Annotation #3: Science Fiction

Armada

by Ernest Cline

Release Date: July 14th, 2015

Genre

Science Fiction 

Appeals of the Book

• Likable Characters

• Action-Packed

• Very Detailed 

Synopsis
Zack Lightman is a nerdy young adult who seeks his own adventure. He is a big fan of science fiction games, books, and movies. His favorite game is Armada, an aerial combat game that features humans vs. aliens. He lives with his mother in a small town outside Portland, Oregon. His father died in a tragic accident when he was a baby. Left behind by his father was a journal claiming the United States military is working with video game and science fiction movie developers to prepare humans for an alien invasion. Sounds crazy, right? But one day while staring out his classroom window, Zack sees an alien spaceship from Armada hovering in the sky. Is this just his imagination? Or was his father right all along?


Characteristics That Fit Into Science Fiction:

• Story allows the reader to think about social and ethical issues. The main character and the rest of Earth face deeply troubling issues that are possible only because of the settings, plot, and alien characters present in the story. Because of these aspects, the reader is forced “… to think differently when considering the available possibilities” (Saricks 246). 
• Outer Space is part of the setting. 
• Wide-range of characters having different cultures, race, and sexual orientation. Aliens are also part of the character list. 
• Tone ranges from comical to dark at times. The dark tones featured forces the reader to “…reimagine situations and events in other contexts” (Saricks 249). 
• Contain a “richness of concepts and ideas” (Saricks 246). 
• Technology featured is beyond our understanding. 
• Fast-paced due to the heavy amount of action scenes. 

Read-A-Likes
Soda Pop Soldier by Nick Cole *
This Is Not A Game by Walter Jon Williams *
The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu **
After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn **

* Suggested by NoveList
** Suggested by Kirkus Review

Works Cited
Saricks, Joyce G. The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Chicago, IL: ALA, 2009.

Prompt Response Week 7

In my experience I have found it hardest to talk about memoirs, biographies, and other “true stories,” especially books that talk about the lives of political figures. I have had many experiences where patrons chat about a recent political biography they’ve read, and they ask me things like “Can you believe what this person has done?!” It is awkward when these conversations begin because I must suppress all my biases and beliefs and remain professional. It isn’t hard for me to do so, but patrons give me a look that appears to say “Don’t you have an opinion?”

I also have patrons who get angered by memoirs, biographies, political biographies, asking us “Why do you have a book about this garbage man,” or “Why do you have this book? It is obvious what political beliefs you have!” Being a history major who has read quite a few political biographies, I understand that no one book is 100% true, but that can probably be said about many nonfiction titles.

The most recent example of these kinds of interactions came when “Fire and Fury” by Michael Wolff was released. The book is about the first year of President Trump’s time in office. When we announced on Facebook that we would be ordering extra copies due to extremely high demand, some people criticized us both online and in person, commenting that we are biased and they no longer have respect for us. The library contains and continues to order items that are controversial or biased, but that is because we allow books of all kinds and information. We promote the freedom to information and the freedom to read. It is unfortunate people are angry with us, but we are only doing our job. You cannot please everyone!

Prompt Response Week 6

How To Promote Horror Reads at My Library

All Year Strategy

A simple strategy to promote horror novels at any time of the year is to have a display that has a sign that reads something to the degree of "Looking for a Fright?" with an eye-grabbing image. Several titles in different formats can be placed on the display with additional copies stored nearby to refill as needed. Both the book and audiobook of a novel present, graphic novels, even a list of ebooks available, will help bring awareness to our vast collection. 

The display sign could be:

This strategy gives readers a chance to see what horror-related titles are out there. The sign reminds them  if they do not like any of the physical copies available, but would like to pursue more options, they know to come talk to any available librarian. 

