Building the Death Brackets

Now that you have seen the stories I created for the Death Brackets, I wanted to write a little about why we did this display and how it was built.

Every fall we normally do a display of the patron's favorite authors based on the titles that were read during summer reading.  Although we do this every year and patrons look forward to it, I have to say, it was getting a bit boring for us as a staff to compile.  Each year it was the same authors, and although we would include patrons comments, after a bunch of years in a row, it was time for a change to shake things up a little.

Last year, I followed the fun Death Brackets on the web site Criminal Element.  I loved how they brought mystery literature's characters to life and placed them in direct confrontation with one and other.  I thought, "I can do that!"

The idea was to take the most popular authors among our patrons and have them battle it out for a clear winner.  We would still have the display in the fall, and although the Death Bracket and the authors included in it would be the main focus, the display itself would still be filled with a wide sampling of our most popular authors.  I saw the whole thing as an ode to our patrons and their support for us. We would still have the patrons' favorites display like always, it would just have a new look and feel.

So, way back in March, I broached the subject with John, our display guru.  He said if I got him the names he could make it happen from a visual perspective.  You can see the display as it stands this week.  I have a close up of the cage itself too [that's Gillian Flynn giving James Patterson a beat down].

John decided to make the display last over time in the building, he would unveil a bracket a week (center of the display) and put out a print bookmark of the battles as I wrote them up.  This gives the patrons a reason to come back each week.  We are only on the first day of week two, but I have already seen at least one person return to see the new bracket.

In terms of the actual stories, after I picked the initial 32 authors, I first figured out who would beat who based mostly on their circulation stats and popularity.  Then I took what I knew about the authors, their protagonists, interesting plot points, and their writing style into account and let my imagination fly.  Along the way, I ran my thoughts by numerous staff members to get new and better ideas and to hone the narrative.

This was a display made possible by many people, but with planning, it was not as hard to pull off as it may seem.  I hope you enjoyed it.  But more importantly, I hope it inspires you to do something different at your library.

You can go to the Death Brackets 2012 Archive I created to see it all in one place.

Death Brackets: Championship

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]

THE FINAL BATTLE

Stephen King vs. Gillian Flynn
King is arguably the most popular author in America.  His longevity and influence are unmatched. This may seem like an unfair fight, but remember, Flynn is the current master of the of the seemingly out of nowhere twist, and she is the current media darling for 2012. Gone Girl had over 1200 holds at one point this year.  King has never had that many holds on a single title.  King, fresh off his “didn’t break a sweat” victory over the formidable Roberts tries the same defense as the previous battle. But Flynn conjures up a supernatural coup d’état of her own by invoking the ghosts of her fellow hometown authors: Nelson Algren, Studs Terkel, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. These ghosts and their backlists manage to match King’s evil beings punch for punch. As the casualties pile up, it is King and Flynn alone on the field of battle, but Flynn has one more twist up her sleeve as she calls for her secret, Chicago weapon-- Coach Ditka-- who comes out of nowhere driving a mini van, running King over. Ditka steps out of the vehicle and raises Flynn’s hand in ultimate victory.

Ultimate Death Bracket Winner: Flynn

2701 S. Harlem Ave

Berwyn, IL 60402
708.795.8000 x 3005
Berwynlibrary.org

Death Brackets: Final Four

This needs very little intro.  Here is the first round of the final four.  Championship tomorrow!

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]

Ultimate Final Battles

Round One: 2 Battles
Gillian Flynn vs. Ann Patchett
Two tough women meet for an intellectual battle of writing prowess. They may both look sweet and innocent, but they had to pull out some dirty tricks in order to make it this far. Patchett’s longevity and her commitment to the independent bookstore make her an early favorite, but Flynn’s dark, psychological suspense storylines that keep readers guessing until the final pages cannot be underestimated. Patchett opens with her Magician’s Assistant trying to alter Flynn’s perception of reality with a little hocus pocus. Flynn, whose journalism degree meant she had done her research on her opponent before the match began, was ready for this move, and side stepped the attack by throwing two psychologically damaged mothers back in Patchett’s face. Because Patchett’s relationship with her own mother, author Jeanne Ray, is a happy one, she is surprised by this attack and Flynn’s move knocks her down. But the battle rages on. Since Flynn and Patchett are also among the library workers’ favorite writers, there is no help coming from the staff this time. In the end, Flynn’s home field advantage, her appearance at the BPL this past summer (for free), and her huge bestselling success in 2012, tip the scales slightly in her favor. Seizing her opening, Flynn sends in Amazing Amy to finish Patchett off.

