Friday, September 25, 2015
Week 9 Assignment 3
I have always been a life-long lover of all things literary so I was excited to just on the Be More Bookish wagon. My biggest take-away from this are focusing on appeal factors. My goal is to commit these factors to memory so I can just launch into them when I am working with customers. The most frequent question I ask is "What was the last book you read and what did you like about it?" More often than not, customers will say they liked the fast-pace or historical setting. Another aspect was introducing typical fiction readers to narrative nonfiction. The first guinea pig I am using is me! I always HATED nonfiction, but I have found a love in narrative-nonfiction. I with have to remember narrative nonfiction in the future when I recommend book. I think I will feel more comfortable after I read a few myself. Overall, this program has been exceptionally helpful and I liked putting my thoughts into blog...as long as I can be my friendly, sarcastic self. :-)
Week 9 Assignment 2
When it comes to book trailers, I tend to cringe because, like both authors mentioned in the articles, THEY ARE HORRIBLE! A trailer should be like a book talk, you give the audience just enough to grab their attention to actually read the book. I feel like most trailers scare people away. The only exception I would say is James Patterson. I like his trailers because he does a great job at selling his books and his trailers look like they could be the trailers for actual movies/television shows.
When it comes to marketing, a well-known author like James Patterson doesn't need to do much. He could have a commercial that says, "I'm James Patterson. My new book is __________. It will be released on _____________." And he will be on the NYT Bestseller's List. For authors that are not as well known...I understand that Marketing departments don't want to take a chance at doing a huge trailer for a book that may bomb, but COME ON! I'd rather they put that money towards book tours than cheesy book trailers.
Personally, I have never, and may never use a book trailer for readers' advisory for a couple reasons. One, I don't have the time to go hunting for a book trailer across the Internet. They are so hard to find and the customer would have already walked away by the time I locate it...if one even exists. Two, if the book is something I have already read, and/or I am familiar with the appeal factors of the book, I find it easier just to do an on-the-spot book talk. At the end of the day, I say majority of the book trailers are horrible and are not worth the time to watch and if it is a NYT best-selling author, their name alone is enough to ensure books will be sold. Trailers are not needed.
When it comes to marketing, a well-known author like James Patterson doesn't need to do much. He could have a commercial that says, "I'm James Patterson. My new book is __________. It will be released on _____________." And he will be on the NYT Bestseller's List. For authors that are not as well known...I understand that Marketing departments don't want to take a chance at doing a huge trailer for a book that may bomb, but COME ON! I'd rather they put that money towards book tours than cheesy book trailers.
Personally, I have never, and may never use a book trailer for readers' advisory for a couple reasons. One, I don't have the time to go hunting for a book trailer across the Internet. They are so hard to find and the customer would have already walked away by the time I locate it...if one even exists. Two, if the book is something I have already read, and/or I am familiar with the appeal factors of the book, I find it easier just to do an on-the-spot book talk. At the end of the day, I say majority of the book trailers are horrible and are not worth the time to watch and if it is a NYT best-selling author, their name alone is enough to ensure books will be sold. Trailers are not needed.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Week 8 Assignment 4
Run, Don't Walk by Adele Levine
Run, Don't Walk is a memoir written by Adele Levine that chronicles her six years working at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She and her associates worked with amputee soldiers and helped them adjust to their "new lives" missing one or more limbs. The first idea is that this must be very depressing and sad, but against all odds, Levine has turned something so depressing as loss of limbs and mental illness, to something with a sort of dark humor and triumph that people who are into those sort of books might enjoy. She introduces us to many characters, how the staff interacts with them while preparing them for life outside Walter Reed, and the funny quirks and pranks that are done to keep the spirits of the soldiers uplifted. I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading books about overcoming adversity or even those who are interested in soldiers because they will see a part of the military that is ignored because it is often deemed "depressing". This book might also be a good starting point for those who like to read medical fiction because it gives them a first-hand look at not only the physical work that needs to go into rehabilitating soldiers, but also the mental and emotional work that goes into getting them prepared to return to civilian life.
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
When people talk about cancer, they tend to think of the person being diagnosed, having to go through treatment, and their cancer either goes into remission or they unfortunately succumbs to the disease. What isn't thought about are the after-effects of cancers. What are the physical, mental, and emotional affects that a person must endure. In the narrative non-fiction book Autobiography of a Face, Lucy Grealy takes us on her journey as a nine-year-old girl being diagnosed with Ewing's Carcoma, a deadly cancer, and having to have a portion of her right jaw removed. Grealy speaks about having to return to school disfigured and dealing with rejection from her peers because she no longer looks like everyone else. The reader sees into the life of Grealy as she attempts to seek perfection even though she looks nothing like anyone else. I would recommend this to those who enjoy books about overcoming adversity because through wit and charm, Grealy is able to find that she has to find happiness in herself.
