Prompt #6

For your prompt this week, please complete the Readers' Advisory Matrix, found on the last page of the reading title RA Guide to Nonfiction in the Canvas files, about a non-fiction book you have read. If you have not read a non-fiction book recently, feel free to use some of the techniques on how to "read" a book in five minutes such as Mary Chelton's handouts or any others we have covered to get a feel for a non-fiction book.

Night by Elie Wiesel

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

Highly narrative (reads like fiction)

2. What is the subject of the book?

Survival- The book is a story of survival of a young Jewish boy in the Nazi concentration camps.

3. What type of book is it?

A memoir.

4. Articulate Appeal

What is the pacing of the book?  This is a very fast paced book.

Describe the characters of the book.  This is a very character driven story, with the main character being Elie Wiesel himself. He was a young Jewish teenager when his family was taken from their home and he was eventually taken to Auschwitz then Buchenwald.

How does the story feel?  Heart-breaking, painful, and dark.

What is the intent of the author?  To share his experiences and tell the world what happened in the concentration camps.

What is the focus of the story?  The build-up period of time right before the Wiesel family was taken and Elie’s struggle to survive to the liberation of the camps.

Does the language matter? Yes

Is the setting important and well described?  Yes the setting is key to the events occurring in the story, and the immediate setting in the camps is very well described.

Are there details, and if so, of what?  There are a lot of details about the conditions of the camps and the degenerating states of the prisoners there. There is also a lot of gruesome details of the deaths and torment suffered by prisoners.

Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? None.

Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? This novel stresses experience and understanding the most, as the author shares what he when through and what he came to understand. Learning is also stresses, but not like the other two factors.

5. Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)?

1. Experience              2. Detail                3.Tone

Stasiland

Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall

By Anna Funder

Paperback: 228 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins Books, 2002

Subject Headings:

·         Communism

·         East Berlin

·         Berlin Wall

Appeal: Nonfiction, Post WWII Germany, Communism in East Germany

Plot Summary:

            In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell and the city was reunited. Anna Funder, an Australian writer, brings to life in this novel some of the stories from behind the Wall. She tells the lives of real East Berlin citizens, and also the stories from ex-Stasi operatives and their work. Some of the stories include Miriam, who at sixteen tried to escape into West Berlin; Frau Paul, who was separated from her baby by the Wall; and the soldiers and officers who handled everything from surveillance, painted the line that would divide a city, and espionage. Every story draws the reader in and paints a more complete picture of what happened before, during and after the Berlin Wall. This novel won the Samuel Johnson Prize for nonfiction in the United Kingdoms.

Similar Authors and Works:

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Night by Elie Wiesel
A short but intense story of survival of Elie Wiesel during his time as a Jew in Germany’s concentration camps.

The Berlin Wall: A World Divided, 1961-1989 by Frederick Taylor
The book weaves together the story of the Berlin Wall’s rise and fall from archives and personal accounts.

The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape by Brian Ladd
Brian Ladd examines the fusion of architecture, national identity, and history of the city of Berlin.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Garden of Beasts Jeffery Deaver

Set in 1936, Paul Schumann is a mob hitman who finds himself less work and eventually gets himself caught. Army Intelligence offer him and alternative, go to jail or travel to Berlin and take out a high ranking official close to Hitler during the Olympics.

City of Women by David R. Gillham

In 1943 Berlin has become a city of women with all of the men away at the front.

Stasi Child (Karin Müller #1) by David Young

Karin Müller is a Stasi officer who is called in to investigate a body found at the foot of the Wall. However, this girl looks like she was trying to escape from the West. 

Prompt #5

Ebooks and audio-books are a part of our landscape. What does the change in medium mean for appeal factors? If you can't hold a book and feel the physical weight of it in your hands, how does that affect your knowledge of the genre? How about readers being able to change the font, line spacing, and color of text - how does that affect pacing and tone? How about audio-books? Track length, narrator choice, is there music?  For this week, I want you to think about how ebooks and audio-books affect appeal factors - also think about appeals that are unique to both mediums.

These three forms of media all allow us ways to enjoy great stories. Despite my own personal love for the feel of paper and ink in my hands, I have also enjoyed eBooks on my Kindle and audio-books in my car. The change of media does not change our knowledge of the genres we enjoy, just the ways we enjoy it. With eBooks, the ability to change font, line spacing, and color of the text allows us to give ourselves a personalized experience. This allows us to alter the normal pacing and tone and make it so we can read it faster and with more ease. Changing the color can also affect how we perceive the words written, as different colors invoke different emotions. Blue text could make a story calmer or more melancholy, and red could add anger or excitement. With audio books the story is a little different in this case. Because audio-books are narrated, the pacing and tone are set by who is reading the book. This makes narrator choice incredibly important, because they have the ability to make or break an otherwise great audio-book. Also the speed they read may be so different than your own it becomes distracting or hard to keep up with. Also, if the audio-book has included ambiance music that could really affect the tone or even be distracting as well. If the publisher decides to add music to an audio-book, they need to ensure that it matches the pacing of the book and the tone of the story at that moment.

