Week Fifteen Prompt Response

Three ways that we promote our collection at my library are the following: 

1. Themed book lists. I'm pretty sure every library under the sun does this, but a list of related titles is just such a great way to pique reader interest. When we have done One Book programs historically, these always included read-alike titles to the One Book.

2. "Hot Book" videos. Occasionally, we partner with Communications to produce videos highlighting a trending book or a book that our staff is enjoying and create a BookTok style video for our socials. We try to follow current social media trends when doing these.

3. Next Great Read service. Patrons can fill out forms at our circulation desks or online and receive five tailored book recommendations from our readers' advisory committee via email! This service waxes and wanes in popularity, but I think it's super neat. Its die-hard fans are huge advocates for the service.

Week Fourteen Prompt Response

If I were tasked with the decision whether to separate urban fiction and LGBTQ fiction from more generalized fiction, I would be in favor of separating urban but not LGBTQ fiction. Urban fiction describes a specific genre with its own conventions and expectations. Patrons looking for urban fiction will have a better browsing experience if all of the urban fiction is in one place. This is what my library actually has done; we have our own well-loved urban shelves at our main branch. I can understand why some would fear this being seen as discriminatory; however, I think it would actually decrease patron access and circulation to have the urban books spread throughout general fiction. 

Conversely, with LGBTQ fiction, I don't feel that should be a separate section as LGBTQ fiction is less of a genre and more of a theme or appeal factor. While urban fiction also has common thematic threads of life in the inner city, poverty, violence, exploitation, and "rags to riches" storylines, the books are more strongly united stylistically. This is apparent from title conventions, cover presentation, and lyricism of the text. This unites urban/"street lit" as a genre, whereas LGBTQ fiction, as of yet, does not have a unified "feel" the way genres do. LGBTQ fiction certainly can share thematic elements, e.g. feeling "othered", coming out, found family, and beyond, yet, these works tend to feel stylistically distinct and can transcend genre. LGBTQ is not a genre that should be separated from general fiction as that does not improve the patron browsing experience. Separating LGBTQ as a genre also bows to censorship efforts, which libraries seek to combat.

However, I would support pop up displays highlighting both urban fiction, LGBTQ fiction, and urban LGBTQ fiction to increase circulation and patron awareness of these titles.

I would make these decisions because:

1. Condensing urban fiction together will make for a better browsing experience for lovers of the urban genre, same as with science fiction or Western readers.

2. Separating LGBTQ fiction from general fiction bows to censorship efforts and the suppression of marginalized voices in a way that separating urban fiction does not. LGBTQ fiction also does not have a cohesive feel the way urban lit can.

3. If urban readers feel othered by the separating of their genre from general fiction and do not find the action to enhance their browsing experience, we could instead indicate via spine label that a title is urban and return it to the general fiction stacks. 

Diverse Read: You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Author: Akwaeke Emezi (they/them)

Title: You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

Genre: Emotion (Romance)

Publication Date: 2022

Number of Pages: 288

Geographical Setting: New York, Caribbean islands

Time Period: Present Day

Underrepresented Author Voice: Black, African, nonbinary transgender, ogbanje

Plot Summary: Beautiful young artist Feyi Adekola is just beginning to live again after the premature death of her husband. Her intense grief has permeated her artwork and plagues her thoughts. Encouraged by her best friend Joy, she seeks out romance again. Her first promising connection, Nasir, is perfect on paper. Nasir is patient and kind, and says they can be friends first. Feyi's tentative interest mixes with obligation when Nasir lands her an art exhibition in his home country in the Caribbean. 

Feyi's world begins anew when she meets Nasir's father, Alim. The connection between the two is palpable, as Feyi does her best to nix it. Guilt, grief, and yearning ignite Feyi's soul on fire as she must choose if she will deny herself someone who just might be the first step on her path to healing.

Subject Headings (per Novelist):

• Grief
• Healing 
• Love triangles
• May-December romance
• Self-discovery

Romance Appeals: 

Language/Style - "Romances are full of lush and expressive language, pulling readers into each scene and into the overarching tone of the novel" (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019).

    As I wrote in my Kirkus style review for this title, Emezi's prose is as searing as it gorgeous. Feyi's inner world feels as if it is our own as we experience her trauma and resetting of her person. Food, locale, and the senses are all engaged when the narrative takes Feyi to Alim and Nasir's tropical home. Alim is a master chef, and we taste each of his foods. The heat of the rising sun and Feyi's sweat-soaked shirt is within our reach when she makes that first pivotal climb up the mountain with Alim. It is gloriously rich text, and readers can settle into a chair and stay awhile as they fall in love with Alim alongside Feyi.

Contemporary Romance - "They [are]...simply assumed to be current because authors do not go to great lengths to specifically identify the period; they let details of technology, work environments, and modes of travel and dress indicate when the book is set" (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019).

    Feyi and her best friend, Joy, use slang and technology befitting the modern age. They FaceTime each other while Feyi is out of the U.S., and use vernacular language exclusive to their cultural groups in many ways. Both are the first generation queer daughters of African immigrants, and they use terms unique to all these communities. Feyi travels by plane and enjoys the simple pleasures of a modern life. No time is wasted unnecessarily explaining the precise date of when the story takes place. Such details would feel too mechanical. 

Characterization - "Novels turn on the relationship between the two central characters" (Wyatt & Saricks, 2019).

    Feyi is fully fleshed out and experiences vivifying highs and crushing lows. As an audience, we know abundant details about Feyi: she is insightful and unafraid to speak her mind, she is a poor cook, she uses unconventional mediums in her artistry, and she loves her friend Joy fiercely. She is afraid to hurt others and is not using to prioritizing herself. Alim, her love interest, is deeply emotional, poignant, and calm. We connect with Alim alongside Feyi as their dynamic deepens: both have lost a spouse, both are bisexual, both love the arts, etc. In this way Feyi begins to feel like our friend, and Alim our own "book boyfriend."

Three terms that best describe this book:

• Lush
• Emotional
• Moving

Romance Read-alikes:

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Williams, T. (2021). Seven days in June. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Common appeals: Black lives, artists, trauma

Family Meal by Bryan Washington

Washington, B. (2023). Family meal. New York: Riverhead Books.

Common appeals: LGBT, grief after the death of a spouse, rich dialogue

Mostly Dead Things by Kristen N. Arnett

Arnett, K. N. (2019). Mostly dead things. Portland: Tin House Books.

Common appeals: LGBT, grief, psychological exporation

Nonfiction Read-alikes: 

I'm Not a Mourning Person by Kris Carr

Carr, K. (2023). I'm not a mourning person. Hay House Inc.

Common appeals: Grief, life after trauma, mortality

Widower to Widower by Fred Colby

Colby, F. (2021). Widower to widower. Front Range Press.

Common appeals: Death of a spouse, life after trauma, coping

It's OK that You're Not OK by Megan Devine

Devine, M. (2017). It's ok that you're not ok. Sounds True.

Common appeals: Grief, coping, cultural attitudes around loss, discussions of death

References:

Emezi, A. (2022). You made a fool of death with your beauty. New York: Atria Books.

Wyatt, N., & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction. American Library Association.