Fantasy Annotation

 

Dead Witch Walking

by

Kim Harrison

353 pages (2008)

9780061567193

Summary:   The underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves--creatures of dreams and nightmares--has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything. Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter with the Inderland Runner Services, is one of the best at apprehending supernatural lawbreakers throughout Cincinnati, but when it comes to following the rules, she falls desperately short. Determined to buck the system, she quits and takes off on the run with an I.S. contract on her head and is reluctantly forced to team up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner . . . and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crime lord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death . . . not to mention her own roommate.

Genre:  Fantasy Fiction, Urban Fantasy Fiction

Pace:  Fast-paced

Style:  Richly detailed

Series:  The Hollows (Book 1)

Fantasy Characteristics:

• World-building - can range from a slight tweak on our world to a completely different universe.  This book takes place in the US but not a US as we know it.  All kinds of paranormal creatures have come out of hiding as humans die out from a virus found in tomatos.
• Fantasy means magic - this is what clearly alienates it from other genres.  Rachel Morgan is a witch and practices magic on a daily basis.
• Storyline - good verses evil with good usually winning.  Rachel and her friends are trying to save the world from bad vampires and demons.
• Series will often be one long story rather than each book being episodic.  The Hollows series is on its 16th book and it does read as one very long continuing story. 

Read-A-Likes (from Novelist)

• A Discovery of Witches   by Deborah Harkness
• Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
• Storm Born by Richelle Mead
• Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey
• Bitten by Kelly Armstrong
• Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Week 11 Prompt

When it comes to ereaders , I can honestly say that I do not want one.  I like to physically hold a book in my hands when I am reading it.  Call me crazy, but I even love the smell of books!!  I have enough technology in my life and too much "screen time" as it is!!  I am also not ashamed of what I read.  Yes, I jumped on the Fifty Shades of Grey bandwagon and even checked that out from the library that I work.  No shame here!!

Having said that, I do see the appeal or ebooks.  Ereaders allow you to physically have with you hundreds of books at all times.  Obviously that is not possible with physical books.  I can not carry more than 15 or so hardcover books at a time and they do take up a lot of space.  So yes, an ereader can be handy, especially if you are traveling.  Ebooks are also cheaper than the physical counter parts so that can be a huge draw.  I do understand that some people will want to be secretive about what they are reading.  I know a young lady who is in the process of divorcing her abusive husband.  In a situation like hers, you would not want to have a physical book about divorce or custody laying around. 

I was surprised to read in out Power Point this week that Ebook sales have increased by 117%.  It is shocking because at my branch our circulation is on the rise.  However, we do receive questions on a daily basis about how to use library services on ereaders.  I borrowed a Kindle Fire from my branch to take home and play with so that I would understand what patrons were asking.  Unfortunately, I became so frustrated that I wanted to throw the darn thing across the room.  I will definitely need to become more comfortable with it so that I can assist the patrons with theirs!!

Ebooks can be more convenient but patrons do not seem to understand that there still may be a waiting list for a popular book.  They assume that if the book is an Ebook, that it is readily available.  Other than that, I have not heard any complaints about Ebooks at my branch.

I personally have never listened to ab audiobook but know from working in circulation that they are extremely popular.  The problem with audiobooks is that there are so many CDs to keep track of and there is the possibility that the CDs will become scratched.  We have had quite a few complaints about scratched discs in the middle of the book.  That would be frustrating!! 

My 3 Book Talks

First off, I would like to apologize for the "shaky" video recordings.  My 12 year old son was recording these for me using my cell phone.

This week I thought that doing three book talks would be easy.  Boy was I wrong.  I chose three books that I have read within the last year that I found enjoyable.  However, I found that it was hard to decide what to say for these books and felt that my "talks" sounded to scripted.  I had a hard time finding enough to say that would intrigue a patron to want to read it without giving away too much of the plot.  I was actually looking forward to this assignment but found that it was way harder and a lot more stressful than I thought it would be.  I wonder if it would be easier to do booktalks for children's books? 

The thee books that I chose were:

 

Wicked Appetite:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvkgheOFlsE&feature=youtu.be

Blood Brothers:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlzDv3z3ITA

Wicked:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6g9D8bekWE

Women's Lives and Relationships Annotation

  

Gone With the Wind

by:  Margaret Mitchell

Published by MacMillan in 1936

 1037 pages

Summary:  Scarlett O'Hara is a spoiled and manipulative daughter of a wealthy plantation owner in Southern Georgia.  She has her eye set on neighboring Ashley Wilkes but Ashley marries another.  After being twice widowed, she marries the charismatic and incredibly rich Rhett Butler, while secretly still pining for Ashley. This historical classic is set against the dramatic backdrop of the civil war and follows Scarlet through many trials and tribulations and readers watch her grow from a manipulative young girl into a strong woman who learns too late what she really desires in life.  

