Science Fiction vs. Fantasy -- what's the difference?

In a science fiction class I took in college, there was a day when the professor brought in a stack of paperback novels and issued our class a challenge. Could we tell, with a glance at the cover, which books were fantasy and which were sci-fi? Try it yourself with the picture above -- can you tell which is which?

Science fiction and fantasy -- which might be thought of as the "what-if?" genres -- are often considered similar enough in style and substance to warrant being shelved together in bookstores and libraries. However, as any sci-fi or fantasy fan could tell you, the two are generally quite distinct. So how to tell the difference?

Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone, is credited with explaining the difference as "science fiction, the improbable made possible; fantasy, the impossible made probable."

Science fiction is a term reserved for those fantastical stories that could one day be possible. They are stories about technology that could be invented or alien planets that could be discovered. After all, some sci-fi tales have gone on to come true: H.G. Wells published The First Men in the Moon nearly seventy years before the first moon landing, and William Gibson's Neuromancer is credited with introducing the concept of the World Wide Web ... back in 1984. Of course the details may be a bit off (rockets, not "cavorite," got human beings to the moon) -- and there's plenty of sci-fi developments that will always remain fictional. But science fiction prides itself on being the genre of "what could be," if only we have the technology or discovery to reach for it.

Fantasy, meanwhile, is about the purely impossible. Wands, wizards, spells, and magic -- things that have no scientific explanation and will always remain impossible. Science fiction has science (even if it's yet-to-be-discovered, far-flung science). Fantasy does magic. It's as simple as that.

Well ... maybe not that simple. Like Mysteries vs. Thrillers, sometimes a book will have elements of both genres mixed into it. Star Wars, for instance, tells the story of an ancient order of knights who channel a mysterious power and duel in sword fights ... with robots and aliens in spaceships. It's that last bit that keeps Star Wars classified as science fiction, even though many of its elements (such as the Force itself) seem more like fantasy. When deciding whether to classify a book in the Library as sci-fi or fantasy, we librarians sometimes rely on the author's reputation or the publisher's recommendation.

Of course, sometimes it's an easy decision to make -- often by simply looking at the cover of the book itself. You can be pretty sure that this is a science fiction read:

Whereas this is a fantasy story:

Just keep in mind that appearances can sometimes be deceiving. That book with the dragon on top, Dragonflight? That's the first novel in Anne McCaffrey's Pern series -- a series featuring a planet colonized by spaceship-traveling humans, who scientifically create genetically-altered dragons on their new home. There's not a bit of the magical about it -- once you get past your own expectations after seeing a dragon on the cover. Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, on the other hand, sounds like straight-up science fiction with its talk of alternate universes ... until you meet the witches, daemons, and talking polar bears.

Bit of a trick question. Sorry about that. I'll chalk it up to the influence of my sci-fi lit professor, who was always trying to show us a new way to look at everything. Including science fiction book covers!



-- Post by Ms. B

All About Atwood

My favorite author is Jane Austen. My favorite living author, however, is Margaret Atwood. While on the surface that might appear odd, but I think they have more in common than you would think. Plus I like to read a variety of things.

To me Jane Austen was a great observer of human nature. She had a keen eye for the everyday foibles of the average person. Margaret Atwood is also a keen observer of human nature in all its frailties. The big difference is that Jane Austen's protagonists almost always have a happily-ever-after ending; Margaret Atwood's characters are not always so lucky.

I first read one of her novels over 15 years ago and have been hooked ever since. She is an incredibly prolific writer having published over 50 books which include novels, poetry, non-fiction, short fiction and children's books over more than 40 years. She has been short-listed for the Man Booker Prize on numerous occasions and won it in for The Blind Assassin in 2000, which just happens to be my favorite Atwood book.

If you are interested in reading any of her novels, you might want to check one or more of these:

The Handmaid's Tale (1986)

I first read this about 10 years after it was published and really had no idea what I was getting into! This was one of those moments of serendipity while browsing at my local library at the time. To this day I'm not sure what drew me to this title or how I stumbled upon. Maybe I had heard something about it at some point and it stuck in my head. No matter what lead me to it, it turned out to be unlike anything I had ever read before. The story is set in the near future of Gilead (the fomer U.S.) after a monotheatic government has taken over and forced women into becoming "breeders". Women no longer have their own name, they take the name of their husband. The main character is Offred ("Of Fred"). She tells us how this new Republic came to be and the life she had before which included a husband and child. This is a powerful statement by Atwood regarding the Moral Majority of the 1980s and the backlash against feminists of that time period.

