Week 9 - Book trailers and Wrap up

Assignment 1

I read the two articles on book trailers and I searched for some book trailers on You Tube.

Assignment 2

The first time I saw a book trailer it was on the www.teenreads.com website a few weeks ago. Since then I have found them on Amazon and other book related websites. I can say I am fan of book trailers but if they are made well. One I really like is the book trailer for 5th Wave. It was interesting and it made me want to read the book. Some book trailers are cheesy and not done very well and those turn me off from reading those specific books.

I believe in the media rich society we have now that good book trailers can draw an audience to read the book that might not have read it otherwise. If the book trailer is cheesy than the audience can be turned off from reading the book. Bottom line is the better the quality of the book trailer the more attraction it can have and maybe that will lead to more readers of the book.

Can book trailers be used in readers advisory? I would say yes depending on who the audience will be.  Since we rove with Ipads we could access youtube and show a book trailer with a customer to entice them about a specific book. I will have to try this at my branch and see how it works.

Assignment 3

I really have enjoyed the Be More Bookish training. Some of the assignments were more difficult than others but all of the assignments have been useful in my readers advisory training. I believe the wider your reading interests are, the easier some of the assignments were. Let me explain. Since I read teen, children and adult fiction as well non-fiction books, some of the assignments were easier for me. The assignments about sub-genres, mash-ups and annotations were more difficult and a challenge for me.I like the self-paced training because each person will get what they need or what they put into the training. 

I have learned that there are alot of different types of readers out there and we need to be ready to help them with our readers advisory skills. We need to remember that there are alot of genres that match up with non-fiction books. We need to think outside of the box and recommend book from a variety of genres and ages. There are adults that read teen books and remember to recommend these books when you are suggesting adult fiction and mystery titles. I am going to make a list of the websites that I used for this training and keep visiting these websites so I can stay on top of what is hot and what is popular in books. My readers advisory skills can only improve if I try to put into practice what I have learned while doing the Be More Bookish training. I will recommend this training to any librarian who did not participate because there are so many resources and helpful tips in the training. I tip my hat off to the committee who organized the training. Well done!

Week 8 - Nonfiction

Assignment 1

I read the two articles on non-fiction. They were not surprising to me since I read alot of non-fiction.  I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction.


Assignment 2

I watched the podcast about the non-fiction genres. I was surprised to see that humor was not listed as a genre because I know I read alot of humor books.


Assignment 3

History (900's): Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Medicine, Madness and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

Crime (364's): Too Late to Say Goodbye by Ann Rule

Sports (796's): Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

Politics (300's): In the President's Secret Service by Ronald Kessler


Assignment 4

Book talk for Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Medicine, Madness and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Medicine, Madness and the Murder of a President is a book that details the rise of James Garfield from poverty to the American Presidency. The author does a fantastic job of describing the state of the nation and the state of medical care in 1881. This book will open your eyes to the realities of being the President of the United States. The author draws you into the book and you feel like you are right there with James Garfield. You will be motified by what the doctors do to the President in their attempt of caring for him. I think this book would appeal to anyone who likes a book that has a life story, political intrigue and murder of  an American President. Once you start reading it, you will not be able to put it down.



Book talk for In the President's Secret Service by Ronald Kessler

In the President's Secret Service is a book that goes behind the scenes of the men and women who protect the President, his family and other dignitaries.  The author describes many real life adventures of the Secret Service that happened over the years. This book would appeal to anyone who has read fiction books by David Baldacci or Brad Metlzer and has wondered what do the Secret Service actually do and how were they created.

Week 7 - Not Just for Teens

Week 7: Assignment 1Take a look at  the “What to Read Next” flowchart from the Lawrence Public Library (also available in PDF format.)

I like the flowchart from the Lawrence Public Library. I like the way it groups like books together and categorizes them with a phrase. I will definitely use this flowchart in helping my customers find their next book to read.


 Week 7: Assignment 2
Read any two of the following short articles. Post comments on your blog, and make comments on two colleagues’ blogs.

•  New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak Or Valued Subgenre? Publisher’s Weekly, Dec 14, 2012
• Who is Buying Teen Books? Christian Science Monitor Sep 14, 2012
•  The Next Big Thing YALSA; The Hub, Oct 2012
•  YA Comes of Age Publisher’s Weekly, Oct 3, 2011
•  Not Just for Teens Library Journal, Jun 15, 2011

Who is Buying Teen Books / The Next Big Thing

I would have to agree that alot of adults are reading Teen books for a variety of reasons. One reason is that alot of adult fiction authors like, James Patterson, Kathy Reichs, Harlan Coben are writing teen novels. Another reason is that teen novels are appealing to a wider audience than ever before because of the Hunger Games trilogy and the Twilight novels. I have been reading teen books for quite a few years and never really thought much about it. There is no difference for me when I read teen novels or when I read adult fiction novels. The major difference is that the characters are teenagers and not adults. I think it is the same way for most of our customers when it comes to teen novels.

