#Libfaves18 Honorable Mentions!

And as promised, here are my honorable mentions from 2018!

Thursday, 12/20/2018 – My #Libfaves18 Honorable Mentions (#Libfaves18HM)

Had so many honorable mentions it's going to take 2 tweets, here's Pt 1: THE QUEEN OF SORROW by @sarahbethdurst; HELLO STRANGER by @LisaKleypas; SPINNING SILVER by @naominovik; EMPIRE OF SAND by @stshadrinkstea; & THE POPPY WAR by @kuangry #libfaves18hm 

And Pt 2: THE BEST COOK IN THE WORLD: TALES FROM MY MOMMA’S TABLE written & read by @rickbraggauthor; NOIR by @TheAuthorGuy, read by @johnnyheller; CLOCK DANCE by @AnneTylerAuthor, read by Kimberly Farr; & AN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE THING by @hankgreen, read by Kristen Sieh #libfaves18hm

Already anticipating the release of some great titles in 2019 and can hardly wait to read them! 

More Tweets - My Top Ten Titles, Continued

It's been a great ten days tweeting about my favorites reads and watching to see what others librarians enjoyed during 2018! For your reading enjoyment, here is the second half of my #Libfaves18 top ten list:

My #Libfaves18 Top Ten Reads Published in 2018 Countdown, continued:

Saturday, 12/15/2018 - Day 6 & my day to tally votes! 

5: THE MORTAL WORD by @GenevieveCogman - Dragons, Fae & the Library in peace talks!?! Fast-paced action & mystery combine with witty dialogue & new developments for Irene, everyone's favorite librarian-in-residence & her former apprentice, the dragon prince Kai! #Libfaves18

Sunday, 12/16/2018 – Day 7

4: CIRCE by @MillerMadeline – debut narrator @PerditaWeeks enhances Miller’s tale of the maligned immortal witch that takes her from lonely approval-seeking child to angry, fierce avenger & as a single mother, determined to protect her son from divine vengeance. #Libfaves18

Monday, 12/17/2018 – Day 8

3: THE DARKEST CHILD by Delores Phillips. Bahni Turpin’s authentic & expressive narration of Phillips' modern classic draws listeners into the tale of Tangy May & her 10 siblings as they struggle to survive poverty & escape their unpredictable & abusive mother. #Libfaves18

Tuesday, 12/18/2018 – Day 9

2: KILL THE FARM BOY by @DelilahSDawson & @KevinHearne – a unique band of fantasy characters go on a curse-breaking, pun-filled quest spoofing all things folk & fairy tale. The ‘chosen one’ trope is turned hilariously upside down, then skewed delightfully sideways! #Libfaves18

Wednesday, 12/19/2018 – Day 10

1: EDUCATED: A MEMOIR by @tarawestover - an intense, unforgettable memoir about a young girl who defied her family & the odds to enter the larger world & become a scholar, masterfully narrated by @justjuliawhelan. Intriguing, horrifying, & inspiring. @Libfaves18

Tomorrow I will be tweeting about my honorable mentions (remember that mighty struggle to keep the list to ten titles ...), so watch for one more #Libfaves18 post! 

#Libfaves is Alive and Well (Again!) in 2018

Like many other librarians, I have taken to Twitter for the annual "Libfaves" event that occurs for ten days every December.  I struggled mightily to get my list down to just ten titles (so many great books this year!) and since Monday have been tweeting about my favorite reads for 2018.

Tomorrow I will be tallying votes as part of #Libfaves18 but here is my list of favorites so far, the rest will be posted on December 19.

My #Libfaves18 Top Ten Reads Published in 2018 Countdown:

Monday, 12/10/2018 – Day 1

10: THE WIFE BETWEEN US by @greerkh & @sarahpekkanen - a dizzying psychological thriller about the wife (or is it wives?) of a seemingly perfect husband, where nothing is what is seems & what is it with that sister of his? #Libfaves18

Tuesday, 12/11/2018 – Day 2

9: THE LAST COWBOYS: A PIONEER FAMILY IN THE NEW WEST by @JohnBanchNYT, audiobook read by @JohnPruden - a reporter’s you-are-there portrait of the Wright's, a family of cattle ranchers & world-champion saddle-bronc riders! The West isn't what it used to be! #Libfaves18

Wednesday,12/12/2018 – Day 3

8: FOUNDRYSIDE by @robertjbennett – a former slave/thief extraordinaire teams up with an unusually vocal lock-picking artifact, a re-awakened device from a bygone age that may be the ‘literal’ key to everything; 1st in a complex, action-packed fantasy series. #Libfaves18

Thursday, 12/13/2018 – Day 4

7: THE MUSIC SHOP by @RachelJoyceBooks, read by @StevenPHartley – Frank is a master at offering musical advice to others but resists real closeness himself. Checkout the playlist of tracks & artists https://tinyurl.com/yawoca2y mentioned in this delightful love story. #Libfaves18

Friday, 12/14/2018 – Day 5

6: PET SEMATARY by @StephenKing - @TheMichaelCHall's new recording of this contemporary horror classic is excellent! Great accents, pacing & expression build tension & suspense, pulling listeners into the growing terror & despair of a grief-stricken father. #Libfaves18

Library staff everywhere are invited to tweet about their top reads of the year, counting down from #10 and ending with their all-time #1 favorite for 2018. The rules are simple:  

• Use the #libfaves18 hashtag
• Titles must have been published in 2018
• Post one title a day (you can play catch up if starting after 12/10)
• Type the title in ALL CAPS
• Include the author 

Why not join the fun? What were your favorites reads in 2018? 

