstone, in 1868. The most famous detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes, was introduced in 1887 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in A Study in Scarlet.
          The Golden Age of crime fiction was considered to be the 1920s and 1930s. There were four authors considered to be the "Queen" of the Golden Age: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, and Margery Allingham. These ladies wrote elegant and "cozy" books featuring one central detective, a few repeat characters, settings in the British countryside, London, or exotic locales, and poison or small daggers of exquisite design as the murder weapon. There was little or no gore, and the mystery was considered a "locked room" puzzle, meaning it was seemingly impossible to commit and/or solve. Many authors of the times went out of print immediately after publication, but the Publishing Division of The British Library has recently begun reissuing many novels and stories from the time period from their archives. (Yippee!! Thank you British Library!)
          Another subgenre of Mystery fiction which originated at about the same time as the Golden Age is the hard-boiled detective novel. Set between two world wars amid severe economic hardship, this type of story featured cynical detectives hardened by much exposure to violence, a gritty tone, and a pervading aura of hopelessness and meaninglessness. Authors such as Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and Eric Stanley Gardner wrote some of the most important books of this type and created such iconic literary and film characters as Sam Spade, Phillip Marlowe and Nick and Nora Charles.
          Today, there is a vast number of possibilities in the Mystery genre. They can be most simply grouped into "professional detective" and "amateur detective". Hard-boiled professional detective series include authors like:
          Harlan Coben- Mickey Bolitar series
          Sue Grafton- Kinsey Milhone series
          Michael Connelly - Harry Bosch series

For a less violent approach there are:
          Colin Dexter - Inspector Morse series
          M.C Beaton - Hamish MacBeth series

On the amateur detective side the suggestions could be nearly endless:
          Donna Andrews- Meg Langlow series
          Veronica Heley- Ellie Quick series
          Lilian Jackson Braun- The Cat Who series
          Charles Finch- Charles Lenox series
          Rhys Bowen- Royal Spyness series
          Alan Bradley- Flavia de Luce series
Mystery is thought to be the most popular genre, especially with librarians. Good thing there are so many titles to explore! My personal reading list will take me til I'm approximately 273 to get through!

Prompt: Fake Memoirs

My reading tastes and interests do not follow the majority of people. Anything endorsed by Oprah is to me a sign to avoid it usually. So I had never heard of the controversy surrounding "A Million Lies". I had never even heard of the book or author. But by the description of it in The Smoking Gun's article, I find it hard to believe that people read it and actually thought it really was non fiction. It sounds completely implausible  that one person could live such a horrible life and live to tell about it. I don't blame the author completely for being untruthful. He did write it as fiction, and his publisher decided to sell it as non fiction. He just cooperated with the falsehood.  Like the article said, probably many books sold as non fiction have been fabricated to one degree or another. But, at what degree of falsehood is it considered a travesty? The thing that struck me was they didn't even put a disclaimer of  "some names have been changed". I guess they knew pretty much the whole thing was false so why even bother!

As a librarian, it's good to know what it going on in the book world. But if a patron wanted to get into a discussion with me about this book or any controversy, I think it is important to not get too personal about what I think, even if they are agreeing with my point of view. It's not easy to do always, but I try to listen and be honest without coming across as judgmental or condemning of another point of view. And if we have the same opinion it's still a good idea to maintain an air of professionalism. I've seen colleagues get too close and personal with patrons and have it come back to bite them.  I also try to remember my job is to help people find what they are looking for, not criticize them for reading something I find utterly unappealing or even ridiculous. I don't have to read "Fifty Shades of Grey". I just have to help them find it and smile when they squeal with delight.

On a happier note, the controversy surrounding the Harry Potter series when it came out is why I started the books in the first place. As a teacher and a new mother, I got the first one just to see what the fuss was about and to have an opinion if a parent ever asked me what I thought. I read the first one in two days and went the very next day to buy Chamber and Azkaban, and pre-ordered Goblet. I never had a parent ask me if they thought it was OK for their child to read Harry Potter, but I have always been glad I picked up that first volume!

Mystery Annotation: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Author: Alexander McCall Smith

Published: 1998

256 pages

Setting: Botswana, Africa

Precious Ramotswe is Botswana's best (and only) lady detective. She serves the people of her hometown and solves their puzzles, uncovers con-men, and locates missing children, all while sipping red bush tea and enjoying the simple things in life. She has seen her share of heartache and happiness, and is at peace with life as it has turned out. But is running Botswana's finest female detective agency enough to satisfy, or will life offer more?

Elements of (cozy) Mystery Books:

Amateur Detective (usually female): Mma Ramotswe investigates, but solve crimes more by intuition and knowledge of human nature.

Body is offstage: There are no explicit descriptions of any of the crimes, even though one suspected crime would be truly grisly if it were described.

