Week 9: Assignment 3

I really, really enjoyed this exercise.  I think it was a good "shot in the arm" for RA at BCPL.  I plan to read many of the books I discovered while doing the work.  These assignments rekindled the excitement about books.  I learned about book trailers which I feel will be important to the future of reading.  Teens and children are used to You Tube and it will natural for them to rely on trailers when searching for something to read.  I also enjoyed all genre segments, particularly the assignments dealing with nonfiction.

Thanks for all the hard work it took to create Be More Bookish!

Week 9:  Assignment 2

Wow.  I can really see how book trailers could take off.  Of course, there are some awful one out there, but this is a new way to get people to read.  Some of the children and teen book trailers are excellent.  I enjoyed My Life Undecided and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.  I intend to read both books now because of their trailers.

Creators of book trailers will have to be careful.  When people read, they use their imaginations and a book trailer can’t dictate what the reader sees in the book.

I really enjoyed this segment of BMB.  I didn’t know much about book trailers.

 

 

 

Week 8:  Assignment 4

Citizens of London:  The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour by Lynne Olson

If you are a lover of World War II history and would like to read about it from a British perspective, this book would be a great match for you.  Major players such as Churchill, FDR, Edward R. Murrow, the famous journalist, and John Gilbert Winant, US Ambassador to Britain, are characterized with utmost detail. The author, a former Baltimore Sun correspondent, used many primary sources and set us in the middle of London at this amazing time in history.  After reading this book, you discover that Britain’s citizens were remarkably brave and endured more hardships than we realized.  The storyline is fascinating and the pacing is perfect.

This book would interest history buffs because so many primary sources were used and it doesn’t read like an American textbook.  Additionally, anyone who likes a fast paced book that includes romance, intrigue and drama will love it.

Journey Without Maps by Graham Greene

This is a fascinating account of the famous author’s adventurous trek though Africa’s Liberia in a time when many roads were not yet chartered.   In 1935 Greene aged 31 and his 23 year old female cousin discovered areas of Africa that were not yet colonized by Europeans.  They encounter disease, unusual insects and inhabitants of a country that had an exotic way of life.  Greene finds a new love of life after this dangerous but invigorating journey to a world untouched by western civilization.

 It is Greene’s first travel book and fans of his subsequent books would like to read this adventurous travel account.  Also, people interested in 20^th Century African history would also enjoy it.

 

 

Week 8:  Assignment 1
Read both articles, but really enjoyed, Borderlands:  Crossing between Fiction and Nonfiction in Readers' Advisory.  I plan to read some of the older titles mentioned.

Week 8:  Assignment 2
I thought the video had a great deal of useful information. 

Week 8:  Assignment 3
History - Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain During Its Darkest Hour by
               Lynne Olson.
Crime - Presumed Dead:  A True Life Murder Mystery by Henry K. Lee
Travel - Journey Without Maps by Graham Greene
Memoir - Prague Winder by Madeline Albright

Week 7:  Assignment 4
Harper Teen:  This site has appealing graphics and they listed numerous ways to follow them via social media.  They did a really good job of selling their books.

Teens at Random: I didn't like the site but teens might be attracted to it.  The "Fun" section had some good fun and games.  The list of newsletters seemed helpful.

Week 7:  Assignment 3
Teen Reads - Teen Reads had some good annotations.  Teens would also really like the contests.  If you are an avid teen reader, wouldn't you like to win a slew of books?  The ultimate Teen Reading List looks inviting too.  The Coming Soon section would be great way to get teens to reserve new books.

Forever Young Adult - This seems very teen friendly.  The ads for clothing stores would appeal to most teens.  Also YA on TV is probably so popular with this age group.  The features section is also impressive.  Between 2 lockers is a way to learn about popular authors. 

Week 7:  Assignment 1
That flowchart must be popular with Young Adults and New Adults!

Week 7:  Assignment 2
New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak or Valued Subgenre
Publishers were worried about teens aging out of the genre and not reading.   They shouldn't worry because the teens are getting older and still reading "new adult"  books.  These new readers are finding out who they are and getting more mature.  Also, these books can have more explicit sex scenes because they aren't for young teens.

Who is Buying Teen Books?
Adults and Young Adults are reading teen books.  Adults who read teen books are looking for escape, and fast paced stories.  Twilight and other teen books have attracted adults to the genre.  Amazon has picked YA titles four times for their monthly Top 10 List.