Run, Don't Walk is a memoir written by Adele Levine that chronicles her six years working at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She and her associates worked with amputee soldiers and helped them adjust to their "new lives" missing one or more limbs. The first idea is that this must be very depressing and sad, but against all odds, Levine has turned something so depressing as loss of limbs and mental illness, to something with a sort of dark humor and triumph that people who are into those sort of books might enjoy. She introduces us to many characters, how the staff interacts with them while preparing them for life outside Walter Reed, and the funny quirks and pranks that are done to keep the spirits of the soldiers uplifted. I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading books about overcoming adversity or even those who are interested in soldiers because they will see a part of the military that is ignored because it is often deemed "depressing". This book might also be a good starting point for those who like to read medical fiction because it gives them a first-hand look at not only the physical work that needs to go into rehabilitating soldiers, but also the mental and emotional work that goes into getting them prepared to return to civilian life.
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
When people talk about cancer, they tend to think of the person being diagnosed, having to go through treatment, and their cancer either goes into remission or they unfortunately succumbs to the disease. What isn't thought about are the after-effects of cancers. What are the physical, mental, and emotional affects that a person must endure. In the narrative non-fiction book Autobiography of a Face, Lucy Grealy takes us on her journey as a nine-year-old girl being diagnosed with Ewing's Carcoma, a deadly cancer, and having to have a portion of her right jaw removed. Grealy speaks about having to return to school disfigured and dealing with rejection from her peers because she no longer looks like everyone else. The reader sees into the life of Grealy as she attempts to seek perfection even though she looks nothing like anyone else. I would recommend this to those who enjoy books about overcoming adversity because through wit and charm, Grealy is able to find that she has to find happiness in herself.
Week 8 Assignment 3
Memoirs
Mostly found in Biographies, but there were a few in the 300s, 600s, and 700s.
Run, Don't Walk by Adele Levine
Crime
Mostly found in the 300s, but there were a few in the 600s and 900s.
Secrets Can Be Murder by Jane Velez-Mitchell
Overcoming Adversity
Mostly found in Biographies, but there were a few in the 300s.
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
Sports
Mostly found in the 700s, but there were a few in Biographies.
Afternoons with Mr. Hogan by Jody Vasquez
I find it interesting that there is a lot of crossover between Memoirs, Overcoming Adversity, and Sports. Even though I did not mention the title hear, OJ Brigance's book Strength of a Champion is filed in the 700s because he talks about his sports career, but he also speaks about his life growing up and learning to live with Lou Gehrig's disease. While the books is filed in the 700s, I felt this book could go in Biographies because of how in depth he talks about his life. I would recommend his book to someone who likes to read football fiction, but I would also recommend this book who enjoys uplifting fiction. The possibilities are endless!
Mostly found in Biographies, but there were a few in the 300s, 600s, and 700s.
Run, Don't Walk by Adele Levine
Crime
Mostly found in the 300s, but there were a few in the 600s and 900s.
Secrets Can Be Murder by Jane Velez-Mitchell
Overcoming Adversity
Mostly found in Biographies, but there were a few in the 300s.
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
Sports
Mostly found in the 700s, but there were a few in Biographies.
Afternoons with Mr. Hogan by Jody Vasquez
I find it interesting that there is a lot of crossover between Memoirs, Overcoming Adversity, and Sports. Even though I did not mention the title hear, OJ Brigance's book Strength of a Champion is filed in the 700s because he talks about his sports career, but he also speaks about his life growing up and learning to live with Lou Gehrig's disease. While the books is filed in the 700s, I felt this book could go in Biographies because of how in depth he talks about his life. I would recommend his book to someone who likes to read football fiction, but I would also recommend this book who enjoys uplifting fiction. The possibilities are endless!
Week 7 Assignment 3
I had ideas of what is trending in teen fiction because I have the inside scoop. A bookworm 15-year-old teenage daughter who tells me what is "cool". So I decided to write down what I thought was popular in the Teen World, talk to her, and then look on the websites provided to see how accurate I was. I believed Series, Social Issues, (Relationships/Friendship, Dating, Sex, etc.), Dystopias, and LGBT. It seems, according to my know-it-all daughter, that seemed like a reasonable deduction. I'll admit, when I looked at HarperTeen and Little Brown Books for Teen, I was close, but there were a few surprises.
HarperTeen introduced me to several books that discussed social issues such as dating, friendship, coping with loss, and other typical teenage anguishes that we have all went through at some point in our teenage journey. Some of the books featured where The Lies about Truth by Courtney Stevens and 17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen. What surprised me where books that were upcoming based on fairy tales. It appears authors are pulling from classics and creating modern twists; such as Mirrored by Alex Flinn which is a modernized version of Snow White and Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas which is portrayed as the "real" story behind Cinderella.