Winner Crime vs. Literary: Flynn

Speculative vs. Romance
Stephen King vs. Nora Roberts 
This is a battle for the ages, pitting two of America’s greatest living storytellers against each other. Both King and Roberts have been able to become popular because of their ability to not only draw in regular horror and romance readers, but also people who would say they never read in these genres. They also both attract readers-- male and female, young and old. Now in a fight for survival, Roberts tries to lull King into a warm sense of love and well being with the ultimate plan to sic the ruthless Eve Dallas on him once he is comfortably off guard.  But King is ready for anything Roberts has planned because before the fight began, he lined up his long backlist of evil beings at the start line. He had them stretching a mile back, with the order to sacrifice themselves for their creator. In the end, even with Dallas, Roberts cannot get through these tough defenses. King is never in danger.

Winner Speculative vs. Romance: King

2701 S. Harlem Ave
Berwyn, IL 60402
708.795.8000 x3005
ra@berwynlibrary.org

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

**********************************************************************

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 

***********************************************************************

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

2701 S. Harlem Ave
Berwyn, IL 60402
708.795.8000 x 3005
Berwynlibrary.org

Death Brackets: Speculative Division

Now to the other side of the bracket.  First up is Speculative which includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.

To follow all the Death Brackets, click here.

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]

Speculative

Round One: 4 Battles
Stephen King vs. Dean Koontz
The first battle is a doozy, pitting two of the most popular horror authors against each other. While Koontz continues to write creepy bestsellers, King rules the charts with horror novels, science fiction, graphic novels, and short stories, and that is just in the last 2 years. With this slight upper hand, King turns dirty. Knowing that Koontz recently wrote a memoir about his dog, King kidnaps the canine, and kicks a distraught Koontz while he’s down for a swift victory. Winner: King

Jim Butcher vs. China Mieville
Butcher’s Harry Dresden is a wizard living in Chicago, keeping us all safe from the seedy, supernatural underbelly. On the other hand, Mieville writes complex, layered, and interesting speculative stories that challenge readers to rethink the idea of genre constraints.  But in the end, Butcher has the home court advantage, and his supernatural friends easily help him take down the more metaphorical Mieville. Winner: Butcher

Orson Scott Card vs. Neil Gaiman
These two genre giants are honored to meet each other for battle and spend the opening rounds paying homage to each other’s genius. The longevity of Card’s Ender Wiggins series in particular puts him in a good offensive position, but in the end, Gaiman’s darker themes allow him to fight dirty.  And when he pulls out his Newbery Medal, Card is forced to concede. Winner: Gaiman

George R. R. Martin vs. Jasper Fforde
Fforde’s literary based fantasy series is extremely popular with patrons. Fforde brings his best weapon, the pun, to arm himself in battle, but the juggernaut that is Martin and his epic The Song of Ice and Fire series filled with deceit, violence, incest, and even zombies, pauses for just a moment to laugh at the first pun and then cuts Fforde down with one swing of the sword. Winner: Martin

********************************************************************
Round Two: 2 Battles
Stephen King vs. Jim Butcher
Butcher knows he has a difficult task ahead of him, going up against one of America’s greatest living storytellers, but the wizard Dresden has some dark magic up his sleeve.  Too bad King has a monster of his own to counter attack everything Dresden throws at him. After weakening Dresden with an evil clown and a vampire, King finally brings him down in a wall of flames courtesy of his first creation, Carrie. Winner: King

Neil Gaiman vs. George R.R. Martin
To counteract the literary might of the Newbery Medal, Martin sends the evil child king Joffrey out to the battlefield. Gaiman has a stable of bestselling creatures of his own, from superheroes to Norse Gods, but none of them are as desperate for power as the Martin characters battling for the Iron Throne. As prolific as Gaiman is the sheer number of brutal, blood thirsty, characters in Martin’s epic series overwhelms Gaiman, burying him and his Newbery in a fetid pile of bodies. Winner: Martin

