The secret shopper mission went so much better than what I thought it would be! Granted, I didn't really have ANY idea of what it would be like, but [name of librarian], you did a fantastic job! To the left is a picture of the handwritten notes and recommendations she gave me, which includes two different queries.
First, I wanted to make it a bit of a challenge by seeing what sort of book she would recommend that would be my Romance Genre pick for the annotations assignment coming up. I do not normally read romance, and if I do, it's usually a secondary plot line to the main story. I was curious how she would find something for me with very little info. Her method?: asking about what TV shows and movies I enjoy. Seamlessly slipping into a conversation with me about my favorite TV shows and movies, she was able to start to tease out some books that I might enjoy that fit the category. The one I ended up picking was Landline by Rainbow Rowell, so if you haven't read it yet, be sure to check out my annotation for it when we discuss the romance genre! I actually started AND finished it earlier today before typing up the assignment, and was caught off guard how much I enjoyed it and it pulled me in. Kudos to you, [name of librarian], well done.
The second query I had was to legitimately find something interesting to read for personal leisure time. If you read my reading profile post earlier, you know that I enjoy near-future sci-fi and thrillers that are grounded in real science, modern discoveries, and plausible scenarios. So that was the angle I took, curious to see if there were any she would recommend that weren't already on my "To-Read" list. Several of her initial recommendations hit on stuff I had already read, like Ready Player One and Jurassic Park, but finding out I had already read those only gave her more fuel to find other books. What she came up with is found in the picture to the left. I didn't check out any of them yet, due to my long list of books to read in the next few weeks, but I did add all three to my "To-Read" list for the future!
I'm impressed by how well the librarian did! I do reader's advisory very rarely and I've never thought to ask someone what movies and tv shows they like. That is a great strategy! I like that she gave you a list of possible suggestions rather than just 1. I'll be looking forward to your romance annotation- I've heard good things about Rainbow Rowell but haven't read any of her books yet.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has never really had an interest in the romance genre, the two books I have read of hers have really impressed me! I read Eleanor and Park over Christmas break, and while still being a teen book, what stood out the most was the hearty story that came with the romance. It wasn't just a sappy love story between two shallow people, but she (from the two I have read now) takes the time to develop the characters and places them in an actual compelling story that fuels the romance.
DeleteWow! You ran into a great librarian!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a great RA experience! Asking about tv and movies was a great tactic. I really enjoyed Landline by Rainbow Rowell, so I'm glad to hear you liked it.
ReplyDeleteWow, you had the luxury experience. That is awesome! Kudos to that librarian! I do find it funny that she put The Name of the Wind into "romance that's not romance" category. I am doing that book for my fantasy annotation so I am curious to see how that fits into it. I will be sure to make note of it in my annotation after I read it. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was confused with that one at first too until she explained that it has a great romance story inside the broader fantasy tale (I had mentioned briefly in the earlier part of our conversation that I also enjoy fantasy stories). The Name of the Wind is actually something that is already on my list to tackle at some point in the future once Rothfuss finally gets around to finishing the third installment. I'll be sure to check out your annotation for it (as long as you don't spoil anything!!)
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