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!
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
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.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Week 6 Assignment 3
Occult Horror
Stephen King
Neil Gaiman
Anne Rice
The setting for Occult Horrors seems to almost always be someplace spooky, haunted, or someone crooked in that location and their spirit has yet to "crossover". I believe this is a genre that is frequently turned into movies (IE The Exocist) and gain cult-like fame. There is usually enough information to give you grisly, vivid details on how the individual died. Overall, these books are not for the faint of heart.
Comic Fantasy
Terry Prachett
Christopher Moore
Douglas Adam
Just like any other Fantasy setting, the reader is transported to a mystical, imaginative land with dragons and unicorns. Needless to say, none of these lands or creatures exist. The difference is that these novels are satires to other more serious Fantasy Book. The best way to describe them? Think of the Scary Movie franchise by the Waynes Brothers. Another example? Shrek. While these are typically found in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section, they seem to be shorter in length as compared to other Fantasy books. Best recommended to those who don't take Fantasy too seriously.
Religious/Clean Romance
Beverly Lewis
Jenny B. Jones
Cindy Woodsmall
Every librarian has dealt with that one customer (or maybe many) that wants a good, clean romance to read. To be honest, I didn't think they existed. Clean/Religious romances are similar to Christian fiction books...nothing graphic, no cursing, and everyone is fully clothed on the front cover. The overall setup of the plot is no different then any other Romance novel you read...minus the sex and half naked people on the cover...
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Classified as Sci-Fi/Fantasy but can also fall under Horror and Mystery
Let's be real...if multiple people go to visit this beautiful, tranquil area and then you and your entire group either kill each other or die from cancer. Why are all these people dying? What is going on in Area X? No offense, that is some scary stuff right there, along with trying to figure out what secret government staff is taking place. (It HAS to be the government! Isn't it always?!) I haven't read this novel yet, BUT it has been added to my list. It is a part of a trilogy, so I am confident all will be answered by the end.
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
Classified as Paranormal Romance but can also fall under Occult
Charley Davidson is a part-time Private Eye and full time Grim Reaper...that's right, she sees dead people. Particularly dead people who have died under less than ideal circumstances, IE murder. On top of her having random dead people pop up all over the place, including her apartment, she has had an entity following her around since she was born. She assumed it was a ghost, but is now realizing it is something much darker and more dangerous. Needless to say, more information cannot be given because it gives the story away, but this comedic paranormal romance take a much darker turn, still with bits of humor, the more you read into the series.
Stephen King
Neil Gaiman
Anne Rice
The setting for Occult Horrors seems to almost always be someplace spooky, haunted, or someone crooked in that location and their spirit has yet to "crossover". I believe this is a genre that is frequently turned into movies (IE The Exocist) and gain cult-like fame. There is usually enough information to give you grisly, vivid details on how the individual died. Overall, these books are not for the faint of heart.
Comic Fantasy
Terry Prachett
Christopher Moore
Douglas Adam
Just like any other Fantasy setting, the reader is transported to a mystical, imaginative land with dragons and unicorns. Needless to say, none of these lands or creatures exist. The difference is that these novels are satires to other more serious Fantasy Book. The best way to describe them? Think of the Scary Movie franchise by the Waynes Brothers. Another example? Shrek. While these are typically found in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section, they seem to be shorter in length as compared to other Fantasy books. Best recommended to those who don't take Fantasy too seriously.
Religious/Clean Romance
Beverly Lewis
Jenny B. Jones
Cindy Woodsmall
Every librarian has dealt with that one customer (or maybe many) that wants a good, clean romance to read. To be honest, I didn't think they existed. Clean/Religious romances are similar to Christian fiction books...nothing graphic, no cursing, and everyone is fully clothed on the front cover. The overall setup of the plot is no different then any other Romance novel you read...minus the sex and half naked people on the cover...
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Classified as Sci-Fi/Fantasy but can also fall under Horror and Mystery
Let's be real...if multiple people go to visit this beautiful, tranquil area and then you and your entire group either kill each other or die from cancer. Why are all these people dying? What is going on in Area X? No offense, that is some scary stuff right there, along with trying to figure out what secret government staff is taking place. (It HAS to be the government! Isn't it always?!) I haven't read this novel yet, BUT it has been added to my list. It is a part of a trilogy, so I am confident all will be answered by the end.