****************************************************************
Round Three: 1 Battle
Stephen King vs. George R.R. Martin
Martin is feeling confident as his popular books and TV series are reigning supreme, but King is a grizzled veteran who has been at the top of the best seller charts for decades. The cocky Martin tries to put King away in the first round by releasing the dragons. But King, the horror master, sends out his full stable of evil beings to keep Martin tied up while he slips away to travel in time, back to the second before the battle begins, and attacks Martin from behind, ultimately ending this fight before it even began. Speculative Winner: King

2701 S. Harlem Ave

Berwyn, IL 60402
708.795.8000 x 3005
Berwynlibrary.org

Death Brackets: Literary Fiction Division

In the final four, the Crime Fiction Division, and it's winner, Gillian Flynn, will be up against the Literary Fiction Division.  So today, here's the knock em down, drag em out world of our most respected authors.

To follow all the Death Bracket posts, click here.

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]

Literary Fiction

Round One: 4 Battles
Michael Chabon vs. John Irving
This tough battle between the top 2 male literary fiction authors at the BPL features critically acclaimed and popular writers who are masters at creating memorable characters. While Irving’s plots may move a little faster, as the battle lasts longer Chabon’s youth gives him the upperhand.  Once he sees his opening, Chabon pulls out the Pulitzer and knocks out Irving. Winner: Chabon

Ian McEwan vs. Hillary Mantel
While the first battle featured two American heavyweights, here we see the leaders in British literary fiction duke it out. Mantel may be the Booker Prize committee’s new darling, but McEwan has been in their sights for years.  Mantel also has the popular Henry VIII market firmly under her thumb, but McEwan’s long backlist of haunting tales start to turn the tide, and with one final shocking plot twist, McEwan sends Mantel packing. Winner: McEwan

Jonathan Franzen vs. Geraldine Brooks
Franzen’s wide casts of flawed characters live in modern times and contemplate the challenges therein, while Brooks’ novels are all set in the past where life and death hang in the balance.  Both have armfuls of prestigious awards, but in the end, the modern whiners are no match for the tough survivors of history. Brooks distracts Franzen with a flock of cerulean warblers before taking him down. Winner: Brooks

Ann Patchett vs. Barbara Kingsolver
These evenly matched women write evocative, lyrical prose with exceptionally strong characterization. After hours of battle, Kingsolver goes on the offensive, yelling at Patchett for bringing snacks that originated more than 100 miles away, and lunges at Patchett with moral outrage.  But Patchett counters with an aria so beautiful it stops Kingsolver in her tracks. Patchett seizes the opportunity, sending in rebels to take Kingsolver hostage and forcing the captive to concede. Winner: Patchett

Round Two: 2 Battles
Michael Chabon vs. Ian McEwan
Two authors on the top of their game enter the battlefield. Both open with their dark humor trademarks, but then McEwan tries to throw in some sexual aberrations to catch Chabon off guard.  However, in the end, Chabon’s versatility and genre bending prowess allow him to circumvent yet another stunning McEwan plot twist. Chabon moves the battle to an alternative history setting and tackles the unbalanced realist while he is confused. Winner: Chabon

Geraldine Brooks vs. Ann Patchett
Brooks and Patchett are the two most popular female, literary fiction authors at the BPL. Knowing in advance that this will be a tough match, Brooks comes straight at Patchett with her resourceful book restorer, but Patchett counters with a smart woman of her own, one tough enough to travel into the depths of the Amazon. Intellectual prowess in a dark room is no match for a smart woman battling the elements. Winner: Patchett

Round Three: 1 Battle
Michael Chabon vs. Ann Patchett
It would be hard to find two more versatile or critically acclaimed authors in America today. They write fiction and nonfiction, they stretch the limits of literary fiction by introducing genre conventions, they create unforgettable characters, and they continue to rack up the long holds lines. In the end, the Berwyn Public Library staff’s undying love for Patchett, including some who challenged themselves to read every single one of her books in 2012, press them into service for her.  Once the librarians enter the fray, Chabon is completely overwhelmed, cornered, and swiftly defeated. Literary Winner: Patchett

2701 S. Harlem Ave
Berwyn, IL 60402
708.795.8000 x 3005
berwynlibrary.org

Death Brackets: Crime Division

As promised, today I debut the display that John and I have been working on for the election season-- Berwyn Public Library Author Death Brackets.  The display will be going up tomorrow at the library and when I am back in the building on Thursday I will post pictures of John's fabulous visuals.