Halloween Strategy

Halloween would be the best time to highlight horror reads. A good display could be one or multiple display tables set up with a haunted doll house, monsters statues, and fake plastic gory body parts, all with relatable books, audiobooks, movies, etc. All tables can have an acrylic sign or pile of bookmarks with recommended titles, as well as physical copies of some of the titles. An example bookmark could be:

At one of my former branches we had a haunted doll house display with horror novels and it was a HIT! It drew people's attention right away. Like the all year strategy, the sign or bookmark reminds them a librarian is present to offer more suggestions if they do not like any of the physical copies available.

That same branch I worked at also utilized bookmarks with similar titles and authors to whichever author or book we were highlighting at the time. We placed these bookmarks inside the books, as well as had them out for patrons to pick up. For this genre and situation, ideally the list would contain both classic and more recent horror novels and movies.

To boost patron experience, a voting jar can be present. Near the front entrance of my library branch we occasionally have a voting jar to grab people's attention and to stop at the table. The most popular one so far has been Cats vs. Dogs. A similar experience can happen at this table that allows people to vote on their favorite kind of horror novel (Paranormal, Monster, Gory). (If I were to pitch this to the library administration, I would remind them of the previous times we have done voting jars as well as the statistics.)

Note: Sorry these images are not better quality! 

Sources Used to Identify Different Horror Novels:

Cutter, Nick. "11 Books that Will Definitely Scare You." Huffington Post. Web 06 December 2017. Accessed 17 February 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-cutter/11-books-that-will-defini_b_4854984.html

Reader, Sam. "The Best Horror Books of 2016." Barnes and Noble. Web 14 December 2016. Accessed 17 February 2018. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/the-best-horror-books-of-2016/

Annotation #2: Horror

The Grip of It

by Jac Jemc

Release Date: August 1^st, 2017

Genre

Horror

Appeals of the Book

• Fast-paced

• Eerie tone

• Flawed characters 

Synopsis

James and Julie move out of the city to try and repair their troubled marriage. They find and quickly purchase a cheap, big house that is too good to be true in a small town nearby. Despite hearing eerie sounds and witnessing strange occurrences within and around the home, they stay with hopes of starting anew. Physical, mental, and emotional ailments break down James and Julie as they try and uncover the past of the house they thought would cure all their troubles. Will people believe what they have witnessed? Do they even believe? And who is their strange elderly neighbor spying on them?

Characteristics That Fit Into Horror

• Eerie tone.
• Dark atmosphere. Both characters have tension between them, which raises the darkness throughout the book as they are further broken down by the haunted house. 
• Contains profanity.
• Setting is a haunted house.
• Supernatural elements.
• Sexual Content.
• Main characters are “…haunted, shattered individuals” (Saricks 118). The house breaks them down into madness. 
• Fast-paced due to several jolts at “…irregular, unpredictable intervals” (Saricks 119).
• Several unexplained occurrences keep the book moving, creating a “..sense of unease as we await the unexpected” (Saricks 113).
• Ending is unresolved. You are left with more questions than answers. 

Read-A-Likes

All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage *

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski *

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson *

Little Sister Death by William Gay **

The Accidental by Ali Smith **

* Suggested by NoveList

** Suggested by Kirkus Review

Works Cited

Saricks, Joyce G. The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. Chicago, IL: ALA, 2009. 

Prompt Response Week 5

Ebook only books, which are increasingly popular (especially in the romance genre) see little to no reviews in professional publications unless they have a big name author, and then still it's usually only RT Reviews (formally Romantic Times) or other genre heavy publications. How does this affect collection development?

This affects collection development because these books will not be seen or heard about as well. Also, libraries are more print-friendly than digital-friendly despite an increase in digital items added to library collections.

[ebook] Look over the reviews - do you feel they are both reliable? How likely would you be to buy this book for your library?

The benefit of an Amazon customer review is that the review can come from a customer who actually read the book, much like Goodreads (which I love to read customer reviews on there). Or, on Amazon, it’s someone who is purposefully trying to make the item (a book in this case) look good. This one looks like it is a legit customer who has read the book, and it’s a decent review. However, I am hesitant to look at and trust Amazon reviews. Amazon is about selling things, so it’s hard for me to take the reviews seriously. The second review was also a decent review. It is definitely some person who reads and then blogs their honest reviews. 

