My Thoughts on the Fifty Shades of Grey Controversy

So now that Fifty Shades of Grey is a huge hit, libraries are starting to be asked to pull the book from their shelves because of how racy it is.  Click here for an update on the issue.

Yesterday, as a staff we had a brief discussion about the entire issue.  First, I want to say that thankfully, we have little to no chance of someone in Berwyn asking us to pull the book.  We live in a fairly liberal community, right next to a fairly liberal major city (Chicago), and there are over 1,250 holds (and growing) on this title in our immediate system.  By the way, those are numbers James Patterson wishes he had (he is a regular 500+ holds author).

But, not everyone is as lucky as us on this front.  So here are some of the larger issues revolving around the controversy as I see them, with comments. Warning: I have strong opinions on this issue, but hey, it's my blog.

First, I should be very clear that we did not buy Fifty Shades of Grey at first.  Why?  It got terrible professional reviews.  Our policy states that we only buy well reviewed materials which fit our patrons' reading preferences.  Now, steamy romance does fit in with our collection and its readers, but only well reviewed ones.

However, we also have a collection development policy which states that we buy #1 best sellers.  So as soon as the novel hit the top of the charts, we ordered 3 copies.

I do not know of a public library which does not buy huge, runaway best sellers as a rule.  But I do know many libraries were struggling with this.  When I was in KC last month, multiple librarians asked me for help in convincing their Directors to let them by Fifty Shades of Grey.  My first response was to ask if they bought #1 best sellers.  They all said, "yes," but that their Directors were afraid of possible challenges.

This makes me livid since it is self censorship.  My advice to them, and to you if you are having this problem right now, is to make up a flier that says, "Dear [insert library name here], Please buy Fifty Shades of Grey so I can read it.  Thank you.  [signature here].  Make 100 copies and hand it to each and every patron who asks for the book.  Have them sign it and hand these in to the Director.

Normally, if a challenge comes, our first defense as librarians is the positive review.  But since this novel is lacking those, you can defend your inclusion of this erotic novel in your collection with a paper trail of requests.

Okay, next issue.  The book has a lot of graphic sex involving bondage for pleasure.  The last time we saw a bestselling phenomenon which was blatantly about graphic depictions of sex it was when Madonna's nonfiction coffee table book Sex came out.  Here, very few libraries purchased it, and those that did had strict rules on borrowing it.  However, here the issue was mostly the photographs. With Fifty Shades of Grey there are no photographs.

But let's look at really how steamy this book is.  I have not read the entire thing yet (I am letting the patrons have it first), but I have read excerpts.  First of all, as our fearless leader Kathy told me, it is not any more racy than the vast majority of our Urban Fiction collection. Kathy should know, she is in charge of that collection.  Seriously people, have you read Zane?  And she is the most mainstream of that group.  Those books fly off the shelves.  Teenagers go through them like candy, and no one says a thing.

Let's get even more mainstream than Zane though. Here are some fairly steamy authors for whom we automatically buy every single book they release, no reviews needed:

• Susan Elizabeth Phillips
• Lisa Kleypas
• Jennifer Crusie

And this is not even taking into consideration the hundreds of Harlequin paperback series books we have that are even steamier.  And you can buy those in the grovery store!

But even so.  Some people are arguing that it is the bondage angle that is making people uncomfortable.  Here I say all you have to do is look to another bestselling hit, Stieg Larsson's The Millennium Trilogy which has a very large subplot involving Lizbeth being raped by her guardian and her then exacting revenge on him later.  Both graphic scenes involve sex and bondage [I have read them].  And there bondage is used for violence.  In Fifty Shades of Grey it is for pleasure.  Which is worse?  Obviously violence, yet no one even hinted at removing the Larsson books from libraries.

I think the main problem here is that since Fifty Shades of Grey has become such a huge hit, many people who do not normally read romance are being introduced to the genre through this fairly racy novel.  They are a bit shocked by what they got from the library, but do not understand that there is quite a bit of fiction out there like this.  So, they get their panties in a bunch [pun intended], are embarrassed that they read it, and start picking on the library about it.

Here's my opinion.  People, read what you want.  Let others read what they want.  And if a book is popular enough, we will have it at the library so that people have access to it, no matter what it is about.  We don't care; we just want people to have access to the books they want to read.  So, why should you care?  We are buying for the entire community, not just one angry person.  Mind your own business. 

