RA FOR ALL...THE ROAD SHOW!

I can come to your library, book club meeting, or conference to talk about how to help your readers find their next good read. Click here for more information including RA for All's EDI Statement.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Conversation Starter: What Books Are You Most Thankful For

Over the last year I have really focused on helping you find ways to have conversations with your patrons, to build relationships rather than tallying transactions. I have done this by using my Conversation Starter to Display Exercise everywhere I go. And this focus over the last 18 months is also going to lead to a HUGE refresh of my Ten Rules this January. But that is for later. 

Today I have the perfect thing for you to do starting now and through next week, something that people will love to participate in-- Ask your patrons what books they are most thankful for. And then showcase the results.

Speaking of the result, you will love them. I have done this before and seeing what people say is eye opening. It is never the bestsellers or current titles. It is always books that are older and often a bit more obscure. Very genre heavy as well. Seeing the results always renews my faith in humanity, yes, but it also gives you a deep look into the books that resonate most with your readers. It reminds you that although we worry so much about having the latest Patterson, Roberts, Hoover etc... , those are not the books that our readers appreciate the most.

Again, go to my explanation post to see how to actually administer this conversation starter to display exercise. Here is a short excerpt from that post to make you want to click through for more:

But we don't only have to ask verbally. Turn these six questions into books marks, with one question on the top of each. Leave them out on your displays, at the end of rows, on your desk. Also, put them in every book on the holds shelf. Place a note at the bottom to have them return it with their item. Gather the answers and turn them into the displays with the titles I suggest below.

There is much more in the post. Don't be lazy....click through now and come back to finish the post when you are done reading.

You can use your results all year long. First, get them up as a year end display in December. Title it the books our community is thankful for. This will still work after Thanksgiving as the entire season has a heartwarming feel. And it is seasonal, not religious holiday specific.

Second, save these titles in your back pocket and turn them into other displays later in the year-- Our Community's Sure Bet Reads or Forgotten Favorites or simply, Curl Up With A Good Read Suggested by Our Patrons. You can re-ask the question with these other conversation starter ideas, but add the results to these questions to the answers to the thankful one. Compound interest with these conversation starters is key-- the most times you ask the same question (or similar ones), the most options you have for your displays.

[Side note: Please, make these displays intergenerational-- include books from all age levels of the library. Why, well I have a lot to say about it here, but first and foremost, having a display near the entrance of your library that includes titles from across the building, shows your readers that you are inclusive and that you care about them-- all of them-- as an entire library, not only in their age level silo. I know there is reistsnecre at some libraries to do this, but I refer you to Cuyahoga County Public Library's presentation at PLA where they explain why they do this. If they can do it, you can too.]

Third, use the results to help you craft your collections. When you ask a question as earnest as "What books are you most thankful for?" you get back answers that are true, heartfelt, and reflect what your readers truly enjoy. This is way more helpful than circulation statistics. Those just show us what was checked out but does not let us know if the readers enjoyed them or not. 

Too often we get too caught up in the stats and simply add books that reflect what circulates the most. Yes, we have to do that, but by asking conversation starter questions more regularly we can do a deeper dive into the books that resonate with our readers and work to help them find readalikes. These results will allow you to take a few more chances at adding lesser known works, yes, but you should also use these results to make displays to highlight those titles. 

For example, if you get a lot of people saying they are thankful for TJ Klune, well you already know people love his books, yes, but you should also use this to make a Cozy Fantasy display. Look for more authors who are doing this, add their titles, and then show them off. 

The answers to a "Books you are thankful for" display in and of itself will reveal subgenres and specific reading interests that will help you find new display ideas.

Plus, as I said above, this kind of question will renew your faith in humanity and fill your own heart with warmth and joy. And honestly, right now, that might be all the reason you need to turn this post into action at your library.

Back tomorrow with a giveaway on both blogs of one of the most hotly anticipated books for the new year by one of the best authors (in any genre) out there.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Attack of the Best Lists 2024: Time's 100 Must Read Books of 2024

This post is part of my year end "Attack of the Best Lists" coverage. To see every post in my "Attack of the Best Lists 2024" coverage [and more backlist best of the year options] you can click here. 

Tim Magazine has had one of the most useful (to use) lists over the last 5 years. Why? because each year they give us their "100 Must Read Books." The books that entertained and enthralled them.  Here is the link to the 2024 list.

Notice they don't call them "the best," they are "must reads." I love this language. It speaks perfectly to library users. These are books the editors think you should read for a variety of reasons. They are not trying to tell you to only read the most critically acclaimed books. They have chosen those but also bestsellers and titles that speak to our moment in history as well.

