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.