Wednesday, May 29, 2013
WEEK 6: BUILDING BASE KNOWLEDGE (GENRES) Part 2
Assignment 2
PREZI--Amazing amount of information. Little tricky to maneuver at first but gets very easy quickly. Descriptions of genres and subgenres are pretty clear. Would really like a copy of all the information it provides.
Assignment 3
Subgenres
Have to admit it was very difficult to find specific fan sites. Goodreads does have groups for all the subgenres I was interested in. Other interesting sites: bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com (Genre Book Clubs and Idea Boards), NYPL.org/blog, bookviewcafe.com. Have a feeling that Facebook would provide more sites.
COZY MYSTERIES--Lighthearted, set in a small town. Individual or small group solves a crime/puzzle through personal observation. Violence is off screen.
Goodreads group has 3413 members. Shows a really wide range of authors. Readers usually like series-once they become comfortable with the main character/setting they just want it to continue.
cozychicksblog.com. Online home of 12 mystery authors--like Leann Sweaney and Maggie Sefton. They post regularly about their writing, latest releases and everyday lives. They want their readers to think of them as friends.
Other sites: Bookblogs.ning.com/group/cozymysteries. Pinterest.com/wpfarmgirl/cozy-mystery-authors.
Some authors: Nancy Atherton (Aunt Dimity Mystery Series), M.C. Beaton (Agatha Raisin Mystery Series) and Rhys Bowen (Constable Evans Mystery Series and Molly Murphy Mystery Series).
RELIGIOUS/CLEAN ROMANCE-- Heart matters more than libido. Marriage or a steady relationship is typically the climatic finale for the two lovebirds.
By accident came across the Amazon customer discussion Romance forum. There is a sub group for religious romance. There are lots of people on the forum. Of course people are looking for what we usually think of as "typical" religious romance but also others who are looking for something a little more real and maybe in their words "descriptive".
Some authors: Janette Oke, Francine Rivers, Lori Wick, and Tracie Peterson.
TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION-- Characters visit the past or future and may encounter paradoxes, alternate timelines, and other logical conundrums.
In various discussions on the Web two different types of Time Travel Novels are apparent: those who use time travel as a narrative device that puts the characters in different settings and those in which time travel mechanics is the most important element. Because of this difference you will have a wide range of readers.
Authors/Titles:
Time Line -- Michael Crichton
Time and Again -- Jack Finney
Corridors of Time and Time Patrol--Poul Anderson
Outlander series--Diana Gabaldon
Crossover titles:
Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins. Historical Fiction (17th century London) and Mystery (actually fits most descriptors of Cozy mystery).
Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Mixes Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy/Science Fiction-time travel.
WEEK 6: BUILDING BASE KNOWLEDGE (GENRES) Assignment 1
STOP YOU'RE KILLING ME
Because we have so many mystery readers in White Marsh and because I don't read mysteries it was really important for me to find a good recommendation site. This site is absolutely everything you need to know about mysteries in one place-covers 4100 authors and 46,000 titles.
One of the most useful features is the listing of series in chronological order. Will use this lots. The many indexes like location, job, and diversity will help with identifying a title that a customer can not remember. Tried out the genre index and found that there is a sub-heading for young adults. This will be very useful when finding a title for Mystery assignment for middle school and beginning high school.
Read-alikes has 18 different categories. Author read-alikes still a work in progress.
Really glad I was introduced to this--will use it a great deal. In fact have already used it twice with customers.
Monday, May 20, 2013
WEEK 5: BUILDING BASE KNOWLEDGE (Part II)
Had originally chosen GoodReads as the source to monitor but I have already described in the Week 4 assignment entry what I explored and enjoyed on that site.
Exploring Early Word has really been fun. It contains an amazing amount of information--a real treasure trove. I discovered so much including:
Display ideas
Chats with authors
Movie/TV show tie ins with books
Book Club Ideas
Reviews from TV/Radio/Magazines--all in one place.
Every time I look at it I find something interesting that I missed before. Because it is so enjoyable I will definitely visit the site often and recommend it to other readers. Have signed up for the newsletter.
White Marsh has a diverse group of readers. Many mainstream readers but the genres that are popular are quite diverse. Will be beneficial to have good sources to keep informed.
Assignment 3--Coming Soon:
English Girl by Daniel Silva to be published July 16, 2013.
A beautiful young British woman vanishes on the island of Corsica, the British Prime Minister's career is threatened with destruction and recently retired Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is enlisted to enter the high stakes story.
Latest book in best-selling spy thriller series featuring Gabriel Allon. All the books in the series have made the NYT Best Seller List. Series is rapid paced, contemporary international intrique. Fascinating complex main character who is both an art restorer and a spy. Should appeal to current readers of this series and also those who enjoy John LeCarre, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Alex Berenson.