This is a list you can display proudly, and quite honestly, having looked through it myself, easily. Easily because you have these books already. Easily because there are many ways to promote it via their website, which has a visual representation of each cover that people can scroll through quickly or click on a specific title for an annotation with details. 

And, I love this entire concept to have your year end "Best Books" discussions at your library. Ask your staff and patrons for their "Must Read Book of 2024." Don't be more specific than that. Simply use my conversation starter to displays post to ask for nothing more than what people's "must read book of 2024 was." Then sit back and watch the diverse and interesting list your library creates. Not only will it be unique to your community but also, it will give you a sense of what titles have resonated with your readers in a way that is hard to capture. This is necessary information you need to craft your collections going forward.

And notice my advice does not limit people to the book having come out this year. The question is vague on purpose. You will get older titles. which leads to my reminder that it is not only this 2024 list that is a great choice for readers, but also, the backlist of lists. Time has been making this "100 Must Read Books" list since 2019. Here are the backlist links for you to use with your patrons immediately:

Mine those backlists as suggestions, for book discussion titles, sure bet or great reads you may have missed displays. These are excellent titles for a general audience. They can and should be used now and as a resource all year long.

Monday, November 18, 2024

The Current Issue of Booklist is a Spotlight on First Novels

Booklist's November 1&15 2024 issue has a spotlight on first novels, always a popular topic with readers. While the 2024 list is a great options for reader suggestions, displays, and of course, collection development, I also wanted to use this opportunity to link to the last few years of Booklist debut lists as well.

Spotlight on First Novels

And this excellent bonus list Listen Up: Audio Revivals

Audiobooks have the distinct honor of bringing older titles back into the spotlight with fresh new recordings, as with Janet Evanovich’s One for the Money, reviewed in this issue. These recent releases of old favorites will bring back memories of the first time you encountered these stories and introduce a whole new audience to some excellent storytelling. 

Friday, November 15, 2024

LibraryReads: December 2024

   

 It's LibraryReads day and that means four things here on RA for All

  1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
  2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about LibraryReads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips through this archive OR the sortable master list allowing you to mix and match however you want.
  3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any LibraryReads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.
  4. Every upcoming book now has at least 1 readalike that is available to hand out RIGHT NOW. Book talk the upcoming book, place a hold for it, and then hand out that readalike title for while they wait. If they need more titles before their hold comes in, use the readalike title to identify more readalike titles. And then keep repeating. Seriously, it is that easy to have happy, satisfied readers.
So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Please remember to click here for everything you need to know about how to participate. Click here to see a database of eligible diverse titles sorted by month.

And finally, here is LibraryReads' extremely helpful Resources page.

Now let's get to the December 2024 list.... 



 Not in My Book

Katie Holt

(Alcove Press)


If there's such a thing as "light academia" this book embodies it, with collegiate setting-fueled banter in a cute, enemies-to-lovers romance. As Rosie and her nemesis, the uppity Aiden, are forced to write a book together, opposites attract as they produce each chapter. Readers will love the chemistry between the two writers in this debut novel.


—Maddie Paul, Bartholomew County Public Library, IN

NoveList read-alike: L ove Story by Lindsey Kelk



I Might Be in Trouble

Daniel Aleman

(Grand Central)


When struggling novelist David wakes up next to a dead body after a hookup with a stranger, he realizes inspiration for his next book may have finally struck. But he'll need his agent's help to move the body and avoid the blame first. This mystery thriller is funny, suspenseful, and surprisingly touching.


—Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: Who Is Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews


Keep Me

Sara Cate

(Sourcebooks Casablanca)


Killian is a brute who let his past dictate his life until he met Sylvie. She's entitled and has a foul mouth according to Killian, but she is the only woman he'd consider entering into a fake marriage with. Sylvie agrees, knowing that 10 million dollars awaits at the finish line. What neither of them expected was to actually fall in love.


—Erica Moses, Genesee Area Library, PA

NoveList read-alike: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson


Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love

Marianne Cronin

(Harper Perennial)


Unexpected friendships and second chances come alive in this life-affirming story. 90-year-old Eddie, a volunteer in a resale shop, meets 24-year-old Bella, who brings in the things of her boyfriend who died last year. Through their friendship, Bella discovers Eddie has never been kissed. This read is hope and humanity in a book.


