Assignment 1:
Read these two articles on book trailers and watch the embedded videos from the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times. Go to You Tube and find some other book trailers and watch a few of the popular ones.
Assignment 2: Post to your blog your opinion about book trailers – do they succeed in marketing the books they are trying to promote? Are they useful for readers’ advisory?
Do trailers succeed in marketing the books they are trying to promote?
It depends. For me, the book has to sound interesting and the author must be likeable. Gary Shteyngart's "Super Sad True Love Story" trailer did not excite me at all. I thought the author was very strange and I don't want to read the book. On the other hand, I once watched Tracy Chevalier being interviewed about several of her books. Ms. Chevalier was likeable and interesting but her books (other than Girl With a Pearl Earring, which I've already read) sounded boring to me, so I don't want to read them. For me, the book trailers have to pass both tests.
Having said that, I think book trailers can be a good marketing tool if done well. Since many authors are "snores" (according to one of the articles), then a good interviewer might help stimulate some interest. I also think it would be necessary for someone to read a passage from the book and show the book cover. The more creative, the better. According to the NY Times article, 45% of teenagers bought a book after watching the trailer, so maybe teens would be the best target for trailers.
Are trailers useful for reader's advisory?
Again, it depends. I can't really picture showing patrons book trailers when they ask for recommendations, due to the time factor. If the library had links on its web page to particular book trailers, then patrons may decide to watch them. For example, if there was a link to the trailer immediately after a book review on the Between the Covers blog, there would be more of a chance that the customer would watch the trailer. Honestly, I don't think most people really want to spend that much time researching books (just the heavy duty readers).
Assignment 3
Summarize your thoughts about this program in a blog post. What have you learned that was helpful?
Most of it was helpful to me. Even though I don't get continuing education credits, (because I'm a part-timer), there is always something new to learn and I want to keep up with all of it! This assignment helped me to do that.
I LOVE the www.earlyword.com website. I will try to use that often. I also learned that even if a patron asks for fiction, you may recommend nonfiction or vice versa. The other thing I really liked was the chart that showed all of the subgenres. I really didn't realize that all of those subgenres existed. Knowing there are special websites and fan clubs for each genre, I will remember to make more use of them for readers who favor a particular genre. Lastly, I will use my blog as a resource too.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Week 8
Assignment 1: Read the following two articles for an introduction to nonfiction readers’ advisory.
Assignment 3:
- Borderlands: Crossing between Nonfiction in Readers’ Advisory
- Reading Nonfiction for Pleasure: What Motivates Readers?
Assignment 3:
-
Choose any four of the 16 nonfiction genres presented in the video. In what Dewey area(s) did you find narrative nonfiction in these genres? List each of the four genres and their Dewey areas on your blog. Choose one book from each of these four genres that you could recommend to someone who normally reads only fiction. List these titles and their authors.
I have selected, Travel, (900's), Medical (613 and nearby), Food (641's) and Historical (varies depending upon the time period) Nonfiction.
Travel: Undress me in the temple of heaven (Susan Gilman) 915.1 G
- Food: Blood, Bones and Butter (Gabrielle Hamilton) 641.5092 H
Medical: Unquiet Mind (Kay Jamison) 616.895J
- Historical: Unbroken: A World War II story of survival, resilience and redemption (BIO Zamperini)
Assigment 4:
Using appeal factors, write a 1-2 paragraph book talk for two of the four titles you would recommend, noting who you would recommend them to and why. Post these on your blog.
Unbroken: A World War II story of survival, resilience and redemption
- This biography is written by bestselling author Laura Hillenbrand. It is plot based with so much action that it's hard to put down. Although the beginning is slow moving, the book soon morphs into a very intense World War II suspense story. There are many people hanging on to their lives in this true story and the author's writing is so descriptive that you feel you are right there with the hero of the story, Louis Zamperini. He goes from one dangerous adventure to the next, including his plane being shot down, living on a life raft for weeks and ending up in a Japanese POW camp. It makes you wonder, how can someone survive after going through all of this? The book answers this question and provides so much detailed information that you can't help getting an education. This is the type of book that would appeal to both men and women.
