Week 3 assignments

OK, on to the week 3 assignments.

Assignment 1: RA Conversation
The key point from this was how to listen for appeal characteristics. It's so easy to listen for plot.  It takes a greater level of concentration to extract appeal characteristics from a conversation. I think that talking to customers in the language of appeal characteristics encourages them to respond in kind.

Assignment 2:Nancy Pearl Podcast
The podcast was interesting to hear.  Nancy Pearl is a definite pro at this and speaks about books so effortlessly.  I was aware, though, that these titles had been pre-selected in advance of the interview so she had plenty of time to prepare these talks. I think they were a bit longer than I would be likely to give. In part, that might be because they weren't chosen to respond to a particular reader's interests.  Although I haven't done it in a while, when recommending titles to customers, I try to get a constant read on how they're reacting to what I say. If they seem engaged, I'll give more info. If I haven't grabbed them in the first few sentences, then I let that title drop and move on to something else. Nancy Pearl did a great job of leading with the things that had the strongest appeal for each title she recommended.  That enthusiasm worked on me. I found myself interested in things I wouldn't have picked up otherwise.

Assignment 3: Conversations and recommendations

Eat Pray Love similarity - This customer seemed to like introspective books - things that were thought provoking and maybe a little more reassuring than challenging.  I would recommend...

• A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson.  This is contemporary but not hot off the press (1999) and includes many thought provoking insights from the author's time living alone in an unfamiliar area as she meets new people, learns a different way of life and spends time in quiet introspection.
• Two Old Women by Velma Wallis.  This is fiction and tells the story of two old Native American women in Alaska who are no longer able to contribute to the livelihood of their society.  As is the custom, they are left behind by the group and are expected to die.  Instead, they work together to make a go of it at survival.  It is a short and quiet book with interesting perspectives and insights.  It makes a good selection for a book club, particularly if the members are busy, because it pack so much into a fairly small, quick-to-read package.
• The Island Keeper by Harry Mazer.  This is a young adult novel about an overweight young woman who is grief stricken over the loss of her younger sister - her closest friend in her emotionally distant family.  She leaves to spend the summer on an island that her father owns in a lake in Canada. There she learns to fend for herself and finds strength that she didn't know she possessed.  As a young adult novel, this title is heavier on plot so there is much to keep the reader engaged.  The personal insights are fewer but they are in a way more profound for that. 

Twilight without the schmaltz and angst - This reader seems to like the vampire lore and mystique that goes with Twilight but not the heartthrob romance that seems to have made it such a sensation.  I would recommend...

• Any of the Ann Rice titles.  It is likely that this customer is already aware of those, however, and has considered them.
• Books by Charlaine Harris
• Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton.  What is it about these vampire authors that makes them choose quirky spellings for their first names.  Laurell? Stephenie? Go figure.  Anyway, this title is the first in a series of vampire hunter series featuring U.S. Marshal Anita Blake.  It has the tone and lore of vampires with more grit and less hearts-and-flowers.  A big plus is that it's part of a series. If you like this one, there are more to follow.
• Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson.  This is something of a special interest title.  If you like a literary item with the more flowery speech of bygone days, then try this new take on Jane Austen's Emma.  Just add some vampires here and there.  If you like this you're sure to like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, too.

Something like River of Doubt. I get the feeling that this is more of the non-emotional nuts & bolts reader who is interested in the facts of the situation and not the emotional baggage that goes with them.  I'm picturing this person watching the Military Channel. I might try...

• The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition by Caroline Alexander.  In a an attempt to be the first to cross the Antarctic continent, Ernest Shackleton sailed into the South Atlantic in August 1914.  Winter was exceptionally early that year and the ship became frozen in ice before reaching shore. Weeks passed, the light faded and eventually the pressure of the ice crushed the ship. Now held forth as an example of strong leadership, Shackleton got the group to shore where they survived until Shackleton himself led a small group to seek rescue in August 1916. If you want a story of hardship and survival, this is one not to be missed.
• Shackleton's Forgotten Men: The Untold Tale of An Antarctic Tragedy by Lennard Bickel. If you've already read all you want to know about Shackleton himself, then read this title.  In addition to the crew of the Endurance, a lesser known group sailed to the other side of the Antarctic plateau. Their goal was to lay supplies inland for Shackleton's party to use as they came to the second half of their journey.  Like Shackleton's crew, this group faced disasters and hardships.  Unlike Shackleton's party, several lost their lives. This book is a well-told account of their experience and puts an even greater perspective on the incredible trials that both groups of men faced.