Reader's Repose

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum? Highly fact-based. 2. What is the subject of the book? Deng Xiaoping, the second leader of the Chinese Communist Party, from his personal life to his policies and impacts. 3. What type of book is it? A biography and history of overall Chinese politics and policies. 4. Articulate appeal -What is the pacing of the book? It is a leisurely pace. -Describe the characters of the book. It is heavily focused on Deng Xiaoping, the man who took over leadership of the Chinese Communist Party after the death of Mao Zedong. The book also mentions other politicians (Chinese and international) during Deng's leadership, figures in Deng's personal life, and other citizens of the Republic of China. -How does the story feel? Scholarly, highly detailed, politically impartial. -What is the intent of the author? To educate the reader on Deng Xiaoping. -What is the focus of the story? The life and career of Deng Xiaoping, as well as the effect his care

Listen to the perfect playlist while reading: Author:  Erik Larson Genre:  Non-Fiction; True Crime; History Publication Date:  2003 Number of Pages:  390 Geographical Setting:  United States Time Period:  Late 19th century Plot Summary:  On the eve of the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World, Chicago hastily plans a fair that will put Paris' Universal Exposition of 1889 to shame. At the same time, an unknown villain puts his own plans into action that will make the Windy City, and the World's Columbian Exposition, infamous for years to come-- plans that will claim the lives of over two dozen people before he's finished. Subject Headings:   Serial murderers -- Illinois -- Chicago -- Biography. Serial murders -- Illinois -- Chicago -- Case studies. Appeals Narrative:  Moderate While true crime offers much to keep readers entertained, Larson offers a compelling story to go with it. Moderate narratives "mix story with facts and a

I have rarely listened to audiobooks because my brain travels to different places all the time and I cannot pay attention. Most of my time spent listening to audiobooks is pressing the rewind button! However, my dad is an avid audiobook listener because his office is a two-trailer semi-truck, and it helps him to pass the time while expanding his mind. He loves to tell us all about what he's reading, whether it's a piece of classic literature, a thriller, a mystery, or a history book. One regular patron at the library is blind, so he comes in to check out over ten audiobooks at a time. He keeps a binder of all the authors and books he's read and marks all the authors he and his wife (who is also blind) do not like so that we no longer give them that author. He and his wife love thrillers and mysteries and know practically every author publishing in that genre. Those two patrons and my father are a fantastic example of the power and necessity of the audiobook, and how despite

 Listen to the perfect playlist while reading: Author: Loren D. Estleman Genre: Western Publication Date: 2005 Number of Pages: 284 Geographical Setting: Continental United States Time Period: 19th century Plot Summary: After a powerful New England businessman commits suicide, Richard Connable is called in by the businessman's ring of powerful associates to hide the cause of his death through his gifted art of undertaking. While he is away, his wife Lucy reflects on their decades of marriage as she makes arrangements for the arrival of her own death-- unbeknownst to her loving husband. Subject Headings:   Man-woman relationships -- Fiction. Undertakers -- Fiction. Historical -- Fiction. Appeals Characters:  Flawed While many of the main characters in the Western genre are stereotypical "champion[s] of justice" who spring into fights blazing their guns, Richard Connable is a quiet man whose fight for justice is won in the mortuary, where he gives grieving relatives

 I hardly have any book club experience, so I was unsure of what to expect when I arrived at the Greenwood Public Library and attended their Primetime Book Club. The club meets on the first Tuesday of every month, with Executive Director Cheryl Dobbs leading the group. I was the second person to arrive in the board room, which is a room almost entirely encased in glass walls with adjoining administrative offices and a private bathroom. While there were no snacks available, the conversations were so lively that no one would have had time to finish their food. The rest of the group soon joined. Before the starting time of six-thirty, a few of the ladies took out their personal books and exchanged them with each other as a casual session of readers’ advisory. It was clear to me rather quickly that all of them are very avid readers. By six-thirty, Cheryl had everyone introduce themselves so I could get to know them. During the introductions, I learned that a few of the ladies had been atte

 For my special topics paper, I wrote about the current state of AI and its usage in a readers' advisory context. To start, I wrote about Talpa , an AI that is built to find the book title and author for those who have forgotten what the book is called. While it is still in its experimental phase, the AI is built in such a way that it is limited to just a few sources and the catalog of the library that hosts it. Thus, there are thousands, perhaps millions, of books that Talpa will never be able to identify. To remedy this, I recommended that people wishing to identify a book turn to the Reddit page r/whatsthatbook whose 239,000 members (238,000 at the time of writing my paper) help to identify books with the advantage of being able to write a much longer description. Their success rate is commendable and a fantastic resource for people who have scoured the internet to no avail. I also discussed ChatGPT , developed by OpenAI, that many librarians are already using for readers'

Listen to the perfect playlist while reading: Author:  Karen Kingsbury Genre:  Christian Romance Publication Date:  2013 Number of Pages: 320 Geographical Setting:  Georgia and California Time Period:  Modern day (2013) Plot Summary:  After her parents separate, teenager Ellie moves away to California with her father. Before she leaves, she and her best friend Nolan write each other letters and bury them in a box under their favorite tree, promising to return in eleven years to dig it back up. As the years pass, Ellie loses her faith in God while Nolan becomes a famous NBA star known for his faith. As the date approaches for them to dig up their box of letters, can Ellie’s long-repressed love for Nolan be enough to face him after eleven years, and will Nolan’s long-cherished love of the one who got away be enough to make her stay? Subject Headings:   Man-woman relationships -- Fiction. Friendship -- Fiction. Faith -- Fiction. Appeals Heat Index:  Chaste A testament to the genre of Chri