There is a description of the main idea of the Death Brackets as well as a credit for the original idea at the start of each list.  At the library, the lists come as book marks; on the blog they are just text.  Also in the library, we will have books by the 32 finalists on display, as well as books by some of the other authors who are among our patrons' absolute favorites.  In fact, this entire display is a tribute to the patrons of the BPL and the authors they love.

Here is the general rundown.  There are 4 Divisions: Crime, Literary, Speculative and Romance,  After each bracket is completed, there is a Ultimate Showdown featuring survivors of each division.  I will post them one a day for the next 5 days.  I will probably have other posts during that time too.  You can also follow the using the Death Bracket 2012 tag.

One last note, I have to admit I had a lot of fun using the authors' own works as the basis for placing them against each other, and although they "die" one by one in this series, it is all meant to be in good fun.

Let the battle begin....

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]

CRIME

Round One: 4 Battles
James Patterson vs. Harlan Coben
Patterson and Coben both write addictive, fast paced suspense novels that rack up long holds lists with each new release, but ultimately Patterson’s legion of partner writers and his 10-12 titles released a year overwhelms Coben, crushing him under the weight of Patterson’s seemingly unfathomable number of tomes. Winner: Patterson

Michael Connelley vs, Lee Child
This is a tough one. Connelley’s 2 popular series, one following a detective and the other a lawyer are intricately plotted mysteries that keep readers on their toes, but series heroes don’t come much tougher or more resourceful than Lee Child’s living off the grid, Vietnam Vet, Jack Reacher. In the end, Reacher’s ability to improvise on the fly serves him well.  Winner: Child

Louise Penny vs. Mary Higgins Clark
Clark is the queen of suspense.  Her strong, independent heroines are constantly placed in harm’s way but always manage to save the day. In the other corner is Louise Penny and her lovable Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Clark has a Mystery Award named for her, while Penny has been racking up an award for each new book in her series.  In the end, our patrons’ preference of multi-books series over stand-alone titles provides the knock out blow, sending Clark to the mat.  Winner: Penny

Janet Evanovich vs. Gillian Flynn
Evanovich writes funny, sexy and outrageous mysteries that continue to draw in fans old and new,19 books into the series. Flynn is a new comer, whose latest psychological suspense novel was a surprise best-selling phenomenon. Her dark moody novels make her Evanovich’s polar opposite. When placed in a face off, Evanovich should have the easy victory, but Flynn pulls out one of her shocking plot twists, disorienting the light-hearted Evanovich just long enough to finish her off, providing this round’s most shocking upset. Winner: Flynn 

*******************************************************************
Round Two: 2 Battles
James Patterson vs. Lee Child
In the first battle of Round 2 the men square off.  However, while Jack Reacher is much tougher than any Patterson hero, it is again Patterson’s minions who invade the battle arena.  The loner Reacher cannot hold off an entire room full of co-writers, and although Reacher performs admirably, he is only able to slay four authors before the fifth takes him down for good.  Patterson doesn’t even break a sweat. Winner: Patterson

Louise Penny vs. Gillian Flynn
Our second battle features a fight between two female authors, both of who were library patrons’ favorites for years before they broke on to the bestseller list. Penny’s detective is smart but his need to play by the book is expertly counterbalanced by Flynn’s unreliable narrators. Both are universally loved by the Library’s patrons, but in the end, the Flynn pulls out her secret weapon…she came to our Library. The patrons rise up in revolt, pitchforks raised, to be the deciding factor here. Winner: Flynn

*******************************************************************

Round Three: 1 Battle
James Patterson vs. Gillian Flynn
Patterson may have 30 patrons who want each of his books placed on automatic hold, but as we have seen in the previous rounds, Flynn may look innocent but she fights dirty.  The battle to emerge from the Crime Bracket is long and bloody, but in the end, the librarians take a stand against Patterson and his budget busting publication schedule. They arm themselves for battle behind Flynn, who came to our library for free.  Patterson and his minions have finally met their match.  And with one final shocking twist played against Patterson’s stock plots, Flynn narrowly escapes with her life and the victory.
Crime Winner: Flynn

2701 S. Harlem Ave
Berwyn, IL 60402
708.795.8000
http://berwynlibrary.org 

Monday Discussion: Death Bracket Preparation-- YA Crossovers

Today marks the final Monday Discussion preparing for the Death Brackets.  Again, click here to catch up if you don't know what I am talking about.

