Adult Reading Round Table
Newsletter

      ARRTWorks  
      Winter 2010  

Welcome to the new ARRTWorks! In this and future issues, we’re planning to feature more program information, book suggestions and practical solutions you can use at your library. If you have any recommendations for what you want to see in future ARRTWorks editions, please send your ideas and comments to amortensen@skokielibrary.info.

Book Discussion Best Bets
Readers’ advisors often are so busy facilitating library book discussions that they neglect to participate in book groups of their very own. Enter the ARRT Quarterly Literary Fiction Book Discussion, which provides a forum for ARRT members to chat with their peers about acclaimed novels and also share ways to make their library book discussions more effective.

As its name implies, the discussion focuses on literary fiction. Previous titles read by the group include Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland, Amsterdam by Ian McEwan and Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. A portion of each meeting is devoted to swapping tips, tricks and best practices. Some of the ideas recently shared include:

The popularity of holding discussion sessions off site—Park Ridge Public Library took advantage of their “One Book, One Village” selection, Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea, to schedule a meeting at a neighborhood tea shop, much to the delight of patrons.

The challenges of attracting younger readers to book groups—Skokie Public Library’s new “Lit Lounge” program targets 20- and 30-somethings by communicating with them via Facebook and Meetup.com, focusing on “edgier” titles (Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun, City of Thieves by David Benioff, etc.) and meeting at local restaurants where participants can eat a meal or grab a drink (an added incentive because many participants head to the discussion directly from work).

Titles that would make good discussion selections—Batavia Public Library had great success with Olive Kitteridge, despite the unsympathetic protagonist, while Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee (which itself was read at an ARRT discussion) involves disturbing subject matter that nonetheless offers many possible points for discussion.

For more great conversation, please join us for the Spring 2010 discussion of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, being held on April 13 at 2 p.m. at the Berwyn Public Library. RSVP to discussion leader Becky Spratford at bspratford@hotmail.com.
 

What is the ARRT Steering Committee Reading?
Here are the books that ARRT Steering Committee members currently are raving about:

Fly by Wire: The Geese, the Glide, the Miracle on the Hudson by William Langewiesche (2009)

This is a short, feel-good book about a plane crash. It combines the suspense of how-are-they-going-to-survive with the comforting knowledge that they do. The author also provides examples of similar situations in which the pilots' responses led to everyone's death, which makes the Hudson River story even more remarkable.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson (2010)

It’s not out in the U.S. until later this spring, but if you can, get your hands on a U.K. copy of this satisfying conclusion to Larsson’s “Millennium” trilogy. Even though the author intended the series to be longer, he wraps up loose ends, redeems the good guys and dishes out just desserts to the bad guys. Readers who’ve gobbled up this series—and fallen for its unlikely heroine, Lisbeth Salander—won’t be disappointed. (Before giving it to patrons, keep in mind that the series—beginning with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo—should be read in order.)

Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls (2009)

The author of The Glass Castle continues the family saga with a true life novel about her amazing grandmother. Lily Casey Smith's adventures in the American Southwest take her from breaking horses to teaching in remote schools to running a ranch where she raises her two children. Half Broke Horses will appeal to fans of The Glass Castle and those who enjoy historical tales about strong women.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen (2009)

A lapsed Mennonite academic goes home to her quirky parents after, in the same week, her husband leaves her for another man and she's injured in a terrible car accident. This funny and engaging memoir will be beloved by readers who enjoy David Sedaris and Jen Lancaster.

Murder in the Palais Royal by Cara Black (2010)

Readers who love female private investigators will love the new Aimee Leduc book. As usual, French private investigator Aimee is running around Paris trying to find who shot her partner Rene Friant and is setting her up for the crime. Like the female private eyes of Grafton and Lipman, Aimee is feisty and refuses to be stopped, even if she puts her life in danger. However, only Aimee runs around Paris in high-heeled boots and designer clothes.  This is an atmospheric series that evokes the spirit of Paris while making the reader feel like they are in the City of Lights.  Aimee is a charming character, and the story never stops. 

Noah’s Compass by Anne Tyler (2010)
This is a wonderful coming-of-age story about a divorced middle-aged man who must learn to be happy on his own. Like all of Anne Tyler’s novels, there is a great sense of place in the Baltimore setting.

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (2010)

This first entry in a new series by Fforde (The Eyre Affair) is a satire set in a zany dystopian future, where humans are classified by their color perception (think Monty Python crossed with George Orwell by way of Sherwin-Williams). It takes some time to become immersed in this world, but things grow more amusing, fast-paced and poignant as the story progresses.

What are the ARRT Steering Committee Members Up To These Days?
Some Readers’ Advisors from around the country, including past and present ARRT Steering Committee members, were busy writing articles and essays for the January/February “Readers’ Advisory Issue” of Public Libraries. This invaluable issue is a definite keeper to anyone who dabbles or delves into Readers’ Advisory services! Right off the bat, one sentence that stood out for me was in the From the President column by Sari Feldman, President of the Public Library Association and Executive Director of the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Public Library: “Our obsession with books and reading hasn’t been hindered by technology at all; it has been enhanced by it.” You must read the rest of her column to know what she means by that statement!

A few ARRT Steering Committee members contributed to Nann Blaine Hillyard's Perspectives column, “The Expanding Scope of Readers’ Advisory.” I contributed to the column by writing a brief essay called “Beyond the Book: Listeners’ and Viewers’ Advisory Resources” which mentions some advisory resources for films and music. I noted that Listeners’ and Viewers’ Advisory is still a developing science and skill (hmm—sounds like where Readers' Advisory was 22 years ago when I started my library career)! I also mention at the end of the article that if anyone has any wonderful, invaluable resources for Listeners’ and Viewers’ Advisory (including audiobooks for those listeners who choose books by narrator), to please send them to me (bkruser@nileslibrary.org). I promise I will then compile them and write a much larger article next time with all the compiled resources!

Karen Kleckner of Deerfield Public Library and Rebecca Vnuk (Past Chair of the ARRT Steering Committee) also contributed to Nann’s article with an essay called “Readers, Writers, Books, and Blogs.” The essay opens with a question—Where are your patrons getting current information about their favorite authors or topics? If the answer is “online,” Rebecca and Karen provide many suggestions and online resources to catch up on for librarians still accustomed to using print resources. They explain RSS feeds and suggest some blog readers. They then hone down to some excellent blogs to help Readers' Advisors to choose the most valuable out of the millions of blogs out there. By the way, the title of this essay is also the name of their program they did at the recent ILA Conference and will be doing again in March as an ARRT program. I'm sure the March program will be just as entertaining and informative as ILA—and maybe they both found even MORE great blogs to share! Mark your calendars for March 31^st—visit www.arrtreads.org for more info!

Rebecca Vnuk also wrote a feature article called “Jack of All Trades Readers’ Advisory: How to Learn a Little About a Lot.” She comments on the realities of Readers’ Advisory—that knowing the theory and the right questions to ask will only get you so far. Because, in reality, not every patron looking for a good book is willing to spend 20 minutes with you to answer all your questions about mood, theme, character, etc. And, patrons do still believe that all of us have read every book in our collection and should be ready with a recommendation for a “good book” at a moment's notice. Rebecca offers concrete advice to provide service. She also offers what she calls “The Top Five of the Top Five” which are the top five genres and the five things you need to know about them! This list itself is definitely worth the price of the journal!

ARRT Steering Committee
For a complete list of Adult Reading Round Table Steering Committee members and their duties, please visit www.arrtreads.org and click on “Steering Committee.”