Prompt 7 Response - Book Controversies

Menand's article, "Literary Hoaxes and the Ethics of Authorship" is both enlightening and frustrating - enlightening inasmuch as it highlights the myriad of hoaxes and scandals in the publishing industry but frustrating to the degree that it fails to actually establish one clear ethical course for his readers. Upon reading the article, I still hold no clear stance regarding whose side I would take in the the controversy of literary hoaxes, at least not completely. I might skew to one side, but still empathize with the other.

Menand dissects Christopher L Miller's book "Imposters: Literary Hoaxes and Cultural Authenticity," in his article. Miller's study examines three types of "literary hoaxes," including, "literary impersonations," "hoaxes designed to insinuate a subversive message through a benign-seeming work...[which he] calls Trojan Horses" and "hoaxes aimed at exposing the poor judgment of editors, critics, or readers (2018, para. 20). Even while these hoaxes dupe and frustrate readers, they are still arguably justifiable to some extent. The first hoax, that of "literary impersonations" is perhaps the most frustrating to the common reader.

In what he refers to as an "intercultural hoax" an author assumes the pseudonym of a cultural minority. Daniel James assumed the Mexican pseudonym of Santiago and detailed the life of a young Chicano growing up in East Los Angeles. The book, "Famous All Over Town" garnered tremendous praise until it was discovered that the author was actually an older white male. While it seems duplicitous that an author would take on an alternative cultural identity, the point might also be argued in James' favor. He simply couldn't get published under his Anglo name. By taking on a a false identity, readership and interest in his novel soared. The literary value of his work speaks for itself, so was it so bad that he used a pseudonym? Arguments can be made for both sides.

One point I will make on a personal level is the issue I take when memoirs are falsified. The above example is a piece of fiction, but a memoir, being nonfiction, should be just that. I have read several autobiographies and memoirs, and I am often struck by the degree to which the author recalls childhood details and reproduces dialog. I often wonder about their accuracy. For example, in the book "Educated" by Tara Westover, the author makes claims that have caused her family (to whom they were directed) deep consternation. They disagreed with several of her recollections, and knowing this makes me questions the authenticity of what she says despite the appeal of her book. I'm currently reading "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls, and I'm often struck by the amount of detail she recalls.  One book I read about a year ago called "My Mother's Keeper" was written by the daughter of the famous actress Bette Davis. I thought it would be great fun to learn about the actress from her daughter's perspective, but after reading about half the book, I had to close it for good. It just wasn't readable, and it was one-sided to the extreme. After researching a bit and reading other peoples' reviews, I learned that they felt the same way, and that the author had ulterior motives for writing the book. Many argue that her representation was completely unfair to her mother. I tend to agree.

As readers and librarians who advise readers, we have to be aware of the agendas of authors and the truthfulness of their words and of who they claim to be. The readings this week taught me this: "Reader Beware," but if you enjoy the book, maybe the "hoaxes" aren't really that big of a deal.

Menand, L. (2020, December 7). Literary hoaxes and the ethics of authorship. New Yorker.

 

Promoting Horror in the Library

If I were asked to promote our horror collection today, I would be inclined to take advantage of the popularity of March Madness! My library is currently in its second year of a March Madness tournament of books, so I could easily use what we already have and just plug in my horror titles. Also, this is a great way to promote our horror collection in an off-season (apart from Halloween). Regarding the integrated advisory, why not pair the book with its movie adaptation in the brackets? The book version would contend with the movie version, a full on battle would ensue, and a glorious winner will take the prize in the end. Will it be a book or a movie that will come out victorious? Here are some details regarding how it will work, followed by the brackets:

Patrons can either download a copy of the blank bracket sheet with the horror titles or pick up a copy at the desk. Voting for individual brackets will take place once a week as competitors are slowly sifted out. Incentives will be awarded to participants. Each time you vote, your name will be entered to win a grand prize (TBD!). Voting will take place via a Google Form available and updated each week on the library's website. Patrons can also submit their votes in person by handing in a bracket sheet.

