Week 9: Assignment 3

I've enjoyed working on Be More Bookish.  I'm excited that I learned how to blog and had my own blog for this assignment. It was fun to set up and design and learn how to post.

I feel like this training taught me a lot of different avenues to look at for learning about books.  Although my head can not possibly keep track of all of the titles that I have read about, I do feel like I have some new sources to go to.  I also signed up for a couple more newsletters featuring new books coming out.  Having them come right to my inbox helps me to keep on top of what is new.

I've become more familiar with some of the things in Good Reads that I had not explored before.  This site offers a lot of ideas for new reading material. Previously I had just used the site as a log for my reading, but now I view it as a place to learn more about other books and see what my friends are reading.

This was fun!   Thanks for the ride.

Week 9: Assignment 2

I like book trailers.  So far I've watched them for a lot of books I have already read.  It is neat to see a visual with something I've read and imagined in my head already to see if I'm close.

I kind of agree with the Chicago Tribune article about reading a book relies on our imaginations.  If you see a visual before reading the book, I sometimes think it takes some of the imagination out of it.

For a generation that has been bombarded by visual stimulation, I think younger readers will really like book trailers.  I think after watching a book trailer they might be interested in reading a book.  A book trailer is very similar to a commerical in that it needs to hook you and at the end wanting more - in this case the more is to go get a copy of the book and read it to find out what happens.

Do they work?  I don't know.  It seems like such a new marketing device and since reading covers a lot of generations, I think it may appeal to some and not appeal to others.  Just as marketing has different designs for different audiences, I think that book trailers have an audience that they appeal to.  Time will tell if it sells books.

I'd like to try and pull some up sometime for a reluctant reader.  Perhaps the iPad could be useful for this.  If I could get a child who is reluctant to read, to watch a book trailer for a book they may like, it might help me "sell" the book.

Week 9: Assignment 1

I just finished reading the Chicago Tribune and New York Times articles.  I watched all of the book trailers in the NYT article.  I like book trailers best when I can tell they are talking about a book.  Some of them were so far off track, that I didn't realize they were for a book.  I really enjoyed Kelly Corrigan's book trailer for Middle Place. 

Recently I came across a book trailer for Carl Hiaasen's Bad Monkey. It was very simple, had some sound effects, some graphics and a cover of the book - very clean, fun and I knew what the book trailer was for.  If by the end of the trailer you can't remember why you are watching the trailer or what it is for, you've just waisted my time.

Other book trailers I watched were:
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Room by Emma Donoghue
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Chomp by Carl Hiaasen
The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda by Tom Angelberger
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Week 8: Assignment 4

Chosen By a Horse by Susan Richards  636.1 R

Chosen By a Horse is a beautifully written story about a women who is hurting after loosing her mother at a very early age, was raised by uncaring relatives, married, suffered a divorce and has issue with alchol.  Lay Me Down, a horse rescued by the SPCA has been abused, underfed, has pneumonia and an eye infection.  Despite everything Lay Me Down has been through, she managed to teach Susan how to love despite a painful past.

This non-fiction memoir is written like a fiction book full of relationship issues, overcoming abuse and learning to live life to the fullest despite a painful past.  It takes place in New York.

My First Ladies by Nancy Clarke

Nancy Clarke worked as the head floral designer for the White House during six administrations. Her memoir reveals what it was like to work with each first lady, their personal styles and tastes and what it takes to put together a social event at the White House. Full of fun stories about each first lady, the reader gets a behind the scenes look at how the flowers are arranged for White House functions, how holiday decorations came together and how each first lady had very specific tastes in flowers.  Personal stories such as when Mrs. Regan found out she had breast cancer, throwing fake snow with the Bushes, preparing flowers for Jenna Bush's wedding, the bold, fun colors of Mrs. Clinton's social events and escaping to an underground bunker during the 911 White House evacuation.

For anyone who likes political fiction, this makes a fun read.  It's all real, but has the light humor of a fiction.

Week 8: Assignments 1-3

Assignment 1
I have read the following articles:

Borderlands: Crossing between Nonfiction in Readers’ Advisory

Reading Nonfiction for Pleasure: What Motivates Readers?

When I'm helping a customer find a good read, and they say they are looking for a good fiction, I will sometimes ask them if they'd be interested in reading a non-fiction.  If they are open to it, I will often recommend a non-fiction that reads like a fiction book. These are the ones I am mainly familiar with.

Assignment 2
I have watched the Readers' Advisory with Non-Fiction video. The information in the video seems like a repeat of information I received in a Genre Bootcamp.

Assignemnt 3

970  General history of North America
 Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

  My First Ladies by Nancy Clarke

978 General history of North America, western states

  A Buffalo in the House by Richard Dean Rosen

636 Animal Husbandry

  Chosen by A Horse by Susan Richards

  Dogtown by Bob Somerville

   A Small Furry Prayer  by Steven Kotler

940 General history of Europe

  The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Week 7: Assignment 4

Harper Teen
Fantasy, especially alternative worlds and dystopian life is big over at Harper Teen.  So is anything girly-girl such as: Pretty Little Liars, The Carrie Diaries or Lauren Conrad books.  It looks like Harper Teen is definitely aiming at a female audience.

Random House
Over at Random House, Angels look big this coming year. This is a series called Fallen that is coming out. This publisher seems to target a male and female audience.  Their books tend to be more about adventure, action and science fiction. There also seem to be a couple of historical fiction books for girls - lots of focus on the 1920's.