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
Classified as Paranormal Romance but can also fall under Occult
Charley Davidson is a part-time Private Eye and full time Grim Reaper...that's right, she sees dead people. Particularly dead people who have died under less than ideal circumstances, IE murder. On top of her having random dead people pop up all over the place, including her apartment, she has had an entity following her around since she was born. She assumed it was a ghost, but is now realizing it is something much darker and more dangerous. Needless to say, more information cannot be given because it gives the story away, but this comedic paranormal romance take a much darker turn, still with bits of humor, the more you read into the series.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Week 6 Assignment 2
Yes, this will be a repeat of what people have already posted. I thought it was thorough and well put together; however, I hated having to constantly scroll in and out of the page to be able to read everything. I also would have preferred to have a physical paper version for easier reference.
If there was one portion I did not like, it was the Christian Urban Fiction. Urban Fiction has received a bad rap because of horrible grammar, everyone from the four year old to the great, great grandmother dropping the F bomb, lack of punctuation, and repeated story lines. Yes, I will admit that some of this is true. (I have read A LOT of Urban Fiction. So much in fact, some of the stories start to fuse together because they are so similar.) But I have never heard of Christian Urban Fiction. I have never combined those two genres into one. I guess it isn't necessarily a BAD thing, but I have had customers complain when Christian Book by African American authors were put on Urban Fiction displays. It is the misconception that Black/African American author equals Urban Book. Give me strength and allow me to teach the people!!!
If there was one portion I did not like, it was the Christian Urban Fiction. Urban Fiction has received a bad rap because of horrible grammar, everyone from the four year old to the great, great grandmother dropping the F bomb, lack of punctuation, and repeated story lines. Yes, I will admit that some of this is true. (I have read A LOT of Urban Fiction. So much in fact, some of the stories start to fuse together because they are so similar.) But I have never heard of Christian Urban Fiction. I have never combined those two genres into one. I guess it isn't necessarily a BAD thing, but I have had customers complain when Christian Book by African American authors were put on Urban Fiction displays. It is the misconception that Black/African American author equals Urban Book. Give me strength and allow me to teach the people!!!
Week 6 Assignment 1
So I have been following Locus, which focuses on Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Science Fiction/Fantasy has never been a genre I could get into. I prefer realism...no aliens, no unicorns, and books much, much less than a 1000 pages. Despite my negative attitude towards Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and largely due to my requirements of this assignment, I trudged along to the website to see what I could see. (Isn't that part of a song?)
What I saw was cluttered pages, authors I have never heard of, and awards I never knew existed. Wait Danielle...stop being negative and find the positive! I learned that Sci-Fi fantasy books tend to be series...very, very long series. Not all the time, I did find several trilogies. I also learned that Locus has a nice Obituary section for anyone, it seems, who passed who did anything Sci-Fi/Fantasy related in films and/or books. (RIP Spock AKA Leonard Nimoy) I was aware of the hundreds if not thousands of conventions that take place throughout the United States, but it was interesting to see a section dedicated to conventions taking place worldwide. Side Note: For those interested, Sasquan, the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention is taking place in Spokane, Washington from August 19-23.
Ok, so I wasn't happy-go-lucky in this posting, but I tried! I told myself as a librarian, it was important to read something from every genre...even if I don't like it. I am proud to say two of my co-workers convinced me to read Game of Thrones. I started at the beginning of July and I am proud to say I am 22% through an 803 page novel as of the date of this post. And you want to know what else? I LIKE IT! Kudos for me! Anyone have any other recommendation to offer? Granted it might be a while before I get to it, but my goal is to finish GOT by December 31 of this year.
What I saw was cluttered pages, authors I have never heard of, and awards I never knew existed. Wait Danielle...stop being negative and find the positive! I learned that Sci-Fi fantasy books tend to be series...very, very long series. Not all the time, I did find several trilogies. I also learned that Locus has a nice Obituary section for anyone, it seems, who passed who did anything Sci-Fi/Fantasy related in films and/or books. (RIP Spock AKA Leonard Nimoy) I was aware of the hundreds if not thousands of conventions that take place throughout the United States, but it was interesting to see a section dedicated to conventions taking place worldwide. Side Note: For those interested, Sasquan, the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention is taking place in Spokane, Washington from August 19-23.
Ok, so I wasn't happy-go-lucky in this posting, but I tried! I told myself as a librarian, it was important to read something from every genre...even if I don't like it. I am proud to say two of my co-workers convinced me to read Game of Thrones. I started at the beginning of July and I am proud to say I am 22% through an 803 page novel as of the date of this post. And you want to know what else? I LIKE IT! Kudos for me! Anyone have any other recommendation to offer? Granted it might be a while before I get to it, but my goal is to finish GOT by December 31 of this year.
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