Appeal Factors
Great article on appeal factors-- a useful brush up on RS vocabulary that will undoubtedly inform my future recommendations for customers.
My usual reading diet consists of memoirs, quirky or literary fiction, a smattering of nonfiction, and graphic novels. For this exercise, I chose a graphic memoir and one of the most bizarre fiction books I've read in a very long time.
Calling Doctor Laura: A Graphic Memoir by Nicole Georges
Nicole has lived most of her twenty-odd years believing that the father she never knew was dead. When a psychic tells her otherwise, she begins to question her assumptions and eventually turns to radio’s Dr. Laura for guidance. A graphic novel memoir with a heartfelt tone and intimate detail, Calling Dr. Laura takes readers on a coming of age journey with a twist: what does Nicole’s family know about her father, and what does it mean about her identity?
Treasure Island!!! by Sara Levine
An unnamed young woman uses Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island as her life manual in this quirky and absurd novel. The wandering story follows her through several bizarre situations—working at a Pet Library, for example—and the seemingly illogical decisions she makes. Playful language and a humorous tone make for a bizarre and ridiculous romp of a novel that reads almost as an exercise in witty language.
Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteBased on your annotations, I have two recommendations for you. Still Points North, by Leigh Newman, is a memoir of the author's childhood growing up in two vastly different locations due to her parents' divorce. Dad is an Alaska-based neurosurgeon who schools her in hunting big game and salmon fishing whereas she must keep an eye on her spendthrift mom who is always on the lookout to enhance their Baltimore (!) abode even as they struggle to make ends meet. A quirky, well-crafted coming-of-age story with local references! (Although I'll admit I didn't like the latter portion of the book describing the grownup Newman's search for love.)
Secondly, I think you'll like Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, a sly fantastical intersection of technology and an old-fashioned secret print/code society. It's a fun, quick literary read AND it has a glow-in-the-dark cover!
Thanks, Paula! I completely missed Still Points North; it's on my reserve list now. As for Mr. Penumbra, there were so many librarian/library-related gushings over this title online that I grew wary. But if you recommend it and it isn't a self-congratulatory send up of libraries/librarians, then I'll reconsider. :) Thanks so much for the suggestions!
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