Assignment 1
Book Covers
Adult book covers successfully identified: 20/24
Children book cover successfully identified: 14/20
A highly entertaining and informative exercise. I surprised myself with the number of adult covers I know by sight - I didn't expect to get quite so many and actually recognized a couple that I've never read myself. Conversely, I was surprised to discover that I missed 6 of the children's covers, though I've read almost all of them.
Assignment 2
Genre Matching
Well, evidently you can judge a book by its cover. Most of these were pretty easy matches, though I was a little unclear at first about the defining characteristics of Epic/High Fantasy vs. Hardcore Fantasy. Actually, by the completion of the exercise I was curious enough to explore several less familiar subgenres, including techno thrillers and the difference between cipher and spy/espionage thrillers.
Assignment 3
Golden Rules of Readers' Advisory Service
This list was largely review, however the tone was inviting and it does serve as a helpful set of reminders. The two rules which resonated most with me were numbers 2 ("Write, Write, Write"- keeping a log of books read) and 7 ("It's Not About You" - remembering not to recommend simply that which is appealing to you).
With regard to Rule 2: I wish I could say that I am a dedicated to a book log, but beyond putting together regular book reviews and keeping an ongoing list of books that I've checked out, I really haven't found the time thus far. That may be a goal of mine in future.
With regard to Rule 7: I must acknowledge that if I've read a book or viewed material which I found to be particularly engaging, it's my inclination to promote it more often and to customers of diverse backgrounds. This is by no means a negative inclination, but it is helpful to bear in mind that simply because I enjoyed it, it may not be the best match for the customer at hand. I think bearing this in mind helps one to be a more attentive listener when conducting a readers' advisory interview.
Assignment 4
Recommended Links - Books and Genre
I elected to follow Early Word, Locus and Stop, You're Killing Me. Apart from a preexisting general interest in children's lit, mysteries and sci-fi/fantasy, I found the websites to be user-friendly and informative, and thought they'd be particularly useful resources in the coming months. I freqently get questions from customers who have finished a mystery series and crave new material with a similar vibe, so SYKM is useful from a readers' advisory standpoint. Since I tend to review both children's books and sci-fi fantasy, both Early Word and Locus will serve to keep me aware of upcoming gems in the genres. I will probably also use Locus on a regular basis as I prepare for my team's upcoming Sci-Fi genre bootcamp.
Assignment 5
Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About
This was an amusing little article. I had some trouble viewing more than a couple of the examples, but what I read was sufficient to make me smile. If a "part two" were released, I'd gladly read it.
Book Covers
Adult book covers successfully identified: 20/24
Children book cover successfully identified: 14/20
A highly entertaining and informative exercise. I surprised myself with the number of adult covers I know by sight - I didn't expect to get quite so many and actually recognized a couple that I've never read myself. Conversely, I was surprised to discover that I missed 6 of the children's covers, though I've read almost all of them.
Assignment 2
Genre Matching
Well, evidently you can judge a book by its cover. Most of these were pretty easy matches, though I was a little unclear at first about the defining characteristics of Epic/High Fantasy vs. Hardcore Fantasy. Actually, by the completion of the exercise I was curious enough to explore several less familiar subgenres, including techno thrillers and the difference between cipher and spy/espionage thrillers.
Assignment 3
Golden Rules of Readers' Advisory Service
This list was largely review, however the tone was inviting and it does serve as a helpful set of reminders. The two rules which resonated most with me were numbers 2 ("Write, Write, Write"- keeping a log of books read) and 7 ("It's Not About You" - remembering not to recommend simply that which is appealing to you).
With regard to Rule 2: I wish I could say that I am a dedicated to a book log, but beyond putting together regular book reviews and keeping an ongoing list of books that I've checked out, I really haven't found the time thus far. That may be a goal of mine in future.
With regard to Rule 7: I must acknowledge that if I've read a book or viewed material which I found to be particularly engaging, it's my inclination to promote it more often and to customers of diverse backgrounds. This is by no means a negative inclination, but it is helpful to bear in mind that simply because I enjoyed it, it may not be the best match for the customer at hand. I think bearing this in mind helps one to be a more attentive listener when conducting a readers' advisory interview.
Assignment 4
Recommended Links - Books and Genre
I elected to follow Early Word, Locus and Stop, You're Killing Me. Apart from a preexisting general interest in children's lit, mysteries and sci-fi/fantasy, I found the websites to be user-friendly and informative, and thought they'd be particularly useful resources in the coming months. I freqently get questions from customers who have finished a mystery series and crave new material with a similar vibe, so SYKM is useful from a readers' advisory standpoint. Since I tend to review both children's books and sci-fi fantasy, both Early Word and Locus will serve to keep me aware of upcoming gems in the genres. I will probably also use Locus on a regular basis as I prepare for my team's upcoming Sci-Fi genre bootcamp.
Assignment 5
Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About
This was an amusing little article. I had some trouble viewing more than a couple of the examples, but what I read was sufficient to make me smile. If a "part two" were released, I'd gladly read it.