This was also made into a major motion picture in 1990 starring Natasha Richardson and Aidan Quinn.

Alias Grace (1996)

This was the 2nd Margaret Atwood book I read, which was about 5 years after the first. I found this while living in Germany (where the English language section at the Essen Public Library saved me!). This is a rare attempt by Atwood into historical fiction. It is also another examination of the status of women by Ms. Atwood. The story is based on the 1843 murder of Canadian Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper and lover, Nancy Montgomery. Grace Marks, 16, who worked for Mr. Kinnear, was convicted of the crimes. Her death sentence was commuted to life in prison. Ms. Marks claims to have no memory of the murders. Ms. Atwood explores the relationship that develops between Grace and an American "mind doctor", Simon Jordan, who is intent on clearing Grace's name. We learn of Grace's life through her talks with Dr. Jordan, but we never know what exactly to believe from Grace. She seems to only tell Dr. Jordan what she wants him to know. Did she or didn't she do it? You'll have to read it for yourself to find out!

The Blind Assassin (2000)

As much as I loved the first 2 Atwood books I read, they lost their place as soon as I finished reading The Blind Assassin. In my humble opinion, I think it is Ms. Atwood's finest work of fiction, if not one of the best novels I have ever read. She is once again exploring the history of Canada, but this time it is entirely fictional. The Blind Assassin is also a book within a book and it's very important to not skip that "other" book because by the end it's hard to know where the one story ends and the other begins. The book opens with the death of Toronto socialite Laura Chase in 1945. How this relates to her sister Iris, Iris' husband, a young man named Alex Thomas and science fiction book written by Laura is the roller coaster ride you will be on if you read The Blind Assassin.


Oryx And Crake (2003) and The Year of the Flood (2009)

I'm going to address these together because, although The Year of the Flood is not a sequel to Oryx and Crake, they are intertwined in so many ways. In these two books, Atwood returns to the dystopian subject she loves so well, this time involving the near destruction of the environment. The environment is very important to Ms. Atwood and it shows in these stories. From a young age she was exposed to the wilderness of her native Quebec. These family trips obviously left a lasting impression on her.

Oryx and Crake is a dark look into what could be our future on this planet. The main character, Jimmy, recalls the life he knew before the ecological disaster that befell Earth. While he struggles to survive amongst genetically altered "humans", he remembers his friends Crake and Oryx. Crake (a.k.a Glenn) was a childhood friend and Oryx was a young, Asian girl sold to a sex-seller. Life before the disaster was not a pretty one and it's a future that Atwood posits could be ours if we don't come to our senses.

In The Year of the Flood, we are introduced to another side of Jimmy's story. This time we see the destruction of the ecological plague through the eyes of Toby and Ren. They are both members of a Christian environmental group called God's Gardeners. After the waterless flood hits, they both struggle to survive. Their story, especially Ren's, is intertwined with Jimmy's. By the end, Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood will intersect. This is continues the same theme as the previous novel - the near ecological destruction of the our world at the hands of powerful corporations.

If you've already read The Year of The Flood or after you do read it, you might want to check out an interesting DVD called In The Wake of The Flood. Filmmaker Ronn Mann follows Margaret Atwood on her tour of Great Britain and North America as she promotes her book by staging theatrical versions of the book, instead of a traditional book tour with readings and autographs. The DVD includes one of these productions.

-- Post by Tracy

Have I read this before?

If you read a lot of books, you have probably asked yourself this question many times as you stand in the library or the bookstore browsing for a new read: "Have I read this before?" Luckily, I'm usually able to figure out if I've read something before or not. But for some people, like my Mom, they can be halfway through a book before realizing that they have read it already. Thankfully, there are many ways to keep track of what you have read and what you would like to read.

The first way is a good old-fashioned written list. This can be as simple as writing down titles on a scrap of paper or buying a Book Journal. Some people will even try keeping a list on their computer using a spreadsheet. While this is a good option, there is always the problem that you could lose your file if your computer crashes.