My final comments are for those libraries out there who are pulling the book.  You are an embarrassment.  Stick to your guns people.  If you bought the book, you had your reasons.  Don't pull it off the shelf.  Stand up for yourselves.  If you don't have enough respect for yourself to do it on your own, use the arguments in my post to help you. And if you are someone who is pulling the book, you might as well quit.  You are not upholding your end of the bargain as a public librarian anymore.

Trending: Fan Fiction Comes Out of the Shadows

Fan Fiction has been around for a long time, but it has been consigned to the shadows.  However, with the breakout bestselling success of Fifty Shades of Grey, originally written as Twilight Fan Fiction, fan fiction is having a world-wide coming out party.

Before this year all I knew about fan fiction I had learned from the most recent Thursday Next book (click here for a review), but since then I not only have learned more about the world of fan fiction, but I have also figured out that I know someone who writes it.

More on that in a minute. But first an editorial statement.

It is easy to make fun of fan fiction, but it is also extremely unfair.  Many writers got their start by imitating the  work of others.  It is a great way for writers to hone their craft.  Take this article that recently appeared in The Wall St Journal.  In the article entitled "The Weird World of Fan Fiction," journalist Alexandra Alter takes a serious look at fan fiction, even interviewing current bestselling authors, like Naomi Novik, who got their start writing fan fiction.

Give the article a read, you will learn a lot about this popular subculture that is having its moment in the sun.  No matter how you feel about Fifty Shades of Grey, it should not be the only thing you know about fan fiction.

Now back to that fan fiction author I know.

Shaynie, who was previously featured in this post about Flash Fiction, and is a Technical Services Librarian at the BPL, is also an avid fan fiction writer.  I asked her to write a short piece explaining why she writes "fan fic."  I will end this post with her words.  Thanks for sharing your personal story with us Shaynie.

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“Why Do I Write Fanfic?”

I write short stories and poetryin the mainstream, and also in fan fiction (or -- as the writers and readersthereof call it – fanfic, or simply fic). No one asks me why I write theformer; for whatever reason, I am often asked why I write the latter.

There is no monetary reason involvedin the desire to write fanfic…in fact, fic writers know that monetary gain fromfic would actually be illegal, as it would constitute copyright infringement(without the involvement of money, it can come under the heading of what isknown as “transformative works” allowed under certain circumstances by the U.S.“Fair Use Doctrine” and the Canadian “Fair Dealings Doctrine”). The reasons Iwrite fic have to do with gains of a non-monetary nature : the pleasure ofgiving an ongoing existence to specific much-loved characters of a television showor movie, the lively interactive readership, the supportive community of fellowfic writers and fic vidders (I do also make fanvids), and the arena for polishingwriterly skills. Another very great gain, one which with the passage of timebecomes evident, is how writing fic may lead to some deep and lastingfriendships, including international friendships, between people who otherwisewould never have known each other : I have daily correspondence and standinginvitations to visit fic writers from around the world who are in my fandom.

There are, then, a number ofconnected reasons why I write fanfic…and there is the overarching reason thatconnects them all. That reason is summed up in a famous line from thepenultimate scene of a movie in my fandom (my primary fandom being the CanadianTV show “due South” [sic lower-case “d”] and my secondary fandom being thatwhich radiates out from “due South,” variously called either “Canadian SixDegrees,” “Six Degrees of due South,” or simply “C6D”) : in the “C6D” movie“Hard Core Logo,” there is famously the line “and in the end, it’s love”. So,why do I write fanfic, and why does any writer write fanfic : there are a numberof reasons, and in the end, it’s love.

How to Stay On-Top of Emerging Genres?

I have spent a lot of time this year focused on helping librarians navigate the slippery slope that is genre.

Here is a 90 minute recording of my genre webinar which I gave for RAILS last month. It is a quick overview of working with genre readers entitled “Demystifying Genre.” This is merely an introduction, but it does get you started down a path where you can create your own genre training plan, tailored to your needs.

That is one of my goals as a hands on, practical RA trainer.  I want to leave you with enough information to learn something new, but my ultimate goal is to give you the tools and the enthusiasm to continue training yourself.

However, one area that this training does not cover is the world of emerging genres. You know what I mean, these genres, like erotica or Nordic Noir from a couple of years back, that go from being niche with only a few readers to having a huge popular explosion.

The problem with emerging genres is that they are brand new. The resources, if there are any, are few and far between. Our goal is to help readers who are enjoying a new emerging type of story find other books which they will also enjoy. So here are some tips to help you to stay on top of these emerging genres.

