Summary: Theeeee Endddddd!

This has been a great, well-organized and helpful training, and has made me think of things, like appeals factors, which we throw around as terms but don’t necessarily stop to think of what they actually are or mean. I also found a plethora of new sites for RA and checking for new titles. Finally, I learned more about sub-genres and nonfiction genres, teen trends, and Goodreads which I will continue to use in my work.

I really liked how each week focused on a different topic/area of RA – my only suggestion for future online courses would be to consider the workload from the get-go.  Giving everyone something like 18 weeks (2 weeks per assignment) seems more realistic given our workload in the branches.  Thank you for all the tools and information you’ve provided us!  

Week 9: To trailer or not to trailer

Book trailers? Dunno. Haven’t thought too much about them before and certainly hadn’t watched too many. One of the sites I looked at for Week 7, Random House for Teens, had what I and the one article would classify as the “low-budget” version – some ominous music, smoke, attempt to create mystery – but really it just left me thinking “huh?” I did have fun watching the ones embedded in the Times’ article – especially Mary Karr’s and Jeannette Walls’. I think those were most interesting to me as far as meeting the people and “characters” behind the books – seeing pictures of the authors and their families, hearing their voices. I’m not sure they succeed in marketing the books – if anything, I was drawn to them because I had already read the books and wanted to see more behind-the-scenes dialogue and explanation. In fact, when I was watching book trailers on You Tube, I found myself searching for titles I had read, to see how others had interpreted the story. Book Launch 2.0 and Lowboy were just plain funny – could see them grabbing a certain audience, too, but again, I was drawn to the humor, not necessarily to the books’ content.

For me, I don’t think I’ll be looking to book trailers to pick future reads, although it was interesting that the Times’ article noted this was becoming more popular amongst teens. Personally, I get more from written reviews, but could see how a well-made trailer could create hype for a title. And – if we have both written reviews/summaries and trailers for movies, it only makes sense to have the same for books – although I’m guessing a movie’s marketing budget is a little larger ($10,000 for just a basic book trailer seems like beaucoup bucks).

If I did have a customer who seemed more visual, I might direct them to trailers, but otherwise, straight book talks still seem quickest. I will continue to use other RA sites and tools, not book trailers, to find titles – but like with everything, it’s good to have another tool in our “RA tool kit” at our disposal.

Week 8: Nonfiction, or "Try it, you'll like it!"

Assignment 3:

Crime (Dewey Areas: 362s-364s mostly, a few outliers in the earlier 300s and biographies): The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder, by Charles Graeber (364.1523 G)

Science (Dewey Areas: mostly 300s and 600s, depending on the topic): Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats, by Kristen Iversen (363.1799 I)

Contemporary Social Issues (Dewey Areas: really all over –environmental/medical [like the book I chose, which is cataloged in the medical section], sociology, even some in the 900s – I’ve read a few about the fallout of 9/11, one about the Abu Ghraib trial): Poisoned Profits: The Toxic Assault on Our Children, by Philip Shabecoff (618.9298 S)

Food (Dewey Areas: 641s) : Julie & Julia: 365 days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, by Julie Powell (641.5 P)

Assignment 4:

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder, by Charles Graeber

A true-crime thriller that reads with a sense of urgency. Charlie Cullen hopscotched from one hospital to the next in NJ and PA, killing patients with drug overdoses. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as detectives race to find enough charges to bring against Cullen before he is hired at yet another hospital. Readers will also feel disbelief and outrage as they learn about how the hospitals lied and covered up Cullen’s history to keep a good public image, at the expense of patients’ well-being. Graeber provides histories with the main “characters”, so readers feel they know these people. Cullen’s friend, Amy, is an especially likeable person: frank, hard childhood, ends up being the informant for the detectives and standing up to the hospitals at the risk of her own job. Graeber also built a relationship of sorts with Cullen and interviewed him, so there is a lot of first-hand knowledge and insight into Cullen’s thoughts and deceptions. Perhaps most mysterious and intriguing: no one, including Cullen, knows the true number of victims. I would recommend this to anyone who likes true crime and thrillers: it really does read like a story, so if you like classics like In Cold Blood or Helter Skelter, which are written by people with insider knowledge, this is a good read-alike. And because detectives were really in a race against time to arrest Cullen, it has that thriller element: anyone who likes fiction authors such as Michael Palmer, Michael Connelly, Lisa Gardner, or John Grisham would like this book.

