Library Reads: November 2015

Here is my monthly reposting of the newest Library Reads List. Please remember you can pull up every Library Reads list by clicking here or choosing the “Library Reads” label in the right gutter of every page on the blog.

This is also my monthly reminder that I repost this list for specific, tangible RA related reasons.  I advocate for using the past lists to help patrons as much as you should use the current list to get those same patrons excited about what is coming down the pike.

The main reason I post these lists is to have an easy to grab archive [with that Library Reads tag] of all of the lists.  When you are stuck for an idea, or have a difficult patron in front of you who only wants "a good read" [and cannot articulate anything more about their specific tastes], click here and find a great backlist option.

Now the list....

November 2015 LibraryReads List

The Japanese Lover:
A Novel

by Isabel Allende

Published:11/3/2015
by Atria Books
ISBN: 9781501116971
“Irina is a young Moldavian immigrant with a troubled past. She works at an assisted living home where she meets Alma, a Holocaust survivor. Alma falls in love with Ichi, a young Japanese gardener, who survived Topaz, the Japanese internment camp. Despite man’s inhumanity to man, love, art and beauty can exist, as evidenced in their beautiful love story.”

Ellen Firer, Merrick Library, Merrick, NY

The Improbability of Love: A Novel

by Hannah Rothschild

Published: 11/3/2015 by Knopf
ISBN: 9781101874141

“The engaging, totally unexpected story of Annie, a lonely young woman who wanders into a junk shop and buys a painting. The painting turns out to have a long and storied past, with powerful people searching high and low for it. Unpredictable and fascinating; I loved the peek into the cutthroat art world and watching Annie blossom as she discovers her true calling.”

Heather Bistyga, Anderson County Library, Anderson, SC

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Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living

by Jason Gay

Published: 11/3/2015 by Doubleday
ISBN: 9780385539463

“This was a quick, enjoyable read that offers a refreshing perspective on some of the trivialities we all find ourselves caught up in. I enjoyed the tone and humor throughout. A standout for me was Gay’s list of recommendations for his child’s future baseball team. His open letter to this imagined future team envisions a team that can just let kids be kids. My only disappointment with this book was that there wasn’t more of it–it seemed to end all too soon.”

Lindley Homol, Chesterfield County Public Library, Chesterfield, VA

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Crimson Shore: A Novel

by Douglas Preson & Lincoln Child

Published: 11/10/2015 by Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 9781455525928

In the latest installment in the Special Agent Pendergast series, Pendergast and Constance Greene investigate a theft of a wine cellar in an ancient village on the coast north of Salem, only to discover during their investigation the entombed remains of a tortured man. “I always thoroughly enjoy the Pendergast novels, and the interaction between Pendergast and Constance in this book was very intriguing.”

Shari Brophy, Timberland Regional Library, Tumwater, WA

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The Muralist: A Novel

by B.A. Shapiro

Published: 11/3/2015 by Algonquin
ISBN: 9781616203573

“This art-filled story following the young life and disappearance of Alizee Benoit is heartbreaking and thoughtful. Not only does the novel give an entertaining education on the WPA and abstract artists, but it also gives eerily relevant commentary on refugees and the cold-heartedness of government. Alizee’s story will pull you along as you try to grasp how this bright light of the art community vanished.”

Amanda Monson, Bartow County Library System, Cartersville, GA

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The Girl With Ghost Eyes

by M.H. Boroson

Published: 11/3/2015 by Talos Press
ISBN: 9781940456362

“In San Francisco during the late 1800s, a young Chinese widow tries to keep her father alive, and win a place in his heart she doesn’t realize she already owns. This story is filled with wonderful detail from Chinese folklore and mythology, and plenty of action as two tongs battle to control Chinatown. The very best fantasy employs strong characters who are real people with real problems. I enjoyed every page.”