First, listen to your readers. [This should always be your first step, by the way.] Again, let’s take the erotica influx with Fifty Shades of Grey as our example here. The first patrons who started coming in were hard core erotic romance fans. The popularity of this title made them brave enough to step out of the shadows and ask the library for more racy reads. But then we started getting readers who barely even read romance, had read it because of its popularity, and now wanted more books to read, I really had to listen to what they liked about Fifty Shades before recommending more. Some of them definitely wanted to read more erotica, while others wanted more romance in general, and still others simply wanted to read the “hot book,” no matter what genre it was in. The point here is that it is easy to get swept up into the wave that an emerging genre creates.  So listen to your patrons and make sure you are handling their needs and not simply being swept up in the emerging genre tide.

Second, go to the source material. As a new niche area begins making itself known to you through multiple requests, start using what you have heard by listening to patrons to start building your knowledge base.  Of course when a genre is truly emerging, there are no specific resources to help you, but you can go to the source material to get your bearings. For example, when Nordic Noir emerged as a genre out of nowhere, we used resources for crime fiction that focused on noir to refresh ourselves on the larger context and then supplemented that with what we were seeing in the specific nordic noir titles our patrons were reading. Do not underestimate how helpful it can be to look to the overarching genre for guidance because these niches don’t spring out of nowhere. They are based on something that came before, and understanding the foundation will help you to help patrons better. It will also focus you as your conduct the RA conversation with readers. You will know the larger context of what makes something Noir and can ask the right kind of questions. For instance in Noir in the protagonist is usually self destructive [as is also the case in the Nordic variety]. So when helping Nordic Noir fans as the genre was emerging, I asked, what did you think about the protagonist? Did you mind how self-destructive he/she could be? Usually the reader said that this was of interest to them in future titles, even more so than a Nordic setting. Finding more titles was easy because I went to the source of the niche’s appeal.

Third, go read some reviews by actual readers. Often the problem for us, the library worker, as a genre emerges is that we do not have professional resources to turn to for help. But, if a new genre emerges you can bet on the fact that there are hundreds of reader comments on Goodreads and/or fan blogs already up an running with reviews and options by the time you have first heard about it.  Of course I know that none of these are unbiased, professional resources, but when we are working with passionate readers, unbiased is not the issue.  We want to gather as many opinions by people who are loving this new area. What titles are fans labelling with the new genre? What are they enjoying about it most? I love following new trends through the eyes of readers and Goodreads makes it so easy. I can feel their passion and channel it to help the reader in front of me find a great read.

This plan should work for any emerging genre. There is no way anyone can predict which reading niche areas will break out into the next hot genre, so don’t waste your time prognosticating.  Instead, use this plan to address any emerging genre as it pops up. It will work in all instances, at least long enough for more traditional resources [like NoveList] to catch up. 

Death Brackets: Romance Division

So Stephen King beat out George R.R. Martin to make it out of the Speculative division alive.  King will do battle with the winner of today's division, Romance.

After today we will have a final four, who will battle it out tomorrow.  Then, I will post the final battle on Sunday.

On Sunday, I will also have a post about the planning and creation of this display and how we tried to bridge the physical virtual divide.  I will provide tips on how you can enhance your displays based on what we did here.

But now, here's the final division. And let me tell you, these romance writers fight dirty.

[Editors note: Today's final battle is in honor of BPL RA Dream Team Member Sharon.]

Welcome to the 2012 Author Death Brackets where some of the Berwyn Public Library’s most popular, living authors will participate in a virtual battle to see who comes out alive to claim the title as the favorite (and toughest) author among our patrons. There are 4 categories of 8 authors paired against each other, with the winner of each bracket squaring off in a final four battle.

The Death Brackets are to be taken with a sense of humor.  The library does not condone violence or wish bad things upon these authors.  We do, however, hope to lighten the tense election atmosphere by electing our own sole survivor.