The other option is keeping track of your books at an online "catalog" service. The big three are LibraryThing, Shelfari and Goodreads. These are a bit more safe because your titles are being saved somewhere other than your personal computer.

LibraryThing

This site was created in 2005 as "an online service to help people catalog their books easily." A free account with LibraryThing lets you catalog up to 200 books. If you have more books than that, a personal account with no limit costs $10 a year or $25 for a lifetime. This site is most appropriate for readers who are most interested in keeping track of their personal library collection, more than just tracking what they have read. LT allows you to use Library of Congress or Dewey subject headings, or you can create your own tags. There is a social aspect to LT, but it is not the main function of this web site.

Shelfari

Shelfari began in October 2006 and is has been owned by Amazon since 2008. This is a social networking site for book lovers. Here you can create a virtual bookshelf of your books. Then you can rate, review, and tag your books. If you are so inclined, you can share this information with your friends. You invite friends and find friends in much the same way as you would on Facebook. In fact, if you have a Facebook account, you can allow Shelfari to access it and share your Shelfairi comments with your Facebook friends. There are also thousands of groups on Shelfari that are generally open to anyone to join.

Goodreads

Started in December 2006, it is the newest of the three sites, but equally as popular. The creators of Goodreads envisioned it as a place to not only keep track of what you've read, but also as a place for book recommendations from your friends. Like Shelfairi, Goodreads is a very social site, with virtual bookgroups available to join (or you can create your own). GoodReads also has sections for trivia, quizzes, and favorite novel and author quotes -- which are a lot of fun and very addictive, so be careful!

Overall, the three sites are quite similar, in that they give you a place to keep track of your reading. The biggest difference is that LibraryThing is restricted to only 250 books for free, while Shelfari and GoodReads are not. After that, which one you choose to use is based on personal taste.

And while they all provide a form of book recommendation, don't forget about your friendly librarians here at Monroeville Public Library. We are here to help you find your next book, DVD, or CD -- in person, by phone, or via email.

-- Post by Tracy

Beyond the Horror

Last week I discussed my all-time favorite author: Stephen King. I mentioned how odd it was, in some respects, for me to be a fan of his -- primarily because I am absolutely not a horror fan. And yet there's something about Stephen King's writing style and thematic story elements that draw me to his writing regardless of that.

But another reason I can enjoy him so much is that he's not, strictly speaking, a "horror writer." Oh, he definitely writes horror -- make no mistake about that -- but many of his books can be classified as thrillers, or mysteries, or science fiction. And even his straight-up horror offerings have more to them just the scares (not that he doesn't write some pretty great scares).

So if you, like me, are not generally a fan of the horror genre, but find yourself wanting to give King a try, here are some alternate-genre reads of his that might be more up your alley.

Duma Key

Edgar Freemantle, owner of a construction company, hasn't sketched a picture in years -- until a construction site accident leaves him with an amputated right arm, memory and speech problems, and a flush of anger issues. Renting a beach home on the west coast of Florida to recover, Edgar takes up his old art hobby once again, only to discover two things: his paintings are better than they've ever been before, and the things he's painting are starting to come true. While many critics commented on the obvious parallels between Edgar's experiences and Stephen King's own near-death experience from several years previous, what I was more impressed by with this novel was the characters. The main characters are interesting and well-developed, and you come to genuinely care about them by the end of the novel.

"Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" // "The Body"

"Different Seasons" collects four short novels by Stephen King, and two of those -- "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" and "The Body" -- are among his finest non-horror works ever.

"Rita Heyworth" -- considered to be one of King's all-time masterpieces -- tells the story of two prison inmates: Red, a "lifer" who has just been denied parole; and Andy, one of the more unusual inmates to serve time at Shawshank. What follows is a story that is equal parts hope and redemption; to give away any more of the plot would be a disservice to the story.

//

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. ... does anyone?"
"The Body" details the summer adventure of four pre-teen boys in 1960s Maine. While the object of their quest -- another boy who went missing and is now presumed dead -- is macabre, the story itself is not. It is, as the saying goes, about the journey, not the destination, and it's more about the stories of these four boys than it is anything else. King captures the voices of four youthful characters with his usual precision -- the kids are buoyant, silly, crude, and above all optimistic, giving a portrayal of childhood that is far from idealistic but still, in its way, fondly remembered.


