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)

Week 7 Prompt

As someone with severe depression and anxiety, I am a major advocate for mental health, and I really related to and got a strong message from the book 13 Reasons Why. I believe it is a powerful text that shows us just how our words and actions affect the people around us. When the Netflix show based on the book came out there was a lot of backlash saying the book was pro-suicide. We defend books we love like we do close friends or family because that is what they become to us. I had to defend one of my favorite books to literally everyone who hadn’t read it based on what was being said about the show. I can say I have never watched the Netflix series, but the book tells a powerful story that everyone has an impact on our lives good or bad. I feel the book shows a valid side to depression that sometimes you can’t recover, it reinforced for me the belief that a person did not kill themselves but was killed by depression. Hannah’s depression was brought on by bullying, so when I read the article this week about how the author was accused of harassment, I was slightly shocked. I felt betrayed by a man I had never met and likely never will. Yet I felt like he owed to me to be the kind of person I expected because of a book he wrote, and I liked it.

 We are all human and make mistakes, I have never met, nor do I ever expect to meet, the perfect person. We all say things we regret and don’t mean. The same article went on to prove another valid point though to me, one person does not make the voice of a movement. Another book I love Furiously Happy is about depression and is more of a memoir, but it too shows the many sides of depression. 13 Reasons Why takes an extreme stance that is not found in Furiously Happy. I think both books are part of healthy dialogue on depression and suicide.

Books and authors take on new meaning to us as readers when the work is near to us for whatever reason. It makes it hard to like something when you know the creator did or stood for something you are against. I don’t agree with Jay Asher’s actions and it has caused a struggle in me to justify still liking his work after learning this about him. One thing I do know is I can’t change how that book makes me feel and what it has done for me but that doesn’t mean the author gets a pass. 

Underwood, Alexia. (2018) The #metoo Movement Hit the Literary World Hard This Week. It's Not the First Time. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2018/5/10/17323642/metoo-junot-diaz-allegations-nobel-literature-prize

Week 6 Prompt

I would do a Summer Camp theme display for our summer reading program. Ideally, I would do a different “Camp” for each genre but as we are focusing on only one genre, I will limit my focus to Horror. One of the displays I would do would be “Camp Crystal Lake” and fill the display with horror books and movies. This takes Horror out of its niche at Halloween and gives it more limelight. I would bring up Steven King titles in books and pair them with the movies, I would pull book and movie adaptations of each other and other general horror movies and books. I would make sure to include titles friendly for each age group, such as Goosebumps for the younger children. We could even do ghost books, a similar take on the blind date with a book but choose horror books instead. Do light descriptions and key notes about the book that may be a turnoff for some. But you don’t know what you are reading until you open the paper.

The Poison Thread

The Poison Thread

By: Laura Purcell

Synopsis

Ruth Butterham lived a rough life from a young age. She was tormented in school because she wasn’t as well off as the other girls. She found her place beside her mother embroidering and sewing, as soon as Ruth’s mother turns up pregnant and the family barely getting by as it was Ruth’s recreational assistance turns into a full-time job at 14. The baby dies after Ruth embroiders on her blanket the family falls apart, her father committing suicide and forcing her mother to “sell” Ruth into service of the dressmaker they were contracting with. As time progresses Ruth learns of deaths and misfortunes of others who she sewed for including her mother her suspicion grows that her sewing is cursed. When her mistress dies, she cannot help but believe it to be her own fault. Dorothea is a 25-year-old aristocrat who is secretly a phrenologist who lost her mother and lives with a father whose main goal is to get her married. While Dorothea’s is to be a good charitable person by Catholic standards. She spends her time at the Oakgate prison where she meets Ruth and is enraptured by the idea that a 16-year-old can have the skull of a killer and if it can change. “If we can detect vice in a timely manner and point the child down another path, the shape of the head, as well as the texture of the spirit may change.” The book is written in alternating perspectives from both girls, Ruth recounting her life to Dorothea and Dorothea muddling through it and her own life.

