Video Games to Hook Readers

Yesterday, The New York Times had an interesting article about pairing video games with books in order to hook new readers.

It is a well researched article that objectively looks at many of the issues surrounding reading in a digital age.

Last Day to Register to Vote in IL is Tuesday, 10/7!

As well as being a Readers' Advisor, I am also a passionate Voter Registrar. We do quite a bit of voter registration at the BPL RA desk. In the days leading up to the deadline for the Februrary primary, we did hundreds of registrations.

We have rearranged schedules at BPL and any and all Cook County residents who need to register can come to the library (2701 S. Harlem Ave) between 9am and 9pm Monday and Tuesday to register to vote. After 9pm Tuesday, you will have to sit this one out. Please don't miss this last chance to register.

We will have at least 3 registrars at the library, at all times, for you.

Please register to vote, your time is running out.

Hispanic Heritage Month Part 2

The ALA has also started a campaign to increase public library use by Latinos. They taped many public service announcements with Spanish speaking librarians. One of my former students, Semi, who also works for the Metropolitan Library System and the Cicero Public Library, recorded a couple at they are now being used all across the country on Spanish radio stations.

Click here to hear her PSA. Congrats Semi.

Semi also blogs at Pretty Hip Librarian.

BPL Display: Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15-October 15 and Kathy has put together another good display for Berwyn.

She decided to use the celebration as a chance both the highlight Hispanic authors and showcase our growing Spanish fiction collection.

Here is the annotated list that goes with the display. It is a list of fiction we carry in both English and Spanish.

We have many more titles in Spanish, both by Hispanic authors, and general best-sellers, such as My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

Enjoy.

What I'm Reading: September 2008

This month I want to begin with one of the best books I have read in a long time Alison Bechdel's graphic novel Funhome. In this memoir that made many “best” lists in 2006, well known, cult comic artist, Bechdel, recounts her childhood in rural Pennsylvania, her struggle to come out as a lesbian, and her father’s refusal to acknowledge his own homosexuality. This is a moving portrait of a family in turmoil, yet Bechdel also conveys the complexities of her extremely close relationship with her father.

I don't want to give away too much of the "plot," but I was touched by Bechdel's honesty. She was able to look back critically at herself and her family, while also drawing parallels to larger historical events, such as Nixon's resignation. I only want to add that the last panel was so beautiful and moving that I actually teared up.

Other acclaimed graphic novel memoirs with a coming-of-age theme are Blankets by Craig Thompson, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, and Epileptic by David B. There are also many other coming out stories, both fiction and nonfiction. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Roundtable of the American Library Association has lists posted here for teens and here for adults (Stonewall Awards). Also I read Hero by Perry Moore this year and wrote about it at the end of this post; I think it would be a good suggestion since it combines superheroes and gay themes.

I also listened to Rebecca Stott's Ghostwalk this month. I have to admit that I had originally tried to read this book when it first came out, but I could not get into it. When I saw it was coming out in paperback, I gave it another try, in audio this time. The plot is very complicated. Ghostwalk is part literary fiction, part historical fiction, and part psychological suspense with a supernatural element. The story is told by Lydia Brooke, a writer who is hired by her former lover to finish his murdered mother's manuscript on Isaac Newton. Stott is a historian and it shows. The books takes much of its plot from the life and times of Isaac Newton and 17th Century Cambridge life. The pacing of this work, like most psychological suspense, is mixed; it has a slow build up, but unravels quickly at the end. The ending, although a twist, was not shocking.

I initially wanted to read this book now because I thought it would go well alongside my book discussion title for this month, The Thirteenth Tale. After finishing Ghostwalk, I think those who like the Gothic feel of Stott's work, but were not huge fans of the Newton and Alchemy stuff should try Setterfield's novel. Both novels also employ the book within a book within a book style which many readers enjoy. Those who enjoy literary psychological suspense in general, would also enjoy the work of Carol Goodman and Patricia Highsmith's older, but still a great read, Ripley series. Parts of this book felt like a Twilight Zone episode, especially as Lydia is being stalked by a ghost from the 17th Century, so maybe that's a place to send fans too. Edgar Allen Poe's stories also have a similar feel to Ghostwalk. Finally, many will want to read a biography of Newton after reading this novel and at this link you can see a range of books, by Newton and about Newton, fiction and nonfiction.

Finally, in preparation for October, I finally read Jonathan Maberry's award winning Ghost Road Blues. I had read parts of it, but never got to it cover to cover. The worst thing I can say about this awesome horror novel is that now I HAVE to read the next two in the series because it is really one story in three books. I am hooked as many of my patrons have been. Here is an annotation I wrote about the novel when it first won the Bram Stoker:

Thirty years ago, the citizens of Pine Deep, PA killed a serial killer known as the Reaper. Since then, the town has seen peace and fame as the most haunted town in America. While getting ready for their annual Halloween festival, a new supernatural evil lurks on the outskirts of town, waiting to finish what the Reaper began.

