Readers' Advisory Knapsack

2006-11-01T14:47:00.000-08:00

Readers' Advisory Knapsack has moved!

The new web address is: www.raknapsack.wordpress.com

Hope to see you there!!

2006-06-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

Nonfiction Readers' Advisory Tool

The Northbrook Public Library (Illinois) http://www.northbrook.info/lib_index.php has created a chart based on Nancy Pearl's Book Lust and More Book Lust (with her permission) which lists nonfiction items by subject. Check it out!

The exact link is: http://64.27.143.5/lib_nonfiction_recommended.php
(note spaces between words are underscored.)

2006-05-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

Best Work of American Fiction in Last 25 Years (New York Times)

"Early this year, the Book Review's editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify "the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years." The winner was Beloved by Toni Morrison. Check out the list in this article. How many of these novels have you read?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/books/fiction-25-years.html?ex=1149393600&en=f5fbde46f5d047a4&ei=5070

2006-05-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Read-A-Like List and Find a Good Book
Thanks to Susan C. and the Arlington (MA) Public Library

Readalikes, from the Anniston, AL Library:
http://www.anniston.lib.al.us/readalikes.htm
Readalike lists by author and genre

Find a Good Book, from the Hennepin County Library
All kinds of good stuff, including a "Ravenous Reader" newsletter and a staff suggestion list.
http://www.hclib.org/pub/books/FindABook.cfm

2006-05-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

Teen Reading Resources
Thanks to FictionL, these are some young adult RA resources:
Teen Central Downers Grove Public Library (IL)
http://www.downersgrovelibrary.org/teencentral/readerswriters.html
Book reviews by Teens and Teen picks.

ALA Young Adult Library Services Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/recreading/recommendedreading.htm
Links to booklists including "Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers"

2006-04-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Reading Group Guide
Discussion questions for your book group fromRandom House.
www.readinggroupguides.com

2006-04-01T09:21:00.000-08:00

Non Fiction Titles

Here's a link to a list of Non-Fiction Titles compiled by the editors of the conservative National Review. The editors have selected the 100 Best Non-Fiction Titles of the last century (20th).

http://www.nationalreview.com/100best/100_books.html

2006-03-31T17:44:00.000-08:00

Two New Readers Advisory Resources:
MYSTERY*FILE
The Crime Fiction Research Journal
http://www.mysteryfile.com/
Lots of book reviews, author profiles and mystery trivia. This web site recently added to the Librarians Index to the Internet

Readers Advisory Training Manual
http://www.bookbitch.com/READERS%20ADVISORY.htm
Authored by Stacy Alesi "the BookBitch". This manual was posted on FictionL. Written for librarians, it covers the basics of the readers advisory process. She also has complied some author lists by genre. Her genre lists includes: women's fiction, family saga, english mysteries, jewish life, and legal thrillers. Take a look ar her list for additional genre categories. This is a very comprehensive guide that is well worth a look!

2006-02-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

Online RA Resources
Non Fiction Resources
ALA RUSA Readers Advisory Committee http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/codes/codessection/codescomm/codesreadadv/readersadvisory.htm Three documents on this site focus on nonfiction readers advisory services. “Narrative Nonfiction Appeal factors” and “Sure Bet Narrative Nonfiction Suggestions”. Also available is “Regional Mysteries Bibliography”. This is an annotated list of mystery authors by state.

Best Nonfiction of 2004 from Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1123/p17s02-bogn.html

Lukas Prize for Excellent Nonfiction http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/events/lukas/winners
Columbia School of Journalism Prize winners list from 1999 to present.

The Modern Library 100 Best Nonfiction http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnonfiction.html
This list was compiled in 1999 through a voting process.

Pre-Publication Sites:

Buzz Girl http://bookpagebuzz.blogspot.com/ “A Publishing Insider gets the Skinny on Tomorrows Bestsellers”. Pre-publication information on popular authors and subjects.

Library Journal PrepubAlert http://www.libraryjournal.com/articleCA6328079.html
(May1,2006 prebub’s) In collection development section of the E-Journal.

Publishers Weekly Fiction/Non- fiction May 8, 2006 "On sale in June" pre-pub list for June by date of publication .
http://www.publishersweekly.com/articleCA6332414.html?pubdate=5%2F8%2F2006&display=current

Other Resources:

Bookletters http://www.newtonfreelibrary.net
Available on library home page. Lots of choices. Subscribe to specific email newsletters.

Classics
Classic Novels (Cincinnati Public Library, Ohio) http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/booklists/?id=classics
A comprehensive list of classic novels.