Janet Martin, Southern Pines Public Library, Southern Pines, NC

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Along the Infinite Sea: A Novel

by Beatriz Williams

Published: 11/3/2015 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 9780399171314

“When Pepper Schuyler–on the run from a powerful politician and desperate to protect her unborn child–sells her newly restored classic car to an enigmatic and very wealthy woman, she not only finds unexpected refuge but also tantalizing hints of a mystery. With vivid European settings, colorful characters and intricate plotting that skillfully weaves past and present together, Along The Infinite Sea is a treat for fans of Beatriz Williams.”

Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY

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A Likely Story: A Library Lover’s Mystery

by Jenn McKinlay
Published: 11/3/2015 by Berkley
ISBN: 9780425260746

“A Likely Story is just as addictive as the rest of the Library Lover’s mysteries! McKinlay has written some of the most authentic library characters that I’ve come across in the cozy mystery genre. I can’t wait to find out what the employees and patrons of Briar Creek Public Library (especially Sully) are up to next!”

Michelle Ross, Kanawha County Public Library, Charleston, WV

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Dear Mr. You: A Novel

by Mary-Louise Parker

Published: 11/10/2015 by Scribner
ISBN: 9781501107832

“Parker has created a unique and poetic memoir through a series of letters–some of appreciation, some of apology, some simply of acknowledgement–to the men in her life. Ranging from a taxi driver to a grandfather she never knew, each man has left an imprint and shaped her into the person she has become. Full of feeling, growth, and self-discovery, Parker’s book has left me longing to write my own letters.”

PJ Gardiner, Wake County Public Libraries, Raleigh, NC

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A Wild Swan: And Other Tales

by Michael Cunningham and Yuko Shimizu (Illustrator)

Published: 11/10/2015 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 9780374290252

“These are fairy tales that have slightly more insight, for the discerning adult. “The Wild Swans” was actually my favorite when I was young, next to “The Little Mermaid.” These are a continuation of what happens after those stories end and are set, in some instances, in the modern world. Packed with humor, this is an easy gift for those who like to be read to at night or feel too old for idealistic fairy tales.”

Andrienne Cruz, Azusa City Library, Azusa, CA

Crowd-Sourced List of Hidden Gem Book Discussion Titles

Yesterday marked the end of 3 presentations I did for RAILS on Book Discussions over the last few weeks.

The first 2 were webinars on how to Recharge Your Book Club.  You can access the recording of one of them with a link to the slides here.

Yesterday though, I did one of my favorite trainings-- a book discussion for book discussion leaders.  We discussed The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon.  I will have notes on our discussion up tomorrow, but today I have a treat that was promised to attendees from all 3 presentations.

During the course of all three presentations I asked participants to share their favorite “unique” titles that worked well in discussion-- those hidden gems that made for an awesome discussion.

Below, you can see the slide where I listed mine to start off this ask:

Click here for access to the full presentation with 

clickable links [slide 11]

At the end of this post I have reproduced the fantastic crowd-sourced list with links to book discussion information about these titles to help you start using one of these with your group. Each of these titles has been used in a successful book discussion, I just don’t know who did which books.

But first, before we get to that, I also promised a few people at yesterday’s discussion that I would include a mention of the ARRT Literary Book Discussion and Leadership Training for which I will be the 2016 coordinator.  These discussions are meant for book discussion leaders and happen 4x a year.  All ARRT members are welcome [membership is only $10]; in fact, 2 regulars at these ARRT events were with me for yesterday’s discussion too. All details can be found here.

Now here is the list that we all made together. It is long. Thanks to everyone who offered up their own hidden gem titles. This is going to be a great resource for all of us who run book clubs.  What a great example of using the compound interest of all of our experiences to make for better experiences for all of our patrons. YAY sharing.

If anyone else wants to add to this list, please leave a comment. I am totally using a few of these myself.

• Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian.  
• Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny by Laura Schrod
• Drop Dead Healthy by A.J. Jacobs
• Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast 
• Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
• A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 
• American Born Chinese by Gene Leun Yang
• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
• The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
• The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
• Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
• Sold by Patricia McCormick
• The Cider House Rules by John Irving
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes 
• The Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire
• Enduring Love by Ian McEwan 
• Whistling Past the Graveyard Susan Crandall
• Dreamland : Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep by David K. Randall
• The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell 
• Heretic’s Daughters by Kathleen Kent
• The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
• The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805 by Richard Zacks
• The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
• One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
• 150 Pounds: A Novel of Waists and Measures by Kate Rockland
• Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse by Faith Sullivan
• The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
• The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon
• Good Omens - Gaiman and Pratchett
• The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
• I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg

What I’m Reading: Psychological Suspense Edition The Girl on the Train and The Bones of You

I read The Girl on the Train by Paul Hawkins awhile ago, but I wanted to pair this review with another title since this less literary, more plot driven type of psychological suspense has been becoming very popular. Basically, I am leveraging the popularity of this title to help sell another one which is something we all do every day as we help leisure readers when they book they came in to get is not available and we try to sell them on a similar read.

Let's start with Hawkins' runaway success The Girl on the Train.

Becky's Soundbite Review:

"Rachel, our narrator, is drinking too much and is still coming to terms with the end of her marriage. To cope, she watches the world go by her as she travels into London on the train each morning, making up stories about the people she sees. But then, one of those people, a young woman, goes missing. And then we learn that Rachel is more connected to the people she watches than we knew-- just when we were beginning to trust her. Waiting for her come clean to us about her own story, is as unsettling and suspenseful as watching the mystery resolve. Don't think too much here, just sit back and let this story unfold and enjoy the ride."

That's the essence of the appeal here in 30 secs or less.  But here is a bit more.

First, I want to start with that last sentence. Despite the marketing of this as a Flynn readalike, you are not getting a complex layered story here-- and that is okay. What it is instead is a straight ahead thriller with a unique point of view.

It is with Rachel and that pov that Hawkins excels here. Despite our instincts from the start [who wants to trust an alcoholic?], we are drawn to Rachel. She speaks to us, she confesses her part in the demise of her marriage, and we feel so sorry for her. We want to be her friend and help her so we keep reading. Except, the more we read, the more we learn about her, the more of her true self she reveals, and the more we second guess ourselves for caring about her. But yet, we can't stop it. We like her still. We rationalize her terrible choices, etc...

Combine the intense control Hawkins has over us via her masterful writing of this narrator with the super fast pacing that is both compelling and engrossing, and you understand why people love this book.

That being said, as I alluded to above, if you stop reading and think about it, the book's narrative flaws reveal themselves, but I have to say, those flaws are sorta there on purpose.  I mean when you have a mystery being solved by an alcoholic prone to blackouts who knows she is unreliable and makes blatant bad choices but somehow still saves the day and redeems herself in the process-- they are to be narrative flaws. Rachel is not solving this murder on a straight trajectory; no she is doing it like a drunk trying to walk in a straight line. She wobbles and veers in ways that would seem silly and stupid in many mysteries, but which work because of who Rachel is.

I should also note the addition of 2 other points of view interjected at highly dramatic moments throughout the novel also amps up the anxiety levels. One is the missing woman, revealing her own flawed self to us, the reader, in the days leading up to her disappearance. Here again, Hawkins nails the use of the narrator to draw the reader into the story.

So I think what you need to know here is that this is a satisfying psychological thriller where the narration, the character of Rachel, is what propels the story.  This is important to note because most thrillers or suspense stories are plot driven.  Here, if you focus on the plot, you will not enjoy the novel as much. Focus on Rachel, she is talking right to you. Let her take you with her on the train and just enjoy the ride.

Not surprisingly because of the hold Rachel has over the reader, I have also heard very good things about the audio from trusted colleagues

Finally wanted to include a patron comment here. This is from a big suspense reader, older woman, who wanted to share her thoughts as a "regular" reader with all of you library people:

I loved it! I couldn't put it down. I even stayed up until 1 o'clock one morning just to keep reading it.  I didn't figure out who did it and I read a lot of these books. I was enjoying it so much that I didn't try to figure it out.  The switching narrators was confusing at first but I got used to it, and actually started to like how it switched. 

