Readers' Advisory

I am an avid reader of both ebooks and audiobooks as well as physical hard-copy books. I truly believe that the three formats serve different functions and niches for readers, and that the appeal factors are definitely different between the three though some remain consistent. Personally, I used ebooks for two main reasons: downtime at work and at night. The ability to read a book on a work computer during slow times is wonderful and not something that I could easily do with a physical book. And at night, I almost always read on my Kindle ereader because then I don’t have to worry about having light. Like Erin, I am always listening to an audiobook in my car! Or when I’m at the gym and sometimes when I’m cooking dinner. I highly appreciate the accessibility of the format. However, I’m a freak who listens to them super sped up so I might have different appeal desires than others! For ebooks, there are some important appeal factors that might differ. The ability to adjust font size, line...

For my book club experience, I found a nearby library system that hosts a book club called Books and Beans in coffee shops throughout Johnson County, Indiana. I had honestly never attended a book club before and have only observed bits and pieces of the one we host at the library I work at, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. The meeting was on a Monday morning which I found interesting because so many others that I’ve seen are in the evening or on weekends, but the timing fit nicely with the coffee theme. It did perhaps make it harder for some people to attend, but that’s always going to be the case with a daytime program or event. The experience didn’t start out amazing, but that was my fault when I went to the wrong coffee shop even though I had the proper information in my emails. After I solved that hiccup and actually got to the right place, it went better! I got a coffee and settled in at the table with the rest of the book club attendees. I did disclose my purpose being t...

I chose to write my special topics paper on the increasingly popular genre of climate fiction, also referred to as cli-fi. Maybe more aptly described as a subgenre of science fiction, cli-fi novels revolve around environmental disaster and climate change brought about specifically by human activity. The acknowledgement of the anthropogenic cause of climate change is key to these n ovels and what set them apart from other dystopias or disaster fiction. Cli-fi books know that humans caused the environmental destruction of planet earth directly. Generally, these novels begin when the damage is already well and truly done, with a dystopian or pre/post-apocalyptic earth taking center stage in the narrative. There's no preventing the catastrophe of climate change in cli-fi novels. Instead, the protagonists must cope with their changed planet and learn to live differently, sometimes there's hope in the sense of solving problems or lessening the impact, but the majority have a decidedl...

Author: Michaiah Johnson Title: The Space Between Worlds Genre: Science Fiction Publication Date: August 4, 2020 Number of Pages: 336 pages Geographical Settings: The fictional cities of Wiley City and Ashtown in the United States Time Period: The fairly near future Series (if applicable): Stated to be the first in "The Space Between Worlds" series Plot Summary: In the setting of this book, multiverse travel is possible, at least between the 400-or-so worlds that are similar enough to so-called Earth Zero. However, the problem of running into your parallel self in another world is seemingly avoided by one key fact: you can only travel to worlds where your other self is dead. This detail makes people who live lives in which they're likely to die uniquely valuable because they can travel to more potential worlds. Cara is one such person, having grown up in the harsh land of Ashtown that surrounds the high-tech, walled-off, and wealthy Wiley City. For various reasons, the C...

While I was vaguely aware of the problem of fake authors and hoax memoirs, I have to admit I somehow hadn’t ever heard of A Million Little Pieces and the controversy surrounding it. The article by Louis Menand about these hoax memoirs intrigued me and led me to look into more examples of the phenomenon than just the ones referenced by Menand.  This list presents 10 fake memoirs and the controversies surrounding them, some of which overlap with Menand’s article. Others listed include Papillon by convicted felon Henri Charriere who claimed innocence in his memoir and embellished his tale of imprisonment and escape and Forbidden Love by Norma Khouri who spun a completely fantastical story of her life in Jordan despite immigrating to the United States when she was three years old. Another on the list was Love and Consequences by Margaret Jones (actually Seltzer) where the author claimed to be half-native and to have grown up in Los Angeles, getting involved with gangs. This one st...

  Author: Chencia C. Higgins     Title: D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding   Genre: Lesbian Romance Publication Date: January 25, 2022 Number of Pages: 336 pages Geographical Setting: Houston, TX Time Period: Contemporary Series (If applicable): None   Plot Summary: Instant I Do is a reality TV program where the contestants are paired up with fake fiancés to plan a wedding in six weeks. To win the prize, they have to convince their friends and families that the relationship and wedding are legitimate. The story follows two women paired as fiancés on this reality TV show, D’Vaughn Miller and Kris Zavala. Kris has made it pretty big as an influencer so participating in a reality television competition seems like a logical next step. D’Vaughn, meanwhile, has her own ulterior motives as she plans on using the experience as a way to come out as lesbian to her mom finally. The two have instant chemistry once they’re paired together and working together to fool their fr...

I was inspired by this display that I found via Pinterest. This would tie in wonderfully with integrated advisory by starting with a popular TV show, Stranger Things, and displaying horror books and movies with similar themes and monsters. Stranger Things focuses on the creepy, gross eldritch horrors which can be found in many horror fiction titles as well. Those readers who love the show might also love to read these books! I would also time this display not around October and Halloween, but around the release of Stranger Things Season 5 when everyone is hyped up on the new season.