AskALibrarian

Bruno, Chief of Police: A Novel of the French Countryside [1] | Martin Walker

As recommended by @Crazeedi , I looked up these #ebooks which were also previously recommended during #AskALibrarian chat.

I was debating if I should begin with the first title in the series (tagged book) or top up my dose of 'readaboutWine'.
Glad to go with the latter esp when the epigraph is this:

Wine is bottled poetry.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Crazeedi If you read this series, I think you'll enjoy! 5y

39 likes1 comment

BookishMe

Murder at Half Moon Gate | Andrea Penrose

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I got to know about this series through #AskALibrarian chat on Twitter. One of the rare times I didn't start with the first book in the series and I have no complaints!

I like the character-driven plots and stories set in Regency/ Victorian #England have a certain charm.
I am now enjoying the first title in the series - Murder on Black Swan Lake.

30 likes

jenniferw88

Library Mouse: A Friend's Tale | Daniel Kirk

Help please! I have an interview for the above post next week and I believe one of the questions will be based around promoting books that you haven't read.

So, my question for any librarians following me is how would you promote books/authors you haven't read? Any suggestions gratefully received!

#litsyloveslibraries #askalibrarian

kellock I would always be honest but suggest that they are popular with other readers. Think of authors you've read who are similar so you can compare. If someone asked for a recommendation in a genre I didn't know I would sometimes use fantastic fiction website to find suggestions. If someone reads say Lee Child I could look for similar authors. 7y

Smangela @MrBook @LibrarianRyan - any advice for Jennifer? :) 7y

Emmadash Now, when you say promoting books you haven't read, is it like marketing beef when you're a vegan? Or are they books you would read but haven't? Because that's all about finding the tag line. Hyping the cover. Comparing with other pop culture hits. Me, too, is big in the book world. Of course, if it isn't close, then you will have some riled readers on your hands. 7y

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everlocalwest I'm not a librarian, but I am a bookseller and have to do this all the time. I recommend based on reviews, what others customers have enjoyed, and general industry buzz. I try to be aware of what's popular nationally and regionally (best seller lists, reviews from local papers, NPR, ect). Reviewers I trust on Litsy, Instagram, and YouTube are great too. Anywhere people are talking/engaging with books gives you something to share with patrons. 7y

EchoLogical What @kellock said. Unfortunately, I'm a slacker and don't usually read a lot of middle grade books so I watch what's popular with that age group and recommend it to others who ask. 7y

Emmadash And graphics are key. Make sure the cover pops, because if it blends in with the others in the genre, then it turns into a bunch of Dummies-like books. If you can use different paper stock, like some of the newer paper companies put out now (feels like leather, metal, water, cool paper tech) or lenticular hologram elements, people are going to touch that book. And then buy it. 7y

jenniferw88 @Emmadash it's a bit of both - my fear is that I'll be given a romance/women's fiction book (genres I don't tend to read) in which case I'll struggle. If it's mystery/fantasy it's very likely to be in my tbr, it's just that I haven't got round to it yet. 7y

jenniferw88 @kellock @EchoLogical @everlocalwest thanks for all the help so far! 7y

Emmadash Yep, I'm with everlocalwest on the YouTube previews. I loved the one by Valente about the Girl Who Circumnavigated the World...had the catchiest song. And cool cartoon. Simple. Affordable. And fun to watch. 7y

hike.read.repeat What @everlocalwest said. I‘m a library assistant and if you work the checkout desk you‘ll eventually learn that people who check out ABC author also like XYZ author and you can recommend from there but also just knowing about buzz books in general. My suggestion is that you just know everything that the library you‘re applying to does for the community and just be stoked about it in the interview. Programs, services, etc. 7y

Emmadash Oh, I don't like romance novels myself, but they are all spinning off of 50 shades. And, actually, "me, too" marketing does tend to work for that market, because it's the acceptable way to read porn. You don't have to like the book, but you just have to think of how much your mom loved that book. It has to be a wink and a nudge to the nice girl market. But maybe it has a twIst. Spicy and funny? Look for that. 7y

