Assignment 1: Although I haven't been checking it until recently (thanks, Salon) NPR Books has been a great resource so far. I enjoy the ability to search by genre and by other categories that are more timely, like summer books. Plus the ability to read author interviews or listen to them via podcast makes for such a wealth of information that any bibliophile could get lost in. I think the favorite thing I discovered on this site was the "My Guilty Pleasure" page, which has some delightfully offbeat treats.
The other site I've been poking around is Mystery Readers International. This site is interesting because it isn't strictly about books. It seems to be a site full of things that fans of mysteries would like. Including a whole mess of Dying for Chocolate dessert recipes, which I gaze upon as I shovel food into my face at another all out Pikesville staff party. While not as useful a literary resource as NPR, the blog sections seems the best source of information. One thing I discovered here that brought me joy was the daily cartoon. Here's a painfully dry one:
Assignment 3: As a super macho dude, one subgenre I'm unfamiliar with is Chick Lit. This genre's appeal factors are light heartedness and its humor. Confessions of a Shopaholic, the Devil Wears Prada, and Something Borrowed are popular titles in this genre by popular authors.
Paranormal is another subgenre I don't read. It's appeal factors are spirits, haunted things and a general spooky/eeriness. James Herbert, Christopher Ransom, and Scott Nicholson are authors who seem to have many books or series in this subgenre.
A final subgenre that I know nothing about is Hip-hop. The appeal of this seems to be that the stories are about the characters trying to break into the music industry. Popular authors in this genre are Azarel, Ericka Williams, Allison Hobbs who have written several books and series within this subgenre.
Mashups. Who doesn't love a good mashup? The first such book that comes to mind for me is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is somewhere between historical fiction and horror. It uses the foundation of Pride and Prejudice and adds a horror spin. Another mashup would be Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. It takes the characters of your typical chick lit book, a dance team, and thrusts them into a survival situation on a mysterious island. The team continues to practice their dance moves while their lives are in danger. It sounds delightfully fun.
The other site I've been poking around is Mystery Readers International. This site is interesting because it isn't strictly about books. It seems to be a site full of things that fans of mysteries would like. Including a whole mess of Dying for Chocolate dessert recipes, which I gaze upon as I shovel food into my face at another all out Pikesville staff party. While not as useful a literary resource as NPR, the blog sections seems the best source of information. One thing I discovered here that brought me joy was the daily cartoon. Here's a painfully dry one:
Assignment 3: As a super macho dude, one subgenre I'm unfamiliar with is Chick Lit. This genre's appeal factors are light heartedness and its humor. Confessions of a Shopaholic, the Devil Wears Prada, and Something Borrowed are popular titles in this genre by popular authors.
Paranormal is another subgenre I don't read. It's appeal factors are spirits, haunted things and a general spooky/eeriness. James Herbert, Christopher Ransom, and Scott Nicholson are authors who seem to have many books or series in this subgenre.
A final subgenre that I know nothing about is Hip-hop. The appeal of this seems to be that the stories are about the characters trying to break into the music industry. Popular authors in this genre are Azarel, Ericka Williams, Allison Hobbs who have written several books and series within this subgenre.
Mashups. Who doesn't love a good mashup? The first such book that comes to mind for me is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is somewhere between historical fiction and horror. It uses the foundation of Pride and Prejudice and adds a horror spin. Another mashup would be Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. It takes the characters of your typical chick lit book, a dance team, and thrusts them into a survival situation on a mysterious island. The team continues to practice their dance moves while their lives are in danger. It sounds delightfully fun.
The "My Guilty Pleasure" page was enjoyable to look through. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome!
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