Dallin's Readers' Advisory Blog

I would choose not to separate LGBTQ or urban fiction from the general collection. I actually have four reasons, and the first is impracticality. If I were to put together an LGBTQ collection, it would either include books for all age groups, or only books for teens and adults. The former option would probably upset some patrons, because there would be books with mature content located right beside children's books. Some parents might be upset to see their child looking at a pretty picture book with a rainbow on the cover, knowing that a super spicy gay romance was right next to it. But the latter option makes the whole exercise seem unnecessary, because if only LGBTQ books for teen and adults are included in the LGBTQ collection, children's books with LGBTQ themes would still be part of the general children collection. Thus, what would be the point of the separation in the first place? Also, fiction is not the only realm where LGBTQ themes exist. There is LGBTQ nonfiction, his

     The prompt this week is interesting, because the questions it asks are focused on adults, and the debate surrounding the legitimacy of young adult, new adult, and graphic novels seems to depend on whether these types of books appeal to adults. Does this mean that many people only consider a book to have literary value if adults read it?      While I think don't think that is a good viewpoint to have, I understand why some might make the argument that if adults don't generally enjoy these types of books, then it's a waste of library funds and resources to try to market them to adults. But the belief that a library shouldn't even be purchasing books if adults aren't the target audience is definitely odd to me. It makes me wonder if there is another debate going on about whether libraries should be spending money on materials for children and teens in the first place. My perception is that most people would agree the services libraries provide for children and

  1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?      A mix: combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose 2. What is the subject of the book?     Literally, the underground: tombs and catacombs, underground cities, escape routes and secret passages, root systems and fungal networks, divers and dark matter scientists, etc. Macfarlane explores the underground as a place in which humans have always hidden treasures, stored secrets, and mined/exploited resources. He uses this exploration to develop insights into the four billion-year history of Earth, as well as the impact and future of humanity. 3. What type of book is it?     Science/nature, with a lot of narrative and biographical elements. 4. Articulate appeal: What is the pacing of the book?     Most sections are leisurely, lyrical, and immersive, but there are some fast-paced sections that are mainly focused on facts. Some of the scientific information takes a while to grasp, but it's never super slow or d

Author:  Cormac McCarthy Title:  Stella Maris Genre:   Literary Fiction Publication Date:   December 6, 2022 Number of Pages:  208 Geographical Setting:  A psychiatric care facility (Stella Maris) in Black River Falls, Wisconsin Time Period: 1972 Plot Summary:  Content warning: suicidal ideation, mental illness, incestuous relationships. This is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. It is the second volume of a two-volume work (the first being The Passenger ), and it was the final book McCarthy published before his death. I won't try to summarize the plots of both novels, because even though they are connected thematically and focus on the same characters, Stella Maris  is its own distinct story. It is told entirely through dialogue, comprised of conversations between the protagonist, Alicia Western, and her psychiatrist. Alicia is a young mathematical and musical prodigy who is jaded and cynical about the meaning of life. She voluntarily checks herself into the Ste

I didn't get into audiobooks until around 2019, when I listened to Anna Karenina on CD. Since it was a literal CD, I didn't have the option to listen at double speed, so it was a very long process, but I found that I hugely enjoyed listening to a narrator. I actually think I felt more immersed in the story than I would have if I'd just been reading. For me, it can sometimes feel like a chore to pick up a physical book and start reading, and it's very easy for me to get distracted and let my mind wander. But with audiobooks, the fact that I just have to listen makes it much easier. Also, I am generally okay with most narrators. Rarely is a narrator so obnoxious that I can't stand to keep listening (though it has happened a couple times). When it comes to Ebooks, on the other hand, I still haven't learned to love them. I have no ethical qualms; I just don't like reading books on a screen. I spend so much time looking at screens already, that I feel like books

  Author:  Jack Schaefer Title:  Shane Genre:   Western Publication Date:   1949 Number of Pages: 214 Geographical Setting: Wyoming Time Period: 1889 Plot Summary: The storyline and tropes of Shane are likely to ring familiar with many readers. Told from the perspective of a young boy named Bob Starrett, the book begins with a mysterious stranger (Shane) appearing on horseback in a small Wyoming farm town. Joe and Marian Starrett (Bob's parents), show hospitality to Shane out of kindness and generosity, but also out of curiosity as to the kind of man Shane might be. We learn hints about his past as a dangerously skilled gunslinger from the speculation of Bob's father, as well as Bob's inspection of Shane's belongings. It happens to be a time of high tension between the small-scale farmers (who have unofficially elected Joe Starrett as their leader), and a large-scale rancher who persists in trying to take over their land. Thus, the Starrett family feels safer keeping Sh