Week 13 Prompt

I think it is important for us as librarians to encourage reading for enjoyment no matter the topic. It doesn't matter if an adult likes YA. It could be just pure enjoyment or a comprehension thing. It is not our place to judge what a person enjoys to read. So we should be prepared to assist an adult patron who is looking to read YA just as if it were any other patron with any other request. We can do this by ignoring the age of the requestor and applying the techniques we use to help all patrons. YA is a genre just like any other. 

The Hollow Kingdom

The Hollow Kingdom By Clare B. Dunkle

Hollow Kingdom Trilogy book 1

Katie and Emily are sent to live at Hallow Hill when their father passes away leaving them orphans. They are to be raised by their distant uncle and aunts. The hill has a secret. Goblins live in the cavern under the hill, the goblins have been abducting young girls for their brides. Katie seems to have caught the eye of the goblin prince. After becoming the new wife of the goblin king, she begins to learn the ways of her new people. Will she love them enough to save them when the chips are down?

·         Protagonist is a 15-16-year-old young woman

·         Story starts with an uprooting of her life.

·         Protagonist has a strong bond with her sister

·         Alludes to sex but nothing graphic

·         Story resolves with an enjoyment and acceptance of her new life.

Read a Likes

·         Close Kin- Clare B. Dunkle

·         Wildwood Dancing-Juliet Marillier

·         Keturah and Lord Death- Marine Leavitt

·         Wed by Proxy-Alice Coldbreath

Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World’s Most Famous Heroine

Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World’s Most Famous Heroine

Synopsis

This is a mid-narrative book about the history behind the creation of Wonder Woman. Well

researched and written observationally about William Moulton Marston and his life. It goes on to discuss the life of Wonder Woman after Marston and her representation in different era’s. Expressing ideas well ahead of his time Marston created a character that is still beloved and the image of feminism today.

The text goes into great detail about the symbolism behind every aspect of the character and her life. Covering not just the comic but spin offs this as well is a very authoritative text about the iconic characters.

Characteristics of Non-Fiction

·         Leisurely read about the history of the character

·         Features historical figures both fictional and non-fictional

·         In depth illuminating descriptions of all details

·         Setting meanders through history of the character and her influences

Recommendations

·         The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid

·         The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

·         Wonder Woman by Gail Simone (Omnibus)

·         Justice League Vol 1: Origin by Geoff Johns, Jim Lee

Week 11 Prompt

I don’t think that not physically holding a book affects your knowledge of a genre because a genre is based on what comprises the story. Yes, some genres are notoriously longer than others, but this is not a defining factor. Being able to customize the font does can impact tone and pacing depending on the changes made. If you are just increasing the font size, I don’t see the impact how is it any different than a large print book? Depending on the angle from which you view pacing it can be a volatile thing to begin with. Everyone reads at different speeds. The author may have an intent for how a book is meant to be read but not everyone is going to achieve that no matter the printed format. Most changes you can make are quality of life changes and in my opinion have minimal impact on the appeal of the final product aside from making it more personally appealing.

Audiobooks are different, the narrator can make or break the story. When it comes to audio its not just about receiving the information its about how. The difference between the receipt of information in audiobook format and print or ebook is that you are getting that narrators interpretation of the text. Now if the narrator is the author you are getting the truest interpretation of the text but still someone else’s. Audiobooks are enjoyed at the pace set by the narrator and picking up the tone and other appeal factors from their cues.

The Ringmaster's Wife

The Ringmaster’s Wife

By:  Kristy Cambron

Synopsis

The story follows two young women who join circus life by different means and reasons. Both stories told are stories of taking the leap and making the change. We follow Mabel Ringling and Lady Rosamund Easling. Mable comes from humble beginnings and marries into the circus life whereas Rose gives up her titled life in England to be a circus performer.  The tale of two strong women trying to do what is best for their lives and maybe find love along the way.