Full Body Burden: Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow of Rocky Flats, by Kristen Iversen

This book combines a lot of elements: environmental pollution, dysfunctional families, social justice, Cold War history – so it has wide appeal. Rocky Flats is a place most people are not familiar with, so it’s an eye-opener in that regard. It was a top-secret nuclear facility opened after World War II; neighborhoods sprung up around the plant, in large part to house plant workers and their families. Although Iversen’s father didn’t work there, her family lived near to Rocky Flats and Iversen herself later worked at the plant briefly.  Iversen does a good job describing members of her family, so readers feel a connection there – it’s a little like The Glass Castle or The Liar’s Club if the dysfunctional family piece is a draw for you. Normal family? Appears to be, but they are slowly self-destructing. Anyone interested in environmental issues will be outraged: how the government and plant officials covered up what was going on, the number of times horrific accidents nearly happened, the amount of sickness and contamination that resulted, the careless practices of disposing of nuclear waste. There’s a lot of information, but Iversen does a good job with keeping it lively; she switches between her family’s story and the plant’s history, so the stories don’t drag. Since this is coming from someone with first-hand knowledge, there is a lot of description about the neighborhoods, how people lived and what seemed normal at the time about the situation, and how the Cold War era unfolded and the secrecy associated with that time period. For those who like social justice, you’ll cheer when the EPA and FBI finally raid the facility, although the result, like with many environmental disasters, is bittersweet (think A Civil Action). I’d recommend it to anyone interested in the above topics, because it is such an intriguing, mysterious, disbelieving true story of devastation. Fiction readers who like David and Goliath-type stories (John Grisham comes to mind) or family dysfunction, like Ordinary People, will also like seeing how things unravel on both fronts.

Week 7: Teens! Teens! Teens!

Assignment 2:

The Next Big Thing: Adults Reading Teen Literature

I wouldn’t say this article is too insightful, except for the buying stats; as the author herself acknowledged, adults reading teen lit isn’t a new trend, just a surprise to adults who do not read in this area. I wasn’t surprised to see I fit right into the age demographic for adults most likely to read teen books, especially for the “nostalgia” factor mentioned. One of my favorite things is to reread teen books I read as a teenager to see how my perspective has changed from oh-so-many-years ago. I also enjoy realistic fiction teen titles of today. With the exception of Harry Potter and a few stand-alone titles like Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and a few authors like Lois Duncan, who sometimes incorporates magic or the supernatural into her books, I have not jumped into the fantasy realm, and really, really am not a dystopian reader, so I familiarize myself with a lot of fantasy/dystopian series from afar. For me, it will continue to be the themes of friendship, romance, mystery, family dynamics and social issues that attract me to teen titles.

YA Comes of Age

The article is almost two years old, so I did take it with a grain of salt, but it seems like their prophecies have been realized, like a still-growing dystopian market. This is interesting to me – that tough times have led the teen population and others to reading unhappy books (where it seems like adults tend to read more fun escapist books in these uncertain times, like cozy mysteries, romance, etc.). I’ve actually read several theories about this – helicopter parenting, feeling like they’re not able to make decisions for or do anything for themselves, strong teen characters in dystopian lit – so the speculation that this population has always known war is an interesting thought. It is also encouraging to see how much people want to read, and don’t feel confined to one age category for their books – whether it’s e-books, hard cover or paperbacks, people still love a good story.

 

I commented on Jaime B.’s and Maureen R.’s posts.

 

Assignment 3:

John Green Books

Funny!  You can tell he’s a Gen-Xer with the smart, sarcastic/dry humor. Felt a little pre-midlife crisis-ish when I realized he’s a year younger than me. He (or his publicist) is obviously doing a lot of the writing, with contributions from his brother Hank and others in their inner circle (videos). Intended for fans of his books, as well as anyone who appreciates off-beat, smart-alecky takes on daily living and various topics. Judging from the number of posts, especially in the book sections, I would say it’s successful. And although the site is wacky, it still maintains an organized air of professionalism.

 

Squeetus

Mostly I was just curious about the title. It’s a well-organized site, full of information, a little self-centered. I get that being a mom plus writer equals chaos, but this is mentioned again and again and again – certainly understandable but a little self-congratulatory too. And her “ridiculously long bio” (her words) – whew! Good information about her books and happenings. Hale is definitely doing the writing – funny in parts, but a little more slick-funny, not John Green-funny. Audience is definitely people like her – working and stay-at-home moms both eating up her posts about how difficult mommyland can be, and responding in kind. Also lots of fans, commenting how much they love her books. I can see how it is also inspirational for aspiring writers – lots of the “don’t give up, I was rejected 100 times before I was published” type of pep talk.