Week 7: Assignment 3

I've looked at 2 of the YA blogs so far and they are a bit overwhelming.  First I looked at Stacked.  The entries on this blog are really looonnnnnggg.  I wish I had as much time as this blogger did.  A review for one book meant a lot of scrolling.  If you can't sum up the book in about 2 small paragraphs, then you are loosing me.  Thus, this blog lost me.

The second blog I looked at was Forever Young Adult. This blog covers books and movies and apparently has ads for male enhancement things (didn't think they needed that at that age, but I digress...).  This one is more concise, so concise in fact that you need a slang dictionary to understand what the person is saying.  I think the writer forgot this was a blog and not a text message.  Did you know there is a Hunger Games drinking game?  Anyway, I might come back to this blog.

Next I read School Library Journal.  I read SLJ now in my in-box, so I'm familiar with the style, layout and how the book discussions are laid out. I feel more at home on this blog, so I will be using this as one for my assignment.

The last blog I looked at was Squeetus - the marketing medium for Shannon Hale.  I just watched a video for the new series Ever After High that is coming out in the fall.  A co-worker walked by while I was watching the video and asked if I was watching My Little Pony.  I think this series - which covers the kids of famous fairy tale characters, is a cute idea, but not for teens.  A 8-10 age audience may be more appropriate.  My crystal ball sees Mattel making a line of dolls and fashion clothes for them.  Then a pre pre-teen line of make-up and jewelry.

I think for this assignment I'll stick with SLJ and Forever Young Adult.

Week 7: Assignment 2

I just finished reading the Dec. 14, 2012 article from Publisher's Weekly called  New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak Or Valued Subgenre?

I've been hearing a lot about this new genre of books called New Adult. It seems like it is meant to capture that college age group.  What I can't figure out is for years there have been people in the age range of 18-20 somethings.  Not many of us have skipped over that age range.  So why now, is there a push for books for this age?  Are what has been thought of as "adult books" too old for this crowd?  Or is the 18-20 somethings not ready for books that deal with real adult situations?  Or perhaps this is another way for book publishers to create a new genre, thus generating new capital, which given the hit they have probably taken with e-books, maybe they need this new genre.  I'm still pondering this new genre.

Onward...

I just finished reading YA Comes of Age from Publisher's Weekly, Oct. 3, 2011.  It is interesting to read an article that is a year and a half old and see how far YA books have come.  Yes, there is a ton of distopian literature out there.  Their predictions are true.  It also seems like angels are still big as is the end of the world (even thought we got past Dec. 2012).  The predictions in the article say that YA novels are big with adults and that certainly is the case.  I liked how it also stated that we are loosing some of the teens to Stephen King and Danielle Steele.  Danielle Steele - really?  I have never had a teen ask me for a Danielle Steele book.

I commented on Mary K'as blog:

Hi Mary Kay
I questioned the adding of "New Adult" on my own blog. Have people not been in the age range of 18-20's for the last millenium?  Did people just skip over these couple of years?  Why is it all of a sudden there is a need for this new genre? Are people in this age range having trouble becoming adults so they have to read "new adult" books before they can jump into "real adult" themed books?  I don't have any answers, but I don't think we need another genre catering to the teen population.

Week 7: Assignment 1

Well, I must say that the flow chart on the Lawrence Public Library's website is a little overwhelming.  My brain is on overload.  Yes, it is a great tool, but I must admit that I don't get asked much for read-a-likes for these types of books.  I just finished reading Divergent, by the way.

Week 6: Assignment 3

I must say, this assignment has taken a lot longer than I've been give scheduled time for.  So for the final one, I thought I would go with a more popular sub-genre - Chick Lit.  Right off the bat, I found a blog called Chick Lit is Not Dead.  I must say this is a fun, light blog - unlike the last couple that I have looked at.

Chick-Lit is all about women's relationships.  Sometimes the stories are heartwarming and somethings they are heart wrenching.  One book that was blogged about on Chick Lit is Not Dead is Primetime Princess. It takes place in the world of broadcasting.  It is witty, centers around women and their relationships and has some humor.

This sub-genre reminds me a little of the Beach Read genre (which had some books featured today on Early Word).  But I have a certain idea of a Beach Read. The book featured on Early Word was Shining Girls.  In reading the sysnopsis it is a lot heavier than the lighter Chic-Lit genre.  It is full of suspense and it written from mutiple perspectives.  Good Reads also talks about A Hundred Summers.  That to me is the iconic Beach Read, with it's strong sense of place and the historical perspective.

Week 6: Assignment 3

I thought I would pick an easier sub-genre in the hopes that there might be a blog or two dedicated to this area of literature.  So I chose Medical thrillers.

Immediately I found one, but it was an ad for a medical thriller.. sneaky, sneaky!

I'm happy to say I found ScienceThrillers.com and it does cover Medical thrillers.  Woo Hoo!
This blog contained reviews for several books coming out. Some of the titles include:The  Proteus Cure by F. Paul Wilson, Red Contract by Peter Wilben and In the Matter of Nikola Tesla: A Romance of the Mind by Anthony Flacco.

A close sub-genre to Medical thriller seems to be Science Thrillers.  Medical Thrillers contain medical and science writing, are issue related and usually take place in some sort of medical facility.  It seems also like some sort of medical professional is a main character in a Medical Thriller.  These thrillers - both Medical and Science seem to have fast pacing and are plot driven.  An author that seems to have crossed over is Michael Crichton.  His books seem to be both Science and Medical thrillers.