[The idea of author death brackets and the graphic were originally conceived at http://www.criminalelement.com]

Romance

Round One: 4 Battles
Nora Roberts vs. Catherine Coulter
We open the Romance division with an epic battle between two long-time bestselling writers.  Coulter comes armed with her cadre of well trained FBI heroes and heroines who will not go down easily. Roberts counters with longer backlist of titles and legions of fans, including many who do not normally like romance. The battle is long and appears stuck in a stalemate until Roberts calls in her pseudonym, J.D. Robb and her tough as nails heroine Eve Dallas to attack from behind. Winner: Roberts/Robb

E.L. James vs. Christine Feehan
James’ Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy may be the hottest thing in romance (pun intended) but Feehan’s popular paranormal romances are filled with powerful supernatural creatures. When James send out Christian Grey to tie up some female witches, Feehan’s vampires swoop in, cut through the chain (Grey forgot to use silver) and send the erotic novelist running for her life. Winner: Feehan

Susan Elizabeth Phillips vs. Jennifer Crusie
In this battle the sassy, sexy heroines of these contemporary romances are evenly matched in both writing style and number of fans. But Phillips, a Naperville resident, knows the home turf and turns it to her advantage as one of her Chicago Stars football players tackles Cruisie for the knockout blow. Winner: Phillips

Eloisa James vs. Jayne Ann Krentz
James, a Shakespearean scholar, writes smart sexy historical romances. Krentz however is not afraid of James’ degrees and comes with the confidence befitting her immense popularity. James’ recent critically acclaimed forays into nonfiction keep her in the game, until Krentz pulls out her equally popular pseudonym Amanda Quick to make it two against one. It’s no contest. Winner: Krentz/Quick

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Round Two: 2 Battles
Roberts/Robb vs. Feehan
Feehan, knowing she is out numbered at the start, brings her vampires to the front lines as backup.  But Roberts has some paranormal series of her own, and her witches are able to neutralize the advantage Feehan has with her sexy, undead army.  This leaves Robb’s tough bounty hunter from a near future, dystopian NYC unguarded. She is tough, gritty, and unapologetic when her life is at stake.  Winner: Roberts/Robb

Phillips vs. Krentz/Quick
With home court advantage, razor sharp wit, and a professional football team as backup, Phillips is not afraid to take on two bestselling romance writers at once. But Krentz still has one more pen name up her sleeve, and when she unleashes her futuristic and science fiction romance writing pseudonym Jayne Castle into the mix, Phillips cannot hold back the charge and crumples under the weight of three opponents. Winner: Krentz/Quick/Castle 

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Round Three: 1 Battle
Roberts/Robb vs. Krentz/Quick/Castle
It’s three against two as Roberts and Krentz meet to decide who has captured the hearts of our patrons. This evenly matched battle will need to be decided by the patrons, but when checkout records are consulted, it is still too close to call.  While the five women continue flinging tougher heroines and sexier heroes at each other, the librarians intervene, calling a foul on Krentz for her insistence at using her different pen names within the same series, making it hard to catalog and shelve her series together. Roberts, who keeps her alter egos neatly separated, wins by TKO. Romance Winner: Roberts

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NoveList RA News: May 2014

This month’s issue is out and features an article by ME on Romance resources.

Click here for the full issue.

Click here or see below for my article.

Keeping Up with the Fans: Romance on the Web 

by Becky Spratford 

*This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of RA News.*

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Love it or hate it, romance is consistently the highest selling genre in all of book publishing. As a result, all of those writers and readers keep us plenty busy in the library. That is why it is very important for you to stay on top of what's hot and popular in Romance on a regular basis.
The sheer number of titles over romance's wide range of subgenres means that even the most ardent fans can feel overwhelmed. However, by arming yourself with list of quality web resources you can get yourself up to speed with the biggest issues, trends, authors, and titles rather quickly, but more importantly, by returning to these resources on a regular basis, you will never fall far behind again, no matter how many new subgenres pop up in the meantime. 

Let's Talk About Sex: 

All Readers: http://allreaders.comBefore we get started, I want to address the 500 pound gorilla in the room whenever romance comes up -- SEX.  Specifically how much or how little of it your reader wants in a book.  Thanks to the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey, we now know for sure what we have suspected for years, many people do not mind if a book gets steamy.  Yet, the popularity of erotica has not made the RA transaction any easier when it comes to assessing how much sex your reader wants in their next book. People may be reading it, but they don't want to talk about it, and especially not with the librarian!
So how do you tiptoe around such a huge appeal factor without addressing it directly? My first stop for detailed accounts of just how much heat is between those covers is the very unsexy All Readers. This site is not pretty; in fact, it is poorly laid out and often confusing to navigate, but it has one huge plus -- detailed descriptions of the exact type and amount of sex and violence you will find in the books that are reviewed.  Look at the review for Shame on It All by Zane. Scroll down to the box providing "Chapter Analysis."  Here you can find extremely detailed information, often using colorful language, about the level of sexual descriptions in the book [hint: it's pretty hot].
While All Readers provides this level of detail on sex (and violence) for thousands of titles, it is not nearly as comprehensive as the professional reviews in resources like NoveList.  However, at the very least, you can ask the romance reader in front of you to name some favorite romance authors, and from their list, you should be able to find at least one in the All Readers database.  Armed with that information, you can surreptitiously click through, read some of the reviews, and know exactly how much sex the reader can handle in their novels without ever having to ask directly.

