Indiana University LIS-S524 (Spring 2024) Class

  Gentle Reads   Author: Jenny Colgan Title: The Bookshop on the Corner Genre: Gentle Reads Publication Date: 2016 Time Period: Present Day Geographical Setting: Scotland Pages: 364   Plot Summary Nina wants to start over. She decides to buy a van and turn it into a book mobile named The Little Shop of Happily Ever After. Following along with Nina as she searches for happiness in her life. Will she find it with her new landlord Lennox?   Subject Headings Book Mobile Lamb Farm Librarian   Appeal: Pacing: Normal pacing. Tone: Gentle. No violence, bad words, or high drama. Characterization: The story is narrated by Nina. Language: English 3 Terms Description: Romance Starting-Over Self-Confidence    Similar Books: Monsieur Perdu has a floating bookstore. He uses his psychic intuition to pick the right books for his customers. The books he chooses for them help heal their broken hearts. Will Perdu ever be ...

  Reading this week’s articles, an author came to mind that affected me negatively. Her name was Sylvia Browne. Yes, that Sylvia Browne. The famous psychic. You see, when my father died in 2003, I was devasted. All I could think about is what was Heaven like? What is he doing up there? I wondered about the mythical aisle at my local Border’s bookstore and found the book Life on the Other Side by Browne. I devoured the book. Her writing brought me peace that my Father was living it up in Heaven. She even gave descriptions of what the buildings and gardens looked like there. From then on out, I was a devoted fan. I read every book that she published, including one where she gave predictions. She said that she would not die until she was well into her nineties. She died in 2013 at the age of seventy-seven. How could this world-renowned psychic get her own death wrong? This led me down an investigated path. Come to find out her ex-husband said she was a fraud. They planned to con peop...

  Science Fiction Author: John Scalzi Title: Starter Villian Genre: Science Fiction Publication Date: 2023 Time Period: Present Day Geographical Setting: Chicagoland Area & Volcano Island Pages: 272   Plot Summary: Charlie is a divorced substitute teacher going through one of the hardest times in his life. His father died, and he is on the verge of losing the house he is living in. The only comfort he has is his cats. Out of the blue he is contacted by a lady named Morrison and he is now a billionaire due to his estranged Uncle dying. He heads to his Uncles’s Volcano Island to claim his money. He learns that his cats are more involved in his survival than he thought. Subject Headings: Cats Villains Murder Genetic Intelligence   Appeal: Pacing: Book moves fast and keeps your attention. Tone: Science Fiction. Cats that type on keyboards and Dolphins who can speak to humans. Characterization: The story is narrated by Charlie’s voic...

  An Innovative Way to Promote Romance Books at the Public Library   Dear Manager, I was scrolling through Pinterest and came across two librarians display to promote romance books. With your permission, I would like to create displays similar to these. Hartman’s display is for the patrons who may not have a significant other at the moment. While Kinkley’s display is fun and intriguing. I have left over plain red wrapping paper from the Christmas display that I could use to wrap the books. Thanks for your input, Jennifer Miller   Ideas Courtesy of: Natalie Hartman https://www.pinterest.com/pin/love-gone-wrong--426012446004574028/   Ruth Toht Kinkley https://www.pinterest.com/pin/library-end-cap-blind-date--2251868555824396/    

  Author: Linda Lael Miller Title: Pirates Genre: Romance Publication Date: 1995 Time Period: The 1990’s and the late 1700’s Geographical Setting: Paradise Island, Florida, Seattle Pages: 336 Plot Summary : Phoebe Turlow’s husband has left her for another woman. She also lost her job and is facing homelessness. She goes out to the mail and finds a free trip to Paradise Island if she attends the daily seminars to purchase time shares. Phoebe, who has nothing more to lose, calls and signs up for the seminars. Later that week she lands on Paradise Island where her life will forever change. A magical elevator transports her back in time to meet her soul mate Pirate Duncan Rourke. Together they will change the course of history. Subject Headings: Pirates Time Travel Love Marriage Romance   Appeal: Pacing: From the first chapter, the book gets your attention. This is a book you can easily spend the afternoon reading without wanting to put it down. Ton...

  Author: Dan Brown Title: Da Vinci Code Genre: Suspense Publication Date: 2003 Time Period: Present Time Geographical Setting: France Pages: 496   Plot Summary: Robert Langdon must use his intelligence to solve a complex murder. A face paced mystery and suspense novel that will not leave you disappointed.  I admit, I watched the movie with Tom Hanks before I read the book. I enjoyed them both. Robert Langdon is a likeable character. He makes us feel smart while we read along and learn how he solves puzzles. The book is suspenseful, but can be a little dull in the beginning.  Subject Headings: Puzzles Murder Paris Da Vinci Secret Societies   Appeal: Pacing: The book has a medium pacing. Reader may be bored in the first few chapters. Tone: Suspense and mystery. Characterization: Intelligent characters with high degrees. Language: Easy to understand.   3 Terms to Describe This Book Riddles Symbols Mystery Autho...

  Do you think it's fair that one type of book is reviewed to death and other types of books get little to no coverage?  No, I do not think it is fair. Best selling popular authors are always going to get more attention than an author just starting out. Unfortunately, you could have an author with remarkable talent, that is overlooked by a reviewer just because they are new.  How does this affect a library's collection? I think it hurts the library collection. These new authors are not getting their books out to the public because library dollars are being spent on the big names.  And how do you feel about review sources that won't print negative content?  I feel they are biased. Everyone needs criticism even if it is uncomfortable. How else will you improve? If you buy for your library, how often do you use reviews to make your decisions? I would take the reviews into consideration, but I will keep an open mind for the new authors out there. Also...

  1.        I am looking for a book by Laurell K. Hamilton. I just read the third book in the Anita Blake series and I can’t figure out which one comes next!   The next book after Circus of the Damned is The Lunatic Café.   2.        What have I read recently? Well, I just finished this great book by Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer. I really liked the way it was written, you know, the way she used language. I wouldn't mind something a bit faster paced though.   Have you tried The Covenant of Water? The book follows three generations of a family through unthinkable changes.   3.        I like reading books set in different countries. I just read one set in China, could you help me find one set in Japan? No, not modern – historical. I like it when the author describes it so much it feels like I was there! How about you try the book The Teahouse Fire by E...

  Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich Book thirty of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum's series reads much like the other twenty nine. Stephanie is torn between the same two men. Her cars are always exploding. Someone is always trying to kill her. Although the plot is continually the same, Evanovich's books are always a fun fast read. There is something therapeutic in the fact the reader knows Stephanie Plum will always come out of her trauma intact. Evanovich did provide us with a juicy cliffhanger at the end of thirty. Whether it will play out in thirty one is anyone's guess.