Final Paper on my Book Lists for GPL

Historical Fiction Post 

Author: Jeff Shaara

Title:No Less Than Victory: a novel of World War II

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publication Date: 2009

Number of Pages: 449 pages

Geographical Setting: Normandy invasion to the Battle of the Bulge.  With an epilogue about the major players.  


Series (If applicable): No, but Jeff Shaara has put out a ton of WWII, WWI and Civil War Non-Fiction (last count 10).

Plot Summary:Take a journey of World War II through the eyes of Patton, Eisenhower,  two young American Privates and Albert Speer ( Minister of Armaments and War Production) and Gerd von Rundstedt (German Field Marshal).  If you are reading this book you probably already know the dates and major people in WWII history.  However, this is a dramatized account of those events along with tons of factoids about the War and everything related to this war.  I have read several of Jeff Shaaras' books and this one was great.  

Subject Headings: Historical Fiction

Appeal 3 terms that best describe this book: :Authentic, Accurate, Patriotic




3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

D-Day, June 6, 1944 : the climactic battle of World War II

by Stephen E Ambrose

Unbroken : a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption

by Laura Hillenbrand

World War II,

by C L Sulzberger

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

The steel wave : a novel of World War II

by Jeff Shaara

Code talker : a novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two

by Joseph Bruchac

The little ships : the heroic rescue at Dunkirk in World War II

by Louise Borden; Michael Foreman

Non-Fiction Post

Author:  Phil Jackson and Michael Arkush

Title:The Last Season : A Team in Search of its Soul

Genre:Non-Fiction

Publication Date:  2004

Number of Pages: 272 pages

Geographical Setting:LA Lakers 2003 and 2004 season


Series (If applicable): No

Plot Summary: Phil Jackson talks about his experience with the 2003/2004 LA Lakers.  It is a very candid account of Phil Jackson's thoughts on Kobe, Shaq, and their playoff run.  Don't even think about this book if you are not a NBA fan.  About half the book is a game by game account of their playoff run.     

Subject Headings: LA Lakers (Basketball Team)

Appeal 3 terms that best describe this book: :Authentic, NBA Insider, Tell-All




3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Ring of Hell: the story of Chris Benoit & the fall of the pro wrestling industry by Matthew Randazzo.  This was suggested to me from a professional wrestler as being the best book he had ever read on wrestling.  I concur.


Gandhi on non-violence by Gandhi.  This is a book of selected reading on his philosophy and experience with non-violent action.

Joel Whitburn's music stars: brief bios of every recording artist who ever charted by Joel Whitburn.  




3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

Basketball Jones by E Lynn Harris

The Schoolyard game: an anthology of basketball writings

Triple Threat by Jacqueline Guest

Western Post

Author: Louis L'Amour

Title: Hondo

Genre: Western

Publication Date: 1952 Won the Fawcett Gold Medal 1952

Number of Pages: 178

Geographical Setting:  Southwest Terr. Apache Country 

Time Period: Post Civil War

Series (If applicable): No

Plot Summary:  A lone man that only has his pony, dog and gun finds a beautiful woman and a young boy who needs a father in his life.  The boy's deadbeat father  is found by Hondo and there is a showdown!  There is also Apache on the Warpath and an bloodthirsty warrior is vying for power.

Subject Headings: Apache Indians- Wars- Women Pioneers - Arizona

Appeal 3 terms that best describe this book: : Action, Justice, Moral and Bromance.
Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):

Louis L'Amour  The Haunted Mesa.  This is written by the most notable name in the western genre but it is fantasy.  Here we have the western formula; likeable man solves a problem with violence (with a rifle) and saves somebody but within the realm of parallel universes.

Cindy Bonner Lily.  Cindy is known for combining romance, western and historical fiction and it is done via a women's voice. In Lily a 15 year old girl falls in love with an outlaw.  She exchanges her boring farm life for her new outlaw life.  This is a first in a series that deals with young girl and watches her grow as a person.

Elizabeth Fackler's Billy the Kid: The Legend of El Chivato.  Elizabeth writes in the women's lives genre.  The aforementioned title is more western than women lives but the women are more developed and have a brain and gives a better perspective of what really went down in the west.
 

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear were state historians for several western states and they are best known for the First North American series.   These are historical fiction but are quite accurate.

The Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin



3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
 Zane Grey- Riders of the Purple Sage
 Terry Johnston--Carry the Wind
Kathleen O'Neal Gear--Sand in the Wind

Topics Paper

Daniel Thacker

Special Topics Paper

My special topics paper is to be a literature review of non-fiction RA appeal terms.  I am prepping myself to do exploratory research in this field.  The majority of literature review is done on fiction RA which will guide me somewhat on the topic of non-fiction RA.  As part of my introduction I want to explain what my research is and is not.  I am attempting to learn and do qualitative research as opposed to quantitative research.  I am trying to understand rather than explain non-fiction appeal terms.  If I am trying to prove something then I have stepped outside the bounds of my goals and abilities at the present time.  Describing and expressing are the important goals for now.  My guiding research question is this: what do readers like about non-fiction?  I am dealing with attitudes, opinions and emotions that influence people's choices in their non-fiction.  I will try to be aware of the gaps in my knowledge and relay them to you, dear reader.  I am hoping to generate hypothesizes, not prove them.  I also hope to generate ideas for your own research or generate thoughts to aid you in your future RA services that you will provide to patrons.  