GirlMeetsBook People love to check out the best sellers! If people are talking about it, it's an easy sell. But you should also ask the library what resources they have to help you do that. If you're only working 5 hours (is that per week?) it's going to be really hard to keep up to date with what people are checking out. If they have a resource like Novelist, they should show it to you. 7y

Annl Good luck! 7y

GirlMeetsBook Another easy way to see what's popular is to browse the holds shelf! If multiple people have been ordering the same book, it's probably a good one to suggest. Pick it up, read he inside cover so you know what it generally deals with, and log it in your memory. Knowing what's new at the library is also usually helpful! Browse the new shelf! 7y

GirlMeetsBook Note on the holds shelf, though: if like 8 people have the same book in at the same time, they might be in a bookclub (yes, even privately outside the library) so that might be a bit of a fluke, but you COULD still use it as a suggestion because they probably chose it for a reason! Just be aware of that and keep an eye out for trends over time not just all at once. Okay I think I'm done. Good luck! 7y

Emmadash I have a performing artist marketing background, so I know what it's like to not dig some of the acts or books you have to push. But you already love books. And you will love to see other people raving over the one that you take under your wing, believe me. You already know what it feels like to get the right book. So, you will love going online and finding out what people dig about the genre. 7y

Bks4Wrms Best of Luck! 7y

Emmadash You're doing great already. I already want to read your theoretical book. And that's how easy it is to get book fans interested. You've done your job. 7y

EchoLogical @hike.read.repeat 👋 Fellow library assistant! 7y

TricksyTails Good luck with the interview!! 7y

Ross @Krisjericho! 7y

Librarybelle I usually say something like I have not had a chance to read the book yet, but I hear it is wonderful. I‘ll try to pull out adjectives I‘ve heard others say about it, maybe offer a little bit of a description. 7y

jpmcwisemorgan May the Force be with you!!! 7y

LibrarianRyan Since this is for a librarian assistant job, I have a few suggestions. Be prepared to put a cart of books in order. The best libraries I have ever worked for make every interviewee do this. When I ran my own library I did as well. Look at their shelves, get a feel for how they shelve. Are mysteries pulled out from fiction? How many sections are the kids books decided into etc. practice your Dewey shelving. Google Order in the Library. You should 7y

LibrarianRyan Get a cheesy video game developed by UT to teach Dewey shelving. It looks stupid, but it's one of the best free tools their is. It even trips up people who have been doing this for years. And remember, nothing comes before something. Look over the NYT best seller list. No need to have it memorized, just look it over. Be able to name 5 popular authors in subjects you do t normally read. Be prepared to answer questions about dealing with difficult 7y

LibrarianRyan Patrons, or homeless patrons. The same goes for dealing with unruly children/teens. Be prepared to read a story aloud, and go in having a book talk prepared. Make sure to take the book with you. They will probably ask you to do a book they provide, but it's better to be prepared. I think that covers all the questions I used to ask. 🤔. Good luck. 7y

LibrarianRyan @Smangela lots. 🤓 7y

Jas16 🍀 7y

Emmadash I must confess to misreading the job application. I thought it was for a marketing gig, which is why I sounded like a crazy person. In my defense, I just ate radioactive eggs and was waiting to watch said eggs move on down the road via X-ray. So, yeah. 😜 7y

SilversReviews Good luck. 7y

jenniferw88 @Emmadash 🤣😂🤣 7y

Krisjericho I work for a large library, and I have to talk about books I haven‘t read all the time! Novelist is my favorite go to, but I use user reviews on Goodreads and Amazon regularly, too. Finding out what actual readers think about a book, rather than professional book reviewers, is helpful for patrons. Good luck! 7y

CouronneDhiver 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 7y

BarbaraBB Good luck 🤞🤞 7y

Redwritinghood Good luck. 🤞🏻🤞🏻 7y

CrowCAH Congrats and good luck!🍀 7y

youneverarrived Good luck 🤞🤞 7y

hike.read.repeat @EchoLogical 😁👋🏽 7y

hike.read.repeat Oh ya, if you‘ll be working with children at all you might be asked to read a story aloud so be prepared. You might get asked questions about Dewey so just know like the general topics for each hundred. 7y

