Book Club Visit

      I visited a local library’s book club that meets once a month on a Thursday evening. The book club is called “Brews+Books” and meets at a local brewery. The atmosphere of the brewery is relaxed. The building used to be an old gas station, so there are high ceilings, cement floors, and a mix of booths and tables. The place was pretty empty, besides the book club members arriving. The book club took place before a trivia event. The book club met at a reserved area of tables that were pushed together in a long, straight line. When I arrived, the librarian running the book club was there, had placed printed out book club questions on the tables and was chatting with people who were arriving. Attendees generally ordered a drink from the bar area and then sat down to begin the discussion. The librarian brought their own waterbottle.

     There are over 25 people who attended the book club, with a mix of ages and genders. People began chatting before the book club discussion began and it was clear that this group was familiar with one another. Some discussed how they were in other book clubs and how this particular book club had grown since Covid. There had also been a change in the librarian who was running the book club and that may have factored in with the growth of the club. The majority of the group was on time, but a few straggled in.

I knew the librarian running the book club and mentioned that this was for a class. The librarian had also been through an MLIS program and was familiar with these kind of assignments. I was planning on reading the book, but ran out of time, so I took my notebook and chose a spot at the end of the table. It was clear that most, if not all, the people who attended had read the book. I’m trying to remember what the book was called, but the title is escaping me. It was a thriller with the storyline of someone being locked away in a basement for most of their life, there was a murderer on the loose, a baby in the mix and flashbacks to the past. From the conversations people were having about the book club, it was clear that this club often readers thrillers and true crime types of books. 

     The librarian asked open ended questions to get the discussion started and then let the group run with that question for a while. With how the tables were set up, and the music playing through the building, it was often hard to hear what everyone was saying. Group members would ask each other questions about the story they’d read. Then after a while the librarian would focus the group back on the next question. The librarian would sometimes share their own thoughts on the story and took an active role in the conversation, but also gave the group time to flesh out their thoughts. While there were members who shared more, there were no show stealers. Group members actively listened to one another and were respectful of everyone’s thoughts. 

     Towards the end of the discussion people get a little antsy and some start looking at their watches or phones to check the time. The librarian introduces the next book for the next meeting and people pick up copies to take home. There were not enough books for all the people who wanted one, but the librarian assured everyone that they would be getting more in at the library soon. Some people stay to chat after the meeting is over. Overall, it was a fun book club meeting that was full of interesting conversations. The only drawback was that it was hard to hear everyone speak because of how the space was set up. The brewery does have an outdoor seating area and there was talk that when the weather improved the group would meet outside. It can be hard to find a book club that meets in the evenings, at least in my area. So, this may be a book club that I visit again once my classes are over. 

Special Topics Paper Summary-Role of Readers Advisory in Library Service

      This special topic paper will analyze the role readers advisory plays in library services. Wyatt and Saricks state that “the goal of readers advisory service is to help readers discover titles they are currently in the mood to read” (2019, p. xv). This seemingly simple task can prove to be daunting for inexperienced librarians. But it is a role that people often find synonymous with libraries, this idea that a librarian will help them find a “good” book. This paper will analyze the history of readers advisory, staff training, and the public’s expectations from librarians. 

     Crowley states that finding a date for the beginning of the readers advisory service “is at best a frustrating, almost arbitrary exercise” (2005, p. 37). This is due to the idea that historians have a difficult time agreeing on some of the very basic definitions of terms like “what is a library,” and “what is readers advisory” (Crowley, 2005, p.38). 

     When librarians were asked, via a survey spearheaded by the Library Journal, about the biggest challenges they face when conducting readers advisory, many responded that it’s difficult to work with genres and authors, they aren’t familiar with or haven’t read (Wyatt, 2021, p. 26). The adage “practice makes perfect” comes to mind when honing readers advisory skills. The job of readers advisory is a task that is being shared by more and more librarians within a library system and not a job set aside for one specific person (Wyatt, 2021, p.27). 

    Smith states that we can think about the relationship between readers, books, and book selection as a reader’s ecology that has three basic parts: discovery, discernment, and delivery (2022, p. 34). Readers want to find new things to read, they want to know if a book is right for them or not, and then they want to acquire that title (Smith, 2022, p.34). The whole process often sounds much more straightforward than it usually ends up being.

     Overall, libraries and readers advisory have a long and storied history, one that is continuing to evolve and grow with the needs of their communities. 

References

Crowley, B. (2005). Rediscovering the history of readers’ advisory service. Public Libraries, 44(1), 37–41.

Smith, D., Fredrick, V., & Friedli, A. (2022). Engaging readers: readers’ advisory + reader   engagement = reader services for our times. Library Journal, 147(3), 34.

Wyatt, N. (2021). Surveying the field: ra by the numbers. Library Journal, 146(8), 26–31.

Wyatt, N., Saricks, J. (2019). The readers’ advisory guide to genre fiction. ALA Editions. 