Strong sense of place: The story relies more on the sense of being in Africa, rather than descriptions of procedures or clue-finding.


Read-alikes:

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra byVaseem Khan

Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill

Personal critique: As much as I enjoyed this book, I don't know that it would be my first suggestion for a reader looking for a mystery series, even a cozy series, unless they were also a great gentle reads fan. It is rather heavy on the cozy but light on the mystery. It also doesn't follow the conventional mystery blueprint: body, clues, another body, more clues and surprising revelation. There isn't really any murder or clue-finding in it. But something about it is very enjoyable, nonetheless, even by a serious Agatha Christie devotee.

Prompt Response: Promoting Romance

Romance is so popular that it really doesn't need promotion, at least at my library. But it is something that lends itself well to a few ideas. I was thinking of a take on the classic blind-date-with-a-book, sort of a cross between that and Garanimals. You could have a display showing a series of cards with read-likes and words giving a clue to the elements in the book (like historical, contemporary, intricate plot, Ireland, paranormal, racy, etc), which each contain a symbol that would match up with paper-wrapped Romance books, which would have that symbol on them too if they are a good "match" for the clues and books listed on the card. Readers could search for a book they have read and want a read-alike for, or just factors that appeal to them, and have a little fun playing a game finding their next Romance read. It could be tied in with a Valentine's day drawing, also. If you enjoyed the book you read, or weren't that crazy about it, write a brief review for other readers and be entered in a drawing for dinner for two at a local restaurant. Reviews (with permission) could make up another display after the first is finished.

Integrated Advisory would be great to do with Romance. There are so many movies in this genre that having a monthly movie night featuring new and classic romance films would be fun for many people. Even those who don't really read romance could definitely have an interest in seeing An Affair to Remember, or Breakfast at Tiffany's, or Austenland, or The Time-Traveler's Wife. Information about the movie, the book (if it was based on a book), and a list of books, audio books, other movies, and music that the library offers could be given out at each showing, as well as information regarding the many Romance and other book clubs the library system offers.

Gentle Read Annotation: Miss Buncle's Book

Author: D.E.Stevenson

Published: 1934

304 pages

Setting: fictional English village of Silverstream

Times are hard and Barbara Buncle is getting desperate to increase her dwindling bank account. She turns her hand to writing, and publishes a novel depicting her home village with each villager portrayed true to life, warts and all. Luckily she publishes under an assumed name, as indignation at seeing themselves portrayed in such a manner causes some in the village to vow revenge. Miss Buncle is surprised that she even got published, let alone that the book is a smash hit. But when events in life start to imitate the events in her book, it really turns her little world upside down, and she will never be the same again.

Elements of a Gentle Read:

Tone: Upbeat and unpretentious. Reflects traditional values with no shocking surprises.

Pace: Pacing is gentle and leisurely.

Setting: Set in a small village, and characters pursue many daily, domestic pursuits such as gardening, baking, and shopping.

Story line: Story centers around relationships between characters with no explicit sex, violence or language.

Read-alikes:

Miss Julia Lays Down the Law by Ann B. Ross

Wed and Buried  by Toni L.P. Kelner

Bridesmaids Revisited by Dorothy Cannell

Thrush Green by Miss Read

Personal critique: I really enjoyed this book! It really is a comforting, warm, gentle read that draws the reader into village life and gives a sense of peace and well-being. Personally, I liked the fact that it is not set in contemporary times but I think it would appeal to anyone who desires a book that allows the reader a glimpse into the domestic concerns of a small town and its inhabitants. I am a big fan of the Miss Read books and this is the closest thing I have found to her books yet.

Kirkus-Style Review: Leave it to Psmith

The last book in the Psmith series takes the inimitable and unflappable Psmith to Blandings Castle in pursuit of a profession which will enable Psmith to continue his leisurely and impeccable journey through life, with as little to do with fish as possible.

            Psmith (the P is silent, as in pshrimp) is down on his luck and has tried his hand at an uncle’s fish business, which is definitely a no-go. By placing an ad in the papers for “Any job you need doing, CRIME NOT OBJECTED TO” he soon attracts the attention of Freddie, son of Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle. Freddie has just been commissioned by his uncle to steal his aunt’s necklace, thus providing Freddie and uncle with cash needed for the wooing of Eve Halliday (by Freddie) and to set up Uncle’s step-daughter Phyllis’s husband Mike in business which will support Phyllis in the manner which she deserves. Since Mike is a good friend of Psmith and he has no other plans for the day, Psmith agrees to go to Blandings and steal the necklace for Freddie. However, a mix-up occurs in London with a very near-sighted Lord Emworth and a poet named Ralston McTodd, which results in Psmith going to Blandings in the guise of the poet McTodd as a guest of the castle. Soon the lovely Eve arrives (whom Psmith became enamored of in London and who believes Psmith to be McTodd, husband of her friend Cynthia who has just run off and left his wife in a poet’s rage). A crook named Cootes, also posing as McTodd and attempting to steal the necklace soon arrives on the scene as well. The necklace does get stolen and hidden in a flowerpot, and the events which transpire to recover the necklace, uncover the thief, win the heart of Eve and have everyone live happily ever after (with the possible exception of Lord Emsworth’s suspicious secretary Baxter, whom his employer believes is mad because he cannot resist the urge to throw flowerpots) are hilarious in true Wodehousian form.