Review of the literature:

Ross, Catherine. (1998) "Making Choices: What Readers say about Choosing Books to Read for Pleasure" CAIS/ASCI: 107-124.

This article was from our readings for week 2.  Dr. Copeland redirected me to this paper because of it being a good example of its qualitative methods.  However, it must be noted that the author employed her grad students that were currently taking her Genres of Fiction and Reading class to do the research in this study.  This is a no-no because of the power dynamic in the student/professor relationship.  Nevertheless, it did yield some interesting findings.  Data was collected from 194 open-ended interviews that started with two questions:  How do you choose a book to read for pleasure and are there types of books that you do not enjoy and would not choose?  The rest of the interview came from the discussion of these two questions.  The people who were picked for the interviews were "heavy readers" as described in Cole, John and Carol S. 1979, Reading in America: Selected Findings of the Book Industry Study Group's 1978 Study.  65% were female and 45% were between the ages of 21 to 30.  Thus, I assume these were fellow LIS students or LIS sympathizers.  In summary there are five categories that readers use to choice books for pleasure: What mood am I in?, Alerting sources that the reader uses to find out about new books (i.e. recommendations, reviews, lists), elements of a book that readers take into account in order to match book choices  to the reading experience desired (size of books, endings, settings), Clues on the book itself used to determine the reading experience being offered (author, title, genre, cover) and Cost in time or money involved for the reader in getting intellectual or physical access to a particular book (physical access, cognitive and emotional commitment, etc.).

Hooper, Brad. (2010) "Food and Travel Twin Readers' Advisory Pleasures.”  References & User Services Quarterly 50( 2), 122-125.

This was a really awesome article!  I was very skeptical of people wanting to read food and travel for pleasure but I was very wrong.  One thing that I re-learned with this article was this, what makes non-fiction awesome is the author's passion.  For instance, there is a true story of a New York Times writer that becomes a "kitchen slave" so he can serve at the feet of a master chef.  His self-sacrifice and dedication to learn from a master can be extremely fascinating.  When the story is good it doesn't matter if it is fiction or non-fiction.  It's just about the story and if that story is non-fiction it gives said story an extra level of awe (at least for me).  The adage of truth being stranger than fiction is a great experience.  It's like the universe is showing off it's literally skills.  Another thing I learned from this article is that it doesn't matter what the topic is, if there is passion and love behind it, it is compelling and pleasurable reading.  I wrote a letter to the editor because I was so stirred up by this article.  The editor responded within the hour and I had made a friend.

Yesha, Naik. (2012) “Reads on Goodreads Readers Take RA into Their Own Hands.” Reference & User Services Quarterly 51(4), 319-323.

This may seem like a “no kidding, I already knew that” article but this also a sign of good research.  It is another lesson that given the right environment such as: anonymity, convenience and freedom to come and go as they please can foster rich discussion on any target.  And Goodreads definitely creates this environment.   The main thing I took from this article is that RA is alive and well.  However, how Goodreads discussion forums influence people's book choices is still unclear.    

Trott, Barry. (2012) “Reference, Readers' Advisory, and Relevance” The Reference Librarian, 53(1), 60-66.

Barry is a pretty cool and down to earth guy that I can understand.  He suggests we (reference librarians) can use stereotypes to our advantage.  For example, the library offers more than books but over two thirds of the public still equate libraries with books.  Therefore, in the quest to remain relevant and useful, RA can be used as a service we offer; rather than being just a warehouse for books.  Also that active RA leads to both librarian and patron satisfaction reaffirming the importance of the future success of the library profession.

Elliott, Julie. “Academic Libraries and Extracurricular Reading Promotion” Reference & User Services Quarterly,46(3), 34-43.

It gives a history of how libraries have dropped the ball in the past with RA and where we have improved as a profession.  The article also has a questionnaire at the end that evaluates RA in your library.  This article is a good food for thought on RA being a skill that most librarians do not have.  Mainly because librarians don't engage the patron in it.  I did the survey and I see how the library that I work does not put (in my opinion) enough time into RA.  This article also gives suggestions on how to demonstrate the value of RA via programs.   

Saricks, J. (2011). “At Leisure: Recognizing What's Popular”. Booklist, 107(11), 29.

This article confirms the importance of talking to people to get the best information in improving your RA skills.  Talking to shelvers, the circulation desk, patrons, etc.  is where it's at.  I have found this to be true.  Asking open-ended questions about patrons book choices are useful and usually fruitful discussions.  For example, a woman wanted a list of all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books.  A quick talk of the tv series leads to a discovery of a sub-culture that has fans of LHOTP taking trips and visiting the historical sites of Laura Ingalls that spreads over 6 states.  I hated the TV show and I always got pissed off when my sisters insisted on watching it but the conversation with the patron was great.  I still can stand Michael Landon to this day!