Timeless Classics http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/timeless.html
Booklist organized by age group developed by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The list for grade 9-12 is suitable for adults as well.

Librarians Index to the Internet http://www.lii.org
Web sites related to topics in literature evaluated and selected by librarians

Novelist: Library database. Some features: Find similar books, Author read alike, describe a Plot.

Readers Advisory Link Farm http://www.jackflannel.org/ra.html Extensive list of links to RA resources compiled by a Library Science professor.

Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org

Writer’s Almanac http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org
5 minute daily radio featuring poetry and literary and historic notes. Host: Garrison Keillor.

Young Adult Readers’ Advisory resources:

Guys Read http://www.guysread.com/ The mission of this site is to motivate boys to read by connecting them with materials they will want to read, in ways they like to read. The web site is technically over done and difficult to navigate.

No Flying No Tights http://www.noflyingnotights.com/index2.html
“A web site reviewing graphic novels for teens”. This is a very colorful site with lots of graphic novel book reviews.

Reading Rants http://www.tln.lib.mi.us/~amutch/jen/index.html
Booklists for teens maintained and updated by a YA librarian. Lists are added or updated every two months.

Young Adult Books Central http://www.yabookscentral.com Site maintained by a YA author and book reviewer. Up to date book reviews, some written by teens.

2006-02-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Online RA Resources:
“Appeal” type resource
Which Book http://www.whichbook.net
UK site allows you to search by character, setting, plot etc.

Blogs
Reader Olathe (KS) Public Library http://www.oplreader.blogspot.com A book blog that has brief summaries of current fiction.

Bookblog http://bookblog.net/ active blog with lots of bloggers opinions about current fiction.

BookBlog at ReadersRead http://readersread.com/#blog
Portal for book lovers with book excerpts, news and book reviews

BookSlut Blog http://www.bookslut.com/blog/
“Bookslut is a monthly web magazine and daily blog dedicated to those who love to read. We provide a constant supply of news, reviews, commentary, insight, and more than occasional opinions.”

HipLibrarians BookBlog
http://hiplibrariansbookblog.blog-city.com
A group of YA Librarians “post information about books they like. Or loathe.”

I Love a Good Mystery http://www.iloveagoodmystery.com/
Blog with book reviews of mysteries and links to author’s blogs

Papercuts: Cutting Edge Library News, Reviews and Events http://papercuts.tscpl.org Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library (KS) Blog

Readers’s Circle – Boston Regional Library System Initiative. Monthly discussion group and blog http://readerscircle.blogspot.com/

ReadersRead http://www.readersread.com “Blogging the latest book news: plus excerpts, bestseller lists and trends.” “Portal for book lovers with book excerpts, news and book reviews

Ricklibrarian http://www.ricklibrarian.blogspot.com/
“A review of books, websites, movies, or anything worth reviewing with comments about libraries and librarianship.” Written by a librarian.

Book to Film:
Based on the Book http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies Mid-Continent Public Library, Independence, Missouri. A list of over 1,100 books, novels, short stories and plays that have been made into movies. Lists by Movie title, Book title, Book Author and Movie Release Year.

Books to Film http://www.readersread.com/bookstofilm/
Detailed list of movies based on books released from Oct, 2003 through Oct 2005. On Readers read web site.

Books in the News:
Fresh Press http://www.freshfiction.com/motors.php publishes a daily recap of author appearances and book mentions on nationally broadcast television and radio programs. Fresh Press monitors more than 50 nationally broadcast television and radio programs and delivers a comprehensive listing of the featured books and authors in a daily newsletter.

Book Review sites:
BookBitch http://www.bookbitch.com Web site maintained by librarian. Includes book reviews, a blog, new authors, suggestions bor book discussion groups.

BookBrowse http://www.bookbrowse.com “Your guide to exceptional books”. Includes current fiction and nonfiction. Book reviews, excepts of the book, author biographies and interviews.

BookPage http://www.bookpage.com “America’s Book Review”
Monthly online newsletter that includes interviews with authors and highlights of new fiction, children’s books, non-fiction and more. Connected with

Fantastic Fiction http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ Site with option to search by author, new titles, awards. Includes science fiction, fantasy and horror, mystery and thriller, romance and contemporary mainstream. Includes publication details for each book and a brief summary ogf the plot.

Genreflecting http://www.genreflecting.com/ Libraries Unlimited web site that is a companion to the popular readers’ advisory print

Overbooked http://www.overbooked.org “A web site for ravenous readers” managed by a librarian. Includes booklists, starred book reviews, readers’ advisory services etc.

Commercial sites
Allreaders http://www.allreaders.com
Book reviews, book search by subplot, author detailed book search.