Undress me in the Temple of Heaven For those who are looking for a fun place to travel, this is NOT the book for you! But if you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary, then read on. The setting is very different from any place I have ever traveled to. The author writes about her nightmarish trip to communist China. Immediately after graduating from college, she embarks on this journey with a college friend, both of them optimistic, idealistic and wide-eyed with curiosity. Unexpectedly, this trip put the two girls in dangerous, life-threatening situations. It is fast paced, an easy read yet educational. It is probably more interesting to those older than 25 years old because the technology that the teenagers have now was not around back then and they may not be able to relate to the helplessness of the girls' situations.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Week 7
Assignment 1: Take a look at the “What to Read Next” flowchart from the Lawrence Public Library.
http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/2012/10/still-hungry-for-more-books-like-the-hunger-games/
I loved this chart. I copied the link so I can find it again for readers advisory purposes. It is amazing how many changes I've seen in YA books since I've started working here 20 years ago. I remember reading books like Pigman and The Face on the Milk Carton. My favorite book as a teen was Flowers for Algernon. I loved and still LOVE realistic fiction. But now, because of the big surge in dystopian societies, I'm getting sucked into the fantasy books too. I am really developing an appreciation for them. I like how this chart breaks the genre into categories. I wish the branch had a hard copy of this for reader's advisory purposes.
Assignment 2: I read New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak Or Valued Subgenre? Publisher’s Weekly, Dec 14, 2012
and Who is Buying Teen Books? Christian Science Monitor Sep 14, 2012
Comments on the first article: I definitely think there is a need for the category of "New Adult" books. I'm just not sure if we need to separate these out for the customers. If we put new adult books in one section, should there be another section of "Senior adult" books that are for age 65 and over? And then what about middle age adults? How far should we take this? Personally, I usually read the description on the back of the book to see if it interests me, and that's really enough. Even though I'm in my 50's, I still like Chick Lit and I loved reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Kinsella. But maybe a "new adult" may not be interested in reading "At Home in Mitford" by Jan Karon, but she can decide that based on the description on the back of the book. I don't think it has to be a separate section in the library or the bookstore. I DO think there is a need for more of those books, partly based on the reading habits of my teenage daughter. She does not want to read YA books, possibly because of the label, maybe due to content. She tends to read books about people who are older than teenagers and I have seen her read books that would possibly fit into this new category.
Comments on the second article: I have to admit I was a bit surprised when I read that the largest group of readers purchasing titles labeled "young adult" are actually 30 to 44 years old. The first time I realized that adults are reading teen books was when a woman in my book club (at home) selected Twilight for all of us to read. I was not impressed with that book and didn't understand the big fuss; however, when I read the Hunger Games, I absolutely loved it and now understand why some adults read teen books (other than because they have to for work). No wonder these books are such big hits -- they are action packed, creative and have great characters. One of the reasons, I believe, that adults love these books, is because they can remember their adolescent years as if it were yesterday. Some of the strongest feelings come from those years and we can really relate to the angst that these characters experience.
I posted comments on the blogs of Lori H. and Christina M.
Assignment 3: Choose any two of the following blogs/websites. Follow them for a week. Post comments to your blog regarding who is writing it, who is the intended audience, is it successful, etc.
I looked at the two Tumblr blogs and the School Library Journal blog.
I didn't care for either of the Tumblr blogs. They seem geared toward teens. They were confusing to me -- and the short blurbs did not interest me -- they jumped too quickly from one subject to another.
I liked the SLJ blog called One Day My Printz Will Come. I had no idea that a non-fiction book could win the Printz award! I like the long list of great YA books that this blog provides. This is a great place to start if someone wants the titles of some excellent YA books, but doesn't know the genre that well.
Assignment 4: Choose any two of the following teen imprints and spend some time on their websites. Blog about any trends you find in either current or forthcoming teen fiction.
I looked at Little Brown and Random House.
The newest teen books seem to have one or all of these elements: Love relationship, super-powers, a rebellion or rivalry between opposing powers, or exotic settings. There is still a lot of realistic fiction dealing with topics such as friendship, family, divorce and death. I think it would be great if these websites could include some quotes or first pages from the book. Honestly, that's the only way I can tell if I will like it. I went to Amazon and looked up Struck by Lightening by Chris Colfer and I was very impressed. The description alone doesn't do much for me.
http://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/2012/10/still-hungry-for-more-books-like-the-hunger-games/
I loved this chart. I copied the link so I can find it again for readers advisory purposes. It is amazing how many changes I've seen in YA books since I've started working here 20 years ago. I remember reading books like Pigman and The Face on the Milk Carton. My favorite book as a teen was Flowers for Algernon. I loved and still LOVE realistic fiction. But now, because of the big surge in dystopian societies, I'm getting sucked into the fantasy books too. I am really developing an appreciation for them. I like how this chart breaks the genre into categories. I wish the branch had a hard copy of this for reader's advisory purposes.
