Week 5 - Building Base Knowledge

Assignment 1
Since Week 1 I've been following NPR Books. There is a lot of interesting information on this site but I think it's geared more toward someone who's more interested in literary fiction rather than Patterson, Grisham, etc. NPR Books might be a good place to turn to for someone who's looking for something different to read. I've started to think of it as a book person's book information site (if that makes sense).
There are many different genre lists available and of course the site is filled with reviews. In some of the reviews, an excerpt of the book is available and there's also an option to purchase the book. (But why would I buy a book when I work at the library??) There are bestseller lists available which are pulled from a survey of independent booksellers. Again, this might give you a different perspective from the New York Times bestseller list.
NPR Books also offers several unique sections such as Kids Backseat Bookclub, You Must Read This (suggestions from writers), Three Books (recommendations of three titles on the same theme) and Summer Books. I enjoy reading these features but they don't seem to be published regularly. I'm glad I discovered NPR Books but it probably won't be my go-to RA site.

Assignment 2
Early Word - WOW! There is a LOT of information on this site. I think there's really a ton of useful information but it's kind of busy and a bit overwhelming upon first glance. For example, you have to scroll down about half way down the page to see all the links on the right hand side. I will say that those links would definitely be helpful for readers' advisory for all customers. I liked the Movies & TV Based Books section. I will definitely remember to check Early Word for reviews from magazines. I always like the reviews in People Magazine but I often forget to look there. It's nice to be able to browse a wide variety of magazines under the Consumer Media Coverage section. This section will be handy for the customer who comes in saying they saw a book on a certain talk show but can't remember the title! There's also a pretty comprehensive list of awards and various bestsellers lists. I'm glad to have discovered the Indie Next Lists because I often read things that are a bit out of the mainstream. I'm not quite sure how I would utilize them, but it was interesting to see a list of links to publishers' catalogs.
I think this site is very worthwhile but it will take some getting used to as far as the display and where to find what I need. I do plan to sign up for the newsletter.

Assignment 3
I decided to blog about And the Mountains Echoed, the highly anticipated third novel by Khaled Hosseini. Based on the popularity of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, this title is also expected to be a hit. As in his previous books, Hosseini tackles the complexity of families and relationships as well as social and class issues on a global scale. Readers who are drawn to lyrical writing and intricate storylines will certainly enjoy Hosseini's latest offering. And the Mountains Echoed would also be of interest to anyone who likes international settings, particularly the Middle East. Fans of Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible and The Lacuna might be pleasantly surprised if they branched out and gave And the Mountains Echoed a chance.