Little Brown Books for Teens was very similar to HarperTeen. Books focuses on high school, dating, and overall relationships seem to be the continuing trend in the world of teen fiction. Books like Kissing Ten Callahan (and Other Guys) by Amy Spalding seem to take a comedic spin on the trials and tribulation of being a teenage, but then you have Those Girls by Lauren Saft would talk about how friends can smile in your face and then stab you in the back. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black continues on with a blend of LGBT and fantasy. Overall, I feel that teen trends remain pretty consistent until there is a sudden peak in something that ventures from the norm.
HarperTeen introduced me to several books that discussed social issues such as dating, friendship, coping with loss, and other typical teenage anguishes that we have all went through at some point in our teenage journey. Some of the books featured where The Lies about Truth by Courtney Stevens and 17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen. What surprised me where books that were upcoming based on fairy tales. It appears authors are pulling from classics and creating modern twists; such as Mirrored by Alex Flinn which is a modernized version of Snow White and Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas which is portrayed as the "real" story behind Cinderella.
Little Brown Books for Teens was very similar to HarperTeen. Books focuses on high school, dating, and overall relationships seem to be the continuing trend in the world of teen fiction. Books like Kissing Ten Callahan (and Other Guys) by Amy Spalding seem to take a comedic spin on the trials and tribulation of being a teenage, but then you have Those Girls by Lauren Saft would talk about how friends can smile in your face and then stab you in the back. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black continues on with a blend of LGBT and fantasy. Overall, I feel that teen trends remain pretty consistent until there is a sudden peak in something that ventures from the norm.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Week 7 Assignment 3
John Green Books website was very minimalistic and basic...a little too basic in my opinion for most teens to truly appreciate. The other issue is that the website hadn't been updated since June 8, 2015. While I don't think this website sees much traffic, the YouTube channel named vlogbrothers is very popular. John and his brother Hank do video blogging at least once a week and they have more than 2.6 million subscribers. With millions of subscribers, I consider that EXTREMELY successful. The purpose of their blog is to let everyone know that being a nerd is cool and they promote it to EVERYONE. Who is this blog for? Anyone who can encompass and appreciate nerd-ism. If a customer is looking for a list of books Mr. Green has written, John Green Books is a good place to visit. Outside of the books he has written and a brief bio, there really isn't much to the website.
Teenreads has A LOT going on; however, I appreciate just about any website that gives reading lists...MULTIPLE READING LISTS! Yeah! The page also allows its users to sign up for newsletters. Of course, I had to sign up for the KidsRead, TeensRead, and both Librarian newsletters. What type of bookworm would I be if I didn't?! Visitors will appreciate the author interviews from just about every popular, and not-so-popular teen author out there.
With a name like Teenreads, it is automatically assumed it is intended for the young adult audience; however, I would show this website to anyone who enjoys reading teen novels. Teenreads is a subsidiary of Book Reporter in which they have several websites for various age groups. What I find most appealing is that teens are able to participate by taking polls, giving book recommendations, etc. This is awesome because teens will listen and respect another teen's opinion over that of an adult.
Teenreads has A LOT going on; however, I appreciate just about any website that gives reading lists...MULTIPLE READING LISTS! Yeah! The page also allows its users to sign up for newsletters. Of course, I had to sign up for the KidsRead, TeensRead, and both Librarian newsletters. What type of bookworm would I be if I didn't?! Visitors will appreciate the author interviews from just about every popular, and not-so-popular teen author out there.
With a name like Teenreads, it is automatically assumed it is intended for the young adult audience; however, I would show this website to anyone who enjoys reading teen novels. Teenreads is a subsidiary of Book Reporter in which they have several websites for various age groups. What I find most appealing is that teens are able to participate by taking polls, giving book recommendations, etc. This is awesome because teens will listen and respect another teen's opinion over that of an adult.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Week 7 Assignment 2
A Not-So-Young Audience for Young Adult Books from The New York Times and
Not Just for Teens from Library Journal
After reading both articles, I found myself agreeing with both authors. I have always had an interest in young adult books, but when my oldest daughter started reading them more heavily, I found myself going to HER for recommendations. (She gets a kick out of this.) I wasn't surprised in the peak of YA e-reader materials. Why? I have encountered adults who seem shy or nervous about asking for the YA best seller. I could never understand why, but I think it is the stigma of being caught in public reading a YA book when you are over 19. I disagree with Ms. Graham's comment about people should feel embarrassed if they are reading books written for children. I think it's poppycock! (Granted I will read Pete the Cat in public and not blink an eye, so I might not be the best to look at in this regard.) I, like many librarians, have stacks of books that I "must read" but I don't care if its YA, Children, or Adult. A good book is a good book, regardless of what age group it is classified for. Yes, some would argue that I am a librarian and I am supposed to read books of all genre, age groups, etc. Let me tell you something...there are times I can relate to a YA book much more than an adult book. Plus, this gives me another opportunity to relate to my fifteen year old daughter. (If you can have discussions with a teenager and they LIKE it, that do it!) Overall, neither article really shocked me in the information they provide, just reiterated what I already knew and believed.
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