 

Assignment 4:

Harlequin Teen

Wow – so many titles and series to go through – I’m seeing lots of flouncy dresses (historical – imagined or real), supernatural, fantasy, and science fiction (steampunk seems to be here to stay for awhile). All covers and descriptions look very similar to what’s on our shelves now, with the exception of maybe steamier, hardcore (Katie McGarry) and more on the sci-fi side, as opposed to just paranormal or fantasy.

 

Teens at Random

The site itself has more of a “teen feel” – a big new releases trailer front and center, news ticker rolling with the latest book world developments, featured authors, fun site design overall. Less tedious than Harlequin – definitely made me want to hang out here and look around. Trends: sci-fi, dystopian, horror, and substantial books geared to girls (two of their newsletters are Sister Ink: Fun Fiction for the Thinking Girl, and Sisterhood). Maybe there will soon be a resurgence in realistic fiction, as several people have predicted?

 

Week 6: Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Assignment 1:

I chose to follow the Stop, You’re Killing Me! site. Honestly, it looked a lot more useful when I first started.  There are a ton of lists, thousands of authors and books, and you can find any type of book or new release – but it’s just not that useful for learning more about the genre or specific authors, or internalizing information. It’s hard to know where to start or how to absorb anything. The book reviews are useful. I would use it or show it to customers who are already into mysteries and just need to keep abreast of new releases, awards, etc.

Assignment 3:

Military Romance:

Using Google and Goodreads, I couldn’t find a site completely dedicated to this but in the spirit of “subgenres” I did find several “sub sites” within book websites which focused on military romances. One was a Goodreads group called “I Love a Man in Uniform”, which doesn’t appear to be terribly active but still has the occasional comment or new member joining (me!). It does have a decent bookshelf of titles. A lot of the members seem to be romance or action/adventure readers, so this is a good crossover. Several mention already liking cowboy or firefighter romances. Another sample site is: http://www.bookloversinc.com/2011/09/21/romance-and-me-military-romance/  where the site’s creator enthuses about the action, the danger, the romance, all made more intense by the urgency of the plot scenarios. In general, people appear to be excited about this genre because it combines the sexy and tough sides of the military, the plots are so action-heavy and intense, and there is always a feel of danger.

Three authors: Marliss Melton, Lora Leigh, Maya Banks

Appeal factors: fast-paced, intense, strong characters pushed to their limits, sense of urgency, particularly with the romance scenes

Hard-Boiled Mystery:

Hmmm, interestingly the mystery site I’m following – Stop, You’re Killing Me – doesn’t include this in their genre index. And finding a site or Goodreads page was difficult. What I found more of through Google were academic pages about the study and history of hard-boiled mystery or detective stories, or sites of dubious quality which consisted of one page of explanation and a list of authors.  One of the better ones: http://mysterypageturners.blogspot.com/2009/12/hard-boiled-mystery-novel.html  This one was helpful because of its bullet points and bibliography at the end. Another well-written one: http://www.openroadmedia.com/blog/2012-08-21/what-is-hard-boiled-crime-fiction-five-ways-to-know-it-when-you-read-it.aspx served basic information and author suggestions with quality. This sub-genre seems to appeal to men maybe a little more, but certainly is enjoyed by both genders: some of the authors, like Michael Connelly and Carl Hiaasen, I didn’t even think of, but I like them and it makes sense. Because the main characters in these stories are indeed “hardboiled”, people are not reading them for the warm fuzzies – they’re instead interested in the mystery, detective work, realistic setting or story, or suspense (or a combination of these things).

Three authors: Michael Connelly, Carl Hiaasen, Mickey Spillane

Appeal factors: gritty setting, grim tone, sometimes convoluted story lines where details are revealed slowly, flawed characters with a hard exterior – learn details about their past as you move through the book, not necessarily super-fast paced, but still a sense of urgency  when solving a mystery or case

Super Human Sci-Fi:

This one was easier, but again, finding an authoritative site that is truly a site dedicated to the sub genre proved elusive. I did find a good reads page which provided helpful titles: http://www.goodreads.com/genres/science-fiction-superhuman but not much explanation of who would actually be reading these books or why they find them appealing.  Another site I found through Miami Dade College Libraries provided some good book suggestions and an explanation of super human but again not much depth. Looking at the titles, I was surprised to find some I liked, since me and sci-fi rarely mix: Carrie, The Dead Zone, Firestarter (well, okay, maybe it’s just Stephen King J) It seems like fans of this subgenre would like more of the popular sci-fi titles, maybe not as fringe or hardcore. They may also be reading more for psychological or character development, as well as relationships, or interested more in supernatural elements as opposed to straight science fiction.