She then used the word "Beautiful" to describe the book. I stopped her because I thought that was a fantastic word.  I questioned her use of it because terrible things happen in this novel, but as a suspense reader, she found this book "beautiful" because she was expecting horrible things, that was a given, but the story flowed perfectly for her.

I think her testimonial says it all. Feel free to use it with patrons [with credit].

Three Words That Describe This Book: briskly paced, unreliable narrator, unsettling

Readalikes: Besides The Bones of You, discussed below, here are a few other readalikes. with links to my longer reviews, that I think work particularly well for Girl on the Train

Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson (memory loss, unreliable narrator, narrator driven story)

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (dramatic, missing woman, unreliable narrator, plot twists, fast paced)

John Hart does family drama thrillers that have psychological suspense traits, so for readers who are intrigued by missing persons and domestic violence try The Last Child.

There are many, many, many lists of readalikes for this super popular book. Click here to see some.

As I said above, I wanted to review The Girl on the Train with another similar book. In this case, I chose another book about a woman who becomes obsessed with a family that is not her own and their tragedy which she is slightly connected to-- The Bones of You by Debbie Howells.

Becky's Soundbite Review:

"Rosie, a teenage girl from a wealthy British suburb, is dead. Kate, one of our narrators, is the mother of one of Rosie's classmates and a neighbor to Rosie and her surviving family. Kate gets obsessed with finding Rosie's murderer but she has her own demons to battle. The suspense is heightened further because Rosie is also telling us her story-- from the grave-- as she attempts to protect the surviving members of her seemingly perfect family from a danger that comes from within. This is an emotionally charged story of secrets, family, and mother-daughter relationships."

Here Kate, is more reliable than Rachel in Girl on the Train, although still very flawed, but the 1-2 punch of Kate and Rosie telling the story is even more unsettling. The Bones of You is a compelling psychological suspense story, but it is the emotional story here, the complicated family relationships, the secrets families keep from the outside world that makes this a great suspense story.

This novel has a great ominous opening scene that juxtaposes the beauty of nature with the horror of a murdered child. Spoken by Kate:

I have a gardener’s inherent belief in the natural order of things. Soft‑petalled flowers that go to seed. The resolute passage of the seasons. Swallows that fly thousands of miles to follow the eternal summer. 

Children who don’t die before their parents.

This setting of the uneasy tone from the first lines rivals many of the better horror novels out there.

The tension and the story move quickly from there.  As Kate gets more and more into the mystery, the pace speeds up. But, I appreciate the pauses in the page-turning intensity when Rosie steps back in. Her voice is wonderful, sad, authentic, and astute.  She speaks the truth with a clarity that sadly can only come from the grave. She makes you stop reading for the plot resolution and forces you to start think about the implications of this story in your own life; how your own family functions; and what secrets you are hiding from the world, or even from yourself.

By the way, both of these novels reviewed here today have an undercurrent theme of mocking how we, modern Westerners, get emotionally involved in the tragedies of others as we view them from afar. They both do this with a light touch that makes you feel worse because you get totally caught up in the emotion of the story and the obsession of the narrator. Then you fell like-- awww she got me too.  I also enjoyed that satire piece of both of these books.

Three Words That Describe This Book: suspenseful, emotionally charged, secrets

Readalikes: The obsession at finding the killer part is the same as Girl on the Train, as is the engrossing narration, but the emotional family punch is so much more here since it is a teenage girl who is murdered. With the murdered girl from haven narration it is not a stretch to think about The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold as a readalike.  I think they are similar enough, although I should note that The Bones of You has a more traditional thriller ending. [It also gets me to thinking that if you use a dead girl from heaven narration are you supposed to put “Bones” in the title to warn people.]

The Hand That Feeds You by A J Rich is another newer suspense story where the person you thought your knew is not who you thought they were.  In this case, the unreliable narrator appeal is less prominent.  Here it is more the unreliable victim. Family drama is high though. This one is more on the Harlan Coben spectrum of suspense.