All ideas for this have been borrowed from my library's March Madness tournament of books program: https://www.newlenoxlibrary.org/marchmadness

Horror Annotation

 

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Title: My Darling Girl

Genre: Horror, Psychological Thriller

Publication Date: 2023

Number of Pages: 308

Geographical Setting: small-town Vermont, New York

Time Period: Present day

Plot Summary:

Christmas festivities are afoot in the O’Conner household when Allison receives an unexpected phone call from her mother’s dutiful assistant, Paul. Her mother, Mavis, has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Upon a quick visit to the New York hospital where Mavis is convalescing, Allison learns that her mother’s last wish is to spend her remaining days with her only daughter.  Allison is hesitant to entertain her mother’s wishes, as she fears her presence might reignite the terrible feelings of trauma she experienced as a child. She agrees, nonetheless, maintaining a guarded optimism.

When Mavis moves into the house, bringing her beloved stone which remains constantly at her bedside, strange and sinister things begin to happen. Allison suspects the demonic, but neither her husband nor her best friend, Penny, believes her. Things go from bad to worse as Allison lives out a nightmare all her own and makes a monumental effort to save her daughters from the nightmare she unknowingly invited into their home.

Subject Headings:

Psychological Fiction

Domestic Fiction

Thrillers - Fiction

Appeal:

Pacing – In one instant, the reader feels calm and safe. Then, something unexpected happens and jolts the reader into frightened attentiveness. The anticipation of the next startling incident keeps readers turning pages. Saricks notes, “By creating such an erratically and unexpectedly changeable pace, authors capture the essence of living in a nightmare” (2018, p. 244).

Tone – A dark, menacing, and claustrophobic tone is maintained throughout, enhanced by the setting, the month of December, the darkest month of the year. The author skillfully employs macabre descriptions of events and places to establish the dark tone that permeates the novel.

Story line – Does not contain the “explicit scenes and themes of sexuality and violence” (p. 239) ubiquitous to many horror novels; features the common horror trope of possession. The surface level horror – the demonic and evil – run alongside the protagonist’s fears and anxieties as she questions the reality of what she is experiencing whilst family and friends question her sanity (her husband encourages her to see a therapist and then to rest at an institution). The novel perfectly illustrates the “incomplete consummation” (p. 241) – there is no neat and fulfilling ending here. The evil continues even after the book ends, and the reader is suspended in uneasiness.

Characterization – Readers experience the villain through the protagonist’s point of view. Allison O’Conner is broken and vulnerable but seems to have her life together before evil enters and calls her stability into question. There is a point in the story where it appears she has overcome the evil, but that is simply an illusion. The villain of the story is believable and elicits fear from the reader, and its appearances are often “jarring and unexpected” (p. 243).

Language/Style – Use of profanity in the novel “transports readers into the emotional heart and eerie setting of the novel” (p. 242) but is not employed in excess. McMahon uses italicized phrases repeatedly throughout on a single line (such as, “That’s not Mavis”) to point to the demonic. The book contains two “chapters” (not labeled as such) which reveal important information to the reader that the protagonist is not privy to but is realized by her little by little as the story unfolds.

 3 terms that best describe this book:

Sinister, claustrophobic, jarring

 Similar Authors and Works:

Fiction Titles

Both books deal with past strained mother-daughter relationships and involve a “haunted” item. The tone of “White Horse” shares the creepy, menacing, and suspenseful qualities of McMahon’s novel.

 

This psychological suspense shares plot details similar to “My Darling Girl.” In both books, a previously abusive mother moves in with her adult daughter which leads to significant problems in the life of the latter.  Both books explore childhood trauma and family secrets and share a creepy, disturbing, and suspenseful tone with intensifying pacing.

 

This horror novel deals with haunting by a demon and a woman’s battle against evil. Themes are similar to McMahon’s and both books share a creepy and menacing tone with a compelling and rich writing style.

Nonfiction Titles:

This nonfiction title might appeal to those readers who are interested in the “demonic” component of McMahon’s horror novel. Allison, the book’s protagonist, spends a lot of time researching demons and possession. This nonfiction title could have been easily among the literature Allison was researching.

 

“My Darling Girl” contains several references to amulets and other ways humans go about protecting themselves from evil spirits. Allison has a brief conversation with Carmen, the owner of the “occult store” in town, who tells her how to “bind” a demon. Her best friend Penny offers her a necklace with a special rock pendant which disquiets the demon. This nonfiction read would appeal to those readers interested in how peoples and cultures have protected themselves from evil spirits throughout history.