The Writers Speak to Us: 

Romance Writers of America: http://www.rwa.orgRomance Novelists Association: http://www.rna-uk.orgWriters associations are often overlooked resources.  Think about it, who understands the fans of a genre better than those who write in that genre? No one.  These are the people who make their livings entertaining the very readers you are trying to help. They also host the most respected genre awards, provide links to their favorite resources, and even have sections written especially to help librarians.  A quick peek at these sites a couple of times a year will go a long way toward educating yourself on the genre's biggest trends, hottest authors, and local events.  

Romance Community: 

While you can check comprehensive professional review sources like Romantic Times, romance is a genre that speaks to its readers emotions.  For that reason, you need to look to the web resources run by the genre's biggest fans for the most heartfelt, honest, and knowledgeable information. Also, since they are written by fans for fans, these resources will come the closest to replicating your interaction with a romance reader, so following these resources provides you with excellent on-going readers' advisory training at your desk, for free.
However, just being a romance addict does not make someone a good writer or web administrator.  There are some truly terrible romance fan websites out there, but lucky for you, I have spent a lot of time wading through the muck so you don't have to.  Below, are my five favorite romance communities. All provide high quality reviews, opportunities for fan interaction, and useful insight.  I have come to trust these resources not only for the breadth and quality of the information they provide to me and my readers, but also for their sheer entertainment value .  These are sites run by people who love romance and have fun with it.  When looking at all five together, you will definitely see overlap, but since each has a unique voice, you may find you enjoy one more than the others. 

All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.comSubtitled, "The Back Fence for Lovers of Romance Novels," I have found this resource to be the most useful overall. Not only does it have thousands of well written and useful reviews, multiple blogs, author interviews, and readers' forums, but it is also extremely well organized and easy to navigate. 

Smart Bitches Trashy Books:  http://smartbitchestrashybooks.comWith the tag line, "All of the romance, none of the bullshit," you can probably get the sense already this is a nontraditional and snarky site that is probably not for everyone, but rebels or not, the Smart Bitches, Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, are some of the most respected women in the field of romance having been featured in impressive resources themselves, such as USA Today, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Kirkus Reviews They have also published a few books on the romance genre and moderate a weekly podcast. Some of my favorite topics they tackle regularly include, Classic Romance: Which One First?, Caption That Cover, and Good Shit vs. Shit to Avoid. 

Smexy Books: http://smexybooks.com,Heroes and Heartbreakers: http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.comRomance Reader at Heart: http://romancereaderatheart.com/index.htmlThese last three resources all provide a similar experience with reviews, reader interaction,  tons of suggested reading lists, and commentary, but each also has a unique specialty worth noting.  Smexy Books covers urban fantasy along with romance, Heroes and Heartbreakers provides links to original stories for readers to access, and Romance Reader at Heart is the best resource for historical romances (still one of the biggest subgenres).  They are all extremely well organized, easy to search, and chock full of useful information for librarian and romance fans alike.
This list is not meant to be complete; in fact, it is only a start on the most general of resources as does not include any subgenre specific sites.  What I like about the resources listed here is that they have proven themselves by helping me to stay up to date on everything romance, leading me to more specific resources (when needed), and, most importantly, making me look good as I am helping patrons looking for their next great romance.
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Becky Spratford is a Readers' Advisor for patrons 13 and up at the Berwyn (IL) Public Library. She is also a steering committee member for the Adult Reading Roundtable, which provides Readers' Advisory training in the Chicagoland area.  You can see more of Becky's work on her two popular and critically acclaimed blogs, RA for All [raforall.blogspot.com] and RA for All: Horror [raforallhorror.blogspot.com], or in her book The Readers' Advisory Guide to Horror, 2nd edition (ALA Editions, 2012). She is also a proud member of the Horror Writers Association.

Literary Guide to the NFL Season

I am a huge fan of the NFL.  I own season tickets to the Bears, I grew up going to most of the NY Giants' home and took a yearly sojourn to Philly for the Giants-Eagles game.  I own a Eli Manning jersey...and wear it a lot! I play fantasy football and am in 2 weekly picks pools.