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight is more of an all around readalike-- multiple narrators, a dead child, people interconnected more than they knew. This is a good example of the very best of the female focused, psychological suspense trend as it stands right now.

Finally, don't rule out the queen of family's with issues, Jody Picoult as a readalike option here.  While Picoult does not write suspense per say, her novels have some elements of the genre. And, The Bones of You's biggest appeal is the emotionally charged family drama-- not the suspense, so Picoult may work very well for some readers.

RIP Henning Mankell-- Reviews and Links in Memoriam

I had heard Mankell was sick, but I was still saddened to hear of his death especially because I was just talking about the beauty of his non-crime novel, Italian Shoes, and how it is one of my all time favorite hidden gem book discussion choices.  Click here for a full report of when I led a discussion of this book back in 2011; it's a discussion and a book I still remember vividly.

While I really appreciated Mankell's place as the father of Nordic Noir, I also know he was a complicated person.  I think the New York Times did a great job reconciling the man as a person and an author of great import in their obituary this morning. The obituary lists many of the authors who became readalikes for Mankell too.

To honor his contribution to world of popular literature, here are some of my favorite links from RA for All where Mankell and his influence are mentioned [you can click here for every single one]:

• Without Mankell, I never would have read Jo Nesbo.  Here is a link to my review of The Snowman and The Leopard.
• Here is post I did about the Greatest European Crime Writers via The Guardian
• Here is every time I have mentioned "Nordic Noir" on the blog including the Nordic Bookblog site, which is full of excellent information to help the influx of readers who will be coming in for these books to honor Mankell.

And finally, I again implore you to read Italian Shoes no matter what you think of Mankell. It is a haunting story of a man confronting his past mistakes and attempting to redeem himself as he is also coming to terms with his own mortality. [And, it is short....]

Haunting Halloween Debuts From Me

All month I am going to begin each week here on RA for All with a reminder to visit RA for All: Horror. Why? Not only because I am working hard on it, but because I am also making sure this is information that EVERY public library worker can use.

This is not simply niche horror stuff people. There are many websites out there for that horror-only audience.  My posts are all for you the average public library worker.  These are books, authors, issues, and concerns that need to be addressed by all libraries everywhere.

To prove it, follow along this week because it is one that you will not want to miss.  It all begins today with the reposting of my annotated list of horror debuts-- all had to have come out since May of this year. But then the week continues with four of the authors contributing posts where they wrote about their favorite scary books and authors. One a day for the following 4 days.

This is a RA opportunity for All-- literally.

I would also like to make a shout out to Brian Keene, the greatest living writer of pulp horror, tireless defender of the genre, and all around great guy who put me in touch with Brian Kirk and Lesley Conner whose books I included below, and both of whom will be contributing posts later this week.  I never would have read their debuts without Brian suggesting them to me, and boy was I glad I did.  These are two names to watch and two books to add to your collections right now.

And now, here's a repost of today's 31 Days of Horror post for those of you too scared to click.

31 Days of Horror: Day 5-- Becky’s Haunting Halloween Debuts

Twice each year I have the honor of taking over my friend and colleague, Neal Wyatt’s popular Reader’s Shelf column in Library Journal.  [I do a Halloween column in October and a Halfway to Halloween one in April.]

This year, Library Journal asked me to find six horror debuts that will make great additions to most public library collections. You can see the full column below today, and then for the rest of this week look for four of these fabulously frightening authors to tell you about their favorite horror books and why they love the genre.

Haunting Halloween Debuts | The Reader’s Shelf, October 1, 2015

Looking for some new voices in horror to suggest to patrons this Halloween? Here are six satisfyingly scary recent debuts that showcase the vibrant state of today’s horror.

While they may be new to the book format, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor have spent the last few years weaving spooky stories for a popular podcast set in the small desert town of Night Vale, where super­natural occurrences are the norm. In Welcome to Night Vale(Harper Perennial. 2015. ISBN 9780062351425. $19.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062351449), they expand upon this mythical world, keeping listeners of their eponymous show engaged while welcoming new print readers to the fold. Their creepy mystery, which follows two of the town’s residents as they search for the elusive King City, is something akin to The Twilight Zone meets Prairie Home Companion.