This poignant memoir will appeal to those readers who might want to delve deeper into the themes of alcoholic parents and traumatic childhoods.

 

References

Wyatt, N., & Saricks, J. G. (2018). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction: Third edition.   

               American Library Association.

Week 5 Prompt Response - Reviews

 A library’s collection is likely to be impacted by reviews; the degree to which they impact a given library’s collection development likely depends on the library, however. I will consider my experience with collection development at my public library as a case in point. I purchase both young adult fiction and nonfiction for my library, and I read a lot of reviews. Our vendor, Baker & Taylor, streamlines the purchase process for us. Each month, they send us “carts” containing the most popular new materials. For most books I purchase, I read at least a few of the reviews. Most of the books that are in our carts have been professionally reviewed, and I admit that I usually do not purchase books that have no reviews. In the case of my library, the reviews really do drive our purchases and influence our perception of materials. From my own experience in collection development, if a book has not been formally reviewed, I usually don’t see it, and so I will not buy it. Professional reviews make materials more visible and often justify library’s purchases.

Regarding the two reviews of the e-romance novel, while their “reliability” might be questionable, they are nonetheless honest and amusing! When compared to the professional reviews, these lack a professional tone, do not follow any set standard, and are highly personal. Add a few direct quotes from the book and discussion of why or why not this book might appeal to a reader, and you might have a more “reliable” review. That is not to say, however, that these reviews completely lack value. I like reading these in fact (sometimes better than the formatted and predictable professional reviews). As far as purchasing this title for my library, I would be hesitant. The library has a very limited budget for e-books (although it continues to grow). While some readers might enjoy this title, it would probably not be “fiscally responsible” to purchase it. I reviewed similar digital titles, and there are enough alternative read-a-likes available to satisfy reader demand for this type of book.  

The reviews of “Angela’s Ashes” really hit it out of the park for me. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never read this book, but I’m adding it to my reading list. The reviews successfully draw potential readers into the excruciating reality of the story while still offering hope, so the reader will not be left feeling troubled after reading it. The book has received a phenomenal number of reviews, which would absolutely influence my decision to purchase it for my library’s collection. The reviews are professional and reliable, and there is resounding agreement among reviewers as to the book’s value.

I have mixed feelings regarding how fair I think it is that some books are reviewed to death while others get little to no coverage. I think it’s fair to say that some books are just better quality than others and therefore earn the attention they receive among reviewers. The “dime a dozen” novels (like e-romances, perhaps) can be quickly produced without much effort. Writers adopt a well-used trope and are not always particularly creative. Publishing companies have a good idea about which types of books are going to sell, and I suspect that they push reviewers to review these titles. That would certainly be unfair to an author that has written something worthwhile in a less lucrative genre. I have also noticed something else that might influence the types of books that are currently getting reviewed. There has been a huge boom in “diverse” books as of late. Books that check off a certain number of “diversity” boxes are no doubt making their way into the top of reviewers’ “to-read” lists. The industry appears to be prioritizing books and authors that incorporate the myriad of diverse themes, characters, and subjects into their novels. While some might argue that this is necessary due to the lack of diverse representation in our collections, it might unfairly prevent a less diverse (although equally qualified) book from garnering the attention it might merit.

I think review sources really should print negative content (thanks Kirkus!)—at least some. Negative opinions about a work might be just that—opinions, but a purchasing librarian should be privy to both the good and the bad about a particular material and wise enough to sift out ill-appropriated negativity from reliable criticism. If reviewers could include negative content, I think I might have more robust book carts! And that would be a good thing!

I rely heavily on professional reviews to guide my purchasing (see first paragraph above); however, when it comes to my own personal reading, I rarely depend on a professional review. I prefer impromptu reviews from coworkers and friends, and I also really do enjoy the highly personalized and unencumbered musings of some Amazon on Goodreads reviews. While I can’t rely solely on them to justify a purchase for the library’s collection, I appreciate reviews like those for The Billionaire’s First Christmas” to guide my own personal reading choices. These reviews are often relatable, amusing, and fun.