(Both of these novellas happen to have been made into truly excellent film adaptations: The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and Stand By Me, starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, and Richard Dreyfuss.)

The Eyes of the Dragon

As I mentioned last week, this was my first Stephen King novel, given to me by my mother when I was in high school. George R.R. Martin meets Grimm fairy tale, it's a high fantasy adventure about two royal brothers -- one of whom is Crown Prince, while the other becomes a witness to a murder of their father and King. Simply and straightforwardly told, it's something most fantasy fans should enjoy -- while also being a pleasant change of pace from the usual Tolkien derivative fare.

The Dead Zone

This one's a science fiction read that doubles as a thriller: if you could see the future, how far would you go to prevent it? Johnny Smith is injured in a car accident and put in a five-year coma; when he awakens, he finds himself with five years of his life gone, his parents stressed to the breaking point, and his former girlfriend now married to someone else. That in itself could have made for an interesting story, but King takes it a step further: the accident has left Johnny with psychic abilities. By touching an object, he has visions about the person that the item belongs to -- including visions of the future. And one vision in particular is cause for alarm, detailing the cataclysmic fate that awaits the world if presidential hopeful Greg Stiltson is elected to office. As sci-fi thrillers go, you can't ask for much better than this. (And yes, this book resulted in both a motion picture adaptation, as well as a six season TV series.)

The Green Mile

King is well-known to his fans for being unafraid to try different formats for his work: Riding the Bullet was originally released exclusively online, Ur is only available to read on the Kindle, and his new short stories are still routinely released in magazines. With "The Green Mile," King tried his hand at the serial novel -- the book being released in six parts that were issued monthly in low-priced paperback format. (The book has since been collected into one large novel.)

Another prison novel, this one differs from "Shawshank Redemption" in its supernatural twist. Told from the perspective of Paul Edgecombe, the block supervisor of the Cold Mountain Penitentiary death row, it details the story of inmate John Coffey, a man on death row for a crime he may or may not have committed. Another story about redemption and innocence, with a decidedly different twist from "Shawshank," this story comes to focus on Coffey and the question of his innocence or guilt -- not to mention his mysterious healing powers. This book, too, has been made into a well-known film, starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Nine-year-old Trisha McFarland is hiking with her mother and brother when she falls off the trail for a few minutes to get away from her family's bickering. A nightmare follows when a wrong turn finds her lost in the woods with nothing but a backpack of snacks, a Walkman, and her Tom Gordon baseball cap. The plot is simplistic in set-up, but the story it tells -- about courage, determination, family, and the power of faith (in both God and baseball) -- is anything but. I read this book for the first time over a decade ago, and it still remains my favorite King read.

The Dark Tower series

"Go, then -- there are other worlds than these." Stephen King's masterpiece is also his hardest work to describe. Science fiction? High fantasy? Epic? "Epic," at least, is certainly a word to describe this seven-book series that was nearly 20 years in the making, and which also serves to tie together many of the characters, settings, and stories of the rest of King's novels. And yet, it's not a horror series, reading more like a Spaghetti Western tribute crossed with post-apocalyptic fantasy ... and that's just the first book. Whether you like fantasy, science fiction, Westerns, or Epics, there's probably something in this book for you. (There's even a Harry Potter reference for the particularly sharp-eyed!)


-- Post by Ms. B

"So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it."

Working at a library can sometimes be very frustrating when you love to read. We are surrounded by so many books but we don't have time to read anything while we are at work, even though we really want to! And unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way of reading when we are away from work. At least this is my personal point of view. So if I had more time to read, these are a few of the titles I would like to try:

Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt

Two women running away from their marriages collide cars on a foggy highway, killing one of them. The survivor, Isabelle, is left to pick up the pieces, not only of her own life, but of the lives of the devastated husband and fragile son that the other woman, April, has left behind. Together, they try to solve the mystery of where April was running to, and why.

Swamplandia by Karen Russell

Twelve year old Ava must travel into the Underworld part of the swamp in order to save her family's dynasty of Bigtree alligator wrestling.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Discovering a magical manuscript in Oxford's library, scholar Diana Bishop, a descendant of witches who has rejected her heritage, inadvertently unleashes a fantastical underworld of daemons, witches, and vampires whose activities center around an enchanted treasure.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

A haunting novel about the tenuous friendship that blooms between two disparate strangers--one an illegal Nigerian refugee, the other a recent widow from suburban London.