Assignment 2: I read New Adult: Needless Marketing-Speak Or Valued Subgenre? Publisher’s Weekly, Dec 14, 2012
and Who is Buying Teen Books? Christian Science Monitor Sep 14, 2012
Comments on the first article: I definitely think there is a need for the category of "New Adult" books. I'm just not sure if we need to separate these out for the customers. If we put new adult books in one section, should there be another section of "Senior adult" books that are for age 65 and over? And then what about middle age adults? How far should we take this? Personally, I usually read the description on the back of the book to see if it interests me, and that's really enough. Even though I'm in my 50's, I still like Chick Lit and I loved reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Kinsella. But maybe a "new adult" may not be interested in reading "At Home in Mitford" by Jan Karon, but she can decide that based on the description on the back of the book. I don't think it has to be a separate section in the library or the bookstore. I DO think there is a need for more of those books, partly based on the reading habits of my teenage daughter. She does not want to read YA books, possibly because of the label, maybe due to content. She tends to read books about people who are older than teenagers and I have seen her read books that would possibly fit into this new category.
Comments on the second article: I have to admit I was a bit surprised when I read that the largest group of readers purchasing titles labeled "young adult" are actually 30 to 44 years old. The first time I realized that adults are reading teen books was when a woman in my book club (at home) selected Twilight for all of us to read. I was not impressed with that book and didn't understand the big fuss; however, when I read the Hunger Games, I absolutely loved it and now understand why some adults read teen books (other than because they have to for work). No wonder these books are such big hits -- they are action packed, creative and have great characters. One of the reasons, I believe, that adults love these books, is because they can remember their adolescent years as if it were yesterday. Some of the strongest feelings come from those years and we can really relate to the angst that these characters experience.
I posted comments on the blogs of Lori H. and Christina M.
Assignment 3: Choose any two of the following blogs/websites. Follow them for a week. Post comments to your blog regarding who is writing it, who is the intended audience, is it successful, etc.
I looked at the two Tumblr blogs and the School Library Journal blog.
I didn't care for either of the Tumblr blogs. They seem geared toward teens. They were confusing to me -- and the short blurbs did not interest me -- they jumped too quickly from one subject to another.
I liked the SLJ blog called One Day My Printz Will Come. I had no idea that a non-fiction book could win the Printz award! I like the long list of great YA books that this blog provides. This is a great place to start if someone wants the titles of some excellent YA books, but doesn't know the genre that well.
Assignment 4: Choose any two of the following teen imprints and spend some time on their websites. Blog about any trends you find in either current or forthcoming teen fiction.
I looked at Little Brown and Random House.
The newest teen books seem to have one or all of these elements: Love relationship, super-powers, a rebellion or rivalry between opposing powers, or exotic settings. There is still a lot of realistic fiction dealing with topics such as friendship, family, divorce and death. I think it would be great if these websites could include some quotes or first pages from the book. Honestly, that's the only way I can tell if I will like it. I went to Amazon and looked up Struck by Lightening by Chris Colfer and I was very impressed. The description alone doesn't do much for me.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Week 6
Assignment 1: Blog post about RT, the genre that I'm following. This is a very current website -- it is updated all the time. I noticed that the patrons at one of the branches where I work part -time LOVE romance books. I was going to merchandize a few new ones and I looked on this website to see what new books I could merchandize but they were all checked out! I guess the customers beat me to it.
Assignment 2: Explore Prezi link. This was a great chart that lists subgenres of several types of fiction. I have always thought that I have read many different types of fiction but there are so many that I haven't tried yet!
Assignment 3: Pick 3 subgenres. Fantasy/ Epic Mystery/Foreign intrigue Adventure/Disaster
Find a fan website for each subgenre.
1)FANTASY/EPIC www.fantasy-fan.org (googled epic fantasy book fans)
This might sound obvious, but I think that what excites fantasy readers is the idea of being removed from this world and taken into a completely new world. It's like escaping to a new, exciting place.
Title: A Dance with Dragons (Martin)
The appeal of this is that it is action packed and has a hero that faces many obstacles in this imaginary world.