Characteristics of Horror

·         Has moments of gore described in detail

·         Unresolved Ending

·         Erratic Pacing

·         Dark and Foreboding Mood

·         Narrative told in alternating chapters

·         Vague Villain

Read A-Likes

·         Edgar Allen Poe

·         The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

·         The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola

·         The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Week 5 Prompt

I don’t think its right that one type of book gets reviewed all to pieces and other books get ignored. This can impact the library collection by increasing requests for “Best Sellers” because they have read a good review about it and they are the only books they are seeing reviewed. Then your collection has a large number of one type of book or too many copies of one book that will have to be weeded later on down the line, all because these are the books getting reviewed publicly.

I don’t think it is right to only print positive reviews because not everyone has a positive experience with a book. It's important to show both sides it will save people time and keep them from reading books that aren’t their taste. The only place I do not think this applies is on the book itself because these reviews are meant to help sell the book.  I think reviews are important for me personally because I do not purchase for a library. I read reviews as well as summaries when deciding what to read next. I check the reviews on the book, I know these are generally only good reviews meant to sell the book, but it is a good highlight of what people liked about the book the best.   When the reviews and summaries line up to something that sounds like my taste, I will check out the book. I also like to skim the first couple pages of the book as well to see if I like the writing style.

Kirkus Style Review of The Poison Thread

Set in Victorian England this gothic tale of a charitable aristocrat and a dressmaker turned maid who is in jail for killing her mistress with what she claims are supernatural abilities.

Ruth Butterham lived a rough life from a young age. She was tormented in school because she wasn’t as well off as the other girls. She found her place beside her mother embroidering and sewing, as soon as Ruth’s mother turns up pregnant and the family barely getting by as it was Ruth’s recreational assistance turns into a full-time job at 14. The baby dies after Ruth embroiders on her blanket the family falls apart, her father committing suicide and forcing her mother to “sell” Ruth into service of the dressmaker they were contracting with. As time progresses Ruth learns of deaths and misfortunes of others who she sewed for including her mother her suspicion grows that her sewing is cursed. When her mistress dies, she cannot help but believe it to be her own fault. Dorothea is a 25-year-old aristocrat who is secretly a phrenologist who lost her mother and lives with a father whose main goal is to get her married. While Dorothea’s is to be a good charitable person by Catholic standards. She spends her time at the Oakgate prison where she meets Ruth and is enraptured by the idea that a 16-year-old can have the skull of a killer and if it can change. “If we can detect vice  in a timely manner and point the child down another path, the shape of the head, as well as the texture of the spirit may change.” The book is written in alternating perspectives from both girls, Ruth recounting her life to Dorothea and Dorothea muddling through it and her own life. 

I liked the book but could not help but feel it was missing one more, even a short chapter from Ruth at the end. It didn’t have me burning through the pages, but it did keep me wondering until the end.

Secret Shopper

I needed help finding a horror book for our annotations, as horror is one of the genre’s I chose that I was not as familiar with as others.  I approached the gentleman manning the desk in the popular materials section of the library and told him I was looking for a good book that met the following requirements: adult, horror, fiction. I told him it needed to be a novel for a school assignment so an anthology would not work. He conducted a basic search that lead us mainly to anthologies with horror in the name or description. He then suggested a Stephen King book, this made sense to me as he is the biggest name in horror fiction. After checking out the selection of Stephen King books available I advised him they were too long for what I was wanting. So, we went back to the computer and did a more advanced search and was able to find a title that met the requirements I had provided. It was a successful visit, but it showed me just how much we rely on computers to fill the gap in what we don’t know. I felt the conversation move organically and less like an interview but still a little awkward. It may have gone better if I had gone in with a title I had just finished and was searching for something similar but having done that before I know the librarian would have most likely pulled the book up in their online catalog and found what titles it suggested to go with the one I had just completed. (I have done this before at a different branch in this system and this was the result)

I do not think that my approach to this was a major detriment however because we will have patrons that come in and say “I want a good scary book.” With minimal information on what else they want I knew I wanted a shorter book and I chose the title I did because it was gothic as well which is one of my areas of interest.

Week Three Prompt Response

1. I am looking for a book by Laurell K. Hamilton. I just read the third book in the Anita Blake series and I can’t figure out which one comes next!

The next book in the series is The Lunatic Café its book 4 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series.

2. What have I read recently? Well, I just finished this great book by Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer. I really liked the way it was written, you know, the way she used language. I wouldn't mind something a bit faster paced though.
The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin is described as having a compelling and lyrical writing style. The lyrical would appeal to your appreciation of her writing style and the compelling indicates it moves a bit faster.

