As an impatient person, I'm not a PERSONAL fan of Book Trailers. I usually have plenty to read, and watching a video, even one that is only a minute or two long, is not something I often do. I'd rather just skim a review.
AND, when I do stumble upon one, like this one for the Shining Girls, I'll watch it, but even though the trailer looked good, I heard not-so-good reviews about the book, and it fell to the bottom of the pile anyway.
That being said, I know that people who might not be as avid readers, or are more visually oriented, might enjoy a book trailer and be more enticed by them.
And so now we are done! Even though I was a small part of creating this training, I was not instrumental in all of it. I especially liked the parts that allowed me to think like a branch librarian, and recommend titles for theoretical patrons.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Week 8 - Nonfiction
I'm an avid narrative non-fiction reader, so this one will be simple for me!
4 areas that are well represented include:
Food writing - found either in the 600s or in the Bios.
Some examples are Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, and Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
Crime - Generally found in the 300s.
Columbine by Dave Cullen was one of the best books I've read about the spate of school shootings,and would have appeal to people who like contemporary crime issues, and would especially make a strong companion piece to Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk about Kevin.
The next two will both be addressed at an upcoming Genre bootcamp on Affliction memoirs.
Memoir - are found in the Bios or throughout the Deweys if the subject area is stronger than the human subject.
The memoir we are assigning for genre bootcamp is Dry by Augusten Burroughs.
After the success of his first book, Running with Scissors , Burroughs followed up with this memoir of both his alcoholism and his friendship with "Pighead" who is a good friend but also HIV positive.
The book crackles with humor, though definitely of the dark variety. It would be a great recommendation for bookclubs, or for those who like Nick Hornby, or, as he is most commonly referred to, David Sedaris.
Medical - here we are reading Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan.
Cahalan had a brain disease with strange symptoms. This fast-paced, medical based tale will appeal to those who like contemporary page turners, like Jodi Picoult , medical suspense writers like Robin Cook Michael Palmer or possibly even Patterson and Grisham, both who have dabbled in medical suspense.
4 areas that are well represented include:
Food writing - found either in the 600s or in the Bios.
Some examples are Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, and Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
Crime - Generally found in the 300s.
Columbine by Dave Cullen was one of the best books I've read about the spate of school shootings,and would have appeal to people who like contemporary crime issues, and would especially make a strong companion piece to Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk about Kevin.
The next two will both be addressed at an upcoming Genre bootcamp on Affliction memoirs.
Memoir - are found in the Bios or throughout the Deweys if the subject area is stronger than the human subject.
The memoir we are assigning for genre bootcamp is Dry by Augusten Burroughs.
After the success of his first book, Running with Scissors , Burroughs followed up with this memoir of both his alcoholism and his friendship with "Pighead" who is a good friend but also HIV positive.
The book crackles with humor, though definitely of the dark variety. It would be a great recommendation for bookclubs, or for those who like Nick Hornby, or, as he is most commonly referred to, David Sedaris.
Medical - here we are reading Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan.
Cahalan had a brain disease with strange symptoms. This fast-paced, medical based tale will appeal to those who like contemporary page turners, like Jodi Picoult , medical suspense writers like Robin Cook Michael Palmer or possibly even Patterson and Grisham, both who have dabbled in medical suspense.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Week 7 - Teen
The articles:
New Adult : I don't think this one will catch on outside of those super involved in Teen literature. There have been books published as Young Adult that involved characters out of high school for a long time. I have 9 books in my "college" shelf in Goodreads, and 6 of them were published as teen. (And one of the others was published as Adult but by an author known for writing for Teens.) After all, both Children and Teens like to read "ahead" - to see what life is like in the future.
As for Who is Buying Teen Books I think this is interesting, but I doubt this is surprising to anyone who works with the public. Twilight and The Hunger games are certainly the biggest offenders, but they just opened the door to others reading books within the genre. Will it last? It may not fall back to where it was, but there will be a new trend before we know it and less adults will be reading teen, as tehy fall back into other things.
I used to follow Forever YA regularly but it didn't help me professionally and annoyed me personally (I'm not really in their target demographic - which is young hipster Etsy types) However, the fact that it exists and is so popular reflects the trends listed in the articles above. Reading/watching Teens and collegians is VERY popular with this demographic.
I looked at Little Brown Books for Teens and was disappointed about the lack of updating. The front page looks really up to date, busy and with lots of book trailers, but clicking in found many pages that were a year old (or more) http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/teens/books/
New Adult : I don't think this one will catch on outside of those super involved in Teen literature. There have been books published as Young Adult that involved characters out of high school for a long time. I have 9 books in my "college" shelf in Goodreads, and 6 of them were published as teen. (And one of the others was published as Adult but by an author known for writing for Teens.) After all, both Children and Teens like to read "ahead" - to see what life is like in the future.
