Week 9 #3

Now that we are finished (has it really been nine weeks – where does the time go?)I’m going to have to get my thoughts together.  Admittedly, there have been some ups and downs, but the training as a whole was very well conceived and usable, if not in every detail.   What I mostly enjoyed was the assignment on narrative nonfiction, the articles on overlap with fiction, and choosing books to write about.  The teen articles and flowchart were very helpful as was trolling through the teen resources. Following the genre links is something I will follow up on, they are great resources; Salon Books and Early Word, though different in style and offerings, both have excellent content.  Spending time with a genre outside your interest level or comfort zone was very valuable as was the RA conversation and appeal factors brush-up of skills.

What I liked less were the subgenres, the fan websites, mashups and book trailers.  Taking time to research these topics was pretty much a teeth-gnashing experience and my further use of them will probably be limited at best.  That being said, I do need to be more aware of the growth of additional resources, and will try to keep up as best I can.

 As far as the pacing, I was able to stay on track with the assignments with a concerted effort, though I’ve heard that those with more projects and meetings going on at the moment had a more difficult time.  One week for each assignment was probably not enough to digest the information, and I felt that, though my responses were technically “finished,” they weren’t that great - just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

 However, many thanks to the committee for a terrific effort – it’s much appreciated.

Week 9 #2

I have not had much experience with book trailers, and after doing the first assignment, I don’t think they will be very useful to me.  As mentioned by a few others, I feel that reading a book is an individual experience and is diluted by preconceived character and visual references (ask me why I don’t for the most part enjoy movies made from books)  The idea of book trailers, whether high or low budget, is something I really need to work on to benefit from.  I did enjoy some of the author interviews, but was somewhat put off by what seemed a very slick treatment of Jeanette Walls’ trailer for Glass Castle.  Of course, Super Sad True Love Story was incredibly funny and can stand on its own as entertainment.

Teens might be drawn to trailers, hopefully piquing interest in the books, but for me, they are hard to find, and probably will not work as a readers advisory tool.  Other than informing customers that they exist, I’m not really sure how to make use of them.

Week 9 #1

Read the articles and watched the embedded videos and several on You Tube.

Week 8 #4

Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Lost Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurson tells the story of a pair of deep-shipwreck scuba divers, Richie Kohler and John Chatterton, who make an unbelievable discovery.  Diving off the New Jersey coast in 1991, they come upon the “holy grail,” what turns out to be a German U-boat sunk in US territorial waters, one that proved to be the elusive U-857.  History, adventure, heartbreak, personality clashes and life and death stakes combine in this non-stop tale of discovery.  Almost unbelievably, it’s all true.

I would recommend this title to followers of high adventure and World War II fiction, with the following caveat.  Shadow Divers is brimming with factual information, and might be overwhelming to those who just want a casual read with an exciting story line. Though back stories and personal details do exist for Kohler and Chatterton, as well as a wealth of fascinating characters to round out the picture, this complex story is unraveled detail by detail. A reader with a love of history and adventure will hopefully enjoy this memorable book.

Week 8 #4

My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme is a title I would definitely recommend to a fiction reader.  Detailing Julia’s years in France to her return to the states and the post-tv series era, this particular biography focuses on the quintessential Julia, her incredible personality, her drive and dedication, her new home in France, and the food.  Based on reminiscences with her grand-nephew Alex and published 2 years after her death, the book begins with Julia and Paul’s arrival in France in 1948 and their life-changing meal at La Couronne in Rouen, where the experience of French cooking took on an almost religious significance.  Julia was hooked, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Strong, likeable and funny characters dominate, Julia and Paul, and the wonderful (and grumpy) French men and women they befriend along the way.  A love affair with Paris and the French countryside is evident in descriptions of their daily living and road trips, all beautifully detailed in Paul’s evocative black and white photographs.  Humorous and robust, the writing style perfectly depicts Julia’s life-affirming gifts.  Anyone  who enjoys a funny, heartwarming novel with a touch of place and history is sure to be charmed by this work.

Week 8 #3

The four genres and titles I have chosen are:

Biography
My Life in France by Julia Child

History (900s)
Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurson

Travel (900s)
Paris to the Pyrenees: A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of Saint James by David Downie

Crime (300s)
Manhunt: the Twelve Day Chase of Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson

Week 8 #s 1 and 2

I read both articles and watched the video.  I enjoy reading narrative non-fiction and agree that the overlap factor certainly enhances my own appreciation of both fiction and non-fiction, especially historical mysteries and nonfiction titles about similar places and time frames.  This might be extreme, but when reading titles with a strong sence of place, I have been known to have a large map book at my side, looking up where the fictional stories take place or following the progress over distances  (I love my map book of the British Isles - very handy!)