2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America by Albert Brooks

The first novel from actor, writer, and director Brooks--set in the near future where a dramatically aging population combined with an unprecedented natural disaster leads to a nation so hamstrung by debt that the only way out is almost unthinkable.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

The Andreas family is one of readers. Their father, a renowned Shakespeare professor who speaks almost entirely in verse, has named his three daughters after famous Shakespearean women. When the sisters return to their childhood home to care for their ailing mother, and to lick their wounds and bury their secrets, they are horrified to find the others there. But the sisters soon discover that everything they've been running from might offer more than they ever expected.

-- Post by Tracy

Overlooked Books

I'm not much of a bestsellers kind of reader. As a librarian it's my job to know what's on all of the bestsellers lists, but I'm usually not in a hurry to read any of them. I'm more of the type of reader that likes books that are a little off the radar. Or I just wait until the frenzy is over!

So no matter what kind of reader you are you might want to give one or two of the following titles a chance. They were all well received, but did not sell as many copies as a lot of other books. You never know, you might find a new favorite author!


Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde - From the bestselling author of "Thursday Next" comes a brilliant new novel--part social satire, part romance, part revolutionary thriller--about a world where social order and destiny are dictated by the colors one can see.



Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín - From the award-winning author of "The Master" comes a moving historical novel set in Brooklyn and Ireland in the early 1950s, concerning a young woman torn between her family and her past in Ireland and the American who wins her heart.



Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger - The author of the phenomenally successful novel "The Time Traveler's Wife" returns with a spectacularly compelling and haunting second book set in and around Highgate Cemetery in London.



Zeitoun by Dave Eggers - When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a prosperous Syrian-American and father of four, chose to stay through the storm to protect his house and contracting business. In the days after the storm, he traveled the flooded streets in a secondhand canoe, passing on supplies and helping those he could. A week later, on September 6, 2005, Zeitoun abruptly disappeared. Eggers's riveting nonfiction book, three years in the making, explores Zeitoun's roots in Syria, his marriage to Kathy -- an American who converted to Islam -- and their children, and the surreal atmosphere (in New Orleans and the United States generally) in which what happened to Abdulrahman Zeitoun was possible.



Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton, with Erin Torneo - Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her apartment while she slept. She was able to escape, and eventually positively identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. Ronald insisted that she was mistaken-- but Jennifer's positive identification was the compelling evidence that put him behind bars. After eleven years, Ronald was allowed to take a DNA test that proved his innocence. He was released, after serving more than a decade in prison for a crime he never committed. Two years later, Jennifer and Ronald met face to face-- and forged an unlikely friendship that changed both of their lives. In their own words, Jennifer and Ronald unfold the harrowing details of their tragedy, and challenge our ideas of memory and judgment while demonstrating the profound nature of human grace and the healing power of forgiveness.



The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Dave Eggers - In "The Worst Hard Time," Egan put the environmental disaster of the Dust Bowl at the center of a rich history. Now he performs the same alchemy with this story of the largest-ever forest fire in America, painting a moving portrait of the people who lived through the disaster.



-- Post by Tracy

The Hypnotist

Ever since The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson was published in the US in 2008, there has been an increased interest in mysteries and psychological thrillers written by Scandinavian authors. The latest title to hit the bookshelves is The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler (a pseudonym for a married couple). The only witness to a triple homicide in Sweden is a teenage boy who is in a state of shock and of no help to the police. Detective Joona Linna calls in a hypnotist to find out who the killer is. This leads to terrifying results for all involved.

If you would like to read more titles like this check out some of these authors:



Henning Mankell:

Mankell is famous for his Kurt Wallander series. The first title in the series is Faceless Killers (1997). The books were also developed into a television series by the BBC and broadcast in the US on PBS. The DVDs are available through the library.




Jo Nesbo:

Nesbo is a Norwegian mystery writer, who also has written children's books. His series follows Detective Harry Hole. The first book published in the US, is The Redbreast (2007). His latest book, The Snowman, is the 5th book published in the US.


Camilla Lackberg:

While only 2 of her books (The Ice Princess and The Preacher) have been published in the US so far, she has published 7 in her native Sweden. Her books are set in a small coastal village in Sweden called Fjällbacka, which is also the town where Ms. Lackberg grew up.



