Week 7: Assignment 4

I reviewed the Harper Teen and Teens@Random websites.  Dystopian novels seems to still be quite popular, as well as tried and true authors like James Dashner and John Green.

Week 7: Assignment 3

TeenReads

TeenReads is a product of The Book Report Network, which provides book reviews, author profiles, and information on new releases via several websites in an effort to provide up-to-date information on finding enjoyable reading material.  The TeenReads site is graphically appealing and presents information by category in a way that makes it very accessible.  One of my favorite sections, "Books to Add to Your Guy-brary" presents a bookshelf full of books that would be appealing to young male readers.  There are also sections on "New in Paperback," "Cool and New," and reviews on new releases.

Forever Young Adult

Forever Young Adult bills itself as " A site for YA readers who are a little less Y and a bit more A."  The website offers reviews, book lists, and events such as the Summer Showdown, which encourages reading and participation in reading events.  From the short amount of time I spent reviewing it, it seems to offer quite a bit of good information on titles of interest to lovers of this genre.

Week 7: Assignment 2

New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak Or Valued Subgenre?

This article explores the need to categorize literature geared for the 18 to 24-year-old crowd.  Frankly, I have always found the term "young adult" confusing, as it seems to be targeted at teens, including 14 to 18-year-olds. BCPL's use of the call number "Teen" seems to be more appropriate.That being said, since we work in a public library, many of these distinctions may seem arbitrary and unnecessary.  But to many of our customers, especially those who may not be avid readers, this may be a useful way of identifying material that would be of interest.  Most of us can relate to the characters in our favorite books, especially if they are in the same stage of life as we are, or are facing some of the same struggles that we do. I would welcome any distinction that provides additional information, whether younger "teen" or "new adult."


A Not-So-Young Audience for Young Adult Books

I have always tried to read whatever my children were reading for school.  It gives me a chance to connect with them on an intellectual level and learn more about what they like to read.  As they have gotten older, that has included more from the Young Adult genre.  I probably would not have read the Hunger Games trilogy or the Divergent series if not for their interest.  And I have discovered that I enjoy reading Young Adult fiction!  Not exclusively, but certainly there is a place for it in my reading adventures.  Whatever gets you to think, feel, or learn is acceptable reading material.

Week 6: Assignment 1

Way back in Week One, I chose Tor as my genre resource as I am unfamiliar with the science fiction/ fantasy genre and figured it would be a good learning experience.  Part of this whole training process is to get us to expand our horizons, right?

I must admit that spending time looking at this website has been a little like waking up in an alternate universe.  Strange, unfamiliar, confusing.  Many of the titles, authors, and series that are discussed on the website were completely foreign.

I am probably most familiar with popular science fiction, having enjoyed all of the Star Trek and Star Wars series.   The children's Tripods series by John Christopher is outstanding.  One of my favorite authors, John Sandford, recently crossed genres and wrote a science fiction book with author and photographer Ctein.  It was wonderful - blending political intrigue with interesting characters.  I wasn't expecting to enjoy it so much.

As far as Fantasy - who doesn't love Harry Potter?  On the other hand, I have tried in vain for years to motivate myself to read my 50th anniversary copy of The Hobbit.  The creepy trolls and other creatures just can't hold my attention. Other than that I really haven't read much in the way of fantasy.

I have subscribed to the Tor newsletter in hopes that I can spend more time in the future becoming more familiar with some of these genres authors, and be apprised of upcoming titles of interest.

Week 5: Assignment 3

Before the Fall, by Noah Hawley is described as "the thriller of the year."  As a lover of the thriller genre, how could this bold statement not pique my interest?  The story centers on eleven passengers that depart on a private jet from Martha's Vineyard to New York.  When the plane mysteriously goes down, the only survivors are down on his luck painter Scott Burroughs and the four year old son of a wealthy and powerful media mogul.  This sounds like a fast paced story that delves into the backgrounds of the characters, exploring their relationships to each other.  This would appeal to lovers of fast paced mysteries that are character driven, with dark undertones.

Week Five: Assignment Two

According to Matt Keifer, Collection Development Coordinator at the Cockeysville Branch, we have quite a few customers who are interested in history books.  EarlyWord's categories links on the left of the home page offers a section on non-fiction - history that offers new and soon to be released selections.

As in most branches, popular fiction is always in demand in our branch.  Recently, the Baltimore Sun stopped publishing the New York Times Best Sellers list and started using The Ivy Bookshop, a local independent book store, as its source for best selling books.  As a result, several customers have come to the library in search of a copy of the New York Times list.  EarlyWord provides a link to several bestseller lists all in one place, which will continue to be useful for those looking for popular fiction.

Overall,  I think EarlyWord will continue to be a useful source of information about upcoming releases.  I have subscribed to the newsletter and look forward to being kept up to date on what is going on in the publishing world.

Week 5: Assignment One

Since I wanted to use this training opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and learn more about resources and genres with which I am less familiar, I decided to try EarlyWord and Tor as a resources.

EarlyWord has been a new and delightful experience!  One of the first things that struck me about the website was how many tie-ins it offers to books that have been recently promoted on NPR.  Customers often come to the information desk looking for a title that they heard about on a radio or television program. This is a wonderful opportunity to get ahead of the curve a bit and anticipate what they might be looking for.

Another section that caught my eye was the Movie and TV based on books section that details upcoming releases.  This is another way to anticipate what customers are looking for, be aware of why there is a lengthy waiting list for an older book, and maybe even be prepared to suggest a similar title that they may enjoy so they don't go away empty handed.

I often browse the library catalog's "Hot Titles" list to see what is being released, and also to troll for new material for myself.  EarlyWord's Categories on the left side of the page provide a wonderful selection of material for many different genres.  Just out of curiosity, I took a peek at the thriller category under Fiction, and immediately found a title of interest that I had not heard of before.

The site also offered a link to an article in Harper's Bazaar called "The 12 Summer Books That Everyone Will Be Talking About.  It was good to see what is on the horizon for recommended summer reads, and to at least be somewhat familiar with what customers want.