I posted to Courtney Rollins's blog and to Kathleen MacCubbin's blog.

Week 6:  Assignment 3
Mashup of Subgenres
Humorous Legal Fiction - Lisa Scottoline's books would fit this subgenre.  Her legal thrillers are funny.
Historical Mysteries - Anne Perry's mysteries enable readers to learn historical facts.
Epic Fantasies - George R. R. Martin's books are set in imaginary worlds with challenging obstacles.

Week 6:  Assignment 1
I followed Mystery Readers International and was very impressed.  There is a lot of useful information on the blog.  There were some great lists that could be used for creating displays.

Week 6:   Assignment 2
I liked the prezi but wish I could have printed it.

Week 6:  Assignment 3
Literary Fiction -
The members are excited about works that hold literary merit.  They want their members to be aware of the next big "literary thing".  Goodreads.

Paranormal Romance - Paranormal Addicts and Newbies
Readers in this group like vampires, werewolves, shifters, witches, fae and everything else paranormal.  One reader craves "a good sappy HEA (happily ever after?) story.  Goodreads.

Historical Fiction -
They want members who have diverse interests.  They want to experience all kinds of historical fiction.  One reader is from the Phillipines and she was searching for historical fiction set in her country.  Goodreads.

Week 5:  Assignment 1
I like reading about the publishing industry and interviews.  I was particularly interested in the interview with Nancy Pearl.

Week 5:  Assignment 2
The read alikes will be useful.  Also the BEA information is always fun to read.  The Debut Author program is a good way to find out about  new books.

Week 5:  Assignment 3
I think The Golem and the Jinni will be popular.  It will appeal to readers who like mystical fiction.  Also readers who like the Middle East and jewish interest stories will find it intriguing.

Week 4: Assignment l

Week 4:  Assignment l
I joined Goodreads last year but I stopped getting emails, so it was a good opportunity to revisit it.  I have created book shelves and made some more friends. 
Here is my recommendation for Destiny of the Republic which I sent to Stephanie Seipp.
This is such an interesting true story about the unfortunate death of James Garfield.  You seem to like books about US presidents and you won't be disappointed with this book.  It reads like a novel.

Week 3: Assignment 3

Week 3:  Assignment 3
Conversation 3
Explorer: the life of Richard E. Byrd sounds like a book you might like.  Byrd was a fascinating, yet egotistical, explorer who did have a brush with death.  He was a colorful character.

Week 3: Assignment 3

Week 3:  Assignment 3
Conversation:  You may like Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson. It's about vampires, but it is funny and quick paced.

Week 3 Assignment 3

Week 3:  Assignment 3
Conversation 1:  You might enjoy Tales of a Female Nomad.  She travels to some very exotic locales and reflects on her changed life. 

Week 2:  Assignment 3
I posted two titles on M'Lissa Moss's blog.

Week 2: Assignment 2

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

First and foremost this is a love story of Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd, the famous architect.  Mamah is a headstrong married woman who leaves her very comfortable life and two loving children to travel and live with the man who challenges her and makes her feel that following her intellectual pursuits is the right thing to do.  While it is easy to admire Mamah’s feminist ideas, as she seems to be ahead of her time, it is also very easy to condemn the abandonment of her family, particularly her children and her sister.  People from all walks of life questioned her character.

The Secret Lives of Codebreakers:  The Men and Women Who Cracked the Engima Code at Bletchley Park by Sinclair McKay

This is an incredibly fascinating nonfiction book about some of the true heroes of World War II.  Bletchley Park, a sprawling estate purchased by the head of the intelligence agency at the beginning of the war, became the headquarters for over 1,000 Brits who worked on breaking the German Engima Code.  Loyal workers who included the brightest scholars from Oxford and Cambridge, as well as custodians and groundskeepers, never revealed what went on during the war at this remote location.  Many details weren’t ever mentioned to family members after the war, but now the truth is starting to come out.  This book does not bore you with mathematical computations, but does reveal the more interesting sides of life during the war such as parties, romances and difficult living conditions.

Week 1:  Assignment 4
I will visit NPR Books because I listen to NPR all the time, but can't write down the titles while I'm driving.  It will be a convenient way to follow what is discussed.
I will also visit Goodreads because it's popular with librarians as well as other readers in the community.

Week 1: Assignment 1  I loved trying to identify those titles, even though I didn't quite ace the quizzes!  Adapting the quizzes would be a fun thing to do at a librarians' meeting.