—Crystal Faris, Kansas City Public Library, MO

NoveList read-alike: Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim


The Resurrectionist

A. Rae Dunlap

(Kensington)


This gothic novel is a delightfully atmospheric tale of a medical student turned grave robber, set amidst the dark alleyways of 19th-century Edinburgh. The combination of historical fiction and murder mystery with plenty of medical history will make this a crossover hit with several audiences. Readers will be looking for more from this author.


—Gregg Winsor, Johnson County Library, KS

NoveList read-alike: Anatomy by Dana Schwartz


A Monsoon Rising

Thea Guanzon

(Harper Voyager)


Readers who follow this series will be happy to see Talasyn and Alaric work through their tension and angst and come together in order to save the world from being devoured. The slow burn of the enemies-to-lovers romance really sets the pace for the entire book.


—Ashley M., Morton Grove Public Library, IL

NoveList read-alike: Bridge Kingdom series by Danielle L. Jensen


Booked for Murder

P.J. Nelson

(Minotaur Books)


Madelaine has to live in her late aunt’s home/bookstore for six months in order to inherit. It’s only her first night and she’s already putting out fires, getting threatening phone calls, and finding a body.Does she flee? Nope! She sets out to find the villain. Add in some eccentric women and small town characters for a great cozy mystery.


—Joan Hipp, Florham Park Public Library, NJ

NoveList read-alike: Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney


The Rivals: A Novel

Jane Pek

(Vintage)


Claudia works for a company verifying information for online matchmaking programs. As she digs deeper into a possible A.I. conspiracy, danger rises. With the uncomfortable feeling that the people she's investigating are being eliminated, Claudia races to solve the case and to manage her complicated personal life. Readers will enjoy the banter, multifaceted characters, and interesting storyline.


—Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library (Austin), TX

NoveList read-alike: Swiped by L.M. Chilton


North is the Night

Emily Rath

(Erewhon Books)


Finnish gods meet mortals in this journey to the underworld featuring two strong heroines, one captured by the Witch Queen of Death and the other determined to rescue her. Aina

and Siiri's bond intensifies even when they are separated. Rath's world is peppered with gods, shamans, and assorted witches, pushing the story into new territory and making this a unique and original tale.


—Douglas Beatty, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

NoveList read-alike: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir


Rental House: A Novel

Weike Wang

(Riverhead)


Keru and Nate decide to rent a summer house, inviting their parents on different weekends of their vacation. She is the child of Chinese immigrants, and he is the son of working class Appalachians. The novel's dry humor focuses on how each family views Keru and Nate's marriage compared with their more traditional ideas, making this an interesting study of contemporary marriage.


—Michelle Morris, Fort Worth Public Library, TX

NoveList read-alike: Long After  We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris


Board Bonus picks:

How to Steal a Galaxy

Beth Revis

(DAW) 

Notable Nonfiction:

Sisters in Science: How Four Women Physicists Escaped Escaped Nazi Germany  and Made Scientific History 

Olivia Campbell

(Park Row)


See our social media for annotations of the bonus picks


The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame. Click here to see the Hall of Fame authors organized in alpha order.

Under Loch and Key

Lana Ferguson

(Berkley)


Invisible Helix

Keigo Higashino

(Minotaur Books)


What the Wife Knew

Darby Kane

(William Morrow)

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Finding Comfort in Romance via Fated Mates Podcast and a Conversation Starter to Display Idea to Highlight Comfort Reads From Any Genre

One of the best things about Romance is the fact that readers are assured a happy ending. People who are not Romance readers often use this fact-- that the ending is a known quantity-- to disparage the genre. I on the other hand argue the opposite-- that actually because the reader knows what the ending will be, the authors have to work that much harder to make the book interesting and compelling to the reader.

Also, because of the HEA that a Romance must bring to every book, Romance is also one of the best comfort reads in times of high stress. 

And no one understands Romance better than Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop, the hosts of Fated Mates. From the podcast's about page:

The most listened to romance novel podcast, Fated Mates is co-hosted by bestselling author Sarah MacLean and romance critic Jen Prokop. Weekly episodes include romance novel read-alongs and lively discussions of the work of the genre, highlighting the romance novel as a powerful tool in fighting the patriarchy…with absolutely no kink shaming.

Now in its sixth season, Fated Mates is continuing to collect the oral histories of romance trailblazers—the authors, editors and others who built the modern genre. Listen to those interviews at trailblazers.fatedmates.net.

Their most recent episode is entitled Comfort Reads and Finding Solace in Romance. Show description: 

Like many people, we don't know what to say this week, and whatever we might have said probably wouldn't have been very eloquent, so we've decided to talk about something we know about: Comfort reading and the way romance provides us solace, peace and hope.