Based off the two reviews, I do not think I would pick it up for my library. Unless someone requested we have this book, I would not even think about it. It has nothing to do with the content of the book. I know there are people who would enjoy this book. If there are tons of independent reviews on this title, especially popular review sites, I would be aware of it and would consider it.

Because I work in a popular holdings library, I prefer to have books and authors that are more popular. People want what is hot right now. However, I would like it if libraries could help independent or less known authors more by purchasing digital versions of their books at a lower cost in order to give them more awarenss.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. How do these reviews make you feel about the possibility of adding Angela's Ashes to your collection?

These reviews hit on many content aspects of the book such as setting, characters, pace, tone, plot, etc., which is great to see in a review. However, I am not seeing any negative content. I have not read it, so I do not know if it’s as perfect as these reviews make it seem. Sometimes I feel reviewers feel compelled to write a positive review of well-known works. Because of these various positive reviews, as well as its popularity, I would feel like I am forced to add a handful of copies to our collection.

Do you think it's fair that one type of book is reviewed to death and other types of books get little to no coverage? How does this affect a library's collection? 

I do think it’s unfair that certain books are reviewed more than others, especially books that are reviewed at all. There are books out there that could be really good but never looked at in a serious manner. This is how I feel with music, and most art in general. However, with technology these days, people have a better chance than ever getting their book, art, music, etc. on the internet, but it’s still hard to get it heard by those who can review/critic it.

This affects a library’s collection because they only receive what is popular instead of what may be “good.”

And how do you feel about review sources that won't print negative content? Do you think that's appropriate? If you buy for your library, how often do you use reviews to make your decisions? If not, how do you feel about reviews for personal reading, and what are some of your favorite review sources?

People who review books and do not print negative content are doing a disservice because they should review a book for what it is. If you only print positive content, it is like you are trying to sell the book yourself. The best reviews, to me, are ones that talk about basic plot points (with no spoilers obviously), and give an honest review taking various aspects of content into account (characters, plot, pace, setting, etc.).

At the same time, I think people pay too much attention to negative reviews (and reviews overall). Reviews are simply just a person's opinion. Kirkus Review gave Ready Player One by Ernest Cline a pretty unfavorable review. However, the book is a big hit with gamers and those who grew up in the 1980s. I am not saying the negativity in reviews are not true, or that people's opinions can't hold truth, but everyone has different tastes and some people see content in books differently.

Because I do not work in a Collection Development Department, I do not know how they exactly acquire books.  I would hope reviews are not a significant factor in acquiring books. 

I read reviews, but they have little to no effect on my opinions of a book. Long reviews I do not bother to look at. I just want something quick to spark my interest. At my library we have magazines we can have routed to us if we want to put our name on the list for that specific magazine. Currently I have Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, and School Library Journal sent to me. I skim through them usually. I also like to read Goodreads reviews more because it is from a multitude of people. I mainly like to see how people summarize the plot and characters rather than their opinion of the novel, but it is interesting to see the differing opinions of a book after I have read the same book.

In conclusion:

- Honest reviews are better than strictly positive reviews.
- Reviews should not be a main factor in collection development or one's perception of a book.
- Libraries should bring more awareness to unknown and independent authors who do not have the ability to be reviewed.
- Amazon and Goodreads are great places to find regular, honest customer/reader reviews.

Kirkus-style Review - "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline

READY PLAYER ONE

by Ernest Cline













Living in the crowded vertical trailer “stacks” of Oklahoma City with his Aunt is not the ideal life Wade Watts prefers.

Set in a bleak 2044, the world has become significantly bigger with the Oasis, a virtual reality multiverse that allows people to travel to fictional worlds, attend school, as well as find jobs. When the creator, James Halliday the richest man in the world, passes away, he leaves behind one last game that will change the Oasis and the world. Halliday left behind an easter egg hidden in the Oasis. Whoever finds all three keys needed to access the egg will win his fortune, as well as control of the Oasis. To win, you better know your '80s pop culture, because Halliday grew up in the 1980s, and the clues left behind are riddled with '80s references. Although a slow start, the finding of the first key begins a series of events that will change the Oasis, and Wade Watts below-average life forever, as dark forces seek to undermine the hunt for their own gain.