I left comments on Justin H. and Bryce R.'s blogs.


 Week 7: Assignment 3
Choose any two of the following blogs/websites. Follow them for a week. Post comments to your blog regarding who is writing it, who is the intended audience, is it successful, etc.

• John Green Books or John Green’s Tumblr
• Stacked
• Teenreads
• Forever Young Adult
• Cassandra Clare’s Tumblr
• School Library Journal:  Someday My Printz Will Come (Seasonal)
• Squeetus Blog:  Official Blog of Shannon Hale

Teenreads
Teenreads website is designed with Teens in mind. The website has alot of useful information on it like new books coming soon, book reviews, books that are coming to the big screen. The website even has a Teen board and it lists each board member's top five books. This is a great website to recommend to teens to get them plugged into reading.


Forever Young Adult
Forever Young Adult website is designed for readers of Young Adult that are more adult than teen. The website uses alot of graphics and is very interactive. I think the website would appeal to adults in their 20's and 30's because it integrates social media into its website.


Week 7: Assignment 4 Choose any two of the following teen imprints and spend some time on their websites. Blog about any trends you find in either current or forthcoming teen fiction.

• Harlequin Teen
• Harper Teen
• Little, Brown Books for Teens  
• Teens/Penguin Young Readers
• Teens at Random
• Tor Teen (Macmillan)

Little, Brown Books for Teens
Little, Brown Books for Teens website is designed with Teens in mind. The website uses graphics, multimedia and has links to social networking sites. I see that alot of books with a Sci-Fi/Dystopian twist are being released. This could be partly due to Hunger Games and the Twilight series.


Teens/Penguin Young Readers
I think the Teens/Penguin Young Readers website is designed for anyone who reads young adult/teen novels or recommends young adult/teen novels. I see alot of books that have vampires in them. I realize that vampires in teen novels are hot these days because of TV shows like "True Blood." Also alot of teen novels are being made in movies. This makes alot of sense  because teens want something visual and if you can give them a movie then they will probably read the book as well.

Week 6 - Building Base Knowledge (Genres)

Week 6: Assignment 1 
In Week 1: Assignment 4, you began following one of the genre links on the right.  Write a blog post about your discoveries.

I started following the Heroes and Heartbreakers genre link. I chose this genre because I do not read romance books. Since I started following this genre I have found out that there are romance books for all types of people. The covers on romance books gives a hint to the sexyness level of the book. Did you know that there are Mystery novels in romance? I did not until I started following this link. I will keeo following this resource because it is proven to be a valuable resource.

Week 6: Assignment 2 
Explore this Prezi link of Fiction Genres and Subgenres.

I think the Prezi link is fantastic. A thumbnail description of Fiction Genres and Subgenres and how they are interconnected. A printable view of the thumbnail would be great resource at the information desk.

Week 6: Assignment 3 
Pick 3 subgenres that you are unfamiliar with.

• Find a fan website for each subgenre and summarize the current buzz among fans. Why are they excited about this subgenre? How did you find the website?
• List three authors or titles that are associated with or typify each of these 3 subgenres.  What are the hallmarks or appeal factors of each of the subgenres?
• Mashups of subgenres, e.g. steampunk westerns, are becoming increasingly popular.  Find two titles, not shown on the flowchart, which could cross over into another subgenre. Describe your rationale.

The three subgenres I chose are:
1. Chick-Lit
Fan website: www.chicklitbooks.com - I found this website by doing a Google search.

Buzz among fans: This site uses tags which makes it easy to find popular topics.
Three authors: Sophie Kinsella, Jill Mansell, Nancy Thayer,
Appeal Factors: personal stories, realistic, about women

2. Cozy Mysteries
Fan website:www.cozy-mystery.com

Buzz among fans: This site does a great job of having book recommendations.
Three authors: Donald Bain & Jessica Fletcher, Katherine Hall Paige, Agatha Christie
Appeal Factors: small town, amateur sleuth,

3. Christian Urban Fiction
Fan website: www.christianbook.com

Buzz among fans: This site is dedicated to all Christian books but I focused on Christian Urban
Three authors: Pat Simmons, Vanessa Miller, Mimi Jefferson
Appeal Factors: Christian, Urban setting

Mashups of subgenres:
1. Traditional Western and Steampunk is a mashup of subgenre. The Hunter by Theresa Meyers combines cowboys with elements of steampunk. I found this title on the genre resource I have been following - Heroes and Heartbreakers. I think this book would appeal to a lot of readers.
2. Dystopian Spy Thriller is a mashup of subgenres. Goodreads classifies Memoria by Alex Bobl as a Dystopian Spy Thriller. I think this book would be fantastic because I think these two subgenres would be great mix.

Week 5 - Building Base Knowledge Part II

Week 5: Assignment 1What useful information have you learned from the resource that you have been monitoring  since week one?

