week 7

Assignment 1: Fun flowchart, certainly a useful collection of titles that librarians should be aware of. I would guess that the avid teen post-HG readers have read all of these and more at this point.

Assignment 2:

I read the ‘New Adult’ article. I have to agree with the Random House VP quoted in here: the content has always been out there, whether you call it ‘new adult’ or ‘YA’ or ‘coming of age’, etc. It might be more relevant to publishers to have a more precise way to describe this booming genre or for authors to be able to sell their work by attaching it to this trend, but it seems like customers are going to find the books they want no matter what we call them. After all, “young adult” and “juvenile” are never the terms that customers apply to their reading tastes or age level. 

Article 2 was ‘Not Just for Teens.’ These are all sensible reasons that adults are (re)connecting with teen literature. While reading this I was wondering about the internet connection: adult readers in their 30s and 40s, whether they are parents or not, are the last generation of folks to remember life before the internet. Teens today take the internet (and 24/7 access to it via smartphones) as a given. Life happens online. As someone who remembers life pre-internet, I definitely wonder what life is like for teens today (not only because I have a sister 16 years my junior)… and reading teen literature is a way to bridge that gap and connect with the worldview of today’s teens.

I posted to Melissa G.’s blog:

Howdy. I read the same articles. 'New Adult' seems fine for the industry folks, but I'm not sure that customers care one way or another.

I also feel the exact opposite way you do about adult fic-- though I do steer clear of the authors you mentioned. I think I would pick up MORE teen titles if they weren't part of a series, which seems to be the way teen publishing is these days. I so rarely get invested in a series that starting one sounds, I don't know, exhausting.

…and to Jarrett F.’s blog:

Hi Jarrett,

Re: New Adult... I think you may be right here. It's a trendy term right now, but it may sound dated and stale (like 'young adult') in a couple of years. Your point about sexuality is a good one, and I wonder who marketers are really trying to nab with this term: all the actual adults who are reading teen now, and don't care? or the actual older teens who are already reading this stuff anyway? For me, it's very profit-focused, and not an identifier I expect readers to pick up. People want the books they want, whatever the category: "juvenile", "teen", "adult" or otherwise.

 Assignment 3:

I followed John Green’s tumblr and Stacked. John Green’s tumblr is great and I’m a little embarrassed I hadn’t looked at it before, though I have seen some of his videos. Geared towards fans of his regardless of age, as well as people interested in…many things. I’ll be following his site from now on.

I like the appearance of Stacked, and it’s reviews seem to appeal to the teen reader. Written by librarians, the reviews link titles to others that may be similar. Librarians and bookish folks will enjoy.

Assignment 4:

Little, Brown Books for Teens: Thrillers and realistic fiction seem to be big winners here. I saw no fewer than three James Patterson teen titles. This site also links to thenovl.com, which appears to be a cute, book-themed tumblr for teens, though judging by the ‘likes,’ it may not be that well-trafficked. Although I do like their manifesto.

Teens @ Random: … is a pretty dated-looking site. Lots of fantasy titles here, as well as hype for a new title from James Dashner , who just recently joined them for a chat.

 

week 6

Assignment 1: Stop You’re Killing Me!

I mentioned in week 5 that I haven’t been following along with SYKM as well as I should. The location index is cool, as a lot of customers seem to want mysteries by setting. Another nice feature is the historical period index; it makes it easy to isolate authors who write about the same time period.

I must admit that while SYKM is full of useful information, it is not the most eye-catching, nor fun to browse (though since mysteries aren’t my bag, who am I to say?!). I see it becoming a go-to when I’m helping customers, but it’s text-heavy, dry design makes me less interested in visiting.

Assignment 2: Neat-o.

Assignment 3:

Three subgenres with which I’m unfamiliar:

Cipher Thriller (sounds like--- Psycho Killer, Qu’est-ce que c’est?)

I found the website ciphermysteries.com through the magic of google searching. The site focuses mainly on actual historical cipher cases (in quite a lot of detail), but features a cipher fiction category. Within fiction, interest seems to surround Brown’s recently released Inferno, as well as some older titles on the Voynich manuscript (which unbeknownst to me has apparently stumped ciphers across the globe since the 15^th century).