Check out these other Scandinavian authors:

Karin Alvtegen
Ake Edwardson
Kerstin Ekman
Kjell Eriksson
Mari Jungstedt
Asa Larsson
Hakan Nesser
Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
Johan Theorin

-- Post by Tracy

What to Read Next?

Trying to figure out what to read next? A bestsellers list is a great way to find new titles.

Every week, here at Monroeville Public Library, we post a copy of the New York Times Bestsellers List for our patrons to look at. While this is the best-known list, it is not the only one out there. There is the USA Today Best-Selling Books, Publishers Weekly Bestsellers, Indie Bestsellers from the American Booksellers Association and CBA Bestsellers from the Christian Booksellers Association.

So which is the best list for you? I'll give a brief description of what each has to offer, and then you can decide for yourself.

New York Times Bestsellers List:

The list we post focuses on fiction and non-fiction in hardback, but they also include paperback, ebook, graphic novels and many other categories on their website. These lists are based on sales from a variety of vendors, including independent book stores, online retailers, newsstands, university book stores and even grocery stores.

USA Today:

This list is compiled from many of the same type of resources that the New York Times uses. The big difference in their list is that USA Today puts all the titles together in one big list, although it is possible to sort it by different genres.

Publishers Weekly:

It's very similar to the New York Times list but also includes best-selling audiobooks.

Indiebound:

This list compiles the best-selling books as reported by independent book stores (yes, they still exist!). These are also broken down by adult or children, fiction or non-fiction and hardback or paperback.

CBA:

These are the top-selling books as reported by Christian book stores. They also provide different types of lists -- including music and video, along with audiobooks.

These lists are all great ways to find that next book to read. Once you have picked a title or two, you can go to our website and search our catalog to request a copy. Since these are best-sellers there may be a long wait for some of these titles. But don't despair! Starting soon, we are going to post some "readalikes" -- lists of different book ideas that are similar to current best-sellers. But in the meantime, check out these lists and see what interests you. Happy Reading!

Welcome to Mallville Library

Several months ago I was lucky enough to attend the American Library Association's annual conference. There were a lot of amazing seminars and fantastic resources put on display that weekend, but a definite highlight of the conference was the chance to meet Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes -- and to thank them for their awesome online comic, "Unshelved."

"This comic improves the quality of my life!" I gushed to Gene Ambaum as he was signing my book of collected "Unshelved" comics, prompting a smile from Ambaum.

"We like to hear that," said Barnes, who had already signed my book, along with drawing a picture of Merv (one of my favorite "Unshelved" characters) for good measure. I'm hardly the only librarian to be a big fan of "Unshelved" -- although, as Ambaum and Barnes like to point out, their comic strip is definitely not meant just for librarians.

"Unshelved" is a daily comic strip which chronicles the adventures and misadventures of the library staff members at the fictional Mallville Public Library. Characters include Colleen, the "old school" reference librarian who doesn't care for all this suspicious new technology; Buddy, the library page (who was originally hired to be the summer reading mascot and still wears his beaver costume to work); and my favorite, Dewey, the comic-book-loving teen services librarian. (Can't imagine what would draw me to him.)

"I'd like to check out some Spider-Man comics."

New strips are released Monday through Friday, with "rerun" comics featured on the weekends. Despite its central cast of librarians, however, "Unshelved" is something which can be read and enjoyed by anybody who loves their local library.

The writing is sharp and witty; I've laughed out loud at punchlines more often than I can count. And the artwork matches up to the writing; I love the cartoony aspects of the characters, particularly their more exasperated and exaggerated facial expressions.

Stephen King observed in his writing memoir that "people like to read about work. I don't know why, but they do." (I suspect it has something to do with the fact that we spend so much of our time at our jobs!) One need only to look as far as the success of a show like "The Office," which is all about the awkward and hilarious dynamics of the workplace.

"Book Returned 47 Years Late."

What makes "Unshelved" so special is that it manages to combine the workplace humor that so many people enjoy with a genuine love of books, reading, and libraries. This must be due in large part to the fact that Ambaum is a librarian himself, and both Ambaum and Barnes are clearly book-lovers (they review their latest reads every Friday).

