Week Five: Look Ahead - Early Word and Other Advance Notice Resources

Week Five
There are lots of different ways to find out about new and popular books – there are some useful sources linked on the right side of this page. Looking at these sites regularly can help you increase your title knowledge and anticipate what your customers will be looking for.
This week, in addition to discussing the general tool that you have been following, we will be looking at various sources of reliable readers’ advisory information to see what titles are:
•Forthcoming
•Releasing this week
•On bestseller lists
•Predicted to be popular with bookclubs
•Being adapted into movies
•Award winning

Wouldn’t it be great if all this information was in one location? Early Word is a great resource in part because it aggregates all this information into one page. This should be a site that you check regularly, but if you don’t have time to look at it everyday then sign up for the newsletter which will deliver the highlights of the week and, as well as, a list of big forthcoming titles of the next week right to your inbox.

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

I enjoy looking at the best book lists from NPR.  They compile reading lists near the end of the year, and sometimes for different seasons (for instance, best books for summer reading, short story picks for a winter weekend, etc.).  These are often by genre or theme, and are the best books chosen by reviewers, librarians, independent book shop owners, NPR staff, and other readers and writers.  This is a great resource for finding titles for displays and keeping up with titles that have been buzzed about in the past few months.  Here is the comprehensive list for NPR's Best Books for 2012.

Week 5: Assignment 2
What’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?

Early Word Review
What a great resource to read about the buzz of books and films based on books in one place!  I've only just started going to the movie theater again after about a, hmmm, 15 year hiatus.  When I lived at home in Annapolis there was a second run/semi-art house theater in Eastport, 1 minute away from my house.  I remember being too young to see David Lynch's Fire Walk with Me, but I recall walking by the poster, wrinkley set in the ill-fitting movie poster display, that burning locket of Laura's face aflame against the rich red velvet curtains.  This is the theater I saw Amelie in (a couple of times, god I love that movie!), sat mouth-agape during Lynch's Mulholland Dr. (what did I just see?  am I dreaming, like this crazy character? was that really her, you know?!), and shook off the hand of a would-be suitor during Monsters Ball (the uncomfortable sex scene was SO the most inappropriate time to try and go for my hand, my god!). 
I digress, but you get the point: I enjoy my stories in print, on the big screen, and even on the little screen.  And so do many others.  So Early Word seems like a great place to get the latest scoop in one shot.  I like how they have the Based on the Book articles, and the new book segments divided by adult/ya/and children's interest.  I see on the left-hand side they have categories to browse by genre; these look useful.  I will probably use the site from time to time to see what's new.  I hope this will even help me keep up with trivia and pop culture, as I attend a weekly bar trivia and like to win.  =)


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?

Ok, I just opened the page for PW's anticipated 2013 reads and chose Dave Barry's Insane City.  Someone just picked up this title from a display in our branch this morning.  This story is about a groom setting out to his own destination wedding in Miami.  But, as the title may imply, things go awry - from the description, things seem to go haywire fast, in an almost Hangover I, or II-type way.  Barry is know for his humor writing, which hopefully won't disappoint readers.  This looks like a good crazy/adventure wedding story, but maybe one wouldn't you'd tell your grandkids about until they're adults.  Should appeal to readers who enjoy dark comedy, quirky storylines, and unanticipated adventure.

Week Four: Goodreads Style

 

Here is my Goodreads profile page!  Feel free to see what's on my list and recommend me something!
I enjoy using Goodreads not so much for rating or ranking books, but as a place where I can keep an ongoing list of what I'm reading that I can access from any computer.  I know many people keep written lists in books and journals, but I enjoy the paperless ease of my growing Goodreads list.

Based on what I've posted to my reading lists, GR has done a decent job making suggestions for my further reading.  Granted, these suggestions must come from some computer formula, and at a glance they seem to be suggestions gathered from the publishers catalogs of books I've already read, which does sometimes work.  I've also enjoyed doing some of the quizzes and browsing some of the lists, from whence I can add books to my list that I've missed.

[On a separate note for this assignment, I am not entirely sure how to go about stalking my colleagues.  I guess I will have to cyber stalk some of my bcpl coworkers and get them to friend me on Goodreads.]
When I get some bcpl Goodreads friends I will complete this assignment.  Until then, check out Goodreads if you want to make your own reading lists.  For the voracious reader it's a great place to keep track of your reading (and to recall if you can't remember what you've read vs. what you haven't!).