Huge number of people on GoodReads (400 +) are looking forward to reading it. BCPL has a very large hold list (more than 200).
Had originally chosen GoodReads as the source to monitor but I have already described in the Week 4 assignment entry what I explored and enjoyed on that site.
Exploring Early Word has really been fun. It contains an amazing amount of information--a real treasure trove. I discovered so much including:
Display ideas
Chats with authors
Movie/TV show tie ins with books
Book Club Ideas
Reviews from TV/Radio/Magazines--all in one place.
Every time I look at it I find something interesting that I missed before. Because it is so enjoyable I will definitely visit the site often and recommend it to other readers. Have signed up for the newsletter.
White Marsh has a diverse group of readers. Many mainstream readers but the genres that are popular are quite diverse. Will be beneficial to have good sources to keep informed.
Assignment 3--Coming Soon:
English Girl by Daniel Silva to be published July 16, 2013.
A beautiful young British woman vanishes on the island of Corsica, the British Prime Minister's career is threatened with destruction and recently retired Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is enlisted to enter the high stakes story.
Latest book in best-selling spy thriller series featuring Gabriel Allon. All the books in the series have made the NYT Best Seller List. Series is rapid paced, contemporary international intrique. Fascinating complex main character who is both an art restorer and a spy. Should appeal to current readers of this series and also those who enjoy John LeCarre, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Alex Berenson.
Huge number of people on GoodReads (400 +) are looking forward to reading it. BCPL has a very large hold list (more than 200).
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Week 4: Building Base Knowledge (GoodReads)
I discovered that the recommendations for me got stronger every time I added more titles. I enjoy the member reviews but honestly probably would not take the time to polish my own thoughts to submit a written review. Since I have kept for years a written journal of books I have read I will probably rate books on GoodReads but keep the detailed journal for more personal insights. GoodReads will be a quick source to refresh my memory on a title. Most of the features were easy to use. Adding Friends was pretty simple once I got started and I also discovered some non-library friends on GoodReads so that was fun. Creating shelves can really help you organize info if you rate lots of titles. Really can have a number of columns in your title database if you are willing to input more data.
In the Explore section I found two titles I want to read in the Movers/Shakers feature and enjoyed the Author Interview Section. I am always tempted by Trivia/Quizzes so that was fun--"Famous First Lines" sucked me right in.
Listopia provides an endless supply of possible titles to read. Always interesting to see lists like "Best Books of the 20th Century".
Recommendation to GoodReads friend was send to Julie B because she enjoys clever, humorous children's books and one of her favorites is Olivia . This made me think of Betty Bunny.
Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael Kaplan.
Betty Bunny is definitely a kindred spirit to Olivia. She is imaginative and energetic. Her mother calls her a "handful". Despite her reluctance to try something new, Betty finds that she actually adores Chocolate Cake. That's when the fun starts. The lively illustrations help to capture Betty's exuberance and her sassy siblings bring a realistic touch to her loving family. Great read-aloud book to share with one child or a whole class. Humor for all ages plus a silly surprise ending. Pretty sure it will make you smile!
I discovered that the recommendations for me got stronger every time I added more titles. I enjoy the member reviews but honestly probably would not take the time to polish my own thoughts to submit a written review. Since I have kept for years a written journal of books I have read I will probably rate books on GoodReads but keep the detailed journal for more personal insights. GoodReads will be a quick source to refresh my memory on a title. Most of the features were easy to use. Adding Friends was pretty simple once I got started and I also discovered some non-library friends on GoodReads so that was fun. Creating shelves can really help you organize info if you rate lots of titles. Really can have a number of columns in your title database if you are willing to input more data.
In the Explore section I found two titles I want to read in the Movers/Shakers feature and enjoyed the Author Interview Section. I am always tempted by Trivia/Quizzes so that was fun--"Famous First Lines" sucked me right in.
Listopia provides an endless supply of possible titles to read. Always interesting to see lists like "Best Books of the 20th Century".
Recommendation to GoodReads friend was send to Julie B because she enjoys clever, humorous children's books and one of her favorites is Olivia . This made me think of Betty Bunny.
Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael Kaplan.
Betty Bunny is definitely a kindred spirit to Olivia. She is imaginative and energetic. Her mother calls her a "handful". Despite her reluctance to try something new, Betty finds that she actually adores Chocolate Cake. That's when the fun starts. The lively illustrations help to capture Betty's exuberance and her sassy siblings bring a realistic touch to her loving family. Great read-aloud book to share with one child or a whole class. Humor for all ages plus a silly surprise ending. Pretty sure it will make you smile!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Week: 3
Article on RA Conversation: Most interesting suggestion in article--when possible showcase lots of facets of entire collection--maybe non-fiction, audio books or DVD's.