Three authors: Stephen King, Jus Accardo, Matt Myklusch

Appeal factors: fast-paced, suspenseful, about the character’s special powers but also recognizes them as a person and their struggles with the world, focus on science and/or technology

 

Subgenre Mash-ups:

I was a little surprised to see magical realism under fantasy – although there are magical or fantastical elements to the stories, I think of it as very “un-fantasy” in that the setting is completely realistic (i.e. not Middle Earth, not Planet Zelzar, etc).  Having been one of the magical realism facilitators for Genre Boot Camp, I learned that these books fit under multiple genres. You have ones that are magical realism/romance, like Like Water for Chocolate or Chocolat; ones that are magical realism/chick lit: Practical Magic or The Sugar Queen; magical realism/literary fiction: Swamplandia, The Tiger’s Wife, Midnight’s Children; magical realism/historical fiction: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, The Book Thief, Shadow of the Wind. And even within these titles there’s further cross-over: Midnight’s Children, for example, could be mr/literary/historical; Chocolat could be mr/romance/cozy. Endless possibilities!

Week 5: Early Word, Etc.

Assignment 1:

I’ve been monitoring The Daily Beast, although I find I often get caught up in the news stories before making it to the books section of the website.  When I do eventually meander to the books section, I find a lot of smart, sometimes “off the beaten path” reads which don’t necessarily show up on People or NYTB lists. All in all, I would say the site is really good for information – not necessarily the information I’m seeking when I go to the site – but always interesting.  Also, it has really good author interviews. It’s a fun site.

 

Assignment 2:

At PE, we have a lot of customers looking for popular fiction, NYTB, hot titles list. Many are self-sufficient and usually just come up to the desk for help finding a certain title or placing a hold. Our staff recommends are incredibly popular. Sometimes, I get the “can you recommend a good book” or read-alike questions.

I must say I’ve been a little skittish of Early Word – not sure why. I get the condensed newsletter, but when it shows up in my email it just looks really busy and scattered – I’m never sure where to start. But poking around on the site did endear me to it a little more. New and fun discoveries: links to Nancy Pearl information, Season Previews and Best Books. I’m always finding something interesting in the central news section, too (Tim Burton set to direct Miss Peregrine’s!  New book: Difficult Men!) Always something. All of these resources I will probably continue to use.

 

Assignment 3:

The Astronaut Wives’ Club: A True Story by Lily Koppel. Many wives of famous men are now getting their due (fabulous!), including Hadley Richardson Hemingway (The Paris Wife), Anne Lindbergh (The Aviator’s Wife), Zelda Fitzgerald (Z) and now the wives of pioneer astronauts in the late 1950s. For fans of the first three books, this would be a great read-alike, although this is a true story, not a work of historical fiction. Pacing is not fast – readers have time to learn about the women and appreciate the complexities of their lives. Characters are three-dimensional – one learns about their backgrounds, relationships and emotions, and it brings to life the women behind the publicity photos. The language, as one reviewer writes, is “breezy”, making it a good summer read, but the material can be poignant. Koppel also brings the setting to life by conveying how innovative and in many ways scary the whole field of space exploration was, and provides details about what it was really like behind the scenes for these wives. This book’s overall tone is on the light side, drawing readers in to a time in history, but also provides depth and moments of sadness and frustration. Readers will learn a lot about the complexities of the space program and what these women experienced.  

Why is it expected to be popular? People in recent years have been fascinated with bygone eras (Mad Men, Downton Abbey, etc), with psychologically-deep characters, and this book fits right in. It will appeal to fans of those television shows, as well as readers of the above-mentioned books, readers of biographies and historical fiction. It could also appeal to anyone interested in the early days of space exploration.  

 

 

Week 4: So what did I really think of Goodreads?

My impressions (plus discoveries and revelations!) of Goodreads – I’ve been a member for awhile, but mainly just to keep a list of books.  I wasn’t at all proactive; in fact, Zeke White was my only friend, and that’s because he was kind enough to friend me J.   So I definitely had some catching up to do in that department – I’m now up to eleven friends (score!)  