Last week's Graphic Novels discussion really got people going, so I will try to get graphic novels into the final Death Bracket.

But now it is time for this week's list of authors.  I want to generate a list of YA authors who cross over well for adult readers. 

The current king of this category is John Green. Click here for my review of The Fault in Our Stars.

I also like Meg Rosoff (this post contains a review of How I Live Now) and Libba Bray. 

There are many resources for adult books that are good for teens (YALSA gives out the Alex award to a bunch of books for this every year), but there are fewer resources going the other way--teen books that adults will enjoy.  The one I like the most is the 35 Going on 13 Column in Library Journal.

If you have another resource to share that suggests teen books for an adult audience, pass that along with you author suggestions.  I can't wait to see the list.  I could use some new YA suggestions myself.

For the Monday Discussion archive click here.

Monday Discussion: Death Bracket Preparation--Graphic Novels

We are getting close to the end of preparations for the Death Brackets.  Click here for the full details.  Also an update, we will probably be splitting off Mystery from the rest of Crime since our collection is split that way too.

This week, I am considering adding Graphic Novels into the mix, so I figured I would gather some names of your favorites just in case. Oh, and I don't care if they write fiction or nonfiction Graphic Novels.  We mis them together here.  Our Graphic Novel collections are only separated by age range with the fiction collections (Childrens, Teen, and Adult) with comic strip compilations filed in the 741.5s).

Here are my favorites:

• Alison Bechdel
• Daniel Clowes
• Chris Ware
• Alan Moore's non-Marvel GNs

What about you?  Let me know.  I can't guarantee I will include Graphic Novels until after we crunch the summer reading data and I look at circulation statistics.  But I do know that Graphic Novels for adults are more popular here at the BPL than they are at the average library in our system.

Next week is the final week of preparations when I will be asking you about YA authors that are great for Adult readers.

You can follow past Monday Discussions here.

Monday Discussion: Death Bracket Preparation--Speculative Fiction

This is part of a series which began here.

Yes, I know last week's grouping of Crime Fiction that included mystery with thriller, suspense, and psychological suspense was huge, but for our display purposes, we need larger categories just so we have enough room.

That being said, here is another big category--Speculative Fiction which includes Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.

I will start with a few favorites of my own.

Fantasy: Connie Willis, Jasper Fforde, and Neil Gaiman
Science Fiction: Kim Stanley Robinson and Neal Stephenson
Horror: Joe Hill, Jonathan Maberry, and Brian Keene (but for more horror suggestions, go to RA for All: Horror)

Please let me know your favorites to help add to the nomination process. We are more than halfway done.  The Death Brackets will go public in November, but I will post the finalists on this blog sometime in October.

Click here for past Monday Discussions

Monday Discussion: Death Bracket Preparation-- Crime Fiction

I'm back from vacation and ready to begin posting daily again.

It's Monday and I am raring to go with another Monday Discussion, but this one is pretty huge.  Today I want to do Crime Fiction.  Again, I want popular, living and still publishing authors to consider adding to the mix for our Death Bracket,  Click here for the full explanation.

Crime Fiction encompasses many genres.  Here is the definition I have written and will be using:

A crime story is defined by its plot. These are novels in which a crime is committed, someone investigates the crime, and some resolution to the investigation is reached by novel’s end. Not all crime fiction ends with the criminal coming to justice, but the reader will always finish a crime novel knowing whodunit. The crime genres are for readers who enjoy compellingly paced stories with investigative elements and protagonists with whom they can identify. While not all crime fiction is overtly violent, the general trend is toward grittier and more graphic descriptions. Crime fiction includes the genres of Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, and Psychological Suspense.

Okay, here I go.

Of course here at the BPL we love Gillian Flynn (the video of her appearance will be up tomorrow).

I also want to mention Alan Bradley and Louise Penny in traditional  mystery, Kate Atkinson and Tana French in suspense, and James Rollins, Iris Johansen and Daniel Silva in Thriller.

So have at it.  Start throwing out authors.

For past Monday Discussions, click here.

Monday Discussion: Death Bracket Preparation--Romance

Click here for previous death bracket prep posts if you have not seen them before you proceed to today's discussion.