Alright, I finally found a friend!  I've recommended some books to Olivia here on her Goodreads.  Scroll down to see my comments!  I did use trusty Novelist to help in my recommendations, but I did use the 'search books' tool for her page to see if she had already read any of the books I was going to recommend.  It checks against her list and tells you if it is on there.  Nice tool, and a nice way to see if you may or may not have the same reading interests as your bookish friends.
If you're too lazy to check my comments on the GR site, here they copied and pasted:

Hello Friend!

I see that you've read and enjoyed Skinny Dip, by Carl Hiassen. I used Novelist and found a few books that you may also be interested in (they follow a writing style that includes satirical and dark humor).

One recommendation was Good Omens by Gaiman and Pratchett, but I double checked your list and you've already read that one! So I am going to suggest David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, which follows a family described as zany and dysfunctional. This story involves a varied and wide cast of characters, and Wallace's writing is described as 'morbid cerebral humor.' If that doesn't suit you, or you don't want to get involved with the antics of a cast of hundreds, I am also going to recommend White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. This story involves a man who is transplanted to New Delhi, India after he has landed a new job. However, his outlook on life undergoes changes as he begins to see technology, materialism, and city life in a new light.

Sorry if this sounded like a commercial for Novelist or like spam. It's not!
See you at the library!

Anne

Week 4: Assignment 1
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? Complete the following Goodreads features and functions:
•Create shelves for the books you rated.
•Make friends with colleagues.
•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.
•Include this recommendation on your blog and write/share your impressions, discoveries, or revelations from exploring Goodreads.

Week Three: The Readers’ Services Conversation

   Are you listening?

Week 3: Assignment 1
Review NoveList article “The RA Conversation” by Neal Wyatt.

Week 3: Assignment 2
Listen to this podcast of Nancy Pearl talking about books. Note how long her individual book talks are, how she describes the book, and how much plot is discussed.

Week 3: Assignment 3
Review these patron descriptions of “what they are looking for” and post an entry on your blog on what you heard or deduced, and what title you would recommend. (Note: There isn’t one “right” answer to what title you would recommend to these customers, just be able to support your recommendation.)



Convo 1:
Librarian: Hi, is there anything I can suggest?

Customer: I’m looking for a good story, you know, something that draws me in. But I don’t know where to start looking.

Librarian: What was the last book you read? Could you share something you liked about it?

Customer: The last book I read was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Everyone is reading it so I had to pick it up. It was lovely. She is such an interesting woman and so brave. I enjoyed the descriptions of the countries she went to and what she did while she was there, of course, but I think what I liked most was how she shared her inner thoughts — so reflective but funny too. I thought it might be just light fluff or all me, me, me, me, but it was so much more than that. I read all the Oprah books and just love them. Anyway I wanted to ask you for a few suggestions for my book group. It’s my turn to pick the title.

Sounds like this person is interested in character: the character's voice, viewpoint, and personality seems important.  They also want a story that is compelling intellectually, something of interest that will make them reflect.



I may recommend something like The wives: the women behind Russia's literary giants, by Alexandra Popoff (Aug 2012).  These are the true stories of the wives behind the great Russian writers with intriguing anecdotes and first-hand accounts from diaries and letters describing their dedication despite political persecution and oftentimes less than loving relationships.


This reader may also enjoy Zadie Smith's On Beaty, 2005.  Novelist describes this title as "character-driven", "witty", and "lyrical".  The story is about a college art professor struggling with an unraveling marriage and his relationship with his three adult children.  Crises of identity, politics, and suffocating relationships emerge, enough meat to give the reader ample topics for self-reflection.

Convo 2:
Customer: Can you recommend any vampire books that are nothing like the Twilight series?

Librarian: Let me see how I can help you. What don’t you like about Twilight?

Customer: Everything, but especially that teen love story – way too much angst! And way too slow. Have you read any good vampire stories lately? 

This reader doesn't want to have anything to do with the repellent inner dialog of vapid teenagers.  They want something faster-paced, less internally reflective and probably less "Woe is I, the misunderstood teen.".  Let's see if we can find them something up their alley...



This reader may enjoy Laurell K. Hamilton's series of Anita Blake stories.  Blake is a vampire and monster hunter and supernatural detective located in St. Louis.  Hamilton's style is described as fast-paced and compelling; the storylines involve serial killers, unknown murderers, and hesitant alliances.  There are scenes of eroticism, but don't seem to be in the vein of an eternal teen-aged love affair.  If the reader is open to suspense and action, these titles may be of interest.



Kim Harrison's Hollows series may also be a good choice.  This series is based on a Cincinnati bounty hunter whose world involves witches, monsters, vampires, and a variety of other-worldly characters.  Solving murders while rogue diseases are plaguing the human population, our heroine Rachel Morgan's world is fast-paced and uncertain.