The remote plain of Amy Lukavics’s gruesome YA title Daughters unto Devils (Harlequin Teen. 2015. ISBN 9780373211586. $17.99; ebk. ISBN 9781460390955) is harboring pure evil. When 16-year-old Amanda and her family move into their newly bought cabin, they find not only that the dwelling has been abandoned by the previous owners, but it is also covered in blood. Something is clearly wrong with the land and the few people who live there. Amanda is forced to stop running from her past and start confronting the madness and murder that currently surround her. Or are they coming from within? Amanda is living Laura Ingalls Wilder’s worst nightmare, and adult and teen horror enthusiasts alike will love every minute of this well-crafted and terrifying debut.

Monsters, both external and internal, are a staple in the horror genre. Brian Kirk plays off of this disturbing proposition perfectly in We Are Monsters (Samhain. 2015. ISBN 9781619229808. pap. $17.99; ebk. ISBN 9781619225916). Imagine a cure for schizophrenia that will allow thousands of mentally ill killers to be released from jail, devoid of their murderous impulses. In Kirk’s world, this medicine removes the corrupt voices inside patients’ heads only to deposit them into regular society, transforming what began as an imaginary threat into a very real danger. Written with switching points of view and breathless pacing, this deft novel may prompt readers to postpone their next trip to the doctor.

Hypothetical monsters may be frightening, but what about a story based on a real-life serial killer? In Weight of Chains (Sinister Grin. 2015. ISBN 9781944044008. pap. $17.50), Lesley Conner looks for inspiration to Gilles de Rais, a 15th-century French baron who killed many of his serfs’ children. With perspectives that alternate among many of the key players—the Baron, a wizard hired to raise a demon, and, most memorable, a young girl with the intelligence and pluck to save her village—this swift tale doesn’t sacrifice historical detail even as it works in plenty of dread and gore. The last 50 pages in particular pack a wallop and include a magnificent final scene that will leave readers with chills running down their spines.

Horrific fiction based on the past is one thing, but sometimes the truth can be quite unsettling on its own as David Jaher illustrates in The Witch of Lime Street: Séance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World (Crown. 2015. ISBN 9780307451064. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780307451088). This nonfiction account details the most famous spiritualist of the 1920s, a woman known simply as Margery whose power to speak with the dead was so well known that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle publicly defended her legitimacy. Meanwhile, Harry Houdini was determined to debunk the con of all psychics and soon trained his sights on outwitting Margery. Jaher’s experience as a screenwriter and astrologer come through in this shocking and enlightening history.

Sometimes readers just want a thrilling, epic dark fantasy to put them in the Halloween mood. In The ­Library at Mount Char (Crown. 2015. ISBN 9780553418606. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780553418613), Scott Hawkins creates a godlike figure known as Father, who abducts a group of children and raises them in his Library outside the bounds of time and space, brutally teaching them astounding lessons. Carolyn was made the Librarian of Languages, and, after years of study, she can speak them all. Now in their 30s, the children have mastered their subjects but find that Father is missing. In his absence, his rival Gods begin a battle for power, with the fate of the universe at stake. Carolyn takes control with the help of an ex-con and a war hero. What are her intentions? Find out in this intricate, compelling, and menacing narrative reminiscent of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods..

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This column was contributed by Becky Spratford, a Readers’ Advisor in Illinois. She is the author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror (2d ed. ALA Editions, 2012) and a proud member of the Horror Writers Association. Learn more about her at raforall.blogspot.com

KLA/MLA RA Conference Resources

Today I would like to share a wonderful resource from the joint Kansas and Missouri Library Association conference from earlier this week.

The organizers created this wonderful web page of all the Readers Advisory related materials from the pre-conference and conference.

As the tagline says: "Your handy whenever, wherever toolbox to develop and grow your RA skills before, during, and after the conference."

