Assignment 3 WRAP UP!!!one!!!
This training has been incredibly useful, especially for a part-timer like me. I have been *really* using NoveList now, and feel so much more comfortable talking about books and writing about books. The key was learning about appeal factors. That really simplifies the process for me.
I also found the websites I am now following to be extremely informative, particularly Early Word, but the Book Beast is just fun. I found out I love writing about books and blogging and will probably continue with my shenanigans.
Assignment 1
Read the Chicago Tribune and New York Times articles on Book Trailers, and watch a few popular ones on YouTube.
Assignment 2
Book Trailers. My knee-jerk reaction, what the ? what do we need book trailers for? Sounds like a dumb idea. I hadn't actually seen one before. Where are they hiding? I spend a good amount of time online and never even see them. Then I recall that I did see a few trailers on the Penguin for teens site, but I ignored them.
After reading the New York Times article on book trailers, I was more skeptical. How unfair to authors. What if they don't want to be in front of a camera. It seems like it would just add more stress to promoting a book. Now they have to come up with a clever idea AND look half-way decent for the camera? But, after looking at the trailer for The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls, all I could think was "I need to read this book" so then I was on to the next. I looked at the trailer for Lit by Mary Karr, I'd Know You Anywhere, by Laura Lippman, and 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I think they were interesting narratives that explained the authors' insights and could be useful tools for readers advisory: either watching them myself or directing customers to watch.
That was the positive, now to the negative. The Chicago Times article discussed the side of book trailers I don't find so appealing. At the risk of sounding too "get off my lawn" ACK, I just don't like seeing the book acted out in a film clip. The trailer for Packing for Mars was amusing, but I couldn't even watch it all because I started to get motion sick from the herky-jerky camera. I don't see the point in this sort of promotion--it came off as a commercial to me--but it may be popular with some readers.
The low down is that it depends on the book and how the trailer is done. I enjoy seeing the author talk about what they were thinking about when they were writing the book. I'm not interested in mini-videos of a book, but it may be interesting to others, so I'm not going to knock it.
Assignment 1
Read the following:
- Borderlands: Crossing between Nonfiction in Readers’ Advisory
- Reading Nonfiction for Pleasure: What Motivates Readers?
Assignment 2
View this E-Learning video produced by the Maryland State Library Resource Center.
Assignment 3
There are plenty of narrative nonfiction titles to be found in History, in the 970s. From this genre, I chose The Feud: the Hatfields & McCoys, the true story, by Dean King for the historical fiction fan.
For the Chick-Lit fan, I chose from the Biography section: Paris in Love, by Eloisa James. It is catalogued as a Biography, but kind of a travel piece.
For the Mystery or Thriller fan, I recommend a True Crime selection, which can be found in the 360s and I chose Manhunt, by James Swanson, which is also historical.
And, for someone who likes books like The Kite Runner or The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, from the the 305.5 area, a story about poverty and class issues in Behind the beautiful forevers: life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo.
Assignment 4
I would recommend Paris in Love by Eloisa James to a customer who had read all of Jane Green's books and wanted to try something new. Like Green, she is witty and insightful, and gives you a peek at her trials and tribulations during her year living in Paris with her family.
It is in a conversational format and includes her children's difficulties in their more stringent Parisian school, the beauty of Paris, an enduring marriage, and recovering from her bout with breast cancer, all with humor and grace. All in all, she is a likable heroine.
For a customer who was a big Daniel Silva fan, I would recommend Manhunt, by James Swanson. Like Silva's books, it has a compelling style and a fast pace.
It is the story of the 12-day chase for Lincoln's murderer, and goes into great detail, from his fleeing the scene of the crime to the hunt for him throughout Maryland and Virginia. It is full of suspnse with a compelling writing style.