One cannot help but notice the disservice to women and girl gamers with a lack of presence and individuality. The major female character of the novel, a celebrity within the Oasis, becomes the crush of our male hero who focuses too much on her looks. A typical love story.

The unending '80s pop culture references will certainly delight those who lived during the '80s, and the potential of a virtual reality multiverse will have gamers immersed.

Pub Date: Aug. 16th, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-307-88743-6

Page count: 384pp
Publisher: Crown

Secret Shopper Assignment

I went to a local library system that I have a card for but I have never used it yet, so I know no one will recognize me. I decided I wanted to try a couple different librarians to see how similar they find books for patrons, but I also tried a few different methods of interacting with library staff. Because I work for a library, I had a sense of how my interactions could be. I anticipated them asking what I’ve read lately, what genres I normally look for, and what books I did not enjoy, etc.

The young librarian at the desk asked me what I was in the mood to read, to which I replied with “I don’t know exactly. I want something new to read though.” They walked me over to the new books, which felt like a way to abandon me there to find a book on my own, but they eventually took me back to the computer to find something. I can see they were using NoveList. They asked me what I read lately that I liked, and I replied with Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, as well as why I liked the book. They didn’t really ask me too many questions about what I want in a book. In the end, they suggested For The Win by Cory Doctorow. I later looked up Ready Player One on NoveList and noticed For the Win was the first title listed under read-alikes. However, looking at the reviews and description it was pretty much what I was looking for, so job well done I’d say! I still wonder if they looked at all the choices. I wish they had asked me more questions, as well as gave more of a reason as to why I should consider their suggestion.

I decided to hang around the library a while to see if I could ask someone else for suggestions. There was an older librarian roaming the stacks. I was in the science fiction section. They came up to me and asked if there is a specific book I was looking for today. I told them I was looking for a new science fiction book to read. They asked me what I have read lately, just like the last staff member had done. I told them I really enjoyed Ready Player One and why I loved it. Unlike the first time, I told this staff member I really enjoyed that Ready Player One appeals to a wide audience, meaning both people who grew up in the 1980s would enjoy the pop culture references, and it also appeals to video game lovers like myself. They looked at the shelf and I could tell they were looking for a specific book. They asked, “Do you mind sci-fi with a love story in it, or do you prefer mostly the epic action of the story?” I told them it does not matter to me. I commented how Ready Player One had a love story happening and I didn’t mind. They suggested The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak. I liked this recommendation for a few reasons. Having used NoveList on many occasions, especially on the page for Ready Player One, I knew this book was listed as one of the read-alikes. Therefore, it was a relevant title. Second, this is the same book my former coworker, who I highly respect and consider the Yoda of Readers Advisory, suggested to me. I would definitely go back to this librarian for more suggestions. 

Although I had a great experience, as a patron, I prefer to stay away from in-person RA interviews. With an RA form filled out online or in person, I would like the librarian or RA committee to commit time and effort to finding relatable reads without being pressured too much or in a hurry (Hollands 211). The RA Committee at my library sends me RA forms to complete and I much prefer doing this than answering in-person questions (although I am happy to do both). With forms you can suggest various titles. Both librarians I spoke with only suggested one title each. Receiving one title feels more like a recommendation because this is the book they found for you. Suggesting more books is like saying, “I don’t know what you like exactly, but here are a few titles with bits of what you like.” Suggesting more shows you really thought hard about what the patron wants, and if they later read and find out these titles are close to what they wanted, they will come back to you.

Works Cited

Hollands, Neil. "Improving the Model for Interactive Readers' Advisory Service." Reference & User Services Quarterly 45.3 (2006): 205-12. ProQuest. Web. 2 Feb. 2018.