2) MYSTERY/FOREIGN INTRIGUE www.booksinc.net (googled Mystery book lovers foreign intrigue) The fans of this subgenre seem to love the idea of trying to predict what happens at the end. They love the foreshadowing aspect and love the hints they are given so they can try and solve the mystery.
Title: Hotel Bosphorous (Aykol) Appeal factors: Funny, feisty heroine, very suspenseful, exotic setting - Istanbul.
3) ADVENTURE/DISASTER It was impossible to find a fan club for this subgenre. I googled "disaster novels" and then fiction books about disasters for adults and tried many other searches too. I ended up with reading lists on Amazon, Goodreads and The Library thing, which listed tons of older books but not many current ones. This is not such a popular genre.
This genre overlaps with horror and science so I got a lot of titles from all of these genres. The fans seem to enjoy reading about "What if?" and about people being wiped out by disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, comets, floods, nuclear accidents, etc... yet the heroes somehow manage to survive. I don't read these books but I saw the movie "Airport" a long time ago and this is what it reminds me of.
Title: Lucifer's Hammer by Niven The appeal here is the struggle for survival -- beating the odds.
Mashups: Two titles which could cross over into another subgenre. The first book, Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, takes place after the main character dies, so obviously this is fantasy; however most of the interactions and plot, once in heaven, are completely realistic; there is no magic, there are no strange creatures; just humans who communicate by talking to each other. So this is a mix between fantasy and realistic fiction. Another book, State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett, is also a mashup of realistic and fantasty. The characters are extremely believable, and very well developed; but there is a special tree in this book, in the Amazon rainforest, whose bark, when eaten, helps women conceive. That is really the only fantasy but the whole book is built around this notion.
Assignment 2: Explore Prezi link. This was a great chart that lists subgenres of several types of fiction. I have always thought that I have read many different types of fiction but there are so many that I haven't tried yet!
Assignment 3: Pick 3 subgenres. Fantasy/ Epic Mystery/Foreign intrigue Adventure/Disaster
Find a fan website for each subgenre.
1)FANTASY/EPIC www.fantasy-fan.org (googled epic fantasy book fans)
This might sound obvious, but I think that what excites fantasy readers is the idea of being removed from this world and taken into a completely new world. It's like escaping to a new, exciting place.
Title: A Dance with Dragons (Martin)
The appeal of this is that it is action packed and has a hero that faces many obstacles in this imaginary world.
2) MYSTERY/FOREIGN INTRIGUE www.booksinc.net (googled Mystery book lovers foreign intrigue) The fans of this subgenre seem to love the idea of trying to predict what happens at the end. They love the foreshadowing aspect and love the hints they are given so they can try and solve the mystery.
Title: Hotel Bosphorous (Aykol) Appeal factors: Funny, feisty heroine, very suspenseful, exotic setting - Istanbul.
3) ADVENTURE/DISASTER It was impossible to find a fan club for this subgenre. I googled "disaster novels" and then fiction books about disasters for adults and tried many other searches too. I ended up with reading lists on Amazon, Goodreads and The Library thing, which listed tons of older books but not many current ones. This is not such a popular genre.
This genre overlaps with horror and science so I got a lot of titles from all of these genres. The fans seem to enjoy reading about "What if?" and about people being wiped out by disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, comets, floods, nuclear accidents, etc... yet the heroes somehow manage to survive. I don't read these books but I saw the movie "Airport" a long time ago and this is what it reminds me of.
Title: Lucifer's Hammer by Niven The appeal here is the struggle for survival -- beating the odds.
Mashups: Two titles which could cross over into another subgenre. The first book, Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, takes place after the main character dies, so obviously this is fantasy; however most of the interactions and plot, once in heaven, are completely realistic; there is no magic, there are no strange creatures; just humans who communicate by talking to each other. So this is a mix between fantasy and realistic fiction. Another book, State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett, is also a mashup of realistic and fantasty. The characters are extremely believable, and very well developed; but there is a special tree in this book, in the Amazon rainforest, whose bark, when eaten, helps women conceive. That is really the only fantasy but the whole book is built around this notion.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Week 5
Question 1
I have been monitoring RT Book Reviews (which apparently stands for Romance Times but it wasn't posted anywhere on their website)
I am not a Romance reader and I was amazed at home many subgenres there are of Romance books. Here is their index:
Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Mainstream
Inspirational
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Young Adult
Erotica
Comic/Manga
I like the fact that there is an index because I can look up very specific types of books this way for customers. For myself, I really like love stories and I was glad to see there is a Mainstream category because I think I would like those type of books the best.