Once I followed some of the recommendations, I was impressed with the different features, especially creating my own bookshelves (LOVE to organize information).   I have used the genres feature, although I find I need to filter a lot of the titles (I used it when I was presenting on magical realism, for example – many of the titles recommended definitely did not fall within that genre)

Honestly, I will probably not utilize all the bells and whistles of the site.  And although it’s nice to see what others are reading, it just tends to get overwhelming with the sheer amount of information.  For me, the most useful thing will continue to be the lists and categories.  I’ve been using my BCPL account to track books I want to read, but am trying to train myself to do this on Goodreads so I have everything in one place.  Sometimes too I felt like I was doing a lot of backtracking / checking in two different places, especially for listopia.  When I was voting on my books (I did the five books I most want to read this summer),  I had to check to see if it was already on the list, then I had to do a general search and then go back to the main screen…but it may just be that I’m not yet familiar with all the details of the site.  The recommends were a match probably about 50% of the time (in terms of what actually looked interesting to me).  All in all, though, it was good to know what the site could do and how this could be a good tool for readers’ advisory – I think it will help with read-alikes and will help me easily recall titles now that I have my shelves. 

Finally, is it just me, or is the site really slow?  It seems no matter which computer or what time of day, everything takes a long time to load.

I recommended two titles to Zeke White:

Hi Zeke - thought you might like this one based on your interest in The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad, plus your general interest in Russia and Russian history.  It got great reviews and contained so many personal accounts from people who lived through the siege (or didn't make it).  Amazing research.

Leningrad: the epic siege of World War II, 1941-1944 by Anna Reid.  Similar to The 900 Days, this book brings the history and tragedy of the Leningrad siege to life. It was just published in 2011 and is incredibly well-researched.  I thought it was also interesting how she traced the Russian government’s changing attitude towards the siege – at first it was denial; later after Stalin’s death it was seen as a “noble starvation”; but only since the fall of the Soviet empire has the true horribleness of the situation come to light.  I really learned a lot with this book. 

Based on your interest in Soviet Baby Boomers: An Oral History of Russia’s Cold War Generation, plus your general interest in Russia and Russian history, I’d recommend the following:

Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova.  Similar to Soviet Baby Boomers, this is one woman’s recollection of growing up during the Cold War in Leningrad/St. Petersburg. It’s a memoir; she gives her impressions of what it was like day-to- day for herself and her family, and the pros (culture) and cons (government) of living in Russia during the Soviet era.  One reviewer recommended it to anyone interested in Soviet history and the Cold War.

Week 3 / Assignment 3: Here's What I Would Read

Conversation One:

Based on what you liked about Eat, Pray, Love, (popular book, strong female narrator/character, travels, reflective) and other factors you mentioned (like Oprah books, are looking for a good book club read), I would recommend the following:

·         Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.  This book has been mentioned by Oprah on her website, although it’s not in her “official” list of books.  Like Eat, Pray, Love, this is a book about a woman on a journey after facing personal hardship (death of mother, divorce), who rebuilds her inner strength as she hikes the PCT.  It’s very reflective and has been a popular read, and several of the trade reviews mention it would be a good pick for book clubs.

·         Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller.  This is a biography about Fuller’s mother, who was Scottish but raised in Africa.  Fuller’s mother is a unique and dramatic person and survives the unrest of 20^th century Africa, becoming stronger for it.  (Another of Fuller’s books, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, would also be a good pick – that one is about Fuller’s own childhood growing up in Rhodesia, and a book group I used to be a part of picked this as one of our reads)

·         The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Another popular book with a strong female narrator.  Walls tells of her childhood with her transient family, and also reflects on her parents and their mental illnesses.

·         The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr.  Another family memoir with a female narrator, Karr reflects on growing up in Texas with her dysfunctional family.

·         An Education by Lynn Barber.  A personal journey, Barber as a teenager met and was seduced by an older man who changed the way she saw the world and raised the bar on what she expected materially.  Barber ultimately became a successful journalist, and she reflects how all of her past experiences, more than any traditional school, gave her a more in-depth education about life and living and made her stronger.

Conversation Two:

If you like vampire stories that are more fast-paced than Twilight, and avoid subjects like teen angst and love, here are some to try:

·         Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.  This is a classic vampire story with suspense, well-developed and smart characters, and plenty of action: it is do-or-die as the main characters attempt to escape from their town where people are rapidly becoming infected.