Science Fiction Annotation

 

Author: Martha Wells

Title: All Systems Red- The Murderbot Diaries

Genre: Science Fiction

Publication Date: 2017

Number of Pages: 152

Geographical Setting: Space

Time Period: The Future

Series: Murderbot Diaries

Plot Summary:

A New York Times and USA today best seller and the winner of multiple book awards, Murderbot explores a future world where planetary exploration is a reality and robots are a part of the everyday experience.

The self-named character of this story is called Murderbot. The story begins with Murderbot professing that “I could have become a mass murderer before I hacked my governor module, but I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites.” This level of snark and self-reflection sets the tone for the rest of the story. Murderbot, aka a SecUnit, has been assigned to a team of planetary explorers by an organization referred to as the Company. Murderbot is there to ensure the teams safety and does so within the first few pages. As the story progresses it’s clear that this Murderbot is not like the other units that have come before it. This one has feelings and cares for things, albeit somewhat begrudgingly.  

The team that Murderbot is assigned to soon faces an unknown threat on the planet and comes to realize that there’s something different about their SecUnit. We learn that in this world it’s not uncommon for people to be augmented with machine parts, but there is a certain hierarchy within the system. As the team and Murderbot face this threat, together, we learn more about the team members and Murderbot. We see them all start to come together and build a certain level of trust. Throughout the story Murderbot is concerned that its carefully guarded secret will come to light. The story is fast paced and hurtles towards an end that begs for a sequel. 

Our textbook Wyatt and Saricks define the science fiction genre as one that “explorer worlds that could be, with a particular interest in futuristic science and technologies” (2019, p.93). This story of a self-aware, snarky robot fits the bill. 

Subject Headings:

• Interplanetary Voyages

• Robots

• Human Computer Interaction

Appeal:

Here are some words from one of our readings called “The Secret Language of Books, a Guide to Appeal” that I would use to describe the appeal of this book (Novelist, 2018).

• Suspenseful

• Engaging

• Action-packed 

3 terms that best describe this book:

Robots with Emotion

Space Colonization

Life on other Planets

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Author: Ray Kurzweil

Book: The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology

This book explorers the idea of a future where machines will become more intelligent than human beings. Fans of the Murderbot series would be intrigued by this idea. 

Author: James Barrat

Book: Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era

This books profiles people from across the spectrum of AI and asks the question of “can we coexist with beings who’s intelligence dwarfs our own”? This idea of coexisting with robots would appeal to readers of Murderbot. 

Author: Martin Ford

Book: Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future

This book considers a future where Robots have replaced many, many kinds of jobs. The book Murderbot envisions a future where robots and humans work side by side. So, this book would appeal to Murderbot readers as it peers into the future of work. 

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Author: Martha Wells

Book: Artificial Condition

This is the second book in the Murderbot series and would appeal to people who enjoyed the first book. In this book we learn about the dark past of Murderbot and how it got its name. 

Author: Larry Niven

Book: The Goliath Stone

This book explores the idea of nanites being created as a miracle cure and then taking on a literal life of their own. Murderbot readers would find parallels between both stories. 

Author: Daniel H. Wilson

Book: Robopocalypse

This story is set in a world where robots are a part of everyday life and everything is fine, until it's not. Readers of Murderbot would find this story interesting and relatable with its themes of sentient robots. 

Week 7 Prompt: Author Mills aka James Patterson

While looking at the topics for this week's prompt, the one that stood out to me was author mills and James Patterson specifically. I can't remember coming across the phrase "author mill" before, but if there's anyone befitting of that sentiment it would be James Patterson. In my early days as a teen librarian who did collection development for the teen section, I can remember enjoying the first few series that James Patterson came out with. The Maximum Ride series was very popular with our teens at that time. Then Patterson begun co-authoring books and did this thing where he'd give credit to the co-author. But inevitably their names were much smaller and his was in a bigger font, splashed across the cover. This kept repeating itself every year and the Patterson shelf kept growing. Then he comes out with his own imprint and the books that are credited back to him keep growing. 

This article in the New Yorker states that Patterson gives detailed outlines of a story to his co-writers and then they have to flesh out the rest of the book. This sounds like the very definition of "author mill" to me. These co-authors do the majority of the work and Patterson gets most of the credit. Even though I find Patterson's whole setup a bit repugnant, people do enjoy the book he writes and publishes. So, I put aside my own misgivings about Patterson and order his books and add them to our library shelves. 

I have heard the argument made that Patterson is giving relatively unknown authors a chance to grow and build their own following. This idea ties in with the article we read this week "How the New Celebrity Book Clubs are Boosting Literary Sales." The article states that bookclubes like Reese Witherspoon's help boost authors book sales and help drive business to local bookstores. In the case of Witherspoon's bookclub, many of the books that are chosen for this book club get turned into movies by Witherspoon's production company. If you pair together a famous name and a relatively unknown name, you have a recipe for something that may end up benefiting both parties and readers alike. 