I have been monitoring Early Word since week 1. I think Early Word is a great resource. It lets me know when an author has a new book coming out and even provides a trailer for the book in some cases. Also you can find out when a book is being made into a movie and when it will be in theatres.

Week 5: Assignment 2What’s popular in your branch?  If it’s “popular” or “commercial” fiction then you want be sure to look at The New York Times Best Seller List or People Magazine.  For forthcoming titles check the Publisher’s Weekly On Sale calendar. If literary fiction and narrative nonfiction is popular, you can monitor the Indie Next Best Seller List (formerly BookSense) and NPR.  Do your customers want to read the book before the movie comes out?  More than likely, you have a diverse mix of customers who have equally diverse reading preferences, but all of these resources are available via Early Word.  Take a look at the site and click around; there are lots of links in both sidebars.  Post to your blog: What resources are new discoveries for you?  What do you think that you will continue to use?

I like the sidebar and how it is broken down into categories. I can choose any category I need depending on the customer I am assisting. I also like the newsworthy articles in the middle of the page. It informs me of the popular or hot items I need to be aware of. I will definitely keep using Early Word because it is a tool I can use to help my customers find what they are looking for.


Week 5: Assignment 3 Pick a title from the highly anticipated titles of 2013, found under the righthand “Coming Soon- Season Previews” sidebar on Early Word.  Write a blog post using appeal factors or read alikes to describe the title.  Why is this title expected to be popular and to whom would it appeal?

Here's the books the stood out to me:
1. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
2. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

I chose these two titles because I like both authors and their writing style. Neil Gaiman's books are normally in the Fantasy genre. Stephen King is known as the master of Horror. I would recommend the Neil Gaiman book to anyone who likes his books. I would recommend the Stephen King book to anyone who read the Shining because it is a sequel to that book. I expect both books to be popular because both authors are well known and have a fan base.

Week 4 - Building Base Knowledge

Explore Goodreads (especially features like Listopia and Explore) and write/share your impressions/discoveries/revelations on your blog.   If you have not already, please join Goodreads and add and rate at  least 15 titles.  Look at what Goodreads recommends for you – why do you think those titles were chosen? 

I have been using Goodreads for awhile. Some of the title suggestions that are given on Goodreads are okay if you like alot of books in the same genre or books from the same list. Since I read books in alot of genres, not all title suggestions appeal to me.

Complete the following Goodreads features and functions:

• Create shelves for the books you rated.  - done
• Make friends with colleagues.  - done
• Recommend a title to a colleague based on a title or titles that they have enjoyed using the comments field on Goodreads.  Be sure to include appeal characteristics in your recommendation and note why it is similiar to the title or titles they enjoyed.  - done
• Include this recommendation on your blog and write/share your impressions, discoveries, or revelations from exploring Goodreads. - done

I recommended Gilead by Marilynne Robinson to Julie McCann on Goodreads because she liked Plainsong. Both books have a midwestern setting and evoke the stalwart characters who settled there. Also both books have characters with similar values that face familiar trials.

Week 3 - Readers Services Conversation

Assignment 1
I read the RA conversation by Neal Wyatt. Here are some things that I took from the article:

• Ask the customer to tell you about a book he/she has read recently
• Listen to what the reader has to say and think about what appeal terms might apply
• Always end the RA conversation with an invitation to return to share what they liked about the book
• Use appeal terms when describing a book and remember to keep it short or the reader will lose interest.
• For each book I should identify:
• The tone of the book
• The major appeal of the book
• The key feature of the book

Assignment 2
I listened to the podcast of Nancy Pearl describing books she has enjoyed. When she described a book she kept her description short and always made you want to read the book. She gave highlights of the book and the reason why she loved it. I am going to try to do this the next time I recommend a book.

Assignment 3
Conversation 1
The reader just finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and she loved it. She enjoyed the descriptions of the countries but she really loved how the author shared her inner thoughts. The reader has read all of the Oprah Books and loved them. She is looking for a few suggestions for her book group.

I would recommend "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed. Wild is a powerful, blazingly honest, inspiring memoir. The story is of a 1,100 mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe--and built her back up again. The reason I recommend this book is that the reader likes descriptions of countries and the author's inner thoughts.

Conversation 2
The reader loves vampire books but does not like the Twilight series. She thought the Twilight series was too slow and does not like teen love stories. The series that I would recommend is Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward. The series is about  a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers that takes place in Caldwell, New York. Since the series is fast paced and not about teens the reader might enjoy this vapire series.

Conversation 3
The reader just finished reading River of Doubt by Candice Millard. The reader likes a fast paced, non-fiction book about history. I would recommend Destiny of the Republic: a Tale of Madness, Medicine and  Murder of a President by Candice Millard. Destiny of the Republic is about how James Garfield rose from poverty to the presidency and the state of medical care in the 1890's and the murder of James Garfield. Since the reader enjoys a fast paced non-fiction book, she might like this book.