It includes resources, handouts, and even the storify of the days tweets. It is a wonderful and timely resource on RA issues and resources that you can use right now. 

Thanks for sharing guys!

HAPPY HAUNTING SEASON

You can buy this as an ebook
 to use starting today!

It is October 1st and over on my sister blog, RA for All: Horror I have begun my annual horror blog-a-thon with the following post:

31 Days of Horror: Day 1-- A Primer On What To Expect and a Shout Out To 31 Horror Films in 31 Days

I will still continue to post on general RA issues here every week day, but I worked very hard to provide a quality product to help your horror readers this year, so I am encouraging you to check there daily.

As the library world's "horror maven," I take my job very seriously. I want to help you to stop being scared of your horror readers and start saving the day by putting a great book in their hands.

Not convinced that a month of horror posts are for you?  Well for the skeptical among you, I always have a preview of the current RA for All: Horror post running in the top of the right gutter of this blog. So, you can have a preview before you make that big commitment to click. Clicking is hard, I know.

But also, please remember you have a ton of patrons who like reading horror, even if you do not. Add to that the large number of people who only read scary books this month, and you need me.

That being said, you still might not be sold.  Well, I can tease a bit to get you excited then.  This year I have a ton of guest posts by authors talking about why they love horror and sharing their favorite authors and titles, and some are legit NYT bestsellers like her, him, and him. And that is just the teaser.

So let's get this haunting season started off....

Final Crime Fiction Genre Study Assignment Now Available and It's Going to be GREAT for All of My Readers-- Near and Far!

Tomorrow is the penultimate meeting of the 2 year ARRT Crime Fiction Genre Study.  Normally, I post the next assignment on the day of the meeting; however, since tomorrow is also October 1 and the first day of my horror blog-a-thon, I am moving this post up 1 day early.

I am so excited about the final assignment because our only rule in creating it was that it serve as a kind of "wrap-up" to the work we had done over the previous 11 meetings.  I was able to take the comments we received from the genre study survey and incorporate some of them into this assignment.

Also, one of my new self-assigned goals is to promote the power of booktalking.  I have an entire presentation on this topic, but each and every time I can manage it, I work in an opportunity for library workers to practice booktalking books. The more practice people get, the better they get at it, the more they do it, and the happier our patrons are.

In this case, I was able to "kill two birds with one stone" because some of the survey comments mentioned wishing we could have fit more authors in. So as you will see below, I am asking people to booktalk ANY crime book by an author we had not read and discussed already.

But here is where the assignment goes from good to GREAT.  We are asking people to bring their booktalking scripts written out so that we can compile all of them into the meeting notes. I will then post all of the scripts here on RA for All for general use by all comers, not just ARRT members.

Now you can see why I think it is a GREAT assignment. Whether or not I see you there tomorrow, please look for the HUGE list of booktalking scripts to be available on RA for All real soon. This will be a wonderful resources for all libraries everywhere and I am so happy to have the chance to facilitate its creation.

A few other things we will be doing in December:

• We are going to be discussing the best crime fiction resources, and in fact, we are considering working resources in throughout the process next time and not just saving them for the end.

• Speaking of next time, we will be announcing the genres for the next go round of the genre study tomorrow.  And yes, I said genres. You will have to be there or wait for the official word, but I will tell you that although I will not be the overall leader this time, I am involved in at least 1 of the genres because there is no one else more qualified to do it...

Full assignment details are below.

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12/3/15: Assignment/Agenda-- 3 Parts

Part 1: Booktalk

Come prepared to provide the group with a 90 second (timer will be used and enforced!) of booktalking on an author or book(s) we have not covered over the course of our 2 years together.

This is your chance to talk up authors/titles we didn't have the time to get to, as well as an opportunity to practice your booktalking skills.

Books can be new, old, forthcoming-- whatever you want. Authors can be living or dead. The only rule is the 90 second limit.

Come with your script (typed) so that we can include it in the notes. This way, you can all get a copy of every book and it's description. [Also this means you had to prepare at least a little bit.]