As for Who is Buying Teen Books I think this is interesting, but I doubt this is surprising to anyone who works with the public. Twilight and The Hunger games are certainly the biggest offenders, but they just opened the door to others reading books within the genre. Will it last? It may not fall back to where it was, but there will be a new trend before we know it and less adults will be reading teen, as tehy fall back into other things.
I used to follow Forever YA regularly but it didn't help me professionally and annoyed me personally (I'm not really in their target demographic - which is young hipster Etsy types) However, the fact that it exists and is so popular reflects the trends listed in the articles above. Reading/watching Teens and collegians is VERY popular with this demographic.
I looked at Little Brown Books for Teens and was disappointed about the lack of updating. The front page looks really up to date, busy and with lots of book trailers, but clicking in found many pages that were a year old (or more) http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/teens/books/
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Week 6 - Prezi Genres
1. The first genre I chose was International Mystery.
Rather than googling, I decided to look at the Genre bootcamp list for International Mystery from a few sessions back. This didn't send me to a web page, however.
Googling sent me to the "international mystery lovers" pages, but this is very different from International mysteries!
I started with some mystery bookstores, like Maryland's Mystery Loves Company, but they tended to be "gentler."
So I started with the granddaddy of the genre, Stieg Larsson, which linked me to scandinaviancrimefiction.com
While this site hasn't been updated in 2 years (sad face) it is still a good starting point for those who have falled for Lisbeth Sander and Harry Hole and will help get them more reading choices.
2. Because I'm such an avid reader of all genres, this was a tricky assignment for me. I chose International Mystery not becuase I was "unfamiliar" but more because I never actually read any Stieg Larsson or Jo Nesbo.
However, when browsing the Prezi, I can safely say I was unaware there was a genre called "Military Romance." So imagine my surprise when a simple google search sent me to http://fortheloveofmilitaryromance.blogspot.com/ It even has an abbreviation, "Milrom"!
This site just started in March, so maybe this genre is up and coming? It is well-represented by authors in the genre, including Marylander Laura Kaye. And it's most recent update was today!
3. The third genre I tried to look for was Gothic Horror. While I'm a pretty big horror fan, I thought it might be interesting to explore some more "obscure" horror, rather than the Stephen King horror.
I didn't find a blog ONLY about gothic horror, but the Horror Writers Association includes great reading lists, and is updated - and how fortuitous - the Bram Stoker awards were just announced.
GENRE MASHUPS:
The first one that came to mind is Cyberpunk Erotica. After a momentary panic when I searched that term and had Safe Search come up, I went directly to Goodreads and found a good list. Called "Robots, Androids, Cyborgs, Gynoids, My Love" it is a list of almost 100 titles featuring sexy AI beasts.
Returning to the horror genre, Literary Horror would probably be considered a misnomer by many, who think of horror as only pulp fiction. Many of Chuck Palahniuk's works would be considered this, and shows that horror readers have as wide ranging tastes as those of any other genre.
Rather than googling, I decided to look at the Genre bootcamp list for International Mystery from a few sessions back. This didn't send me to a web page, however.
Googling sent me to the "international mystery lovers" pages, but this is very different from International mysteries!
I started with some mystery bookstores, like Maryland's Mystery Loves Company, but they tended to be "gentler."
So I started with the granddaddy of the genre, Stieg Larsson, which linked me to scandinaviancrimefiction.com
While this site hasn't been updated in 2 years (sad face) it is still a good starting point for those who have falled for Lisbeth Sander and Harry Hole and will help get them more reading choices.
2. Because I'm such an avid reader of all genres, this was a tricky assignment for me. I chose International Mystery not becuase I was "unfamiliar" but more because I never actually read any Stieg Larsson or Jo Nesbo.
However, when browsing the Prezi, I can safely say I was unaware there was a genre called "Military Romance." So imagine my surprise when a simple google search sent me to http://fortheloveofmilitaryromance.blogspot.com/ It even has an abbreviation, "Milrom"!
This site just started in March, so maybe this genre is up and coming? It is well-represented by authors in the genre, including Marylander Laura Kaye. And it's most recent update was today!
3. The third genre I tried to look for was Gothic Horror. While I'm a pretty big horror fan, I thought it might be interesting to explore some more "obscure" horror, rather than the Stephen King horror.
I didn't find a blog ONLY about gothic horror, but the Horror Writers Association includes great reading lists, and is updated - and how fortuitous - the Bram Stoker awards were just announced.
GENRE MASHUPS:
The first one that came to mind is Cyberpunk Erotica. After a momentary panic when I searched that term and had Safe Search come up, I went directly to Goodreads and found a good list. Called "Robots, Androids, Cyborgs, Gynoids, My Love" it is a list of almost 100 titles featuring sexy AI beasts.