Convo 3:
Librarian: Hi, are you looking for anything in particular?

Customer: I just read this great book The River of Doubt. It was about Teddy Roosevelt and this ill fated expedition to chart an uncharted river in the Amazon. They lost almost all their provisions, the president was injured, and it turns out one of their crew was a murderer since there was a murder. And the most amazing thing was that it true. It was fascinating and really fast paced. Do you have anything to recommend that is like that?
Convos adapted from Wyatt (2008), retrieved from NoveList Plus.

Oooh, this reader is just up my RA alley.  They seem to like true-life stories, but fast paced.  (In this case I may avoid some Eric Larson.  While Devil in the White City has an interesting plot, I actually stopped reading because the alternating storyline and almost suffocating detail wasn't quick enough for me).

 

Here is a book lauded as fast-paced with true adventure:  Lost in Shangri-la: the Epic True Story of a World War II Plane Crash into the Stone Age (Apr 2011).  All true and previously untold, this story details a plane crash of American soldiers holding fast to their lives as they struggle to survive the New Guinea wilderness, a place where the native tribes have never seen white people and fear they are from the spirit world.

 

A grim true story, if the reader is up for a challenge imaging the limits of survival, is Ordeal by Hunger: the Story of the Donner Party.  In this gripping true historical account, author George R. Stewart uses first-hand documents to piece together the fates of these West-bound pioneers who unluckily got caught in the grips of the brutal winter conditions of the high Sierras.

I hope my fictional readers enjoy these real recommendations!
Keep on reading!
=)
 

Week Two: Books I have enjoyed according to their reader's advisory appeal factors

 

Week Two: Using mainly reader's advisory appeal factors rather than plot summary, write annotations on your blog for two books which you’ve read and enjoyed.

What are the appeal factors, you ask?  Neal Wyatt breaks it down in his Novelist article as:

1. Pacing
2. Characterization
3. Story Line (including the books context, type, genre, theme, and subjects)
4. Language
5. Setting
6. Detail
7. Tone
8. Learning/Experiencing

So let's apply these factors to one of my all-time favorite stories: Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, by Daniel Clowes.

Pacing for graphic novels and comics moves faster than for the written word.  Because we use our visual literacy to read action from panel to panel, the storyline flows with the images.  Velvet Glove is not a superhero story, but rather a convoluted tale of a man who decides to find out about his estranged wife after seeing her in what seems to be a cult film at a desperately seedy theater.  We see our main character's life in the present, through flashbacks, and in dreams.  The reader needs to be keen of these transitions in the storyline, lest she or he become utterly confused and frustrated with our pretty whacked out/multifaceted tale.

There are multiple eccentric, odd, sad, and compelling characters featured in Velvet Glove.  Some don't even have speaking lines, but their presence is haunting.  In the case of Laura, we are introduced to a headless, orifice-less, shaggy dog who begins to follow Clay, our main character, where ever he goes.  Who wouldn't be a little shaken after picking up such a creature (who actually seems pretty harmless after you realize she won't bite you)?  We may not necessarily know who is good or who is bad immediately when they are introduced, but things get so weird and trippy we want to find out!

To sum:  if you are intrigued by a cast of misfit characters and a quirky but eerily dark-toned storyline, aren't scared or put off by the comic/graphic novel medium, you too may enjoy one of my favorite books, Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron.



Another title I enjoyed is Under the Banner of Heaven, by Jon Krakaeur.  This is a history of the Mormon Church told alongside the true story of a gruesome murder committed by members of a fundamentalist sect of the Church against members of their own family.

Storyline and setting are the primary appeal factors for this nonfiction title.  Since the Mormon faith is a fairly recent American-born religion, its made-in-the-USA history has an appeal of its own.  This is a faith of us, or at least some of us - natively American-made.  And its story is bizarre, intriguing, and at parts unbelieveable.  I remember reading and doing double-takes at Krakauer's information -- it was following too closely to the story of the Mormon's told in a South Park episode... but Krakauer wasn't joking around.  This was serious stuff, alternating between the story of Mormon origins and the severe story of the fundamentalist Mormon's murderous calling.

This title I would recommend to anyone who enjoys learning about history or other cultures and religions, and anyone who is intrigued by faith-based murders.  Definitely fulfills the 'learning/educational' appeal factor.

So there are my picks.  I hope someone suggests some interesting books for me! =)

If you're interested to see the other blogger's titles I responded and made suggestions to, peep it here.

Week One: Choose a book site to follow

I think I will follow NPR's book review site to help me with RA and generally keeping abreast of the book world.  I do also like Goodreads and enjoy their monthly newsletter.