Another thing I learned about the RT website is that it's a great place to go for aspiring Romance authors. They offer a lot of support such as manuscript evaluations, links to blogs and help in finding agents and editors.
It is helpful to have "Top Picks" listed at the top of the page because if you get a reader's advisory question and don't have much time, you can just recommend one of the top picks.
Question 2
African American and Urban Fiction are very popular in my branch. I have looked everywhere on www.earlyword.com and can't find either of those genres as a separate category. The closest thing I found was Oprah's book club.
I did, however, find things on Early Word that I can use both professionally and personally. I liked the ALA nonfiction read alike link and the People Magazine Book Reviews section which I can use for readers advisory. I also like the Books to Movies section because I sometimes include this info when it's my turn to write the column for the Woodlawn Villager. For personal use, I liked the helpful information offered for would-be authors, such as a directory of writers' groups (since I hope to publish a book one day). Also, I love audio books and there was a link for that.
Question 3
From this link
The Atlantic — Books to Look Forward to in 2013I have been monitoring RT Book Reviews (which apparently stands for Romance Times but it wasn't posted anywhere on their website)
I am not a Romance reader and I was amazed at home many subgenres there are of Romance books. Here is their index:
Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Mainstream
Inspirational
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Young Adult
Erotica
Comic/Manga
I like the fact that there is an index because I can look up very specific types of books this way for customers. For myself, I really like love stories and I was glad to see there is a Mainstream category because I think I would like those type of books the best.
Another thing I learned about the RT website is that it's a great place to go for aspiring Romance authors. They offer a lot of support such as manuscript evaluations, links to blogs and help in finding agents and editors.
It is helpful to have "Top Picks" listed at the top of the page because if you get a reader's advisory question and don't have much time, you can just recommend one of the top picks.
Question 2
African American and Urban Fiction are very popular in my branch. I have looked everywhere on www.earlyword.com and can't find either of those genres as a separate category. The closest thing I found was Oprah's book club.
I did, however, find things on Early Word that I can use both professionally and personally. I liked the ALA nonfiction read alike link and the People Magazine Book Reviews section which I can use for readers advisory. I also like the Books to Movies section because I sometimes include this info when it's my turn to write the column for the Woodlawn Villager. For personal use, I liked the helpful information offered for would-be authors, such as a directory of writers' groups (since I hope to publish a book one day). Also, I love audio books and there was a link for that.
Question 3
From this link
I learned about a new book by Khalad Hosseini called "And the Mountains Echoed" The biggest appeal factor for me is that the first two books by this author were on the New York Times Bestseller's List. I have read them both and will definitely put this book on my "Want to Read" list. I think this book would appeal to people who like to read about interpersonal relationships, which is one of the author's strengths and who like reading about places outside the U.S. This author always seem to include Afghanistan in his books and he educates the reader about that country's people, places and culture.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Week 4
All About Goodreads.com
I recommended a book to Heather Mays: The Magicians by Lev Grossman
This is a copy of my recommendation: Based on your booklist, it seems you are willing to suspend reality. You have read time travel, Harry Potter and other books with elements of fantasy. Similar to Harry Potter, The Magicians attend a School of Magic, only on a university level. The characters are well developed and the plot has some good twists and turns. There is a sequel and the author is currently writing the next one in this series (only two so far).
Write/share your impressions, discoveries, or revelations from exploring Goodreads.
First of all, I like Goodreads but I don't think it's very user-friendly. It took a while before I figured out how to "friend" people and how to add shelves (or even what types of shelves they were talking about). Once I did these things, it went pretty quickly from there. But I do think they can make it a little easier. They can start by labelling their icons so we know what they mean.
One thing I didn't like was that my listings were automatically posted on Facebook. I originally attached Facebook to Goodreads to request "friends" but when I saw my listings on Facebook, I disconnected Facebook from Goodreads because I only want to post my books to Goodreads friends.
One thing I really liked was all the recommendations that I got. Once I requested them, I got suggestions from complete strangers! I can't wait to read these books. I also liked the recommendations that Goodreads sent me. I never thought I'd find so many books that are right up my alley.