So you get the point.  I love the NFL.  But, there I days when I feel like my love of football clashes with my obsession with literature and reading.  But the people over at the Page Turners blog (NY Daily News) have helped me to reconcile my two seemingly diametrically opposed loves, with a great essay analyzing the literature that best defines each team.  Use the linked title below to see the original post with pictures, or just read the text copy below.

But first a 2 bits on analysis here:

1. Their overall point is one I love: there will only be one team with a happy ending, but after the season, each team will have a good story to tell.
2. What a great way to branch out the concept of readalikes too.  Here are readalikes for you favorite sports team.  Brilliant.  And I thought I was inventive for offering book readalikes for TV shows.

Nerds and Neanderthals: A literary guide to the 2012 NFL season

America makes a clear distinction between bookish types and football types. The Nerd vs. Neanderthal dichotomy is a cornerstone of American culture (at least in American culture as presented in high school TV shows).  

But the truth is that football and literature do not occupy separate realms. As any fan knows, football is driven by drama of the game. Each week’s contests are served up with a mythological importance: Epic battles between the forces of good and evil; tales of impossible redemption colliding with heartbreaking falls from grace; traitors conspiring in the shadows of egomaniacal tyrants. And all of that is just on the New York Jets. 

So to help you make sense of this upcoming season, here is a literary guide to the 2012 NFL season, wherein we identify some of the most compelling storylines and narratives from each team and its literary equivalent.  While only one team’s season will have a truly happy ending  —every team will emerge with a few good stories to tell.  

 AFC East

Buffalo Bills: Tired of wallowing in mediocrity, the Bills have decided to throw caution to the wind.  They’ve opened up their wallets and are looking to a large man (DE Mario Williams) to show them the way to a happier life.
Literary Equivalent: "Zorba the Greek" (Nikos Kazantzakis)

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are the stars of the NFL reality show, "Hard Knocks." Will they be able to ignore the intense scrutiny of the camera and focus on their craft? Or will these highly-trained professionals succumb to the drama and allow their art to be compromised?

Literary Equivalent: "My Name is Red" (Orhan Pamuk) 

New England Patriots: A misanthropic genius (Bill Belichick) continually tinkers with his team, mixing and matching discarded parts into a fearsome juggernaut. Will his experimenting give birth to a breakthrough or an imperfect monster that ultimately leads to heartbreak?
Literary Equivalent: "Frankenstein" (Mary Shelley)

New York Jets: In the absence of true leadership, a culture arises that values bravado over all other virtues. This volatile mix of personalities must resist a descent into anarchy and choose between two imperfect leaders (Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow) before they tear themselves apart.
Literary Equivalent: "Lord of the Flies" (William Golding)

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: After years of striking fear in the hearts of men, is this the season that the great Baltimorean (Ray Lewis) finally meets his end?
Literary Equivalent: "The Poe Shadow" (Matthew Pearl)

Cincinnati Bengals: Pinning their hopes to an unproven but charismatic redhead (Andy Dalton), this swarthy crew hopes he has what it takes to lead them to glory.
Literary Equivalent: "The Long Ships" (Frans Bengtsson)

Cleveland Browns: As a Cleveland fan, you had better learn to love the pain.
Literary Equivalent: "Fifty Shades of Grey" (E.L. James)

Pittsburgh Steelers: Led by a man with a reputation as a headhunter (James Harrison), the Steelers play with the ruthless aggression of a bygone era. But has the world moved on and made their violent style obsolete?
Literary Equivalent: "Blood Meridian" (Cormac McCarthy)

AFC South

Houston Texans: Despite making their first ever playoff appearance, the Texans lost several key contributors on both offense and defense and begin the season with nothing but questions.
Literary Equivalent: "The Interrogative Mood" (Padgett Powell)

Jacksonville Jaguars: Compact but powerful, Maurice Jones-Drew packs a concise punch while toiling in relative obscurity.
Literary Equivalent: "The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis" (Lydia Davis)

Indianapolis Colts: Against a backdrop dripping with nostalgia, the team must learn to move on from their rich past. With a lot of (Andrew) luck, they just might be able to carve out their own place in the world.
Literary Equivalent: "The Joy Luck Club" (Amy Tan)

Tennessee Titans: In the world of fantasy (football), Chris Johnson had no equal… until reality came crashing down on him last season. Can he regain his footing in the fantasy realm and scramble his way back into our good graces?
Literary Equivalent: "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (Patricia Highsmith)

AFC West
Denver Broncos: Searching for a more beautiful brand of football, John Elway becomes infatuated with the talented Peyton Manning. In a vain attempt to hold on the glories of his youth, Manning strikes a deal with Elway in an attempt to retain his youth and delay the inevitable march of time.
Literary Equivalent: "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (Oscar Wilde)

Kansas City Chiefs:  Last year everything seemed to go wrong for Kansas City (particularly losing young stars Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry for the season), and yet they managed to come out on the other side, if not better, then tougher. Now the team must regroup and find the strength to keep pushing despite past heartbreak.