·         Vampire Chronicles (the most famous is Interview with the Vampire) by Anne Rice.  A series of books, like Twilight, all featuring an 18^th Century vampire named Lestat.  Unlike Twilight, Rice has a more mature following, and her stories and characters are more complex and nuanced.  Trade reviews describe these books as “quality fiction” and intelligent, with plots that keep readers turning the pages.

·         Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.  This is a unique plot: secret journals are uncovered which show Abraham Lincoln was a fighter of vampires.  There is a romance, but the overall plot involves Lincoln’s struggles to kill all vampires after he finds out his own mother was killed by one.  The writing is smart, funny at times, and definitely fast-paced.

·         Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett.  Although this is a science fiction story, it is described in reviews as being an old-fashioned vampire horror story.  It is also action-packed, with a quirky, imaginative plot with characters ranging from vampires to witches.

Conversation Three:

You liked River of Doubt because it is about nature and charting unknown territories, a fast-paced and fascinating story which includes a murder.  Okay, here are some non-fiction books with those same qualities:

·         Devil in the White City: murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America by Erik Larson. This is definitely a fast-paced true crime story with two simultaneous time lines: a gifted architect racing to complete the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair and a serial killer setting up shop in Chicago around the same time.  This book is a fascinating look both at the exhausting work that went into the World Fair, which itself included many “firsts”, and into the mind of a sociopath.

·         Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.  This is about a young man from an affluent family who gives up all his possessions and sets out on a journey that eventually ends in the Alaskan bush.  It’s definitely about someone traveling into the unknown and facing nature head-on.  Krakauer also provides interesting information about the man, Chris, and his background, and interviews various friends and family members who speculate about his choices to go in an entirely different direction.

·         Storm Kings; the untold history of America’s first tornado chasers by Lee Sandlin. This is a new book about the nature of tornadoes and early settlers’ first attempts to understand the storms (which they believed were supernatural).  It mentions several famous historical storms and includes information about how scientists and meteorologists over time learned more about tornadoes and helped ease the living conditions for people in tornado-prone areas.  Reviews call it “riveting”.

·         How to Survive the Titanic: the sinking of J. Bruce Ismay by Frances Wilson. Here’s yet another Titanic story, this time about the ship’s owner.  The sinking of the Titanic is, of course, a nail-biting tale in itself, but also interesting is the fall-out.  Bruce Ismay was the ship’s owner, and was largely shunned by the world after he took a seat in a life boat meant for women and children.  His own personal trials and dealings after the sinking make for fascinating reading.

·         Dead Run by Dan Schultz.  Also a new book, true crime.  This is a modern-day news story about fugitives wanted for killing a police officer and essentially vanishing into the southwest wilderness.  What’s more scary, however, is what they originally intended to do.  There are still unsolved elements about the crime, which lend to the story’s mystique; all in all, it’s a thrilling crime story.

Week 2 / Assignment 2: I just love these books!

Sybil Exposed: the extraordinary story behind the famous multiple personality case by Debbie Nathan

Sybil Exposed is a non-fiction historical book with mostly chronological reporting, although it does jump back and forth at times.  It is not fast-paced but does have information and facts which I found interesting and which told an amazing story.  This is a history of many subjects, which are all intertwined: religion, feminism, psychology and early psychotherapy.  From a social psychology perspective, it’s a revealing look at how quickly something can veer off course and what society can be led to believe as a result.

The author stays very objective; the language is straightforward but in many ways it reads like a true crime story – the author has done an excellent job fleshing out these historical figures and telling an intriguing story.   The setting and time periods are very well described – not in exhausting detail but enough to understand the context in which the main “characters” lived and worked.  This book at times made me raise my eyebrows in disbelief, at other times caused me to be amazed, and yet other times made me feel angry or frustrated along with the main subjects.  It’s not so much the tone she sets as the information she delivers – it speaks for itself.

Since it’s non-fiction, the characters are what they are.  I like that there are few true “villains”; instead, there are several deeply flawed individuals who made poor choices.  As I’m reading, I can see how they were in large part “products of their times”, which I find intriguing: how would they be different or have made different choices today based on more opportunities and knowledge?

Overall, this book was appealing to me because I did learn so much on a topic of interest (social psychology / psychotherapy) to me.  It was one of those books I felt I had to share with people – it was that intriguing to me.