Audio-books and eBooks offer their own unique appeals in the world of reading. With eBooks you can have a vast digital library available to you at almost any moment. Portable devices like tablets and smartphones make accessing this collection easy and fast. Their back-lit options also make is easy to read in low-light settings. Audio-books also prove to be very portable, but do require a device to play them off of. The narrators of audio-books themselves can also be a drawing factor. A very appealing voice that can really convey the intended emotions has the ability to really bring a novel to life. Another benefit to audio-books is that they leave your hands and eyes free to accomplish other tasks. This makes it easier to fit in the joy of a novel while accomplishing other tasks like cooking or exercising. It is also a great alternative for individuals with visual disabilities or who suffer from eye strain. As someone who is very near-sighted and prone to headaches, I can really relate to this appeal here. Each medium allows readers a distinctive experience with their own benefits and drawbacks. As readers, we should not exclude their values and appeals when making decisions.

What's a Witch to Do?

What’s a Witch to Do?

By Jennifer Harlow

A Midnight Magic Mystery

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Midnight Ink, 2013

Subject Headings:

·         Witchcraft

·         Supernatural

·         Fantasy

Appeal: Fantasy Novel, Humorous, Magic, Mystery Elements

Plot Summary:
            Mona McGregor is the High Priestess of the witch coven living in Goodnight, Virginia. On top of being the leader of a large coven, Mona also owns and runs the Midnight Magic shop and is the guardian of her two young nieces. Her everyday life is a struggle to keep on top of her ever growing to do list, and potentially woo the handsome doctor who has taken an interest in her. However, all of that gets thrown for a loop when a wounded werewolf shows up on her doorstep with the ominous message that someone wants Mona out of the way, permanently. Combining elements of humor, heartache, romance, and mystery; this fantasy adventure is a thrill to read. The heroine, despite being a very powerful witch, is very relatable and her inner struggles and attempts to find balance in her life really help draw the reader in and keep the pages turning. Some adult themes are included throughout the novel.

Some Characteristics of Fantasy:

1. This story has societies of witches, werewolves, and vampires living hidden within the populace, and also a heavy theme of magic.
2. The story line features a battle of good vs evil as Mona and her friends try to stop her would-be, black-magic practicing assassin.
3. Throughout the novel, the tone switches from light and humorous to a more malevolent mood as the characters find themselves fighting for their safety and their lives.

Similar Authors and Works:

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice by Thea Sabin
This novel is an introduction into the spirituality and real-world practice of Wicca. This novel provides a solid foundation for readers to learn some of the mysteries of Wicca.

The Penguin Book of Witches by Katherine Howe
Author Katherine Howe takes a look at the darker side of witchcraft throughout English and North American history. It focuses on the accounts of real accused witches and shows some truth behind the legends.

Binding Passions: Tales of Magic, Marriage, and Power at the End of the Renaissance by Guido Ruggiero
Ruggiero brings forth several records found in Venice’s branch of the Roman Inquisition’s records on how passions were seen to be bound and how it was used in binding people. An unique look into the magic of passion in Italian history.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Midnight poison by A.E. Kirk

Kiara Blackwood is several centuries old, and can’t remember exactly who she is. This in and of itself is an issue, but she has a few more problems on her plate. She is being hunted by an immortal serial killer, being held prisoner by the undead, must somehow find the Midnight Poison she apparently created, and her psych meds have stopped working.

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

In a world where supernatural creatures have been legalized, Anita Blake is an executioner for the United States Government part-time and her day job is raising the dead. This novel includes a mixture of romance and horror as Anita confronts a thousand-year old vampire and a host of the undead.

Mind Over Monsters by Jennifer Harlow

Beatrice Alexander has the ability to move objects with her mind, and draws the attention of the F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad when she saves her students by lifting a Hummer over their heads and later on almost offs her brother. The squad handles rouge monsters that threaten to expose all the supernatural societies in hiding, and is a fantasy thriller.

