such a problem!

Summary

One aspect of the be more bookish training that's been helpful has been adding coworkers as GoodReads friends. Now I get updates on what they're reading and can easily start conversations about books they've read and suggest them to patrons. I would have benefited by a BCPL staff Goodreads group to "meet" different librarians and see their suggestions.

As I'm finishing my training checklist, this has helped me feel more confident recommending books especially in genres I don't typically read. Also helped me pick out some good teen fiction to read (all in the name of research of course!). The assignments from "Building Base Knowledge" have introduced me to some great RA resources that I'll continue to follow.

week 4 catch-up

I wanted to be active on Goodreads for a while before publishing my thoughts on it. I love Goodreads and wish I had more time for keeping it updated and organizing titles into lists. I love that you can snap a pic of the book's upc to add it to a shelf.

I recommended "The Wishing Spell" on Paula's goodreads page because she reads a lot of children's books and this was a current one that I enjoyed (and wasn't already reviewed by her-she has thousands of titles listed!). This one is a modern fairy tale with a good sense of humor.

For Megan Skinner I recommended "The Silver Star". Because she like Jeannette Walls biography so much, I though she might enjoy her latest fiction foray with Walls' trademark dark humor and offbeat characterizations.

Week 9 assignment 2

I haven't viewed any book trailors prior to this assignment and am not sufficiently wowed by any I've seen since to seek them out on my own. Perhaps if there was a title I was really looking forward to and desired any information on it I could get I would search for one.

From a readers' advisory standpoint, they could be helpful for getting the tone of a book and who might enjoy it. Perhaps I'll watch ones for books I don't personally want to read but could recommend to other readers.

Week 8 Assignment 4

The disaster diaries : how I learned to stop worrying and love the apocalypse
This is a book I would recommend to fans of apocalyptic sci-fi and tales of rugged adventure (and anyone who watches "Doomsday Preppers"). In this engaging non-fiction read, Sam Sheridan begins his chapters with a hypothetical disaster situation such as zombies or gangs of looters and how one might extradite himself from the situation safely. The situations are thrilling and the advice is surprisingly informative.  I never new how important dental hygiene was to survival and now I know how to pull a 180 in my car should the need arise :)

Spiced : a pastry chef's true stories of trials by fire, after-hours exploits, and what really goes on in the kitchen would be an entertaining and informative read for anyone who enjoys browsing the cookbooks and has always wondered if they could hack it in the food industry. This eye-opening raucous read removes the romance of restaurant work and offers insight to what it's really like behind those swinging restaurant doors.

Week 8 Assignment 3 Nonfiction Genres

Food: These are typically found near the cookbooks in the 641s. Some are listed in bios if they center around a main chef or food writer.
Heat : an amateur's adventures as kitchen slave, line cook, pasta maker, and apprentice to a Dante-quoting butcher in Tuscany or
Spiced : a pastry chef's true stories of trials by fire, after-hours exploits, and what really goes on in the kitchen by Dalia Jurgersen

Travel: The nonfiction narratives are located in the 910-919s, interfiled with other travel books by region.
Eat, pray, love : one woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert is a popular title among this genre that has attracted readers of women's fiction

Disaster/survival: These can be located in 2 main DDC spots. Most are in the 613s, the call number for personal health and safety, but some are in 796s for outdoor recreation. Here are books published by Field and Stream and focusing on how to make it in the great outdoors.
The disaster diaries : how I learned to stop worrying and love the apocalypse by Sam Sheridan is both entertaining and informative

Crime: True crime stories may be found in 364.1523, the call number is under social sciences and criminology. Ann Rule is a prolific author who dominates this category, but other stories like
The devil in the white city : murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America tell "I can't believe it's true" stories of crime

I wish they would have talked about more narrative nonfiction in the children's section as there are so many great examples of these wonderful teaching tools like "Sir Cumference and all the King's Tens" in various dewey areas.

Week 7 assignment 4 Teen Trends

From teen book publishers I'm seeing lots of extra material for fans through facebook and websites. Matched offers a party kit to throw a theme party based on the popular series, and there are quizzes to see who you would be matched with.  I loved the finishing school site for Etiquette and Espionage, a humorous tumblr with tips for genteel dress and weaponry.

For reading trends, there are still lots of dystopian reads with modern superheroes dressed like everyday people (only way cooler). Themes seem darker with the protagonist often struggling against the society they belong to.