2018 Missouri Library Association Annual Conference

I will be presenting a table talk and two breakout sessions at the 2018 Missouri Library Association Annual Conference from Oct 10-12, 2018. 

(Icon © 2011)

Now seemed like the perfect time for the RAT Queen to add some new content to the Tales blog. Keeping my fingers crossed this is the start of more to come ... :-)

My co-presenter for the following programs will be Kaite Mediatore Stover from The Kansas City Public Library:

Top Ten Productions: Readers' Advisory Adventures Brought to You by LibraryReads  (Table Talk: 10/11/2018)

Talking About Reading: The Art and Soul of the Readers' Conversation  (Breakout Session: 10/11/2018)

Reading With Your Ears: Readers' Advisory and Audiobooks  (Breakout Session: 10/12/2018)

Click on the Resources tab to find out more information about these (and other) presentations.

Four4U+: Rediscovering History

This thematically connected list has been expanded beyond four titles (#44U+) so readers have more choices and can continue their exploration of the theme. And because the history major in me found it such an interesting topic to investigate ... :-)

A number of books have been published in the past few years offering opportunities for rediscovering history from a different perspective. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rachel Skloot (2010) kicked this off by telling the true story of one woman's unknowing and unacknowledged contribution to the marvels of contemporary medical research. Pretty Good for a Girl: Women In Bluegrass by Murphy Hicks Henry (2013) provided a cultural history of over 70 overlooked women in American music. And 2015 brought Rachel Swaby's Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science – And the World with inspiring profiles of dismissed women from the field of science.

2016 was a banner year for uncovering the stories behind women (formerly) lost to the historical record and 2017 seems to be continuing the theme. The topics of the following titles range from science to royalty to art to pirates and include a catchall title of forgotten women throughout history.

The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of Harvard University Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava Sobel (2016) - a compelling and detailed account of an obscure but true story of women's contributions to astronomy

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly (2016) - the true story and major motion picture about the black female mathematicians of NASA who helped launch Americans into space

Rejected Princesses: Tales of History’s Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Hellcats by Jason Porath (2016) – a celebration of “inspirational, badass women throughout history ... based on (the) popular Tumblr blog” rejectedprincesses.tumblr.com

 

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs (2016) - a lineup of influential women from the fields of science, medicine, espionage, innovation, and adventure

Identity Unknown: Rediscovering Seven American Women Artists by Donna Seaman (Feb 2017) - a combined biography rescuing seven forgotten female artists from oblivion, bringing their art and stories to light

Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas by Laura Sook Duncombe (April 2017) - a researched history of swashbuckling female buccaneers, both real and legendary

I can hardly wait to see what other titles may be coming. :-)

Twitter: #44U or #4-4-U

February Audiobook of the Month

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I have a great romance audiobook suggestion for you! And guess what? It is also an award-winning title - having been selected for the 2017 Reading List!

Click on the For Listeners tab to find this month's suggestion and scroll down for other audiobook titles. You may also want to check out the Audio Publishers Association list of finalists for the 2017 Audie Awards. The winners will be announced at the Audie Awards Gala on June 1, 2017 in New York City.

RA Tip: Display Idea - 2017 Book and Media Awards

RUSA's Book and Media Awards for 2017 were announced Sunday evening, 01/22/17 during the ALA Midwinter Conference in Atlanta, GA. If you haven't already seen the lists of winners or are looking for a great display idea, here are some links that may be of interest:

2017 Reading List - the best Adult fiction of the year in eight different genre categories, plus a short list of four honor titles for each genre

2017 Listen List - "... highlights extraordinary narrators and listening experiences that merit special attention by a general adult audience and the librarians who advise them." A list of twelve adult audiobooks each with three listen-alikes.

2017 Notable Books - "... an annual best-of list comprised of twenty-six titles written for adult readers and published in the U.S. including literary fiction, nonfiction and poetry."

2017 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction - "... recognize(s) the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. in the previous year." Information about all of the finalists can be found on the Andrew Carnegie site.

2017 Sophie Brody Medal - "... given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature. Works for adults published in the United States in the preceding year are eligible for the award." There is also a list of Honorable mentions.

Winners of other RUSA Book and Media Awards can be found on the RUSA Update - News site. There are links to the press releases for the 2017 Louis Shores and Zora Neale Hurston awards as well as for the Dartmouth Medal, the Outstanding Reference Sources, and the Best of the Best Business Reference Websites among others.

Interested in the awards for children's and teen books? On Monday morning, January 23rd, the 2017 ALA Youth Media Awards were announced. The full list of winners and honor books can be found at the ALA News site.