Returning to the horror genre, Literary Horror would probably be considered a misnomer by many, who think of horror as only pulp fiction. Many of Chuck Palahniuk's works would be considered this, and shows that horror readers have as wide ranging tastes as those of any other genre.
Week 6 - Genre - Street Fiction
I have been following Streetfiction.org since I participated in the urban fiction genre bootcamp. It really is exactly what it says "News, reviews and author interviews" and it is an excellent place to start if you don't know much about the genre.
I like the link to WorldCat alongside a link to Amazon! How great to put the library right up there! Urban fiction authors have been generous to libraries and this is quite a nice touch.
In addition, being able to filter urban fiction by its setting is a strong attribute. Find all the books available in Baltimore.
I don't know that this is a site to "follow" as much as to revisit from time to time to gather some new books based on your preferences.
I like the link to WorldCat alongside a link to Amazon! How great to put the library right up there! Urban fiction authors have been generous to libraries and this is quite a nice touch.
In addition, being able to filter urban fiction by its setting is a strong attribute. Find all the books available in Baltimore.
I don't know that this is a site to "follow" as much as to revisit from time to time to gather some new books based on your preferences.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Week 5 : Building Base Knowledge
Since week 1, I've been "following" the Daily Beast. However, I don't love it and that's mostly from the layout. The site is all headlines and involves lots of clicking through. The OCD nature of the internet, at least to me, often has "clicking through" seem like too much work! Why should I click through with just a headline or half a sentence? I hate clicking through!
Early Word does not do that. There are links to more information, but the full story is pithy and all right there. One thing I've loved about Early Word since the beginning are the links down the side. Publisher catalogs, publisher representatives, they are all there. It's really a one-stop shop for people in our profession and I can't recommend it enough.
I clicked through from Early Word to the Atlantic recommended books of 2013. I am curiously awaiting Stephen King's sequel to The Shining, titled Doctor Sleep. The main character of Danny, who was a little boy in the orginal, is now all grown up. This preview makes me feel like this one will be even more suspenseful and scary - but can it live up to the beloved Shining? A book I have read multiple multiple multiple times? Ah, it's the dilemma of every sequel!
It will definitely appeal to those who read the original, probably more than the casual reader. But how many people who like suspenseful horror will NOT have read The Shining?!
This is the challenge of "appeal factors." There is an underlying emotion to books that often can't be named - it's how a book speaks to you at a certain time of your life. This has as much to do with my love of The Shining than the story or appeal!
Early Word does not do that. There are links to more information, but the full story is pithy and all right there. One thing I've loved about Early Word since the beginning are the links down the side. Publisher catalogs, publisher representatives, they are all there. It's really a one-stop shop for people in our profession and I can't recommend it enough.
I clicked through from Early Word to the Atlantic recommended books of 2013. I am curiously awaiting Stephen King's sequel to The Shining, titled Doctor Sleep. The main character of Danny, who was a little boy in the orginal, is now all grown up. This preview makes me feel like this one will be even more suspenseful and scary - but can it live up to the beloved Shining? A book I have read multiple multiple multiple times? Ah, it's the dilemma of every sequel!
It will definitely appeal to those who read the original, probably more than the casual reader. But how many people who like suspenseful horror will NOT have read The Shining?!
This is the challenge of "appeal factors." There is an underlying emotion to books that often can't be named - it's how a book speaks to you at a certain time of your life. This has as much to do with my love of The Shining than the story or appeal!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Week Four : Goodreads
I use the CRAP out of Goodreads! I put every book I read that is for an audience of 10 years old or older on there. (I don't bother with picture books.)
I've reviewed 565 books and have 3 pages of shelves. I've been active for over 5 years!
One of my favorite things about Good reads is the fact that when you tag heavily, it's so easy for you to make recommendations to others. I often get questions from friends about books for a child, and I can just go to my shelf for that age group, sort by ratings so the highest stuff shows up first, and use it as a memory jog for other things.
I did this when I recommended a book to Alex. His reading taste to seems to match mine pretty closely, at least when it comes to adult books. So I went looking for a "sleeper" amongst my 5* books, and found Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman. Heavily hyped in its native UK, it didn't get as much attention here (it IS very British) but was one of my favorite books of 2011.
I've reviewed 565 books and have 3 pages of shelves. I've been active for over 5 years!
One of my favorite things about Good reads is the fact that when you tag heavily, it's so easy for you to make recommendations to others. I often get questions from friends about books for a child, and I can just go to my shelf for that age group, sort by ratings so the highest stuff shows up first, and use it as a memory jog for other things.
I did this when I recommended a book to Alex. His reading taste to seems to match mine pretty closely, at least when it comes to adult books. So I went looking for a "sleeper" amongst my 5* books, and found Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman. Heavily hyped in its native UK, it didn't get as much attention here (it IS very British) but was one of my favorite books of 2011.
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