Another delightful tome by P.G. Wodehouse, Leave it to Psmith takes the reader into the world of the eccentric British upper-class in the pre-WWII era, providing many intertwining plot twists and hysterical side-trips which all get resolved in the end, as no one but Wodehouse can do.

Week Five Prompt

The Billionaire's First Christmas does not seem like Romantic Suspense to me. The tone is described as "light and cozy", not uneasy. The heroine does not seem to be in danger, unless the Santa-hating guy turns out to be a serial killer. The hero does seem to have a little of the "villain or hero?" mystery about him, but a guy named Winters, who heads Winter, Inc. but hates Christmas because of childhood trauma seems more like the plot to a Tim Allen comedy than a modern gothic thriller to me, so I'm voting Romance, not Romantic Suspense.  Cozy Romantic Suspense, perhaps?

The two reviews were reliable if you were just thinking for yourself about reading the book, but not if you are a collection librarian considering it for purchase. They lacked the professionalism and finesse one likes to see to get a better grasp as to whether the ebook would be a good purchase for a library.  I think that the longer ebooks are around and the more they are read, the more ebook-only titles will be reviewed. But right now I guess it would be a problem for collection developers in deciding which ebook-only titles to purchase. I think it is definitely a problem for this particular ebook, since the genre doesn't even seem to be clear. But wouldn't vendors have a thing where they give you so many ebook-only titles with your purchase of X other titles? Sounds like a good business deal, anyway.


The reviews of Angela's Ashes would make me definitely want to purchase it for my library's collection. It's the kind of book that is good to have multiple copies of when it first starts circulating, then after the first popularity dies down to keep several copies in the system because it will continue to be checked out and probably even studied in classes or book clubs.

I don't think it's fair that some types of books never get reviewed, while others are reviewed to death. It may have an impact on collection development if you have the type of collection developer that concentrates on what a colleague and I call the sheep list ( NY Times bestsellers), but if you have a savvy collection librarian, or different ones for different genres in a larger system, hopefully they would have a good feel for what the reading public of their specialty likes and would have cultivated sources to assist their buying decisions. I don't have a problem with negative reviews, but I can see how it wold have an impact on purchasing decisions one way or the other.

I have never been much of a book review reader for choosing my own reading material. Maybe because movie critics and I almost never agree, so I don't even try with book reviewers? I usually rely on a book's synopsis, on Amazon, Goodreads or similar places, or on the inside of the cover. However, I am starting to get into reading reviews more often with an objective view in mind: increasing my skills at RA and getting a better feel for those genres that I don't read for personal pleasure so that I can be informed in making suggestions for patrons. I enjoy Kirkus and Booklist reviews, particularly. Also I like them short and snappy. Too long and it does feel like you might as well have read the book.

Secret Shopper Assignment

For this assignment I visited the tiny library in the small town where my sons attend school. I had never been inside before, even though I drive by it every day, and I have been curious to see what it was like inside and if they actually had anything to read. Upon entering it was immediately apparent that it was a library for readers, but not if your tastes were too out of the mainstream. There were many books on display, a few Young Adult but mainly recently published bestsellers.

I was greeted by a friendly librarian who asked if she could help me find something. I told her I was looking for something to read. She asked if there was anything specific I was looking for, and I said, "Not really", which seemed to stump her. So I volunteered that I loved the Miss Read series, both Thrush Green and Fairacre, hoping to find a Gentle Read for my next annotation. She asked if they were mysteries, romance, etc. I told her that they weren't really those, just books about life in an English village. She then turned to the computer and started searching. I couldn't see what website she was searching, but she found the author and read me a description with a few appeal terms, so I thought we were getting there. Unfortunately, the library is so small the author read-a-likes she tried were not in the library. She then tried what looked to me like Amazon from the sideways view I had of the screen. As she was looking this time the conversation finally started rolling. She started recommending authors to me that I had either read and liked, or others that were on my to-read list, and we also began discussing mysteries. However, she seemed to miss the fact that the series I mentioned were set in England, and although one of the subsequent series she mentioned is also set in England I don't think she made the connection. I ended up checking out a couple of books I had already read (and liked) because I had to get to school and pick up the boys and I couldn't be there forever.