Nancy Pearl: Her book reviews are short-about a minute or slightly longer. Minimal plot summary-just enough to give you a very basic sense of plot. She uses multiple appeal factors: pace, tone, character development, language and a personal reason why she likes the book. Because Nancy is an amazing advisor she can give those personal insights--not always possible for most librarians especially in a genre that is not your favorite but it can really sell a book if you can do this.
Recommendations:
Conversation 1:
No Reservations by Alice Steinbach. Pulitzer Prize winning writer, divorced, empty nester, on a 6 month leave from the Baltimore Sun travels to Europe to find her sense of self. Upbeat but sometimes bittersweet. More memoir than travelogue. Unexpected romance. Cozy and relaxing--didn't want it to end. Has lots of discussion possibilities for a Book Club. Has a sequel: Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman.
Conversation 2:
I would suggest the fast paced series by Laurell Hamilton featuring U.S. Marshall/vampire hunter Anita Blake. Multiple lovers--no teenage angst.
Conversation 3:
Mapmaker's Wife: by Robert Whitaker. Mapmaking, science, late 1700's politics and finally the true and remarkable adventure of a wife who after 20 years of separation starts a trek through the Amazon to find her scientist husband.
Article on RA Conversation: Most interesting suggestion in article--when possible showcase lots of facets of entire collection--maybe non-fiction, audio books or DVD's.
Nancy Pearl: Her book reviews are short-about a minute or slightly longer. Minimal plot summary-just enough to give you a very basic sense of plot. She uses multiple appeal factors: pace, tone, character development, language and a personal reason why she likes the book. Because Nancy is an amazing advisor she can give those personal insights--not always possible for most librarians especially in a genre that is not your favorite but it can really sell a book if you can do this.
Recommendations:
Conversation 1:
No Reservations by Alice Steinbach. Pulitzer Prize winning writer, divorced, empty nester, on a 6 month leave from the Baltimore Sun travels to Europe to find her sense of self. Upbeat but sometimes bittersweet. More memoir than travelogue. Unexpected romance. Cozy and relaxing--didn't want it to end. Has lots of discussion possibilities for a Book Club. Has a sequel: Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman.
Conversation 2:
I would suggest the fast paced series by Laurell Hamilton featuring U.S. Marshall/vampire hunter Anita Blake. Multiple lovers--no teenage angst.
Conversation 3:
Mapmaker's Wife: by Robert Whitaker. Mapmaking, science, late 1700's politics and finally the true and remarkable adventure of a wife who after 20 years of separation starts a trek through the Amazon to find her scientist husband.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
WEEK 2 : APPEAL FACTORS
Books I have enjoyed:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.
Pharmacologist Marina Singh is sent on a mission to the deep Amazon jungle to unravel the mystery of one colleague's death and locate the brilliant, reclusive, rogue scientist Annick Swenson who may have discovered a miracle drug. Master storyteller Ann Patchett uses her fluid, atmospheric prose to create a page turning adventure. Reader is immersed not only in the exotic primitive Amazon environment but also the complicated conflicted world of science vs. business. Strong complex characters. Beautifully developed plot with a surprise ending. Great for Book Clubs.
Note: Also loved Patchett's earlier work Bel Canto.
Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
Tale of 3 sisters: Rosalind, Bianca and Cordelia. All were named after Shakespeare characters by their Shakespeare quoting college professor father. They suddenly find themselves living in the old family home in the middle of a small Ohio college town caring for their cancer stricken mother. The sisters are wonderfully different personalities who are really searching for new better chapters of life. They have to learn to love themselves first and then each other which is not easy. Shakespeare quotes provide fun dialogue even if you aren't a Shakespeare fan. Humor and realism are blended to create a warm enjoyable story of family especially sisterhood. Excellent debut novel.
Books I have enjoyed:
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.
Pharmacologist Marina Singh is sent on a mission to the deep Amazon jungle to unravel the mystery of one colleague's death and locate the brilliant, reclusive, rogue scientist Annick Swenson who may have discovered a miracle drug. Master storyteller Ann Patchett uses her fluid, atmospheric prose to create a page turning adventure. Reader is immersed not only in the exotic primitive Amazon environment but also the complicated conflicted world of science vs. business. Strong complex characters. Beautifully developed plot with a surprise ending. Great for Book Clubs.
Note: Also loved Patchett's earlier work Bel Canto.
Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
Tale of 3 sisters: Rosalind, Bianca and Cordelia. All were named after Shakespeare characters by their Shakespeare quoting college professor father. They suddenly find themselves living in the old family home in the middle of a small Ohio college town caring for their cancer stricken mother. The sisters are wonderfully different personalities who are really searching for new better chapters of life. They have to learn to love themselves first and then each other which is not easy. Shakespeare quotes provide fun dialogue even if you aren't a Shakespeare fan. Humor and realism are blended to create a warm enjoyable story of family especially sisterhood. Excellent debut novel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)