Three authors: Dan Brown, Robin Wasserman, Steve Berry

Appeal factors: usually fast-paced, good sense of time and place (often historical), keen eye toward detail-oriented plot points, allowing readers to crack the code (or at least follow along)

Amish Romance / Clean Romance

We have a lot of interest in this topic, particularly Amish fiction, at Parkville. I found more than I expected in terms of fan sites, and went with a Goodreads Fans of Amish Fiction Group. There seems to be lots of interest in Wanda Brunsetter’s most recent Discovery series, and someone posted a list of dozens of Amish fiction books due out through the end of 2013; many readers seem excited for the new releases, as many occur within series.

Three authors: Wanda Brunsetter, Beverly Lewis, Barbara Cameron

Appeal factors: realistic feel, dramatic tension, introspective characters

Epic Fantasy

I found www.rantingdragon.com through a quick google search. Readers seem to eagerly await the newest installments in their favorite epic series, which seem to come many years apart (epic takes time to write). These novels seem to transport readers to a new world and engage them in grand heroic adventures and battles.

Authors/Titles: Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (teen), Anne Bishop, George R. R. Martin

Appeal factors: Immersion in a fantasy world, attention to detail, engrossing storyline and strong characterization.

Mashups

Chicklit/magical realism? Cecelia Ahern’s The Time of My Life, perhaps. Sounds like a realistic story that contains elements of the surreal.

Romance/suspense/spy? Lora Leigh’s Wild Card. Woman assumes her Navy SEAL husband is dead after a spy mission, but lo and behold he isn’t? Can he make it back to her? No question that the cover denotes a romance, but it seems to have elements of the other genres as well.

week 5

Week 5

Assignment 1:

I followed Earlyword and Stop You’re Killing Me in week 1.

Earlyword: I learn something new every time I check this fantastic site. Most often, I take note of new books on the publishing horizon that are garnering review buzz and holds in other library systems.  Recently, these were The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, Jeannette Walls’ new fiction title, The Silver Star, and a throng of hot romance reads in the 50 Shades arena. I also count on Earlyword to point out the book-to-film connections; it’s the first place I’ll hear that a book has had the movie rights purchased, or a certain actor is slated to play a particular character. Hollywood shows no signs of slowing down on nabbing novels—books are where it’s at!—so knowing in advance what customers will be looking for is a big help (or maybe even scooping the customer and being able to tell them about the next big blockbuster).

Stop You’re Killing Me: I have not been checking this site as often as I should. I did use it to help identify some new authors for a mystery customer who loves any and all UK mysteries. She had followed—and completed—several series, and was looking for new authors writing from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, GB, you name it. The location index, as well as monthly updated characters, made it easy to throw out a few authors she hadn’t heard of yet.

Assignment 2:

Parkville has a pretty hefty readership in the mainstream stuff- James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Stuart Woods, and whatever hits the bestseller list. We also have a considerable Christian fiction following- Melody Carlson, Lori Copeland, etc.- along with fans of Amish fiction. Romance readers, too, we have them. There’s also a much bigger SF population than I would have guessed before working here. All that being said, those are the customer trends that jump to mind because the customers ask for assistance; there are many other voracious readers who never ask for help. Our audiobook listeners and graphic novel fans seem to find what they want, checkout, and leave, for the most part.

I’ve already written about Earlyword, and yes, it is awesome. I like that there are links to just about any collection of books you’d need—indie next picks, bestsellers, grouped by genre, best books of 2012, award winners, etc. All in one spot. Also, it’s fun to see what Nancy Pearl is up to when she posts new content. I made Earlyword a shortcut on our internet windows at our information desks to encourage staff to check this resource frequently. I appreciate the heads-up on TV appearances, which helps to jog my memory when a customer wants that book that was on the Today show this morning, but can’t put her finger on the title.

Assignment 3:

I tried to select a title that hadn’t been released yet, and went with:

Fast-paced, absurd stories with quirky characters, Don’t Kiss Me promises to entertain short story lovers as well as those interested in a new reading experience. Fans of Lorrie Moore or George Saunders might enjoy.