Book Club

                The book club I attended was a rather informal affair at a public library. The main focus of the group was graphic novels, and the series they were reading when I attended was the manga Full Metal Alchemist. I have read some of this series, but have not finished it in its completion. A young female librarian ran the group, which consisted mainly of young adults and a few older group members. It was very clear by the jovial atmosphere that this particular book club did not follow a strict structure, and tended to lean more towards the causal side. The librarian insisted that it was not required for participants to have read the series they were discussing, but made it clear that members should have a love of graphic novels. I have always been in love with graphic novels since I was exposed to them, so that was an easy requirement to fulfill. The group met in the large library meeting room and had a large table with chairs set up. The librarian had brought several copies of the Full Metal Alchemy manga the library had on hand spread across the table top. Many of the group members stood off to the side talking amiably with one another while they waited for the club to start, while others just found a seat at the table and pulled out a book to read. The librarian was very friendly and excited, making her way around to greet everyone who came in. She knew several of the regular attendees by name and made small talk with them as people filtered in. I took a seat at the table and chatted with a young woman who was very excited about the manga series. She explained that it was one of her favorites and had brought it up with the librarian as a potential topic.

                The book club ran a total of one hour, from four o’clock in the evening to five. As the group sat down for the actual discussion, it became clear that the group gathered together to socialize as much as to talk about the actual manga series. A great deal of the conversation did revolve around manga, and its animated counterpart of Anime. The librarian led the majority of the conversation, starting the group off with a discussion on what they really enjoyed so far in the series, and who their favorite characters were. The book group was more than happy to discuss their favorite aspects of the Full Metal Alchemist series. The woman I had sat near in the beginning who had recommended the book was especially vocal in the conversation. The conversation was very organic in its flow, and several group members tended to drift off topic in the conversation. One of the young gentlemen attending was occasionally disruptive in the discussion by intentionally pulling the conversation to other graphic novel series or personal conversations. The librarian did do a good job of pulling the group back on track by leading everyone back into the topic at hand by finding a way to relate what the group had derailed to back to Full Metal Alchemist with some open-ended questions. She managed to keep everyone in the group engaged, occasionally pulling someone into the dialogue with a line of questioning, and overall the atmosphere throughout was very relaxed and pleasant. Even though I had not finished the series, I was able to participate with everyone.

                This book club did have a lot going well for it in my opinion. According to “Starting a Book Club”, they club has a lot of the requirements fulfilled for starting an effective book club. They have a good location at a public library, and they have firmly settled on discussing the graphic novel genre. They meet once a month, and have a young adult target audience. Many of the group members seem like repeat attenders, so they have an active following. All of this bodes really well for the group. I had an enjoyable time attending, and would probably go again sometime. They should work on a more permanent name for their club though, because it was just listed as a Graphic Novels Book Club event. I think if they gave it a catchy name it might draw in more people. Overall, it was a fairly informal affair but incredibly friendly.

References:

"Starting a Book Club." I Love Libraries. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2017. 

Graphic Novels

As a textbook definition, graphic novels are a novel in a comic-strip format. They combine their narratives with expressive artwork that helps to convey important pieces of the plot and perspective. Rising in popularity, graphic novels are taking their place in libraries for a wide variety of ages. Comic books have a fond history in the United States, especially as the medium for comic book superheroes. Marvel and DC Comics are two of the top publishers for the superhero market, and their long-time standing and recent movie craze prove their popularity.  Recently, the Japanese inspired manga are also becoming prevalent in the United States and other western countries. Graphic novels are more than just adult picture books, and offer a wide variety of genres and styles within their category. The graphic novel section offers readers a whole different experience for readers, and a plentiful well of resources for reader’s advisory.

Despite offering works in fiction and nonfiction, most patrons turn to graphic novels as a form of pleasure reading. For the study of reader’s advisory, it is important to understand what the library patrons are in the mood for. Often times, the best ways to understand what your patron is looking for is by keeping up to date on all the different book genres. This can mean through one’s personal experience of having read the book, or using tools such as lists and reviews to help deliver a recommendation (Vnuk, 2016). One of the advantages of a graphic novel is that they are often a fairly fast read. This is mainly do the fact that a key part of the story is not delivered in just in words, but also through pictures. Librarians can grasp snapshots of graphic novels by quickly flipping through the ages, or reading the first book of a series in their downtime. Patrons can also provide quick feedback during an interview through the same process.

Despite the recent up rise in popularity for the graphic novel genre, not all of the attention they have received has been positive. Graphic novels have also come under some controversy with some groups pushing an agenda to ban them. Due to the imagery that some graphic novels contain, they have come under attack as a genre. Even through many novels with more descriptive phrases exist on the same shelve, the more adult or graphic nature depicted in the images of a graphic novel are viewed to be a more severe issue. Many comic books and graphic novels don’t really contain any objectionable material however. Understanding the opposition that some carry against graphic novels is one way to fight the prejudiced against it so that everyone can have the opportunity to find a work in this genre they enjoy.

Vnuk, R. (2016, July 8). Jack of All Trades Readers’ Advisory: How to Learn a Little About a Lot. Retrieved March 3, 2017, from Public Libraries Online, http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/05/jack-of-all-trades-readers-advisory-how-to-learn-a-little-about-a-lot/