Reading Prompt - Book Clubs

I read the article: “From Obscurity to Bestseller: Examining the Impact of Oprah’s Book Club Selections” for my prompt response.  Obviously I have heard of Oprah's Book Club, and have even seen recommendations in local bookstores and my library about books being an "Oprah Choice", but I have never followed her list personally.

From September 1996 to April 2002, Oprah Winfrey included book recommendations as part of her TV talk show. During that time, she showcased 48 books.  After being listed as one of book list choices, each book joined the top 150 best-selling titles in America for at least a few months.  In order to measure the data to determine Oprah's influence, the authors of the article used the USA Today bestseller list containing the top 150 best selling book titles each week.  They also gathered information from Barnes and Noble, Borders, Amazon, and independent booksellers. What they found was quite fascinating. 

Only five of the books were on the top 150 list before being recommended by Oprah.  Only eleven of them had ever been on the top 150, with only one of them ranked at 25.  Immediately following Oprah's recommendations, all of the books climbed to a ranking of four or higher. She truly did raise these books from obscurity to bestseller status.  I hope the authors realize how lucky they are!

It never ceases to amaze me at how influential celebrity status can be.  While I have some mixed emotions about that and fear that we are all a flock of sheep playing follow the leader, I'm pleased when it comes to reading and book clubs.  I don't think people take the time to read anymore and expand their minds.  Reading is something that has always been very enjoyable to me, and I fear that our younger generation is missing out on the fascinating world of books because everything is electronic.  And that statement really makes me sound old!





Butler, R., Cowan, B., & Nilsson, S. (2005). From Obscurity to Bestseller: Examining the Impact of Oprah’s Book Club Selections. S. Pub Res Q (2005) 20: 23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-005-0045-2

Book Annotation - Mystery

	I’m Watching You – Mary Burton
	Pages:  384
	Publisher:  Zebra Publishing
	Language: English
	ISBN: 9781420100266

Synopsis: Lindsay O’Neil is a headstrong, independent woman who runs a safe house for battered women and children.  She takes her job seriously, always providing for the safety of her guests.  But when a man is found dead on the safe house property, things begin to get scary.  Lindsay starts to receive twisted “gifts” from a secret admirer, the first hidden in a bouquet of flowers, with many more gifts to follow.  Is this person angry with Lindsay for harboring someone at the safe house?  Or does Lindsay have a past that is coming back to haunt her? Further complicating matters is the fact that Lindsay’s estranged husband, Zack, is the detective assigned to investigate the case.  Lindsay clearly has a dangerous stalker, and he takes lives of those that he believes deserve to die.  He completes his kills to impress Lindsay, but when she refuses to acknowledge him as anything but the madman he is, she and her family then become the targets of his rage.  And he is always watching, waiting, and closer than Lindsay realizes.

Elements of Mystery Genre
Story Line: As with most mystery novels, crime, investigation and murder are the main premise of this story line.	Characterization: The main characters include the victim, the investigator and the criminal.  The story unfolds as the investigation occurs, allowing you to learn more about the characters.
Tone: The tone of the story is dark and gritty, but there are also romantic undertones between Lindsay and Zack.	Setting: Most mysteries provide interesting information about the location of the story, but this one is primarily centered around a safe house for battered women.  I find the irony of a safe house being quite unsafe as a very interesting part of this story.
Pacing: The pacing is slow in order to build the storyline and ultimately to lead to the final conclusion.  It does not, however, drag along or become boring.  It definitely keeps your interest, always wanting to know what happens next.

Read-a-Likes
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Prompt Response - Horror

Since horror is one of my favorite genres, I would like to create a promotion during the month of October.  Halloween seems the perfect time to showcase this genre.  I would like to create a display that looks like a haunted house/castle and arrange appropriate books and movies on the display.  I would locate the display near the adult fiction area and would title it "Scary Good Reads and Flicks".  I think the display would be very eye-catching and interesting to the patrons. 

I would also like to create a happy, not scary, jack-o-lantern display in the children's area.  I would include Halloween books and movies that are age appropriate.