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
One Scream Away Kate Brady	Every Move She Makes Beverly Barton	Bad Penny Sharon Sala

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.

Book Annotation - Horror

	The Store - By Bentley Little
	Pages:  432
	Publisher:  Signet
	Language: English
	ISBN: 9780451192196

Synopsis:  “It's the corporations we have to worry about, I think. They're the ones with the money.” The Store is a creepy horror tale that also serves to make somewhat of a political statement.  The story primarily follows the lives of Bill Davis, his wife and their two daughters, and is told from Bill’s point of view.  The Store is a retail giant, very similar to Wal-Mart, offering low prices and lots of jobs for the residents of the remote desert town of Juniper, Arizona.  But The Store likes to make their own rules, disregard environmental concerns, and destroy local parks and businesses.  Bill notices that there are strange happenings at The Store, especially at night when the all black clad managers are running the show.  Regardless of the sinister goings on, there is a cult-like following of loyal patrons, and when Bill’s teenage daughters start to work there, he notices an almost zombie-like devotion to the Store.  What happens when people go to The Store? How are they so controlled and blind to what is really going on? The Store grabs you from the beginning, holds on with its creepy tone and pacing, is very believable, and teaches the reader a lesson about large chain stores that invade communities, wipe out small local businesses, and turn small, unique towns into just another generic spot on the map.

Elements of Horror Genre

Pace:  The pacing of the story is often erratic and unexpected.  One minute things are very calm and peaceful, and the next it is very intense with lots of action. Setting:  The setting is typical of the horror genre.  There are monsters (zombies), but some of the monsters are just regular people, characterized by their evil actions and doings. The details of the small town are very descriptive and the reader can imagine it vividly. Story Line: As is typical of the horror genre, the presence of an evil or maleficent force is present in this story.  The reader is left wondering how the novel will end.  Will good triumph over evil? Characterization: Unlike most horror novels, the protagonist in this story is generally a happy, normal character, until he is pushed to the point of fighting back when he realizes something is incredibly wrong with The Store.  The evil characters, of course, are quite sinister. Tone/Mood: The tone of the story is excellent at evoking a sense of menace.  The reader can feel that something is just not right with The Store, and this sense heightens the more you read.  There is also some graphic gore involved.

Read-a-Likes
After Midnight By Richard Laymon	Dark Hollow By Brian Keene	The Black Train By Edward Lee

I'm Looking for Something...

I decided to visit a very small branch of my local library to do a little mystery shopping.  I visited during the middle of the day and found the location to be quite crowded with mostly older patrons and moms with little ones.  There was only one librarian working the desk.  I have to be honest, my hopes for great service were not high.  I waited in line for a couple of minutes behind other patrons, and when I approached the desk, boy was I surprised!  The librarian was absolutely wonderful!!! She asked great questions about my favorite genres, my favorite authors, and even the most recent book I have read that I just couldn't put down.  After working her magic on her computer, she provided me with a list of books that she thought I would love, and she was spot on.  All of them are books I have on my GoodReads shelf to be read. 

Even though she was alone and very busy, she still provided me with excellent service, offered to help me find the book if I needed it, and never rushed through providing me service.  I will definitely go back to this library branch again.

Reading Prompt #1

1.                   I am looking for a book by Laurell K. Hamilton. I just read the third book in the Anita Blake series and I can’t figure out which one comes next! 

The next book in this series is The Lunatic Café.

2.                   What have I read recently? Well, I just finished this great book by Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer. I really liked the way it was written, you know, the way she used language. I wouldn't mind something a bit faster paced though.  

I would recommend Anthill by Edward O. Wilson or The History of Bees by Maja Lunde.

3.                   I like reading books set in different countries. I just read one set in China, could you help me find one set in Japan? No, not modern – historical. I like it when the author describes it so much it feels like I was there! 

I would recommend The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama.

4.                   I read this great mystery by Elizabeth George called Well-Schooled in Murder and I loved it. Then my dentist said that if I liked mysteries I would probably like John Sandford, but boy was he creepy I couldn't finish it! Do you have any suggestions?

I would recommend books by Ruth Rendell or Louise Penny because their writing styles are very similar to Elizabeth George.  They explore complex cases, are psychological in nature, and have well-developed characters such as police, investigators and regular civilians.

5.                   My husband has really gotten into zombies lately. He’s already read The Walking Dead and World War Z, is there anything else you can recommend?

I would recommend any of the following: The Zombie Autopsies by Steven Schlozman, I am Legend by Richard Matheson, or The Rage by Pierre Boisserie.

6.                   I love books that get turned into movies, especially literary ones. Can you recommend some? Nothing too old, maybe just those from the last 5 years or so.

I recommend Gone Girl, A Walk Among the Tombstones, The Monuments Men, and Wonder

7.                   I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.

I would recommend The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith or The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman.  Both of these titles are part of a series, these are the first of the series.

I typically find books to read by looking at the recommendations and ratings of my friends on GoodReads.  We all have similar tastes in genre, so I trust their judgment.

Book Annotation - Thriller

	Behind Closed Doors - B.A. Paris
	Pages: 352
	Publisher:  St. Martin’s Griffin
	Language: English
	ISBN: 978-1250121004

Synopsis:  "The perfect marriage or the perfect lie?"  Jack and Grace seem to be the perfect couple, but things are not always as they seem. Grace is a lovely, elegant woman who is caregiver to her younger sister, Millie, who has Down’s Syndrome. Millie is currently in a special school, but since she will soon be 18 years old, she will need to leave the school for a permanent home, of course to live with Grace.  Jack is very successful lawyer, never having lost a case protecting battered women.  He is charming, affectionate and totally accepting of Millie and her relationship with Grace.  Though Grace initially had qualms about beginning a relationship, Jack seemed so perfect.  He was not only handsome and charming, but loving and caring.  Grace falls quickly for Jack, and agrees to marry him, and that is when the nightmare truly begins.     Behind Closed Doors is a fantastic psychological thriller. The characters are very well-developed and the reader can easily identify with them.  Combined with numerous plot twists and turns, the reader will be on the edge of their seat.

Elements of Thriller Genre

Pace:  The story moves at a rapid pace and is driven by the danger felt by Grace.  The story builds in intensity and leaves the reader wanting to know what will happen next. Setting:  The story is told primarily from the beautiful home of Grace and Jack.  But as the reader learns, a beautiful home can be just a façade with horrors to be found around every corner. Tone/Mood:  The tone of the story is dark and is dominated by danger, fear, and good triumphing over evil.

Story Line: This story has a provocative story line, with several social and moral issues contained within.  It is very detailed and intricate and there is a consistent element of danger.  Characterization:  The characters are well developed and easily to identify with.  The antagonist is very well portrayed as an evil, sadistic monster, but the portrayal is not over the top.

Read-a-Likes
The Couple Next Door Shari Lapena	I See You Clare Mackintosh	When She Was Bad Tammy Cohen