RebelReader Good luck! 7y

minkyb No advice but wishing you good luck! 7y

CafeMom Good luck! 7y

MrBook All the very best, @jenniferw88 ! Lots and lots of great advice. I don't know what else can be added. If you want, look back at the couple cozy mystery lists I've posted on here. It's becoming a big genre in libraries, and the sub-genre was heavily pushed at BookExpo this year. If you can show that you have some insight with that sub-genre, for example, that might really impress them. It's been working on my supervisors 😆. (edited) 7y

MrBook My library has a lot of different kinds of groups that use its meeting rooms, like sewing groups, game groups, animal groups, cooking groups. Cozy mysteries are conducive to those special niche clubs, ya know? 7y

103 likes44 comments

kdwinchester

The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir | Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich

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THE FACT OF A BODY splits itself into two parts: the story of a man convicted of the murder of a young boy and the author's memoir, both halves slowly coming together until they become the same story. Marzano-Lesnevich writes with beauty and conviction, chronicling her own childhood and the events surrounding the crime for which Ricky is convicted. This true crime/memoir hybrid will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.

WarpedSweetness Oh! On #AskALibrarian one of them recommended this book to me. I can't wait to read it now. 7y

mcipher What an interesting premise - I'm not a true crime reader but I can't resist, I have to read this one! 7y

Nat_Reads This sounds so interesting!! 7y

RanaElizabeth Such an amazing boom. 7y

AmyG Awesome! I just picked this book up. 7y

121 likes13 stack adds5 comments

Reecaspieces

The Darkest Corner | Liliana Hart

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🍭🍭🍭🍭Tess manages a funeral home...yes she is a mortician! Who writes a book about a mortician???? Liliana Hart did! And she did a pretty good job of it! Of course, it helps that the funeral home has an active amount of good-looking, HOT, black ops agents living and working in it! These good-looking, HOT, black ops agents are gravediggers. Full review https://reecaspieces.com/2017/05/26/the-darkest-corner-by-liliana-hart-xoxperts/

WarpedSweetness Well this sounds interesting. A mortician who lives with hot Black OPs that are gravediggers?! Sign me up! 7y

Reecaspieces @WarpedSweetness I know right!!!! Very unique idea! 7y

WarpedSweetness @Reecaspieces Yeah it really is. I don't think I've ever read a book where the main character was a mortician. I definitely would like to. Ooh, on Twitter you can use #AskALibrarian on a certain day and ask them questions. I bet they can recommend more books with morticians as main characters! 7y

Reecaspieces @WarpedSweetness sounds like a plan!!! 7y

Leniverse I'm sold on this book from just her being the mortician, and not "The Mortician's Daughter" (Wife/niece/next door neighbour)! 7y

93 likes4 stack adds5 comments

maximoffs

The Ninja Librarians: Sword in the Stacks | Jen Swann Downey

Casual reminder this is happening in an hour! Remember to post the recs you get here on Litsy under the tag #AskaLibrarian. You might even get more recs!

WarpedSweetness I got some interesting recommendations. I'll post them in a little bit! 7y

48 likes1 comment

maximoffs

The Ninja Librarians: Sword in the Stacks | Jen Swann Downey

Tomorrow is my new favourite day! #AskALibrarian on twitter. I mentioned it here last week but wanted to remind Littens. I also think it could be really cool if after the hour is up, we post what we asked for recommendations for and the books we got under the hashtag #AskALibrarian . We can all enjoy the recs and maybe get a few more!

