Bookless on Twitter

Bookless is now on Twitter @book_less. I will save the blog for longer discussions, if needed.

http://twitter.com/book_less

100 Notable Books to Check Out at Your Library

No one said you had to buy the books on this list by New York Times.

100 Notable Books of 2008

When music and literature collide

What do song writers do when they have writer's block? Read a book! Artists for Literacy is a big promoter of this fusion. Check out the YouTube link on their page for a video of "Songs Inspired by Literature."

For those of you who are unfamiliar with wizard rock, such as Harry and the Potters, a rival has arisen...Twi-rock, based on the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Check out "Harry Potter Vs. Twilight: Battle of the Bands About Books" for more info on the rivalry.

For more wizard rock, take a look at the Wizrocklopedia.

For the children literature fans out there, I leave you with a video created by Cambridge Public Library.
Harold and the Purple Crayon

Gaming in the library and on its shelves

Gaming in libraries continues to increase in popularity (see Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers). So what books do gamers want to read, or how can you find books with themes/characters similar to specific video games? Of course, many libraries offer gaming strategy guides, but some readers want to transfer the elements from their favorite game into a book form. Approach this as any other readers' advisory transaction. Here are a few steps:

1. Check your catalog to see if any books exist for the game title.

2. If you are unfamiliar with the game, ask the individual to describe it. This will give you information on the settings, characters, and objectives.

3. With this information, place the game into a couple genres or subjects and then continue your search from there.

If you're not a gamer or not familiar with the game or other media, there is no need to be intimidated. Consider a game's themes, characters, and storylines, as you would with a book, and you will be able to assist any gamer who comes your way.

Moby Games offers a helpful list of video games based on works of literature. The list of games can be organized by Game Title, Year, Publisher, or MobyScore.

Literature-inspired games

RA at RUSQ

Are looking for some professional readers' advisory literature? I recently read "Back to the Future? A Response to Dilevko and Magowan" by Barry Trott and Neil Hollands. This article examines Dilevko and Magowan's history of readers' advisory and reinforces the true nature and purpose of the contemporary readers' advisory services. Other readers' advisory articles are available through the Reference and User Services Quarterly website.

Back to the Future? A Response to Dilevko and Magow

RUSQ - Readers' Advisory

Build your knowledge of book releases

USA Today provides an interactive calendar for 2008 Fall book release dates. For some reason, it is currently defaulting to November 2008, but one can easily scroll through any month from August to December 2008. Calendar items can also be sorted by Title, Author, or Release Date. I found the Release Date sort to be the most helpful. The calendar also includes Movies, TV, and Music release dates.

USA Today 2008 Fall Books
This link defaults to the Movies calendar section. Simply select the "Books" tab.

Online book coverage expands

As book coverage in many print formats, such as newspapers, has been cut back, some online book coverage is expanding to fill the void. In a recent LJ "frontdesk" section, this topic was discussed.

NPR, CNBC Expand Book Coverage

For direct links to NPR's and CNBC's book coverage, see the links below.

Books: NPR

Bullish on Books