This week's books are our old reliables--books that we turn to again and again for a reminder that love triumphs, hope sings and romance is resolute. We're so happy you're here; we are, too, for as long as you'll have us.

I am recommending this episode to all library workers- whether you are a Romance fan or not. Click here for direct access to the episode on their website.

I also highly suggest all libraries use my conversation starter to display directions and do a "What are your go-to comfort reads?" interactive display. Start with staff and move on to asking your patrons. Again, directions are here.

Now some of you may think this is a tad bit too political for your library. It is not. Why? Because Thanksgiving is coming and comfort reads are always a great options as the stress of the holiday season, end of the year rush, and for some, the colder temperatures start to all merge. Comfort reads is a common holiday season display, especially for libraries who (rightfully) don't only highlight Christmas during this time of year.

Consider using this episode of Fated Mates as the stepping stone to having a larger conversation about what your staff and patrons turn to as their comfort reads. When you ask as many people as possible, your results will be wide ranging, and that makes your display better. It will have a variety of authors, genres, and titles. There will be new titles and backlist gems. 

And when we ask any conversation starter questions, it gives is a better sense of what books really resonate with your patrons, not just what titles circulated the most, which makes your job cultivating a collection for them easier.

Finally, when you ask your patrons to participate in your service to them-- you show them that you are listening, you remind them that your service to them is a conversation. Or as I like to say in my presentations-- you are modeling the behavior you want to see. 

Click here for more on how to administer conversation starters and turn them into interactive displays.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

The Booker Prize Was Announced Yesterday So I Have a Reminder on How Prize Announcements Are Handled Here on RA for All

Because I have a bunch of new readers AND one of the biggest literary prizes was announced yesterday, I wanted to remind everyone here how I handle the announcement of award winners by reposting when I wrote about the Booker Prize back at the end of July here and below.

Here on RA for All, I am less about breaking news and more about how to help readers. There are plenty of sites that do breaking news, but very few who focus on how to use resources to best help your readers.

To that end, I focus on awards long and short lists-- the nominees. Why? Because what the award is for, who makes their nomination lists, and how the titles are chosen is a more helpful resource than just worrying about the winner. 

As you can see below, I start each of these "Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool" posts with a header that directs you to the first post where I explain WHY the lists of nominees are your best resource. There is a while list there of how these lists can be helpful to you. Click through to see more, but again, it is always at the top of every "Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool" post so you don't have to remember where to go. My goal is to help you help your leisure readers and I try to make it as easy as possible for you to do that job. I know you have at least a dozen balls in the air at any one time (remember I did this for 15 years myself), and my job is to give you the resources and ideas you need with as few clicks as possible. And to get you the info you need in advance-- hence the focus on the linguists, not the winners.

Also, it is important to note that when you consider the nominees of an award in any given year (and the last 5 or so years in general) that you get better picture of the trends in that genre or area which the award considers. Understanding the big picture over time is often more helpful than knowing who the specific winners were. 

I am using today's announcement of Orbital by Samantha Harvey as a reminder of why I do things this way because to many of you, this title winning may come as a surprise. But I want to argue that precisely because it beat out James by Percival Everett, a title most of your readers have heard about, you will have many readers asking about it today. 

Click here for the statement from the jury. You may be surprised to know that Orbital is the best selling of all of the titles on the shortlist in the UK (where the prize is located).

One of the things I noticed about this title (revealed in her speech) is that Harvey had tried to write it for a few years and abandoned the idea, but during Covid lockdowns, she was able to finally finish it. The story, centered on the inhabitants of the space station, resonated more with her as we were all isolated from each other. This served as a reminder to me that the best of Covid inspired fiction is just starting to come out into the world. 

Right now, the hold lists are about to grow for this specific title. If you had paid attention back in July when the long list was announced, you already have this book (because you made sure you had all of them already, or on order). 

But where do you go for "while you wait" titles right now. Well the first place is below, the other long list titles-- especially Playground by Richard Powers. But don't sleep on the last few years of Booker longlist titles as well. And finally, look up Orbital on GoodReads and NoveList for the reader and professional views of the book. NoveList in particular reminded me of a backlist title I loved which I think would make a great readalike as well-- How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

But this is about more than the Booker Prize itself, this is about using awards LISTS (not winners) as a RA Tool. And if you understand why that is more important to me than focusing on the winner, then you get the whole RA for All philosophy of helping leisure readers through your local public library.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2024

Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool: The Booker Prize Edition 

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.   