Now for today.  We are moving forward with gathering names.  Today it is Romance's turn.

I am going to offer up Eloisa James for her funny Regencies and Susan Elizabeth Phillips for her fun and sassy heroines.

Please leave your comments with romance authors you think should battle it out this Fall in the BPL's death match of popular authors.

Click here for past Monday Discussions

Monday Discussion: Death Bracket Preparation--Historical Fiction

First, for those who missed last week, click here for an explanation of what I will be doing with the Monday Discussion for the next several weeks. Also, feel free to go back any week and add more authors to the pool of candidates.  Now back to today's discussion.

On my upcoming vacation I will be visiting some Revolutionary War sites so I thought, why not bring Historical Fiction up for discussion today.

Again, like last week, I will offer one male and one female author.

The very first female historical fiction writer who came to my mind is Jacqueline Winspear.  Here is the author blurb I wrote for her on NoveList:

Jacqueline Winspear and her enchanting protagonist, Maisie Dobbs, rise to the top among Historical British Mysteries. Maisie is a plucky and intelligent young woman who began as a servant and now runs her own private investigation firm. While these are technically cozy mysteries with their well-drawn characters and setting, the plots are complex and well-crafted, and the series has a darker tone due to Maisie's experiences as a nurse during World War I, described through flashbacks. These are well plotted and compelling mysteries that also highlight the human costs of war. Start with: Maisie Dobbs.

In terms of men, I can think of many, but I want to point out the work of Edward Rutherfurd.  Again, from NoveList (but this time not written by me):

Edward Rutherfurd's multi-period Historical Fiction/Family Sagas strive to capture an entire culture's story through its individuals and their ancestral connections to place (often the British Isles). A typical novel may span two millennia (and 500+ pages), following characters' descendants from pre-history to present day. A smooth writing style speeds these detail-laden stories along quite briskly; the larger story remains easy to follow, although multiple plot strands are interwoven. Characters are often "types" (ambitious Russian peasants, humble merchants, fierce Irish revolutionaries, etc.), yet with sufficient personality to engage readers. Start with: Sarum.

Rutherfurd's very long novels read surprisingly fast. You get wrapped up in the characters and the place and are compulsively turning the pages to see what happens next.  Also the long time frame gives you a wonderful perspective of a place over time.  He is a modern day Michener; also good for fans of Follet's Century Trilogy.

Okay, now it is your turn.  For today's Monday Discussion, help up out and give me some of your favorite Historical Fiction authors.

Click here for past Monday Discussions.

Monday Discussion: Death Bracket Preparation--General Fiction

Over the next few weeks I am going to be gathering people's favorite authors in specific genres here on the blog.  I will then combine this information with the data we are compiling during summer reading and with the work I am doing as part of the Adult Reading Round Table's popular fiction list.

Once I have a solid list of popular authors, John and I are going to make a truly unique election time display.

We realize that in just a few weeks (let's say, the hour after the closing ceremony of the Olympics), we will begin to be bombarded with Presidential Election coverage everywhere.  And, let's be realistic, here in Illinois, we got nothing going on.  We have our hometown President running for re-election, and no other big statewide races.  There is not much suspense in our neck of the woods.

So, John and I had an idea.  Rather than simply do a display on political fiction, we are going to run a "Death Bracket" display pitting the BPL's most popular authors against one and other.  Our display is based on this. 

The goal here is to highlight patrons' favorites, get out a little election season frustration, and have a chuckle. And now for your part.

We will have broad categories in which we will nominate 10-12 authors for the battles. For the next few Mondays, I will be soliciting your favorite authors in these areas.  I will include them in the overall consideration for the display.  As the next few months progress, you can follow the preparation here on RA for All.  Once the brackets begin, John and I will have the final say, writing out a paragraph each as to who won that battle and why.  In the end, only one can survive as the BPL's favorite author.

One more caveat.  We are going to keep this to author's who are alive and currently publshing.

Enough rules.  Let's begin with general fiction.  Who are your favorite contemporary authors.  From book discussion favorites to literary fiction.  Those authors you can't really put in a genre.

I will begin.  I am being very strict with myself here and limiting my picks to one woman and one man.  Michael Chabon and Margaret Atwood.

Now it's your turn.  You can give me as many as you want.  And start brainstorming for upcoming weeks.

Click here for past Monday Discussions.