3. I like reading books set in different countries. I just read one set in China, could you help me find one set in Japan? No, not modern – historical. I like it when the author describes it so much it feels like I was there!

You might like The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz it is a detailed novel told in the first person about the first commoner to marry into the Japanese royal family and how her life changed.  Coming full circle to arranging her own son's marriage.  It is full of rich detail.

4. I read this great mystery by Elizabeth George called Well-Schooled in Murder and I loved it. Then my dentist said that if I liked mysteries I would probably like John Sandford, but boy was he creepy I couldn't finish it! Do you have any suggestions?

I would recommend Still Life by Louise Penny. It is another procedural series this is also set outside of the US told at a leisurely pace. You could also check out the next book in the Thomas Lynley series by Elizabeth George called A suitable vengeance.

5. My husband has really gotten into zombies lately. He’s already read The Walking Dead and World War Z, is there anything else you can recommend?

I would recommend Zombies!Zombies!Zombies! its an anthology of zombie stories that include both modern and classic works. It will be episodic like The Walking Dead comic but have the full story of World War Z.

6. I love books that get turned into movies, especially literary ones. Can you recommend some? Nothing too old, maybe just those from the last 5 years or so.
I would recommend The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, it is not a movie yet but it will be soon! It is about a young boy who steals a famous painting after a terrorist attack he survived as a child. This is the story of his life.

7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast-paced. You may like to Watch the Girls by Jennifer Wolfe. It’s about as child actress who is trying to re-establish her career on a fake investigation reality show when she gets fired and stumbles upon a real case.

I have always struggled to find a follow up to what I was reading unless it was a series. I mostly thrived on recommendations from friends and family. I have asked for RA assistance a couple times from a librarian. I will generally search around where I found my last good book to see if I stumble upon anything else. I am a window shopper, I pick up a lot of books before I decide what to take home.

Our Kind of Cruelty By: Araminta Hall

Our Kind of Cruelty

By: Araminta Hall

Synopsis

Mike had only known how hard life could be until he met V. Their relationship lasted through college where they developed a game called Crave. V would go to a bar and get hit on by other men and then Mike would stake his claim to her in a strong way. Then when V called it quits Mike was sure it was just until he held up his end of their plan. Mike finds V again after accomplishing everything he set out to do but she is engaged to another man, is this real or is it just another one of their Craves from college?

­

Characteristics for Thriller

·         Dark, gritty theme and mood

·         Story results in he said/she said legal case based against previous sexual history

·         Resolution that leaves you thinking.

·         Moves at a fast pace with Mike’s actions to get V’s attention escalating rapidly.

·         Narrative told between memories, flashbacks and present day.

·         Both protagonist and antagonist are well developed and strong willed.  Cursory characters are fleshed out enough to give them meaning.

Read A-Likes

·         Her Name was Rose by Claire Allan

·         Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton

·         Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

·         The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

READING PROFILE!

I like to read a little bit of everything. It depends on my mood honestly. I really love historical fiction, literary fiction and fantasy. I am not one to shy away from non-fiction books either I have a massive personal library of philosophy books. I like historical and literary fiction because when I am in the mood I like plausible stories about real people.

When I want to be transported to the surreal I prefer fantasy over science fiction. I like the magic of it all. I think stories can still be about real people in an unreal setting, for example, one of my favorite books is The Hobbit Bilbo is a real person facing extraordinary circumstances. Now hobbits aren't real but some of the dilemmas he faces are. I don't always like books where the heroes win and the good guy gets the girl. I like to see the bad guy come out on top every once in a while because that is life.

I really like listening to podcasts that are Dungeons and Dragons actual play and other story-based podcasts. I like these because they are cooperative stories being told by a group of people each playing a different character. It's a living story. I tend to listen to my podcasts at work when I am working in chat.

It's hard for me to pick favorite authors. I am more interested in the story. So my top 5 favorite books are in no particular order The Hobbit, 13 Reasons Why, The Count of Monte Cristo, the Inkheart trilogy and The Harry Potter series.  I am hoping to develop my skills in picking what book to read next after finishing one and helping people choose what to read to expand their interests.