Catch Me by Lisa Gardner

Catch Me is both a criminal murder investigation and a family mystery rife with dysfunction.  It is quickly paced, yet at the same time slow to unveil what actually happened. There are several alternating story lines featuring different characters, with all stories brought together at the end.    

Multi-layered, Catch Me begins with Gardner throwing everything out there at the same time: nothing seems to fit together and it’s easy to think, “She’ll never tie all this together!”  However, in the end, after multiple clever plot twists, everything is explained and all loose ends tied up (but not in an overdone way). I am amazed at her imagination and creativity to pull together such a story without being formulaic. 

I like everything about how she built the characters: Not all characters are as they first appear; lots of personal life details and story lines are revealed about characters as the story goes along; and the main characters are strong but conflicted women (a female detective and a woman with a troubled childhood). 

The writing is straightforward, terse with a lot of action words.  Gardner uses lots of descriptors to bring to life gritty Boston and its surrounding neighborhoods.  The characters are also described but not in exhausting detail.  Something important for me is timeline, particularly years and ages, as I calculate these numeric details in my head while reading (i.e. it really bugs me if the story is set in 2009, the character is supposed to be 30, but they were born in 1980).  This book for the most part did that, although I thought the ages of two of the younger characters were a little muddled.  The overall tone is grim and extremely suspenseful: time is of the essence with these characters.  Gardner is a self-described research junkie, and her books reflect that level of detail as she outlines police work, crime solving, and forensics.  For me, this book appealed to my love of true crime, mystery, characters with dark pasts and overall CSI-esque intrigue.

 

My recommendations:
I recommended two books to Sharyn Yenzer:
Since you liked Loving Frank, I would recommend another historical fiction book: The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin. It has everything you listed in Loving Frank: 1) Vivid characters (Charles and Anne Lindbergh). Not a spoiler but just a heads-up: Charles is not the heroic, clean-cut guy from the history books. 2) The story moves along – chronicling everything that happens to the couple as they age (particularly their run-ins with the press, the kidnapping of their first child and Charles’ fall from grace as an American hero). 3) The tone is similar – romantic, dramatic, definitely sad and reflective. 4) The settings are well-described, especially the Hawaiian dwelling and their house in New Jersey. 5) There is a resolved ending, although, like with Loving Frank, maybe not what you wanted to see. It’s truly a bittersweet tale and I learned a lot about the Lindberghs and their life together.
*Based on what I’ve read so far, I would also recommend Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler. (again historical fiction). Like with Anne Lindbergh, there’s more than meets the eye with Zelda – and it reveals more of the shades of gray of the Fitzgeralds’ marriage.

Since you liked Son, I would recommend Safekeeping by Karen Hesse. Although I think of this as more “post-apocalyptic” as opposed to dystopian, since it takes place in the wake of disaster, it is another book about a young teenager searching for people she holds near and dear (in this case her parents) in a world which is suddenly chaotic and insecure. Certainly suspenseful, this book is also introspective and shows how one girl learns to survive and forge new friendships when everything she has known about her country / government and taken for granted is gone. One criticism I’ve read about the book is that everything ties up too neatly at the end – I think Lowry does a better job of leaving questions unanswered and in that way gives the reader more to ponder. One difference is that it is a stand-alone book – not part of a series like Son. Despite the differences, the developed characters and pacing of the book make Safekeeping a good read-alike.

 

Week 1 / Assignment 4: "And the winners are..."

Not because it was the first one listed :), but I chose the The Daily Beast for my books link.  I chose Stop, You're Killing Me for my genre link.

The Daily Beast is a site I'm not familiar with, unlike the other choices, and as soon as I saw the home page, I liked it.  It's in an easy-to-follow format / layout (unlike sites like Early Word, which I always find to be scattered and intimidating and which does not encourage return visits for me), and right from the start, I saw several articles and book reviews which grabbed my attention.  It is a site that will not be "work" to visit each day.

I have recently tried to branch more into mysteries, and am interested in learning more about the subgenres and authors.  I like the vast amount of organized information available on Stop, You're Killing Me (although I will probably visit Mystery Readers International, too, for some of the articles, reviews and author interviews).  Particularly, the Genre Index, Book Awards, and Read-Alikes sections of the site all provide substantial information and helpful tools for readers' advisory. 

“And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!”

I'm guessing this was the easiest of the nine assignments :)  Looking forward to the weeks ahead!