 

Author: Josh Malerman

Title: Bird Box

Genre: Horror

Publication Date: 2014

Number of Pages: 272

Geographical Setting: suburb of Detroit Michigan

Time Period: sometime in present day

Plot Summary:

Malorie is in her middle to late twenties and is the sole caregiver for two small children, both aged 4. Malorie has the same concerns that every mother has, is she a being a good mother, do her children have enough to eat, are they growing up too fast. Unlike mothers that have come before her, Malorie is raising her children in a world where an unknown danger lurks outside. Unlike other children, her children have never seen the outside world. Her children must learn to hear better than they see in order to survive. The world they live in is one where people wear blindfolds or risk seeing something that drives them to do harm to themselves and others.

The story flashes back to the time this unknown threat began and follows Malorie before she knew she was pregnant. We see Malorie’s life unfold as the world around her falls apart. The story also flashes back to when she leaves her house and finds other survivors. We know from the current timeline that Malorie is alone with the children and the survivors she found are no longer with her. You’re left wondering what happened to these people, knowing it can’t be anything good. The flashbacks and the present all collide, and the story builds to an ending that makes you wish the novel was longer.

Wyatt and Saricks define the horror genre as something that “plays and speaks to our worst fears” (2019, p. 237). This story plays on our fears of being hunted by something we can’t see and our fear of having to go through the world where seeing something can mean death.

Subject Headings:

• Horror fiction
• Apocalyptic literature
• Parent and child fiction

Appeal:

Here are some words from one of our readings called “The Secret Language of Books, a Guide to Appeal” that I would use to describe the appeal of this book (Novelist, 2018).

• Suspenseful
• Compelling
• Disturbing
• Descriptive

 3 terms that best describe this book:

• Sense of doom
• Slow burn
• Strong female characters

 

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Author: Richard Preston

Book: The Hot Zone

This is a story about the deadliest outbreak of the Ebola virus and the efforts made to contain it. This would appeal to Bird Box readers as it taps into a deep fear of something unknown and seemingly out of our control.

 

Author: Jon Krakauer

Book: Into Thin Air

This is a story about a disastrous expedition up Mount Everest. This book would appeal to Bird Box readers as it taps into the physical and mental challenges of survival.

 

Author: Cheryl Strayed

Book: Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail

This is a story about the authors 1100-mile solo trek along the Pacific Coast Trail. This book would appeal to Bird Box readers as it features a strong, independent woman, with nothing to lose, who learns what she’s capable of.

 

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Author: Josh Malerman

Book: Malorie

This is the sequel to Birdbox and is set twelve years after the first book takes place. This book would appeal to anyone who enjoyed the first book.

 

Author: David Moody

Book: Autumn

Both of these books are about a band of people who survive in a world where everything has changed. In the case of this book a world where a deadly disease turns people into unthinkable monsters.

 

Author: Kassandra Montag

Book: After the Flood

Both of these books are about strong women who fight for their survival and the survival of their children in an apocalyptic world. In the case of this book a world where Americas coastal cities and the heartland are wiped out due to rising water.

Horror Book Promotion Proposal

To promote books in the library collection that are in the horror genre I would recommend that the library create an eye-catching display. October would be an ideal month for such a display. On Pinterest I found a few fun display options. The first display uses a skeleton as a prop and has the slogan of "Dying for a good book?" It also has some horror themed props of tomb stones. The library could make use of any Halloween decorations it has to give the display even more pizzaz. Also, on Pinterest I came across the idea of putting skeleton hands in books. This would be a fun addition to the display. We could put skeleton hands in the books and have a short, catchy reason as to why a patron should check out the book. We could add slogans like:

• Heads will Role 
• Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
• No one Can Hear you Scream
• They're Coming to Get You

Kirkus Style Review

 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

A hard-working literary agent meets her match in the form of a not so charming editor.

The story follows Nora Stephens, a literary agent who has spent her life putting other people first. Years before our story begins, Nora is put in the role of being the sole provider for her much younger sister, Libby, after their mom passes on. Life forces Nora to take up the mantle of responsible older sister, to make hard decisions and ensure the happiness of her sister.  Nora has never been the heroine in her own story. If life were like a hallmark movie, she’s the self-professed uptight, manicured city girl who gets dumped when her boyfriend meets his match in some picturesque small town. When her now married with children, 5 months pregnant, younger sister, Libby, unexpectedly invites Nora to join her on a sister’s trip, Nora suspects that something in her sister’s life is going awry. The sisters spend a month in cottage in a small town called Sunshine, South Carolina. Libby creates a check list of challenges for Nora and encourages her to step outside her comfort zone. While in this small town, Nora keeps running into Charlie Lastra, a rival editor, who has proven to be brusque and brooding in their previous work interactions. Nora and Charlie begin to discover that perhaps their first impressions of one another were just that, first impressions. The book banter between Nora and Charlie is witty and poignant and builds a foundation for a greater understanding between the two. This sister’s trip changes everyone’s lives in unexpected ways.

In the backdrop of a small-town, sisters find their way back to each other and one sister may just find her own love story. Book Lovers is a celebration of sisters, romance and small towns.