The Star-Crossed Book Lover

 “Born on a rock spinning through space, and now here we are, rushing off to another. How come we can never just be? We've always got to go somewhere.” Author:  Yume Kitasei Title: The Deep Sky Genre:  Science Fiction, Mystery Publication Date:  July 18, 2023 Number of Pages:  399 Geographical Setting:  Deep Space Time Period:  The Future Series: N ot Applicable Plot Summary:  In the near future, the environmental consequences have caught up to humanity. The major powers of the world have pooled funding towards a deep space mission sending 80 young women towards Planet X, a habitable world orbiting a distant star. Over 800 candidates representing several countries entered the training academy at 12 years old, and ten years later the final 80 were weeded out to make the final team. After 10 years of hibernation and about two years awake, the crew has settled into their roles. When Asuka and Kat are assigned to a spacewalk to investigate an obj...

As I was reading the article "How the New Celebrity Book Clubs Are Boosting Literary Sales," I was struck by just how much of an influence they have over the publishing industry. Not only does their stamp of approval skyrocket the sales of the books they choose, but they also get attention on the books for movie and TV adaptations, as well as highlighting local bookstores and boosting sales in the indie arena. As one example in the article states, "The day that Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine club posted the news on Instagram last summer, the relatively unknown novelist (Maria Hummel) watched her Amazon sales ranking skyrocket to No. 11 and No. two for Audible audiobook sales...(and she) saw a 103% jump in sales over three months." Even with the publishing industry weakening in recent years, there are still so many books being published that it's hard for new authors to stand out. Kristen McLean, a representative from the publishing industry featured in the articl...

“Love was an invitation into the wild unknown, one step at a time together.” Author: Ashley Poston Title:  The Seven Year Slip Genre: Romance Publication Date:  June 27, 2023 Number of Pages: 352 Geographical Setting: New York City Time Period: Modern day Series: not applicable Plot Summary:  Clementine West is 29, obsessed with work, and has never been in love. Her Type A personality was only ever at rest traveling the world with her wild-at-heart Aunt Analea. But her aunt died six months ago, left her Upper East Side apartment to her niece, and Clementine has dove even further into her career as a publicist in the publishing industry to avoid her aching grief.  On the verge of a major promotion, the time-traveling magic of the apartment her aunt always told stories of whisks Clementine to the apartment exactly seven years ago, when a handsome and charming young chef, Iwan, new to the city, is subletting her aunt's apartment while Analea and Clementine are galavanti...

With Valentine's Day coming up, everyone's hoping for the perfect date on the day of love. Why not set up a blind date...with a book! As a featured romance display, we can wrap books in Kraft paper, decorate with ribbon and drawn on hearts, and let patrons choose a book to "blind date." We can incorporate some integrated advisory by writing bullet points on the books with movies or TV shows similar in some way to the wrapped book, as well as tropes and other small details to intrigue patrons to one book over the other. For example, on the wrapping of "You, Again" by Kate Goldbeck it could say:     "For lovers of: When Harry Met Sally Enemies to Lovers Grumpy/Sunshine" Don't forget to write the barcode number on the back for easy checkout without ruining the surprise!

Ebook only books, which are increasingly popular (especially in the romance genre) see little to no reviews in professional publications unless they have a big name author. How does this affect collection development? Since reviews are such a huge way librarians find books to purchase, ebook exclusives are unlikely to make it into many libraries' collections unless specifically requested by a patron. Even on request, it's not a guarantee that book will make it into the collection. Many of these ebooks are also only available through Amazon or KindleUnlimited, making not just unlikely, but impossible for libraries to purchase for patron use. This can lead to frustration from patrons that the books they read aren't available at their library, and they may turn away from their library altogether. Two reviews of an ebook only romantic suspense novel, one from a blog and one from amazon. Look over the reviews - do you feel they are both reliable? How likely would you be to buy t...

Greenlights McConaughey, Matthew | Crown (pp. 289) | $30.00 October 20, 2020 | 9780593139134 Little Mr. Texas runner-up and Academy Award-winning actor weaves life lessons and personal catchphrases throughout his life's story thus far.      “Persist, pivot, or concede. It’s up to us, our choice every time,” McConaughey writes about the curveballs life throws at everyone. To him, getting ahead in life is all about knowing how to spot the “greenlights,” the things that propel us further, learning to take advantage of them at every turn, and learning how to avoid the "redlights" as much as possible. McConaughey’s iconic voice and storytelling are at the forefront of his memoir, bringing the reader into his life and experiences like an old friend catching up over a beer at the bar. He starts from the beginning, detailing anecdotes from his childhood such as his parents' three marriages (to each other), his older brothers earning their father’s respect, and the time his m...

There I was, mid-afternoon at my local library branch, my study camp set up at a table, nearing the end of a study marathon I had been putting off all week. With one assignment left, this very one I'm typing now, I was looking forward to a fun, light-hearted read to break up the drone of scholarly literature on my docket for the foreseeable future. So I sought out my target and approached the adult reference desk. As I was approaching the desk, the librarian smiled and greeted me. I asked if I could bother her for a book recommendation and she cheerfully replied, "of course!" and asked what I was looking for. I asked for a romance, something fun and light-hearted. She then asked if I'd like something realistic or if I'm open to fantasy. I told her I wanted to stick with something realistic and romcom-y. From there, she got excited and diverged a bit, asking if I'd be interested in something still light-hearted but not a romance, with a cast of southern ladies ...