Characteristics of Historical Fiction

·           Historically accurate representation of the time period

·         Features well known historical figure John Ringling and his business

·         Tone ranges from happy to somber throughout the book

·         Story line focuses on 2 different characters and their lives

Read A-likes

·         Water for Elephants-Sara Gruen

·         The Illusionist’s Apprentice- Kristy Cambron

·         Barnum: An American Life- Robert Wilson

·         Life Story of the Ringling Brothers- Alfred T. Ringling

Pathfinder the Table Top RPG as a Book Club?

I am part of a group that plays a game called Pathfinder it is like Dungeons and Dragons. Our group is like a book club. The story is told by a game master. We all get the same information told in story format. Like all stories we interpret the information differently, our group has a dialogue on how to proceed. We dissect every angle of what the authors have written. We discuss points for hours sometimes before making a move. It is kind of like a book club where you choose your own adventure. We get to create the characters that inhabit this world and actually interact with it. We are doing what most readers wish they could do. We are immersing ourselves in this other world that was created by someone else and bring a bit of ourselves with us into it. It is considered a game but it is more like collaborative storytelling.

The story is laid out like all stories there are plot points and hooks, twists and turns, the only difference is we are the characters and they are not prewritten. A typical session starts with a recap of what we have accomplished so far. Then the game master gets into telling the story and based on the information provided and what has already been established we as players have to come to a decision of what should happen next in the story with the given options. Some decisions are made by dice rolls but there is a majority of it that is made through discussion and dissection of the story so far.

We meet weekly or bi-weekly and play. The only person who actually reads the whole story and most of the options is the game master. The rest of the players just get to see what happens from their decisions.

We are not a traditional book club. We listen to the story at the same time, now occasionally one of the players will miss a session we spend part of the next session recapping for them, so they are caught up. Sometimes things are missed, and they have to make decisions on the fly. There is a lot of talking at once and taking turns sharing perspectives. Everyone gets a chance to speak and be heard. The game master acts as a moderator for the group reigning things in when the discussion gets out of hand or goes on for too long and it is time to move on.

Another way we differ from a traditional book club is our meetings last hours, usually a minimum of 2-3, at a time. Our stories go on for months following the same arc. The average life of a game in Pathfinder is 6 months. Meaning it takes us 6 months to get through one complete story. So our titles do not change frequently.

There are many differences between us and a traditional book club. But we do have some similarities like snacks. We either all bring our own or pitch in and order pizza to share.  We are like a book club in that we share a story and talk about it, the biggest difference is we are part of it. We get to impact where the story goes next.

Special Topic: Graphic Novels

What is a graphic novel? This is a question that still begs answering to this day as there is no clear answer. How does it differ from a comic book? That is a bit easier to explain a comic book is a periodical that tells part or a short story about a character and intended for children. A graphic novel is “usually taken to mean a long comic narrative for a mature audience, published in hardback or paperback and sold in bookstores, with serious literary themes and sophisticated artwork.” (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Are graphic novels their own genre? I don’t believe they are I believe they are a delivery method not unlike audiobooks. They are not limited to a specific genre like horror or action but rather can be found across all genres. It is a medium by which a story is told. The features of a graphic novel are not indicative of the story being told but the manner in which it is told much like an audiobook or print book. These mediums are how people choose to enjoy a story. Many popular classics such as Frankenstein and The Three Musketeers have been turned into graphic novels cementing the fact that they are not a genre but a medium.

This can help shed light on the question of if graphic novels can be considered literature. I believe they can be if the story they are telling is one that is literature worthy. Many great literary tales have been converted into graphic novels does this in some way take away from the story’s literary credibilityMerriam-Webster defines literature as “writings in prose or verse especially writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest”. So, the argument could easily be made that graphic novels are told through prose as well as imagery and could therefore technically be considered literature. “Awareness doesn’t mean critical sophistication or conscious analysis; reading the images in graphic novels is similar to learning to “read” one’s environment — point of view, consequences of action, and feelings provide narrative cues.” (Goldsmith)