The time is 9-10am PST!

maximoffs @LectricSheep @melbeautyandbooks @JanuarieTimewalker13 @emilyesears @WarpedSweetness 7y

Suet624 Please keep reminding us!!! 😀👏🏼❣️ 7y

LectricSheep Oh right! Okay remind me-- is this EST or west coast time? For some reason I'm thinking west coast? 7y

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maximoffs OMG I got so excited I couldn't even form a cohesive thought. @LectricSheep PST! 7y

LectricSheep Awesome thank you! ❤️ 7y

maximoffs Feel free (any of you) to follow me on twitter! My handle is @rachelshamdiego 7y

FictionFox I love this idea!! 7y

maximoffs @FictionFox I thought if we were all gathering recs it would be helpful to share. Sometimes you don't even know what you want to read next! 7y

JanuarieTimewalker13 It's cool, but I'm not on twitter☹️ I can't handle any more social media. Maybe one day🤓 7y

maximoffs @JanuarieTimewalker13 any specific recommendations you're looking for? Happy to ask for you! 7y

JanuarieTimewalker13 Awhhh, thank you! Let me think about that! 7y

melbeautyandbooks @steverogers - Thanks for the reminder! 7y

WarpedSweetness @steverogers Oh my gosh thanks so much for reminding me!!! Lucky me I am allowed to have my out during work too! Woot woot! PST is one hour behind MST right? Time for Google! 7y

maximoffs @WarpedSweetness Yay!!! And I think so yes! 7y

WarpedSweetness My phone out** Jeeze, I'm so excited I'm forgetting to add important words to my sentences. Lol And yes MST is one hour ahead of PST. You know, I wonder if libraries/librarians are on Litsy? 7y

maximoffs @WarpedSweetness I think some are! I know we have a few librarians in our midst! 7y

WarpedSweetness @steverogers I saw some librarians on the #meetthelittens! 7y

JanuarieTimewalker13 Can you remind us for next week? I think I know what I want to ask. 7y

58 likes18 comments

maximoffs

Hope In The Dark | Rebecca Solnit

This is fun!
1. Born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. Back there after my medical issues but hoping to get back to LA soon :)
2. "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles" by Julie Andrews
3. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson
4. The Wizard of Oz
5. Gilmore Girls/One Tree Hill/West Wing/Jessica Jones?
6. Beyoncé
7. Pink
8. YA Contemporary/low fantasy
9. Cracker Barrel
10. My mom's dog Willie!
@maich

maximoffs #meetthelittens 7y

Leigh0906 The West Wing😍😍 7y

maximoffs @Leigh0906 My #AskaLibrarian request on twitter tomorrow is going to be books like The West Wing. ITS SO GOOD 7y

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maich Hy😘 7y

Lcsmcat I haven't thought about the Whangdoodled in forever. My kids loved that one. 7y

Amandajoy I used to work at Cracker Barrel too! 7y

maximoffs @maich hi!! @Lcsmcat my book is falling apart 😭@amandajoy I like it so far! 7y

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Whangdoodles! 7y

Laalaleighh Still unabashedly Litsy stalking you. The last of the really great whangdoodles is one of the most underrated books of our lifetime. Did you also read Mandy? 7y

maximoffs @Laalaleighh YES! Not as good but I'm biased 7y

Laalaleighh No I agree, Mandy wasn't as good. But I got them both at the same time in big beautiful hardback illustrated editions so they go together in my head Haha. 7y

84 likes11 comments

maximoffs

Untitled | Unknown

Not sure if you guys know about this: but every Thursday from 9-10am PST on twitter you can #askalibrarian for book recs or anything else under the sun! I asked for books about mid twenties women that doesn't center around harlequin romance or marriage and kids. I got 8 recommendations in 10 minutes from all over the world!

LectricSheep That's really cool! 7y

maximoffs @LectricSheep it was super cool! I couldn't believe it, and then I cried because I tend to be the one to always give out recs and never receive 7y

melbeautyandbooks That sounds awesome! 7y

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maximoffs @melbeautyandbooks it was really really amazing! 7y

melbeautyandbooks @steverogers I may have to get Twitter just for this. 📚❤️ 7y

maximoffs @melbeautyandbooks Book Twitter is really fun tbh! 7y

JanuarieTimewalker13 Wow!!! That sounds great! 7y

emilyesears Whatttt sounds awesome! 7y

WarpedSweetness That is awesome! What book recommendations did they give you? 7y

maximoffs @WarpedSweetness I'll tag them!