What makes Ghost Road Blues so interesting is its mix of a serial killer story with a supernatural, supremely evil monster. Add to the mix, some scary followers of this monster, and a motley crew of heroes (including another ghost) out to save themselves and their town. The characters are very well fleshed out in the 400 pages of this book, so I can only imagine the character development gets even deeper in the next two books of the trilogy. This first part ends with a calm in the storm of havoc that is about to descend upon Pine Deep. How can you not go out and read Dead Man's Song immediately?

This is horror, so there is violence, blood, gore, and a general uncomfortable feeling penetrating the entire book. Ghost Road Blues reminded me of Bentley Little in that it was mid-range blood and guts horror, where everyday people are forced to battle a terrible evil in the suburbs. The revenge seeking ghost aspect is reminiscent of Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. I have other horror suggestions through this link. Jonathan Maberry also has many nonfiction books about the world of the macabre.

Banned Books Week 2008: Part 2

Here is a video from the ALA in honor of Banned Books Week. It is well done and speaks volumes to the cause.

Banned Books Week 2008

Every year the American Library Association Celebrates Banned Books Week. This year it is from September 26-October 4, 2008. Click here to see everything the ALA has prepared for their celebration of the freedom to read.

Americans often take their First Amendment rights for granted. It is that freedom of speech that allows us to read whatever we want AND allows people to challenge books. Banned Books Week is a collaboration between a few organizations. Since this is America, very few if any of these books are actually banned; rather, this celebration draws attention to all of the books that are challenged for being on library shelves.

Here is the ALA's statement from their website:

"Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, the annual event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted.

"Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met. As the Intellectual Freedom Manual (ALA, 7th edition) states:

'Intellectual freedom can exist only where two essential conditions are met: first, that all individuals have the right to hold any belief on any subject and to convey their ideas in any form they deem appropriate; and second, that society makes an equal commitment to the right of unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the communication medium used, the content of the work, and the viewpoints of both the author and receiver of information. Freedom to express oneself through a chosen mode of communication, including the Internet, becomes virtually meaningless if access to that information is not protected. Intellectual freedom implies a circle, and that circle is broken if either freedom of expression or access to ideas is stifled.'”

Each year the BPL does a display for Banned Books Week, and we provide lists of books that have been challenged in the calendar year. Here is a sampling of some of the titles that have been challenged this past year.

Finally, on September 23rd, The Chicago Tribune ran this op-ed by Leonard Pitts on the importance of Intellectual Freedom in America.

Visit your library this week, check out a banned book, and show your pride in our country's guaranteed freedom of speech.

Reader Profile and Response example

Each semester I have my students write their own personal reader profile. As I blogged about here, it is hard to help others find books that they would enjoy, if you cannot articulate why you read what you like to read.

After writing their own profiles, I have the students blindly exchange their profiles, and then send them home to suggest titles for their classmate. I hope to have some more profiles to post next week, but here is an example of this exchange.

First is Jennilyn's profile.

And here is Dan's response. You can see how he took her likes and dislikes and used the RA tools to find her suggestions for further reading.

This assignment gets to the heart of what Readers' Advisors try to do for each an every reader who enters the library.

Adreneline Genres

Tonight I will begin teaching my students about all of the different genres of fiction. We will be talking about adventure, suspense, romantic suspense, and thrillers. These genres are grouped together because they are all extremely fast paced and action oriented. Also important, despite all of the action, drama, and sinister activities in these works, the protagonist of these novels is always safe and the conflict is resolved happily.

Obviously, there is more to it than a few sentences. I have three hours of lecture prepared. Key authors in these groups would be Clive Cussler, Harlen Coben, Mary Higgins Clark, James Patterson, J.D. Robb, Sandra Brown, Dan Brown, David Baldacci, and Daniel Silva.

For more information, turn to the International Thriller Writers, Inc. This group includes authors who write adventure, suspense, thrillers, horror, and mystery. They publish anthologies, promote novels which have that adrenaline kick to them, give out awards to the best of their group, and have lots of links available. The International Thriller Writers is a fairly new group, but it has already made great strides toward helping readers of these genres to find good reads.

And for those of you who like you adventure to be true, try this list of the 100 Greatest Adventure Stories of All Time from National Geographic. I have read and suggested to patrons many of these titles with much success.

Meet the Staff at the BPL

I am always blogging about BPL staff members, but most readers have never met us. So, in honor of our BPL staff in-service day tomorrow, I invite you to meet the staff of the RA department here.