Genre:  Women Literature, Historical Fiction, Love Stories, Modern Classics, Epic Fiction

Storyline:  Character-driven, Sweeping

Tone:  Atmospheric, bittersweet, dramatic

Style:  Engaging

Women's Lives and  Relationships Aspects:

• The protagonist is a woman and so is the author.
• Story lines reflect the issues affecting women's lives and portray women facing difficult situations.  Scarlett faces heart-break, the civil war, and poverty and braves through all three.  
• Endings are usually hopeful, if not happy.  Scarlett faces every situation optimistically, even the ending when Rhett walks out on her just as she realizes that she loves him.
• Pacing is generally unhurried.  Fans talk of these as compelling reads, which pull readers in and involve them with the protagonist's story.

    Read-A-Likes (from Novelist)
   
    Bella Cora by Phillip Margulies
    The Youngest Miss Ward by Juan Aiken
    Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig

Mystery Annotation

 

THIS PEN FOR HIRE

BY

LAURA LEVINE 

 Published by Kensington in 2003

240 Pages

978-0758201591

Series:  Book 1 of the Jaine Austen Mystery Series

Summary:  Freelancer Jaine Austen (her mother loved the classics but couldn't spell) makes a living writing love letters, personal ads and industrial brochures, but she never expected her work to involve her in murder. When geeky Howard Murdoch hires her to pen a letter proclaiming his love for gorgeous fitness instructor Stacy Lawrence, no one is more surprised than Jaine when Stacy agrees to go out with Howard on Valentine's Day. But Harold arrives for their date only to find that someone has bludgeoned Stacy to death with a ThighMaster. Feeling some responsibility for the hapless Howard, now the police's only suspect, Jaine starts digging. Stacy might have been beautiful, but most people disliked her. Elaine Zimmer wanted the corner apartment Stacy had just moved into, and the building superintendent seemed besotted with her. Then there's the volatile, married producer, not to mention the girlfriend Stacy stole him from. Handsome neighbor Cameron Bannick, a straight antiques dealer, piques Jaine's interest (she hasn't had a good date in a long time), and becomes a dashing Watson to Jaine's Sherlock. Though her life is in danger, Jaine never loses her sense of humor as the story zips along to an action-filled and surprising climax.  (Publisher's Weekly)

 Genre:  Mystery, Gentle Reads, Humorous Stories

 Story-Line:  Character-driven

 Tone:  Amusing

 Writing Style:  Engaging, witty

Mystery Aspects:  

• The solving of a crime, the death of Stacy Lawrence, drives the plot, and the detective (Jaine Austen), along with the reader, sorts through the available clues to discover the solution. 
• The story focuses on the investigator (Jaine Austen).  We watch as Jaine blunders her way to solving each mystery sometimes with the help of her eccentric neighbor, Lance.  Secondary characters like Lance play an important role in the appeal of the mystery and may also be seen as series characters.
• The frame in which the mystery is set - whether a physical location or fascinating background details - plays a crucial role on its appeal.  In every Jaine Austen mystery, the murder takes place in an unusual way (a thighmaster) or in an unusual place.  
• The mood in mysteries varies from dark and gritty to lighthearted an witty.  The Jaine Austen Mysteries are definitely lighthearted and witty.  From Jaine's crazy cat Prozak, to her neighbor Lance, these books are laugh out loud funny.

Read-A-Likes (From Novelist):

Bonnie of Evidence by Maddy Hunter
The Burglar on the Prowl by Lawrence Block
Southern Fried by Cathy Pickens
Cruising in your Eighties is Murder by Mike Befeler
False Profits by Patricia Smiley




 

Prompt 7 - Patterson Monopoly

When I started at the Allen County Public Library 4 years ago, I only paid attention to the authors that I was reading (which was mostly paranormal romance).  I started at the library as a book shelver and I learned early on that James Patterson held a huge monopoly over our fiction collection.  We own at least 2 copies of every James Patterson book.  When a new book is released we own an initial 6 to 8 copies that are weeded down to 2 or 3 as the years pass.  James Patterson takes up about four or five shelves in our fiction collection.  He is also shelved in our mystery section, large print, and young adult.  It seems like he is releasing a book every five minutes (ok....slightly exaggerating)!  When a new book is released, and often before it even hits the shelf, there is a hold list a mile long with patrons waiting to get it. 

It wasn't until I worked at the library for about a year before I learned that James Patterson uses co-authors.  My manager at the time was talking to me while I was shelving Patterson books and she asked me if I knew that he doesn't even write them anymore, that he pays others to write them for him.  I was shocked and disturbed by the news at the time. 

However, I will say that my opinion has changed since reading the Patterson article by Jeff Zaleski.  Patterson seems to have a very down to earth attitude about the whole thing and freely admits that he has others helping him with the books.  He also stated that he is always in contact with these co-authors and oversees most of what they do.  Having co-authors allows Patterson to focus more time on his family while still keeping his name in the public eye.  "His primary aim, he tells us, was to get back to what I do, and that's less to be the #1 novelist than to have a life"  Patterson is having fun and enjoys what he does for a living.  He still writes daily but is not under the amount of pressure as other authors to keep cranking out popular fiction.  I give him credit for figuring out the formula for writing and having a life.  Perhaps he should give his co-authors a little more credit, perhaps even a picture on the novel, but more power to him as his followers are going to stay strong for years to come!!