Amazon http://www.Amazon.com
listmania and “customers who bought this book also bought…”

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/subjects/subjects.asp?z=y

Random House
http://www.randomhouse.com/category/

Electronic Discussion Lists
The Fiction_L Listserv managed by the Morton Grove Public Library. Subscribe to the listserv to follow current issues in reader’s advisory services and ask questions http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
Search the archives to find answers to RA questions. http://www.webrary.org/rs/FLarchive.html

DorothyL Listserv focused on Mystery writing. Subscribe through http://www.dorothyL.com Broader participant/audience including authors, publishers and librarians. More focused on the business of mystery writing, but does have some reader’s advisory threads. This list has a searchable archive. http://listserv.kent.edu/archives/dorothyl.html

GNLIB L Graphic Novels in Libraries Listserv for librarians interested in Graphic Novels. Subscribe through http://www.angelfire.com/comics/gnlib/ .
Archives: http://lists.topica.com/lists/gnlib-l/read

Science Fiction and Fantasy Listserv http://sun8.loc.gov/listarch/sf-lit.html Moderated by Library of Congress. Searchable archives http://sun8.loc.gov/listarch/sf-lit.html

BY GENRE
Mystery
Bibliomysteries http://www.bibliomysteries.com/are mysteries whose characters, plots and/or settings are intimately bound up with books, writers, and or libraries. Browse alphabetically or explore new bibliomysteries, juvenile books, detectives in series, authors in murder mysteries, quotations ("We are librarians, and therefore the elect of God. To read is human, to catalogue divine."), and murder weapons (and in case you were wondering, someone HAS been fictionally murdered by compact shelving.

Cluelass and the Mysterious home Page http://www.clueLass.com online bookstore specializing in murder and thrillers. Has a news and events page and a FAQ feature.

The Mystery Reader http://www.themysteryreader.com Mystery Book reviews with one to five star ratings and violence ratings. Covers police/detective, thrillers, cozy’s, romantic suspense, historical and suspense. Parts of the site are not current, but the book reviews are up to date.

Stop, You’re Killing Me! http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/index.html This site is a resource for the lovers of mystery, intrigue and suspense books. Stop! Lists hundreds of authors, with complete, chronological lists of their books in this sub-genre.

Graphic novels
Just Manga http://www.justmanga.com/ Good source for forthcoming graphic novel publications.

Historic Fiction:
HistFiction.net http://www.histfiction.net Lots of web resources and book reviews of historical fiction. This site is not as current as many other fiction web sites, but the information provided does seem credible. Includes an author database, a book search and links to web sites that present various pieces of information on historical fiction topics and titles.

Prehistoric Fiction http://www.trussel.com/f_prehis.htm Great discussion about fiction set in prehistoric times. Includes a discussion of the genre. The site has an author index, a chronological index and a title index. This site is not current. The last book mentioned has a publication date of 2002. It is a good source of information about the genre and many of the works of fiction that might be of interest to our patrons.

Science Fiction:
Scifan http://www.scifan.com “Books and Links for the science fiction fan”. Site organizes books by themes, series, authors and classics. The site has some currency issues, but is a good source for standard info on Science fiction and fantasy.

Science Fiction Resource Guide http://www.noreascon.org/users/sflovers/u1/web/Reference/books.html
This page contains an extensive collection of links to SF resources on the Net. Subject areas include other archives and resource guides, authors, art and artists, bibliographies, movies, television, bookstores, book reviews, role-playing games, zines, etc. Some of the topics include Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, Jules Verne, H G Wells, Star Wars, Star Trek, nanotechnology, vampire fiction, and more.

Library Web Sites with Readers’ Advisory resources:
Logan Library (Utah) http://www.logan.lib.ut.us/booklist/readersadvisory.html
Comprehensive set of booklists
Morton Grove Public Library (Illinois) http://www.webrary.org/rs/FLbklistmenu.html
Booklists i.e. genre, Character, Setting, Subject, Author, Audience
Multnomah County Library (Portland, OR) http://www.multcolib.org/books book lists, staff picks, bestsellers etc.
Sachem Public Library (NY) http://sachem.suffolk.lib.ny.us/advisor/advisor.htm
Great resource for titles that are “beyond bestsellers”. Booklists are focused on the unusual and alternative reading.
Waterboro Public Library (ME) http://www.waterborolibrary.org/bklista.htm
Booklists drawn from a variety of other libraries and web sites.
Westminster Public Library (Colorado) http://westminster.lib.co.us/readers/rendezvous.htm Readers’ Rendezvous.