Saricks, J. (2005). Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library. (3^rd edition). Chicago : American Library Association

This book reinforces the idea that librarians and librarians from other libraries are on the same team.  Also reading Saricks gave me the idea that I don't have to section off the library collection in fiction and non-fiction.  There is a middle ground that fuses the two.  For example, Donald Goines, the Godfather of African-American Pulp Fiction, wrote a book called Whoreson.  This is a loosely auto-biographical story that is technically fiction but is something I would consider as a mixture of the two.  Another example would be historical fiction (not alternative history fiction) like Jeff Shaara.   All the dates, events and characters are real and I have used his works of fiction as a history book.  Finding interesting events and using them later to do follow-up research (for example Joseph Goebbels had his wife poison their six children and then he shot her and himself.  This lead me to further investigate him and I came across his personal journal.  It was fascinating.  As a boy he was bullied horribly and didn't have any friends.  He was physically handicapped.  He was a time bomb that went off) ; of course all of dialogue between historical characters are dramatized but there is a wealth of knowledge that is blended into his fiction.  All this meaning that I would bring up this type of fiction in  a non-fiction RA interview if the patron was receptive to it. 

            In summation, this beginning of a literature review has been interesting.  One of the underlying themes is talking and listening to other people about their experience with books.   RA is a team sport so no matter how much I can read on my own, building a rapport with colleagues and patrons seems to be at the root of a successful RA, whether it is in non-fiction, fiction or somewhere in-between.   

Daniel Thacker

S524 Review for Romantic Suspense

Citation:

 Howard, L. (2001). Open season. New York: Pocket Books.

Author: Linda Howard   

Title: Open Season         

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Publication Date: 2002

Number of Pages: 337

Geographical Setting:   It was a town in Alabama of 9,000 people.  They had to go to Huntsville for any real shopping or to a professional hairdresser.

Time Period: Present

Series (If applicable):  Wikipedia has it as a single novel but one of the bad guys, Skyes, does a deal with the police and gets probation and at the end he is back in town and talking to a another character from the book. This is how the book ends but it appears to have stopped there.  This was also commented on in reviews and everybody thinks it is strange.   

Plot Summary: Daisy Minor has just turned 34.  She is a librarian, never had a real kiss and is being bugged by Jack Russo, a badass cop from New York SWAT who has become the police chief of her small town.  Daisy decided to take control of her life and live a little crazy. She unknowingly witnesses a murder and finds herself knee deep in a prostitution and human trafficking ring.  Together Jack and Daisy bring down the bad guys and Daisy explores new ways to enjoy her life.   

Subject Headings:

Murder--Investigation--Fiction.  Women librarians--Fiction.  Romantic suspense fiction.

Appeal 3 terms that best describe this book:  Funny, suspenseful and saucy (in a few places)

Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors:

Sandra Hill  Down and Dirty – because Eastofoz from Goodreads really liked Open Season for all the reasons why I liked it and she suggested Sandra Hill.  Also in this story you have this Navy SEAL who is put in strange situation; he has to train SEAL-like programs to females.  Together they get down and dirty while saving the world from bad guys.  It sounds just like Open Season but this one looks to have a lot more sex.  The cover has a shirtless man on a beach with a gun. 

One Summer by Karen Robards  It is another funny romance that puts a woman and man together against all odds while a new relationship unfolds between them.

Thread of Fear by Laura Griffin – Same old same old.  A successful murder profiler is getting out of the business because she is too good and can’t take the pressure.  However (another) Jack needs her powers to stop a ruthless killer.  Sounds pretty good!

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

The Psychology Of A Broken Heart: An Essay On Romantic Love by Streit, Gary.  Isn’t this relative to just about everybody?

What Love Asks of Us: Solutions To the Challenge of Making Love Work by Nathaniel Branden and Devers Branden

Isn’t this what we all want?

World's Greatest Lovers, Margaret Nicholas.  Margaret Nicholas does a series on world’s greatest-you-fill-in-the-blank.  Here she marks the world’s greatest lovers like playboys, royal romances, courtesans and stage and screen lovers.  Sounds pretty good as well!

Kirkus-style review of Road Work by Stephen King as Richard Bachman

 

In “Road Work” by Stephen King we see a re-emergence of Richard Bachman.  Richard Bachman is Stephen King’s alter-ego who has brought us true horror such as “The Regulators.”  Stephen King has brought him back from the dead because that dark side of you never dies.  And Stephen King’s “dark side” is so massive it needs a name, social security number and owns a compound in Waco, Texas.  Bachman equates the main protagonist, Dawes, to a chained dog who ripped the throat out of a kid who just wanted to pet it.  The dog used to be friendly but years of abuse have turned it mean and so is anything Richard Bachman creates.  Stephen King agrees with Richard Bachman and is quoted as saying that Road Work is his favorite of his early books.   If any of this seems strange, dark or demonic—you’re right!  True horror is plausible horror and if this is your game you should play with Road Work.