Week 9, Assignment 2: Book Trailers

My first exposure to a book trailer spoiled me so for all the rest. I give you this gorgeousness promoting Jen Larsen's Stranger Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8rrvxJzQco

Holy cow, right? When I watched that I thought, "WOW! There are trailers for books! HOW AWESOME!!!!" 

But honestly? Beyond this one, I've never sought out any others. I like to think I'm pretty informed, maybe more than most people but maybe less than other librarians, about the book world and what is hot and new. So for me to not seek out book trailers is telling that it isn't a marketable or successful promotion strategy. I would be the kind of person these were made for, and they barely register a blip on my consciousness. 

Do I want an image of the author influencing how I will react to or feel when I'm reading a book? I don't think so. (Unless it's Blair Underwood...but then again, this "book video" didn't really catch my interest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyCYwo1KhwY)

You would think in an era where something goes viral every day that we would see more of these, but sadly, no. As far as being helpful in Readers' Advisory; I would think if you had a dedicated fan of someone like James Patterson, a book trailer that didn't tell much wouldn't need to talk them into reading it. I can't really see teens seeking out the publishing websites where these would be popular to find out more about a book, unless it was an author they'd already be familiar with. 

Week 9, Assignment 3: Be More Bookish Wrap-Up

Overall, I've enjoyed Be More Bookish. Even though my journey through it was a little more disjointed than most: I had surgery and was out for three weeks, I got a promotion, changed libraries and responsibilities, and so here I am, way after everyone else has finished! 

Online learning doesn't work best for me. Writing a blog is a completely self-centered act, and instead of posting on everyone else's blogs and ideas, I just mainly stayed to my own. That's on me. I do think that an initial session where everyone met and maybe did a few of the first exercises would be very helpful and would be a catalyst for moving forward with more discussion! 

It would be really cool, too, to use a session of Genre Boot Camp as a culminating activity for the Be More Bookish cohort. 

I really enjoyed the critical articles we needed to read, and I found the Nonfiction Readers' Advisory video to be extremely helpful! (I've watched it a few times.) I feel more confident moving forward with Readers' Advisory for our customers in branch!

Week 8: Assignment 3: 16 Nonfiction Genre Types and 4 books to recommend

1. Contemporary Social Issues: Between the World and Me by Ta-nehisi Coates (305.8009)

2. Disaster/Survival: Unbroken by Lauren Hildenbrand (BIO Zamperini)

3. Food: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (BIO Bourdain)

4. Crime: The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule (364.1523)


Assignment 4:

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Any of Bourdain's books are highly entertaining, humorous, and just a little bit TMI. (Don't you ruin Hollandaise sauce for me, Bourdain!!!) His first is a jaunt into the back world of a restaurant I really didn't need to know, but couldn't put down. Anyone familiar with his shows or his brash judging on previous seasons of Top Chef would enjoy his books. Great fiction pairings would be Kitchens of the Great Midwest or Like Water for Chocolate.


The Stranger Beside Me and Any Other Book by Ann Rule.

Know anyone who is addicted to procedural crime shows? Ann Rule's writing style is approachable and knowledgeable. She really gets into the details of the most notorious crimes of the 20th century. Ann Rule's books could also go over well with the crowd who loves fast-paced mysteries.