Literary Equivalent: "Play It As It Lays" (Joan Didion)

Oakland Raiders: This season will be played in the shadow of departed owner Al Davis, a hard-living Californian who notoriously bypassed prudence in favor of speed (Exhibit A: Darius Heyward-Bey).  As the team races on, will Davis’s legacy be one of triumphant ecstasy or wasted potential?
Literary Equivalent: "Less Than Zero" (Brett Easton Ellis)

San Diego Chargers: The team said goodbye to two legends during the off-season (Junior Seau and LaDainian Tomlinson). Will they be able to cope and do they have the key to unlocking playoff success and leaving their painful past behind?
Literary Equivalent: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (Jonathan Safran Foer)

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: Are they an offensive juggernaut on the cusp of breaking through? An overrated glamour team with no guts? A mediocre team elevated by the grace of being in a high profile market? This team looks different from every perspective, and you're never quite sure which account is accurate.
Literary Equivalent: "Rashomon and Other Stories" (Ryunosuke Akutagawa)

New York Giants: Once again, the G-men are Masters of the Universe —  but can they maintain their perch at the top?
Literary Equivalent: "Bonfire of the Vanities" (Tom Wolfe)

Philadelphia Eagles: Everything seemed to be going their way, but the Eagles found themselves in a rut for most of last season. Will breaking up with Asante Samuel and starting a promising new relationship with DeMeco Ryans be enough for the team to recapture its mojo?
Literary Equivalent: "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" (Terry McMillan)

Washington Redskins: With this team there always seems to be magic in the air--at least during the summertime. Will the arrival of the enchanting Robert Griffin III be enough to finally turn their off season dreams into reality or will Washington fans eventually awake, disillusioned and unsatisfied?
Literary Equivalent: "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" (William Shakespeare)

NFC North

Chicago Bears: Under former offensive coordinator Mike Martz, the Bears strayed from its lunch pail roots and experimented with a more aesthetically pleasing brand of offensive football — with mixed results. Now the team looks to get back to the basics, going for substance over style with the realization that when it comes to football, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.
Literary Equivalent: "On Beauty" (Zadie Smith)

Detroit Lions: The sharp rise from league embarrassment to “it” team has left team this struggling with a major identity crisis. Are they loveable upstarts or menacing bullies? Following an off-season featuring multiple arrests, this team has a lot of soul searching ahead of them if they have any hope of establishing an identity for themselves.
Literary Equivalent: "The Namesake" (Jhumpa Lahiri)

Green Bay Packers: Motivated by his humble beginnings (an embarrassing drop in the 2005 NFL Draft), Aaron Rodgers has climbed to such great heights that anything short of a Super Bowl is considered as a disappointment.
Literary Equivalent: "Great Expectations" (Charles Dickens)

 Minnesota Vikings: Recovering from a devastating leg injury, star running back Adrian Peterson must hold depression at bay if he has any hope of regaining his previous form.
Literary Equivalent: "Slow Man" (J.M. Coetzee)


NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: Last year, GM Thomas Dmitroff gave up a king’s ransom for the right to draft wide receiver Julio Jones, hoping that his rare combination of speed and power would put the Falcons over the top. After a promising but inconsistent rookie season, Jones is out to realize his potential and prove that he is the right fit for this team.
Literary Equivalent: "The Missing Piece" (Shel Silverstein)

Carolina Panthers: In his record-breaking rookie reason, quarterback Cam Newton displayed superhuman abilities, not only with his rocket arm, but with his uncanny ability to escape tricky situations. With his tenacious sidekick (Steve Smith) by his side, the unlikely duo is determined to take the team to new heights and change NFL landscape.
Literary Equivalent: "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" (Michael Chabon)

