Week 9

Books trailers can be described as book talks for visual learners. However,  I do not think that authors need to rely on book trailers to promote their work. Book lovers rely on book covers, their favorite authors, word of mouth, and recommendations.  Radio talk shows and podcast are also helpful.




This link is a recent article on book trailers and it also includes an interview with Jonathan Franzen. discussing his disdain for book trailers even while he is doing a book trailer


The Curious Case of the Self-Loathing Lit-Fic Book Trailer. I have watched several trailers and for the most part they do not make me want to write the book.  They either have been really lame or dry.




I did a YouTube search on book trailers posted for that last month. For the most part, they seemed to have zero to twenty five views.  The question then becomes, "Why are they still being made?".  My best guess is that they are school assignments designed to help teachers, storytellers, librarians learn to do book talks. 


Check out these articles about the role book trailers play in marketing a book.


Are Book Trailers a Marketing Must-Have?


Do Book Trailers Work?

http://mashable.com/2016/02/03/book-trailers-stop/#Ui43GLW8yOqo



WRAP UP:

I am really glad to have completed this project.  Completing it took more time than I thought it would.  Being reminded that I had a goodreads account was good and following  Daily Beast Books was also a plus.

Week 8

Week 8

Memories:   Are usually found in biography collection but could be found in other parts of the non-fiction collection.  They can read like fiction as these two titles do.

            

History: It may be difficult to find genre in this category that reads like fiction but try this title

. Others like this can be found in 973.

Essays:  If you like books that are meant to uplift and motivate then try read Hill Harper's

 . It is found in  non-fiction 170.

Sports: If you like sports and is more interested in scandals rather than statistics.  I suggest you read

.  340's is where you can find this title.

Sidney Poitier's biography, The Measure of a Man, is the story of young uneducated child who comes to America.  From the beginning, Poitier was consumed with always be the very best, to holding himself up to highest standards, and to making sure that he was a man of integrity. During his acting career, he was determined to never play roles that were demeaning of him or the Black race. If you are interested in the history of Blacks in movies, Poitier was there and will give you a historical tour.

Jerry Sandusky was a well loved coach and he built a powerful football program at Penn State.  He lost his career and his integrity following a major sex abuse scandal. Of course he denied having an knowledge of his players being sexual assaulted.  But the number of players coming forward made impossible for there to be any doubt that he was aware and did nothing to help his players or to stop the abuse.  Game Over is a about the culture of sports and the dark side of building a winning program.

Week 7 new

Assignment 1
The "What to Read Next" document would have been helpful if it was a living document and interactive.  I took some time to look for a more resourceful site and found  "Your Next Read" check it out.

Assignment 2
I read Who is Buying Teen Books? Christian Science Monitor Sep 14, 2012 and A Not So Young Audience for Young Adult Books New York Times, Oct 17, 2012.  

Based on my limited reading of young adult fiction, I find the characters and plot to be dark, foreboding, and angsty. So it surprised me that so many adults read young adult fiction.

Check out this video!

Assignment 3

Most of the blogs are not current. 

The Official Blog of Shannon Hale is only current because there is information about participating in a fundraising auction. Ms. Hale has not posted on her blog since January 2016.

School Library Journal: Someday My Printz Will Come (Seasonal) is current because it is a seasonal publication. June has been posted.

Week 6

Week 6: Assignment 1 

The Daily Beast Book is organized into four categories:  The Stacks;  Hot Reads; Speed Read; and Book Bag.   The manner in which the site is laid out is bright and inviting.  The reviewers are great at writing catchy titles that make you want to read their reviews.  The reviews make you want to read the books. Check out this review of Grunt by Mary Roach.

Week 6: Assignment 2 

This exercise was challenging because navigating the Prezi was cumbersome.

Week 6: Assignment 3 

I am unfamiliar with these subgenres: Military,  Realistic, and Adventures.

Military Romance: Julie Ann Walker; Debby Giusti; and Lynn Austin.

Realistic: Gaynor Arnold; Martin Cruz Smith; and Alan Furst.

Adventures: Clive Cussler; Stephen Coonts; and Jack Higgins.

                                                            Author Clive Cussler

The appeal factors of subgenres is the cross over factor.  A reader of  romance might read a book that involved some adventure or mystery.

Week 5

Week 5: Assignment 1

I read the Daily Beast every day because I enjoy the writing style of most of their staff.  The book reviews seem to be just as interesting and controversial as the books that are review.

Week 5: Assignment 2

The Woodlawn Branch of BCPL is a representative of America's melting pot.  Our customers range from birth to 99+ and from every socioeconomic and ethnic background.  We have customers who check out urban novels by the hundreds and customers who check out children's materials by the hundreds and customers who only check out books about people who struggle but come out on top to customers who want only the original version of  Little House on the Prairie.

One of our most requested genres is urban fiction. We also get quite a few request for test prep materials. Early Word did not seem to address urban fiction or testing material.

Besides Good Reads another source I found that features urban fiction was  Black Books Direct.  It is also is a good source for  other genres of African and African American titles.

Week 5: Assignment 3

I chose "Security" by Gina Wohlsdorf. The cover made me think of mental health, prison, and escape.  The word security also appeared to evoke the feeling of someone needing assistance or an elaborate plan to evade security, acquire security. The cover also elicits a sense of mystery and danger.

Week 4

I signed up for Goodreads several years ago but never really used it.  I rely on my BCPL account to document the books I read.

Goodreads is an excellent resource for people who like to read series, like to know when the the next book by their favorite author will be published, and who like to share their reading habits with others.

Using Good Reads as a social media platform can be valuable to virtual book clubs. I know several adults who belong to virtual book clubs. The book clubs usually consist of family members and/or college friends who want to stay connected. 

I set up four shelves. Which after setting up the shelves, I felt that my reading habits were a bit narrow. But then again if you don't read African American authors and you need to make a recommendation, my list might come in handy.

I requested three BCPL staff members who are current BeMoreBookish participates to be friends.  I looked a Kelsey's page and we have read a few of the same books.  I have read all of Jacqueline Woodson's and Jerdine Nolen's and David Sedaris' books.

Here's a picture of my daughter with Jacqueline Woodson at Great Books.  Great Books was a BCPL annual book event.  The event featured primarily children's authors and library staff from around the state would attend.  It was a great readers advisory tool.

Week 3

Librarian:  Hello, how may I assist you?

Customer:  Yes, I am looking for something good to read.

Librarian:  What is the last thing that you read?

Customer:  I just retired and want to get back into reading.  I use to read books about people.  I like to know what kinds of  lives real people live/lived.

Librarian:  Okay. Great!  So you like to read about people.  Are you interested in people who are entertainers, politicians, sport celebrities.  Have I named a category that interests you yet?

Customer:  Well, I am more interested in ordinary people.  People who have lived difficult lives and somehow they preserve.

Librarian:  Okay, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home.  This is a story about a young lady, Rhoda, who grew up in a traditional Mennonite home and after her husband leaves her she returns home to heal from the end of her marriage and from a very serious car accident.. The author recounts the events of her life with humor and brilliant insight.  I don't believe that you will be able to put this book down.

Customer:  I don't know.  I am not sure about the religion part.  

Librarian:  The book is not preachy. Religion is used to help you understand the person upbringing and in Rhoda's case her fierce determination to overcome obstacles.

Customer:  I will try it.

Librarian:  Would you like a second choice or a different choice?

Customer:  No, You seem pretty excited about this book. I will try it.