I recommended a book to Heather Mays: The Magicians by Lev Grossman
This is a copy of my recommendation: Based on your booklist, it seems you are willing to suspend reality. You have read time travel, Harry Potter and other books with elements of fantasy. Similar to Harry Potter, The Magicians attend a School of Magic, only on a university level. The characters are well developed and the plot has some good twists and turns. There is a sequel and the author is currently writing the next one in this series (only two so far).
Write/share your impressions, discoveries, or revelations from exploring Goodreads.
First of all, I like Goodreads but I don't think it's very user-friendly. It took a while before I figured out how to "friend" people and how to add shelves (or even what types of shelves they were talking about). Once I did these things, it went pretty quickly from there. But I do think they can make it a little easier. They can start by labelling their icons so we know what they mean.
One thing I didn't like was that my listings were automatically posted on Facebook. I originally attached Facebook to Goodreads to request "friends" but when I saw my listings on Facebook, I disconnected Facebook from Goodreads because I only want to post my books to Goodreads friends.
One thing I really liked was all the recommendations that I got. Once I requested them, I got suggestions from complete strangers! I can't wait to read these books. I also liked the recommendations that Goodreads sent me. I never thought I'd find so many books that are right up my alley.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Week 3
In, NPR podcast Nancy Pearl Unearths Great Summer Reads, Pearl spends about 3 to 4 minutes talking about each book. She describes the appeal factors that drew her to the book and only revealed enough of the plot to let you know the basics.
Note: The conversations below were taken from Wyatt's article: The RA Conversation. I did this work from home and did not realize that there were three OTHER conversations if you clicked the links on the blog. (which did not work from home.)
Conversation 1: This person describes his/her love of The Ice Station by Reilly. My RA suggestion would be The Hunger Games (Collins) or Unbroken (Hillenbrand) because they both describe "battles" and the battles are quite intense and graphic in nature. They do a good job of absorbing the reader into the book. Hunger Games is a battle between teens who live in a dystopian society and are told to kill one another and Unbroken is a true memoir of a World War II survivor who almost died several times. Though both books deal with death, triumph prevails in some key ways.
Conversation 2: This person liked Eat, Pray and Love by Gilbert. I would recommend Kabul Beauty School (Rodriguez) or All over the Map (Fraser) because they both are about women travelling to other countries (Afghanistan, Mexico) and sharing their feelings. Both women are single, similar to Gilbert, and both talk about different romances they have while traveling. Similar to Eat, Pray and Love, you can learn about the culture of the countries they visit, too.
Conversation 3: Born in Fire by Nora Roberts was this person's favorite book. Not having read this author, I would recommend the book Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel (Vreeland) because it has fascinating details about everything that goes into making stained glass windows, lamps, etc. which is woven into the fabric of the story. It also has great character development, which seems important to this customer, who mentions personality traits of Maggie, Rogan and the mom. This is a historical novel, which accurately portrays the late 1800's.
Note: The conversations below were taken from Wyatt's article: The RA Conversation. I did this work from home and did not realize that there were three OTHER conversations if you clicked the links on the blog. (which did not work from home.)
Conversation 1: This person describes his/her love of The Ice Station by Reilly. My RA suggestion would be The Hunger Games (Collins) or Unbroken (Hillenbrand) because they both describe "battles" and the battles are quite intense and graphic in nature. They do a good job of absorbing the reader into the book. Hunger Games is a battle between teens who live in a dystopian society and are told to kill one another and Unbroken is a true memoir of a World War II survivor who almost died several times. Though both books deal with death, triumph prevails in some key ways.
Conversation 2: This person liked Eat, Pray and Love by Gilbert. I would recommend Kabul Beauty School (Rodriguez) or All over the Map (Fraser) because they both are about women travelling to other countries (Afghanistan, Mexico) and sharing their feelings. Both women are single, similar to Gilbert, and both talk about different romances they have while traveling. Similar to Eat, Pray and Love, you can learn about the culture of the countries they visit, too.
Conversation 3: Born in Fire by Nora Roberts was this person's favorite book. Not having read this author, I would recommend the book Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel (Vreeland) because it has fascinating details about everything that goes into making stained glass windows, lamps, etc. which is woven into the fabric of the story. It also has great character development, which seems important to this customer, who mentions personality traits of Maggie, Rogan and the mom. This is a historical novel, which accurately portrays the late 1800's.
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