The Booker Prize Longlist was recently announced. What is the Booker Prize? From their About Page:

The Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English speaking world, and has brought recognition, reward and readership to outstanding fiction for over five decades
Each year, the prize is awarded to what is, in the opinion of the judges, the best sustained work of fiction written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. It is a prize that transforms the winner’s career. 

Go here to access the titles, details about every book, information about the judges. And on the main page, there are even more articles about this year's longlist. I will also post them at the bottom of this post. 

But even with the regular. display, backlist, and collection development advice I give for every award (access above), The Book Prize is an award you need to know about for a variety of reasons, reasons which give you even more options to serve your patrons.

First, these books are always among the top books written in English every year, which means this year and past year's lists make for reliable suggestions to your curious readers. The backlist is also very easy to access. In fact, they call it The Booker Library and it is bearable in every imaginable way. 

Second, these titles (2024 or any year in the recent past) tend to be on the "readable side." What do I mean with that? What I mean is that they tend to pick excellent titles of high literary merit that are readable for a general adult audience. These are critically acclaimed, literary fiction titles that you can give out to a wide swath of readers with confidence. This year's longlist is a great example as Tommy Orange's Wandering Stars in on the list. It is a popular book with library patrons. I have read it as well and have suggested itwith confidence to many readers.

Third, the Booker Prize has a history of identifying authors worth you time early in their careers, sometimes earlier than they get singled out for other major awards. This year is no exception. Let's look at it from both sides of the equation. First, an author who is on the longlist this year, who had his mainstream breakout this year, but who has been nominated before, Percival Everett. He is on the longlist for James this year, but he was a finalist for The Trees previously. Use this link from the Booker Library to read more about Everett. Second, and the other side of the equation, the Booker often singles out debuts and this year is no exception with 3 debut novels on the list.

Fourth, this award list serves as a readalike for itself. Not all awards can do this, but I have used this award list as a suggestion engine for readers who have enjoyed any book that has appeared on the longlists. In fact, back in the early days of the 2000s, I offered a "Holds Without Hassle" program at my library, and not only did we allow them to pick authors for that list, but we also had a few awards they could select. This award (called the Man Booked back in the day) was one of the most popular choices. People wanted the winner put on automatic hold and then after reading it, we helped them find the other nominated titles. I have seen this work in action, even with the books being about widely different topics and from a range of authors.  

Fifth, and this is how my readers first found out about this award in the first place, these titles make excellent book discussion choices. Again, there is a very helpful Booker Library, where you can find books by author, title, or even pick a prize year. And to make it even easier for you, they have Reading Guides designed specifically for libraries. Using the backlist from 2-5 years ago is a great resource for winning discussion titles.

And finally, the judges. I have talked about this before, but look at that list of judges from this year or past years. Take this year for example-- click here and scroll downYou can do this for any prize year. Go to the Book Library page by year and you will get a page that looks very much like the 2024 page with all of the judging info. The judges themselves are excellent options for displays, suggestions, and purchases if you don't own their books. You can also use the judges list as one of my 5 Resources You Cannot Live Without-- Author Recs of Other Authors. Recently, I wrote about how that works in relation to the NYT Best Books of the Century discussion.

I am sure there are even more reasons why this award is a great resource for you to help your readers. Click through for all of the details and information and decide how you can best use this list for your library. The site is really a treasure trove of resources, suggestions, and lists all year long. Here is the most basic info-- the titles on the long list:

Longlist

And also from the website, this statement about the longlist overall, which contains some interesting statistics and observations:

The judges’ selection includes: 

  • Strong new voices – including three debut novels – alongside international bestselling authors and six writers previously nominated for the prize
  • The first Dutch and first Native American authors to be longlisted, the first Australian in eight years, one British-Libyan writer, and authors from Canada, the UK, Ireland and the US 
  • A strong showing of Americans displays a range of experience, from a first-time novelist to the author of more than 20 novels
  • Blackly comic page-turners, multigenerational epics, meditations on the pain of exile – plus a crime caper, a spy thriller, an unflinching account of girls’ boxing and a reimagining of a 19th-century classic
  • Eight women and five men 
  • The first nomination for Pan Macmillan imprint Mantle, and four nominations for Jonathan Cape, in the imprint’s first longlisting since 2019
  • ‘Works of fiction that inhabit ideas by making us care deeply about people and their predicaments,’ according to Chair of judges Edmund de Waal, who adds that these are works that have ‘made a space in our hearts and that we want to see find a place in the reading lives of many others’