If she had asked me more questions at the beginning of the conversation I think she might have been able to be even more accurate in her search, but she was hampered by the lack of conversation and the fact that the library was so small. Also, she never offered me ILL, which led me to believe it wasn't available.

So, overall it was a good experience and a bad one. Good that she did manage to come up with some things of interest to me, and bad that they were nothing I had not already found on my own. Given the size of the library I really didn't expect much more, so I was pleased to see that the inside of the library was mostly dedicated to fiction. I also felt that I experienced some of the correct things to do in Reader's Advisory, but maybe not in that particular way.

Week Three Prompt- Novelist

1. The next book in the series is The Lunatic Cafe.

2. I would suggest Margaret Atwood, The Heart Goes Last. It has a similar writing style with a complex character and an intensifying pace.

3. You may enjoy The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery, or possibly Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. These are historical novels set in Japan.

4. Well-Schooled in Murder is actually number 3 in the Thomas Lynley mystery series. You might want to start with the first one, A Great Deliverance. Or another series that is similar is the Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny. The first one is titled Still Life.

5. For zombie apocalypse fans I would suggest reading Black Out by Mira Grant, or The Dead Run by Adam Mansbach next. The Zombie Autopsies by Steven C. Schlozman may interest him as well.

I picked all of these books using Novelist Plus. Some of them I felt I could have done better and quicker using Fantastic Fiction, or Amazon. Both of these sites, along with Good Reads, are how I pick most things for myself and my family. I like the suggestions given by Amazon and the lists on Good Reads. I use Fantastic Fiction mainly for quickly finding the next book in a series or another book by the same author. I like using Novelist for questions involving similar appeal terms, however. It is much quicker and more accurate for those types of questions than browsing reviews on Amazon (which may or may not be written by a sane person).

Thriller Annotation: American Assassin

Author: Vince Flynn
# 1 in Mitch Rapp series
published 10/12/2010
448 pages
Setting: Virginia, Europe, Middle East

A talented college athlete, Mitch Rapp is recruited to become one of a group of new secret operatives trained to meet the rise of Islamic terrorism on their home turf. After losing his girlfriend in the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack, Mitch wants retribution. Six months of training leaves him more than qualified to seek his justice with brutal force. From America to Europe and across the middle-east to Beirut this action-packed, fast-paced story tells how it all began.

Elements of Thrillers:
Fast-pacing- The action starts on page one and keeps going.

Plot Driven- There is some character development but the main focus is the action.

Political Focus- The theme is fighting terrorism on the enemy's doorstep.

Gritty Details- Physical training, hand to hand combat and torture are all described in detail.

Danger/Violence- There is a high-body count in the story, and Mitch faces danger on numerous occasions.

Read-Alikes:
The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy
Foreign Influence by Brad Thor
The Bell Ringers by Henry Porter

Reading Profile

I’ve been a huge book lover all my life. Well-worn copies of my favorites as a child have a special place in my home library and they always will. As an adult, most of my reading favorites are mysteries. I guess you would call them classic British-type mysteries, not too psycho-thriller with blood and guts, but not cupcake-themed either. Favorite authors include Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Colin Dexter, G. M. Malliet and Veronica Heley. Why mysteries, particularly British ones? I enjoy trying to figure out the murderer, but it’s also the place and the setting that I love. I enjoy visiting the village, greeting old characters and meeting new ones and seeing how they fit into the context of the setting. I like to follow a series and see how things change and develop, particularly over several books. I also love C.S. Lewis, P.G. Wodehouse, Miss Read and Jane Austen, and I am a big Harry Potter fan. It occurs to me that the only author I have listed here that is not British has set her books in an English village. So I guess there is no need to explain what an anglophile I am. My bookshelves will speak to that!
However, as I look around me, my bookshelves also contain a great deal of YA dystopia and children’s fantasy/science fiction. Some series I enjoy are The Hunger Games, Dorothy Must Die, Cinder, The Red Queen, The Maze Runner, and Divergent (except the last one, Allegiant, which was a sad excuse for a conclusion to an otherwise good series). I don’t make lists anymore of what I plan on reading this month or this year, as they either get changed completely, or I am too ambitious and wear myself out just thinking about it, but here are some titles I look forward to reading in the (near-ish) future:
1. I Am Number Four I was waiting for this series to finish before I began it, but after announcing the end they have decided to continue the series. I am tired of waiting.
2. Winter So far this series has been excellent and I have heard the final novel is wonderful.
3. Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death This was a great series on PBS based on the books by James Runcie. More England, vicars and bodies.
4. Hogwarts, A History This book has not been written yet, but when it is I hope it is 12 volumes.