Kirkus Style Review

 

Kirkus - Style Review – “My Darling Girl” by Jennifer McMahon

Allison O'Conner is living an idyllic life in small town Vermont until her carefully cultivated and well-ordered existence is undermined by the arrival of her ailing mother.

Christmas festivities are afoot in the O’Conner household when Allison receives an unexpected phone call from her mother’s dutiful assistant, Paul. She learns that her estranged mother, Mavis, has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. On a quick visit to the New York hospital where Mavis is convalescing, Allison’s mother humbly expresses her desire to live out her last days with her only daughter. Allison is hesitant to entertain her mother’s wishes, as she fears her presence might reignite the terrible feelings of trauma she experienced as a child. Allison is a likeable and relatable protagonist, and readers will sympathize with her as she wrestles with excruciating childhood memories while painstakingly endeavoring to create a happy childhood for her two daughters, 6-year-old Olivia and teenage Izzy. Allison agrees to take her mother in but maintains a guarded optimism. McMahon paints a claustrophobic and menacing picture in her vividly dark descriptions of the supernatural events that begin to occur regularly in the home upon Mavis’ arrival; from the appearance of unseasonal swaths of invading flies, “the flies readjusted, crawling over each other, the fingers on the hand stretching out” to the appearance of a grotesque rat in her daughter’s room, “Its fur was dark gray, nearly black, and shiny as an oil slick. It moved like oil too—viscous and flowing…” Allison suspects the demonic, but neither her husband, Mark, nor her best friend, Penny, believes her. Mark’s reluctance to support Allison, and instead suggesting a brief stint in a mental asylum, will frustrate some readers, especially as it flies in the face of his often-saccharine overtures of affection toward her (Mark has a PhD in Literature and quotes Emily Dickinson in his wedding vows). Things go from bad to worse as Allison is forced to live out a nightmare in isolation and singlehandedly battle against a grave evil.

While readers might wonder why Allison never thinks to employ the assistance of a priest (which would be the obvious course of action in many readers’ minds), and despite the sometimes-frustrating secondary characters, McMahon has nonetheless created a dark and claustrophobic page-turner that will maintain readers engagement up until the untidy and very uneasy conclusion.

Secret Shopper Summary

For this assignment, I chose a library located just one town over from my hometown. I visit this library only occasionally to study. When I first entered, I saw that no one was at the reference desk, so I headed to circulation. I waited for a short time before the clerk realized I was there. She was very friendly and asked how she could help me. I told her that I was looking for a book recommendation. I could tell she was a little nervous (and boy, did I empathize!). She asked, “Ok, what kind?” I told her that I was trying to expand my reading repertoire and try out genres I’ve never or rarely read before. I asked for a fantasy recommendation. She immediately directed me to the genre bookmarks located on a rotating organizer on the desk. She seemed relieved to have those ready-made go-to genre lists (as am I when someone asks me an RA question!). I got the feeling that this might be the extent of our conversation about fantasy, so I sat down with my bookmark and thought for awhile. I couldn't let it end like this (!), so I headed over to the reference desk. The librarians were now seated there. I asked them if they could help me narrow down the bookmark list. They were friendly and approachable. I was in luck too because one of the librarians, Sarah (she told me her name), was a huge fantasy reader! 

Sarah didn’t need any database or searching tools. She had enough insight and information stored in her brain. She walked with me into the stacks, asking questions as we perused. She asked me what I like to read and what books I’ve read lately. I mentioned the two books I read for class. She then asked me what I liked about these books. She provided me with two recommendations. The first, “Gideon The Ninth,” which she described as a bit darker and “weird.” The author, Tamsyn Muir, also writes horror. I assume my mention of horror and the suspense component of this book might have led her to believe that this might be a good match!  Her second recommendation was “A Deadly Education” by Naomi Novik. She was excited about this book and prioritized it as first among her recommendations. She told me that it was a total page-turner and that when she read it, she couldn’t put it down. Before she returned to her desk, she asked me to follow up with her. She was eager to find out what I thought about these books.

In my opinion, the librarian who helped me find my books did an excellent job! I would not recommend she do anything differently. She asked the right questions, showed interest and enthusiasm in helping me, provided two solid recommendations based on the information I provided her, and she got me (kind of) excited about fantasy!