Readers' Advisory

 After seeing the options for this week's prompt, I instantly knew I wanted to discuss James Patterson. His works have been a recurring topic of discussion since I entered the MLIS program and started working at my local library. For my first "real world" experience where I shadowed a reference desk around this time last year, the reference librarians I was with told me that once I'm in the library field, I'll come to hate the name "James Patterson" - he's everywhere! Their second point has proven true. At my current library, we have 2 full shelving units dedicated to Patterson books in our adult fiction section, as well as books in mysteries, nonfiction, children's, and teens. But do I "hate" him? In one article from GQ, Patterson reported that he had 31 active projects that were in the works simultaneously, through the use of a team of cowriters (Skipper, 2023). Because Patterson is involved in the writing process, presenting outlines...

Author : Robert A. Heinlein Title :  Starship Troopers Genre : Science Fiction Publication Date : November 5, 1959 Number of Pages : 263 pages Geographical Setting : varies (Earth, space, distant planets) Time Period : several centuries into the future (no specific dates given) Series : N/A Plot Summary:   Several hundred years into the future, Earth has joined into a global society, where full citizenship is only granted to those who have served a term in the Terran Federation's military. When Juan "Johnny" Rico, a recent high school graduate decides to follow his childhood friend and volunteer for service against his parents' wishes, he is exposed to the realities of military life, where fresh infantry recruits are beaten down and the weak links are discharged, opt to leave, or die in training. As the threat of a hostile alien species of Arachnids emerges, Johnny's military career advances amidst discussion of controversial philosophical, moral...

Shivers and Shelves: Horror Trivia Night I believe that taking an active approach through a horror-themed event would be beneficial for the library and help to promote our various horror materials, especially since a central aspect of horror as a genre is the feelings it elicits in readers/viewers; by inviting library patrons to enter a “horrific” environment and experience the same feelings they might while reading a horror novel or watching a horror film (but in a safe, fun program), they will be encouraged to explore the genre further through library materials. I would like to propose a horror trivia night, with questions about horror hits and classics (such as Stephen King's works, or movie franchises) in the library collection. Our library has the benefit of being located near the Niles Scream Park, a haunted house attraction that is well known in the area. We should consider partnering with the business for this event, inviting a scare actor (or several) to help host the ...

Author : Carissa Orlando Title : The September House Genre : Horror Publication Date : September 5, 2023 Number of Pages : 344 pages Geographical Setting : New England (US) Time Period : present day Series : N/A Plot Summary:   Margaret and her husband Hal have found the perfect home, a beautiful Victorian house priced below market value, and know it will be the perfect place to settle and grow roots. Living on Hawthorn Street is as pleasant as the home’s outside façade, at least during eleven months of the year. Every September, the brutalized previous tenants of the home make their spectral presence known, with blood pouring from the walls, echoing screams through the night, and the terrifying threat of something down in the basement. After several years, the threat of another September looming drives Hal out of the house, but Margaret stays, devoted to her house and her life there, determined to see past the ghostly quirks. When their daughter Katherine learns of...

  RE: eBook-only books and reviewing The popularity of eBook-only books shows that professional reviews may not be necessary for a book to be successful, but I imagine this would affect collection development if the library staff were looking for these criteria. As trends shift, it may be necessary for library staff to turn to other sources for collection development if professional reviewers are not changing the types of books they review. RE: Amazon vs Blog Review I am not confident using these two reviews to make a collection development decision. Both reviews read as stream-of-consciousness writing, lacking focus on the book (or at least the aspects that would aid my decision-making). It is difficult to tell how the book might appeal to a wider audience since the opinions (about the book and Christmas itself, from the looks of things) are so individualized/personal. RE: Angela’s Ashes Having read these professional reviews, I would feel encouraged to add Angela’s Ashe...

 While my interaction with the library staff working at the reference desk was generally  positive—they greeted me, directed all of their attention to me when I approached the desk, and genuinely seemed to want to assist me —the quality of the RA interaction was disappointing. When I asked for a good book to read, they asked me what sort of book I was interested (solid start), but once I requested a horror book it was evident that they did not know much about the genre, or what questions to ask about it. During the interaction, they asked two more questions: "How scary do you want the book to be?" and "Do you want an Adult book specifically?" Ultimately, they recommended The September House to me, which they had read recently. Unfortunately, I requested they recommend books that aren't paranormal (ghost) stories, and The September House  is set in and around a haunted house. I have started reading regardless and it is not a bad book per se, but it is not what I...