Week Five - Building Base Knowledge 2.0

Assignment One -

I’ve enjoyed checking in on Salon.com more frequently. It is a site not just for books, so there are on average three posts daily in the book section. But these are often interesting and go past just a simple review which can be found in many places. Posts range from forthcoming titles, to analysis of classics, to interviews with authors. One of my favorite posts outlined how cats may rule the internet, but dogs rule in literature. I’ve also looked at tor.com which has been enlightening as far as science fiction. This is a site which also goes beyond books, but many of the non-book related posts are interesting too. I will definitely look at this one going forward.

Assignment Two -

Early Word is something I look at on a daily basis and find it helpful, especially with regard to forthcoming titles. It is a site which also emphasizes movie tie-ins which are usually always popular. The kids/teen section is less robust, but there is some information to be gleaned. There are weekly posts outlining the hot titles coming that week in both adult and kids. It is also a great place for links to some other great sites and does a good job compiling “best  of” lists at the end of the year.  Having all of that information in one place makes it easier to check on popularity at BCPL and whether additional copies are needed. The only negative I have with the site is the “most libraries” references in some posts. Without an understanding of what libraries, how many, what size, etc., this kind of generality is really not helpful.

Assignment Three -

I went to the Barnes & Noble coming soon page, which is helpful since it’s broken down by week. The title which caught my eye was Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman. It is described as southern fiction about family, loss, and love.  The title is expected to be popular in large part based on the success of the author’s debut novel – Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. It is also expected to appeal to a wide variety of readers, including fans of Adriana Trigiana, Joshilyn Jackson, and Fannie Flagg. This is also a good candidate for future book clubs.

Week Four - Goodreads

I had joined Goodreads a while ago, but never really used it at all. I added titles and created shelfs and received several recommendations. I think the recommendations were good choices based on the titles I rated. One thing to note is that I only added titles which I liked (3 stars or better). It would be interesting to see how or if Goodreads use the information from the titles which readers disliked. Does this weigh into their recommendations? I also only rated adult books so far, so I will be curious to see what types of recommendations are generated when I add kids and or teen titles.

There is a lot more to Goodreads than simply journaling books read or to be read. The Explore feature offers monthly movers and shakers. This is valuable information that keeps us updated on what people are reading or talking about reading. It also offers new release shelves highlighting new titles in a variety of genres. This is similar to Amazon, but if your reading history is on Goodreads, it’s easier to just go to one site. Listopia was a bit overwhelming. I like the idea of voting, and the wide range of lists, but it just seemed like it could get a little out of hand.

I recommended Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross to Cayce. This is a new teen historical fiction set at the end of the nineteenth century in Paris. I think Cayce will appreciate the romance, historical setting, and adventure since she really liked the Flappers series, another teen historical series focusing on young women.

Week 3 - Recommendation Time

The first customer seems interested in literary stories with an emphasis on story and character – particularly strong women. This customer seems to read both fiction and nonfiction, so I would maybe offer one of each, especially since she’s looking for titles for a book club. I would recommend Life After Life by Atkinson because its literary fiction with a strong central female character. The plot twists should also appeal to this customer’s interest in story. I would also suggest Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History Making Race Around the World by Goodman. This historical narrative nonfiction should appeal to this reader because of the global settings, interesting story, and strong female characters. Both of these titles would be good choices for book clubs as they each have multiple discussion points.

The second reader seems put off by the Twilight series either because the main characters are teen or because of the romantic elements, or both. I would recommend the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter. While there is a romantic thread to the series, it is dark fantasy and Jane is a strong, tough, vampire hunter. Book seven was just published this spring.

The third reader likes quick moving, true stories. While the reader referenced something historical, I don’t think the time period is as important as the pacing. I would recommend The President is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth by Algeo. This is the true and little-known story of Cleveland’s disappearance for five days in the summer of 1893 when he had surgery on a ship to remove cancer from his palate and jaw. This quick, thrilling read also documents what happened when the story was made public.

A Couple of Annotations

India Black and the Shadows of Anarchy by Carol Carr

The third installment of a historical mystery series sees the return of India Black, full-time madam and sometimes secret agent. The setting of Victorian England and the fast-paced action are critical, but it is the fabulously funny, inventive, and audacious India herself who will draw readers to this series.

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Actress Lauren Graham delivers a delightful debut novel featuring Franny Banks and her strong supporting cast of friends and family. Franny, her roommates, and love interest are all intrinsic to this funny, fast-moving, year in the life of an actress struggling to make it in New York City in 1995.

Week One - Ten More to Go!

Assignment One was frustrating for me because my memory failed me. I knew the books, but couldn’t think of titles. It may have had something to do with coming back from a long vacation and my brain was still catching up! Although, that is definitely not the cover of The Catcher in the Rye that I remember.

Assignments 2 and 3 went much more smoothly. It is fun to realize that you can really judge a book by its cover – at least in most cases. The Golden Rules reinforced much of what we know, but I did like the idea of “inviting the reader back.” I think it’s cool to for librarians to think of themselves as personal shoppers and create relationships with their customers.

I chose to check in on Salon.com and Tor.com. I chose Salon because I have always appreciated things I’ve read from that site, but don’t check it regularly. I chose Tor because of my appalling lack of knowledge of all things science fiction. I’m hoping this will help understand the genre and the multitude of sub-genres.