Booktalks should focus on the following questions:

1. What makes this author/title so amazing?
2. Where does this author/title fit within Crime Fiction?
3. What are some readalikes?

Becky prepared 3 examples for you to consult [with how long they are when delivered as a booktalk] here.

Part 2: Resources

We will go over some of the best resources for crime. Click here for a list of suggested resources, but also be ready to bring your personal favorites to discuss.

Part 3: Final Thoughts and Announcement of 2016-17 Genre Study

Now is your chance to bring up any other issues or concerns about either the genres we covered or how the genre study itself was run. In order to make sure we have enough time, if you shared your thoughts in the survey, please do not repeat yourself here. All comments were read and discussed by the Steering Committee last month.

Becky will also provide concluding comments about Crime Fiction.

The Next Librarian of Congress and Why We All Need to Care

As many of you know, a few months ago, the Librarian of Congress, James Billington announced his retirement as of Jan 1, 2016. But some of you may not know that last Friday, he announced that he now is retiring as of TOMORROW!

I was going to wait to post about the search for the next Librarian of Congress and how important it is to all American library workers in November, after my Halloween rush and after some more news had come out about possible replacements; however, since the timeline just got seriously hijjacked, I have pushed this post up in the schedule* to let you know how you can educate yourself on the #nextLOC right now.

First, I need to address the biggest issue here and that has to do with you, my readers.  Many of you are probably wondering why this blog devoted to "training library workers to help leisure readers" needs to bother with a post about the Librarian of Congress.  Well, the short answer I have for you is that whether or not you think the LOC has anything to do with your life in a local library is not the issue here.  The issue is that the job of the symbolic head of all of America's libraries-- a job appointed by the President of the United States-- is open. You are a library worker. You owe it to yourself and your community to understand what the job actually is and to have a KNOWLEDGEABLE opinion about how that job should be done. You will be asked by someone about your opinion and you owe it to yourself [and the integrity of our profession] to have a response that is based on the facts.

If we--America's library workers-- cannot articulate who should have that job and what the job should actually entail, how can we expect anyone else to understand, let alone expect these outsiders to choose the correct type of person for the job.

Now, I am not that person to help you understand the issue.  But like a good librarian, I have worked to find the resources you need to become knowledgeable on this issue. And now I am directing all of you, my loyal readers, to do two things in the next few days.

• Take 1 hour out of your life [you can do it on work time] to listen to Jessamyn West on Circulating Ideas articulate the basic issues involved here. I can honestly say that after listening myself a few weeks ago I  was completely misguided on the issue both of what skills and experience the best Librarian of Congress candidates should have. I had no idea about the necessary changes that new person needs to make to the institution itself. Jessamyn also had some insight to share into the process of choosing the #nextLOC. Every minute of that interview is worthwhile to anyone who works in the library world.
• Jessamyn has created this fantastic website devoted solely to compiling all of the information about the issue. After listening, go here and dig deeper about the things you want to know more about.The website even gives you ways to get involved in the conversation.

I am serious about spending just a little bit of time listening to that podcast and looking over the website. This is going to become the single biggest library issue over the next few months. This is going to be a library issue that is discussed in all media.  We need to be on the front lines articulating an educated opinion about not only who the job will go to, but also what the LOC should be as an institution.

Please, if you are someone who heads my advice on helping leisure readers, trust me and take this advice too.

I promise I will return tomorrow with regularly scheduled RA specific programming.

*Unfortunately due to the already double booked Monday I had planned for yesterday, this had to wait until today.

Recharge Your Book Club: The Deja Vu Addition

This afternoon I will be presenting a LIVE webinar for Reaching Across Illinois Library System [RAILS]-- Recharge Your Book Club.

Yes this is the same as the one I did on September 14th, but they asked me to do another live one at a different date and time to accommodate more people, so here are the slides again for today's audience.

Click here for the slides right now.

And soon, there will be a video recording available for everyone to view here.

Click here to start the slide show