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.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Monday, March 7, 2016
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 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!
Friday, March 4, 2016
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!
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!
Saturday, February 27, 2016
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!
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!
Monday, February 22, 2016
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.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
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.
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.
Monday, February 15, 2016
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)