New Orleans Saints: After a tumultuous off season heavy with suspensions and fines (including a year-long ban for head coach Sean Payton), New Orleans fans will spend most of their season resentful and sending angry missives to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other authority figures; letters that will probably never even be read.
Literary Equivalent: "Herzog" (Saul Bellow)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs have put together an intriguing cast of characters, but the question remains: Do they have the skill to successfully weave the different parts together into a cohesive whole?
Literary Equivalent: "A Visit from the Goon Squad" (Jennifer Egan)

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: Since entering the league, Larry Fitzgerald has been one of the league’s greatest wide receivers and one of its consummate professionals. But since QB Kurt Warner’s retirement, his world has become a truly desolate place. With such scant signs of life around him, Fitzgerald can’t help but feel desperately alone on the football field.
Literary Equivalent: "Zone One" (Colson Whitehead)

St. Louis Rams: Despite a successful track record, head coach Jeff Fischer was unceremoniously dismissed from his position with Tennessee. Known for his disarming nature and straight- forward approach, Fischer will bring a new sincerity to a program that is in desperate need of a fresh perspective.
Literary Equivalent: "No One Belongs Here More Than You" (Miranda July)

San Francisco 49ers: Always the controversial figure, the enigmatic Randy Moss has been largely villainized in the court of public opinion. This is his last chance to prove that the stories aren’t true, that he has been misunderstood this whole time. It also wouldn’t hurt his cause if he could prove that he can still fly down the field.
Literary Equivalent: "Wicked" (Gregory Maguire)

Seattle Seahawks: Unable to find his perfect man, the likeable but unlucky Pete Carroll decided to take a chance on Russell Wilson — despite his obvious shortcomings. Will Wilson turn out to be the Mr. Right with whom Carroll can spend the rest of his life season?

Literary Equivalent: "Bridget Jones’s Diary" (Helen Fielding)

Monday Discussion: Books You’ve Faked Reading

Okay, time to get honest. In our line of work there are plenty of times when a book becomes HUGE and we are helping patrons to find readalikes while they wait in the holds queue, but we have not had a chance to read them ourselves. Titles that come to mind which serve as an example here are:

• DaVinci Code
• Fifty Shades of Grey
• any James Patterson title
• Game of Thrones
• The Walking Dead

Now, many times these books are too popular for us to get our hands on.  Other times we have no desire to read them despite their popularity.  But the good news on both these fronts is that these huge event books are written about and talked about so much that we can normally help patrons without ever reading the book.

Let me be clear however, I am not outright advocating for you to lie to a patron if he or she asks you if you have read the book in question.  Instead you can say, "The holds list is very long and I want patrons to read it first; besides, I have read a lot about it and have helped many happy patrons using what I know about the book and its appeal."  But, if they don't ask you, you can easily pretend that you have read the book.

So maybe the title of this post is misleading. I am not talking about "faking" that I have read a book, just not admitting that I have not read it and not correcting the perception that I have. Rather, I tend to encourage that perception because it makes the patron more comfortable.

My book is The Hunger Games. Back in 2012 I wrote a longer post about having never read it, but how I still helped many patrons who wanted readalikes. I even had a few people email me to express surprise.  I have written so much about the book, they had assumed that I had read it. But, as they noted, I never said anywhere that I had read it.  Click through to read that full  post.

Now it's your turn.  For today's Monday Discussion, what book(s) have you helped a lot of patrons with that you have never read for yourself.  We all have them.  Time to come clean.

For past Monday Discussions, click here.

John Green Cake and a Mini Links Round Up

So all day, I have been trying to make sure the BPL Dream Team's Fearless Leader, Kathy, stayed in the building because I had a cake made for her birthday featuring her favorite author, John Green, wishing her a "Happy Birthday."  I had my friend who owns this company make the fabulous cake featured in the photo.

Needless to say, I have been distracted today and the blog is feeling the effects of that.  But here are some things I have been looking at this week:

• Galley Cat ran this graphic and commentary on how to tell real reviews from the paid ones on Amazon.
• Book Riot had this personal essay by a female contributor on how having kids changed her reading.  You can tell her kids are pretty young based on her points.  One of her points is that she now reads less.  Personally, in my case, I did read less when the kids were younger, but now, I read more than I did before I had them. Many a evening you can find all 4 of us curled up on couches reading our own things, but reading together.  Nothing is more important in raising a reader than reading yourself. Anyone who has kids and likes to read should take a look at her list.
•  From io9, Ten Myths About Space Travel That Make Science Fiction Better.
• I wish I was artistic enough to do this. 
• Because you can never have too many Fifty Shades of Grey readalike lists....