Week 5

Assignment #1:
I chose to follow NPR and USA Happy Ever After. I've found the NPR reviews to be very well-written, and incredibly detailed, which is really helpful since I'm not going to read every book. I feel like many of these would help me book talk with customers. I have also really enjoyed their book news wrap-ups, I end up learning something new with each article.

Assignment #2:
Earlyword is one of my favorite sources. When I first started in BCPL someone recommended that I check out Earlyword, and I've been using it ever since. I particularly find their lists of books being released the following week helpful. As well, I find the posts about books being made into movies very useful, so I can better anticipate what customers might want.

Assignment #3:
The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani will appeal to fans of literary fiction. Publishers Weekly notes that it is "gorgeously written." So fans of books with beautiful language will surely enjoy this upcoming novel. As well, the novel has a vivid setting in both place and time, with an intriguing mystery underlying the plot of the novel. This mystery creates a sense of suspense that pervades the novel. This title is expected to be popular based on its wonderful pre-publication reviews.

Week 4

I've been on Goodreads for almost two years now. I find that it not only helps me to keep track of what I'm reading or what I've checked out and don't get around to reading, but that it helps me keep track of what other people are reading, and find new books to read and recommend. I am friends with a number of BCPL librarians, as well as classmates from library school. I think it's really helpful to see what my friends who work in different library systems are reading. I don't tend to use the recommendations that Goodreads gives out, but I have found the lists helpful.


I recommended City of Women by David Gillham to Miky Segall. I think she'd really enjoy City of Women since she enjoys historical fiction. As well, many of the books that she has rated have vivid European settings, like City of Women. Finally, it has compelling characters.

Week 3

Conversation 1:
Based on the first conversation, I gathered that the customer enjoyed that Eat, Pray, Love gave you access to the author's thoughts. As well, she seemed to enjoy the different settings, and learning about new places.

Based on that I would recommend Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. Much of the novel is set in the Amazon, where researcher Marina Singh goes in search of her missing colleague. Patchett's descriptions of Marina's time in the Amazon are vivid, and transport the reader there. The book is character driven, and readers learn a great deal about Marina and her thoughts, which I think this customer enjoys.


Conversation 2:
Customer number two seems to be interested in fiction about vampires, but not the current romantic vampire trend.

I would recommend Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian. The Historian follows a sixteen year-old girl who finds a mysterious book about Drakulya amongst her father's things. This sets her on a journey to discover the truth behind the Dracula legend. Extremely well-written, The Historian is a page-turner that goes beyond the typical vampire romance. Additionally, I might recommend one of the titles I discussed last week,The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. If I could determine if the customer was interested in other supernatural beings, this would be another vampire book that goes beyond the romance, exploring what the history of vampires, witches, and daemons.


Conversation 3:
Customer number three is looking for a non-fiction book that reads like fiction. The customer is looking for something that is fast-paced, maybe with some sort of adventure.

I would recommend Manhunt: the twelve-day chase for Lincoln's killer by James Swanson. This is another book about a president, that is fast-paced, and entirely true. The search for John Wilkes Booth is suspenseful, which should interest this customer who is looking for something fast-paced.

Week 2

Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness begins slowly, carefully creating the characters and setting. The initial Oxford setting is vividly drawn, and is what initially drew me to the book, since I spent a semester there in college. Harkness describes Oxford's Bodleian Library so beautifully, that I felt like I was there sitting in the stacks doing research again. The other locations throughout the novel add greatly to the story, and truly give the sense that magic exists in the world. In addition to creating a wonderful setting, Harkness also sets out to create a world inhabited by creatures (witches, vampires, and daemons), this world building also contributed to her creation of a vivid setting. Diana Bishop, the main character in Discovery of Witches, is a witch who denies her powers. Her entire character and background is laid out in the first parts of the book, making her easily understandable and at least somewhat relatable. Matthew Clairmont, the vampire is much more a mystery, and readers learn more about his identity throughout the novel and its sequel. This combination of well-drawn out and ever-changing characters, makes the novel all the more interesting.

The Smart One by Jennifer Close tells the story of the Coffey family, and therefore deals with multiple characters, each distinctly characterized. The changing perspectives of the story kept me interested, and moved the story along. Close's characterization of the Coffey family made it easy to identify with each of the characters throughout their respective stories, and to identify with the family as a whole. Each character's personality was consistent, but each was different, adding interest to the story. 



I posted recommendations on Linda S.'s post.