Their affection for the world of reading -- and for the world of libraries -- adds a dash of heart to their comic strip, making it a truly unique read. So if you're a library-lover, be sure to check it out.

… no pun intended, of course.

Check out more "Unshelved" by checking out their collections in our Catalog!

Unshelved
What Would Dewey Do?
Library Mascot Cage Match
Book Club
Frequently Asked Questions
Reader's Advisory
Large Print

Patrons Who Read This Also Liked ...

One of the most challenging and most enjoyable part of being a librarian -- at least for me -- is Reader's Advisory.

Most of you are probably aware of Amazon.com's "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" feature. Find an item on Amazon, and halfway down the page you'll see a list of further suggestions for you based on what you're already viewing. Look up a Harry Potter book, for instance, and Amazon will suggest the rest of the series to you -- along with books from the Twilight, Lord of the Rings, and Charlie Bone series. The idea is that, if you're looking up Harry Potter books, you're probably a fantasy fan to boot -- and Amazon will suggest similar products to you in the hopes that, y'know, you'll buy a few more things in addition to what you'd actually come to the website for. What you may not know is that we here at the library have our own methods of "suggesting similar items" to our patrons.

Many Monroeville Public Library patrons do know that they can ask us librarians and library staff members for book recommendations. And if you've never tried it before, keep in mind that at the library, you've got the added bonuses of:

A.) a real live person thinking about what you might like to read next, and

B.) no need to purchase your selection. We won't try to talk you into buying something here, after all -- we're happy just to have you leave with a (free) book in your hands that you're excited to try. And so, to that end: Reader's Advisory.

Reader's Advisory is part reference, part service here at MPL. We've got an actual Reader's Advisory guidebook section (located near the Front Desk), where you can find guides to reading suggestions like Read On Historical Fiction: Reading Lists for Every Taste, The Real Story: A Guide to Non-Fiction Reading Interests, Blood, Bedlam, Bullets, and Badguys: A Reader's Guide to Adventure/Suspect Fiction, and many more guides to suggestions of what you might like to read next in your favorite genres.

But we've also got a building full of librarians and library staff who are eager to help you find your next great read. There are all sorts of recommendations we can make to you, too. Ask us about the last great book we read. Or, if you find a staff member whose reading tastes are a bit different from yours, tell us about your favorite titles and authors and we'll think up some "read-alikes" for you -- read-alikes being, of course, books that are similar to each other (like our Harry Potter example up above).

Suggesting books that people might like to read can be challenging -- and also a lot of fun. As the teen librarian, I find that sometimes it's quite simple to come up with a title my teen patrons might like. ("Do you have any books about vampires?" is pretty easy to answer!) But sometimes, I've got my work cut out for me -- particularly if someone is looking for a good western or romance, two genres I myself don't read particularly often.

Of course, that's part of the fun and the challenge, to come up with a good book suggestion that might be outside our individual realm of expertise. At that point, we'll probably turn to outside help -- pulling up database listings of read-alikes for your perusal, or flagging down a fellow staff member who we know happens to share an interest in the genre you're looking for. (My co-workers know that I'm the Go-To Gal when it comes to science fiction recommendations, for instance -- and, hey, if anybody out there is looking for a great graphic novel suggestion, I'd be more than happy to help!)

So if you're looking for something just like the book you finished ... or for the latest great thriller ... or for something different entirely ... stop by our library and check out everything our Reader's Advisory services have to offer. We'd love to help you find your next great read!

Mystery vs. Thriller -- what's the difference?

In a true mystery novel, the murder or action has already taken place and the rest of the story is devoted to finding out who-done-it and why. Motivation is part of the puzzle; and most of the action takes place in the mind of the protagonist. Often, the villain remains unidentified until the very end, while characters are developed and the lead sleuth gains important psychological insights into all the suspects.



By contrast, a suspense novel is one in which the action or crime is yet to happen. The reader is led to the climax as tension rises continuously. Often the reader knows exactly who is going to perform the anticipated event -- without knowing exactly when, where, or how it will occur.



When in doubt as to how to classify a book -- Mystery or Suspense -- we take our cues from the author’s reputation or the publisher’s recommendation. For example, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson has elements of both mystery and suspense. By applying all the criteria, we have placed this entertaining novel in our Mystery Section. Check it out on your next visit!