Non-Fiction Annotation

 

Title: All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life's Work 

Author: Haley Campbell 

Publication Date: 2022

Genre: Non-fiction 

Number of Pages: 288

Geographical Setting: Primarily the UK, Australia, and the United States

Time Period: contemporary 

Series: n/a

Summary/Subject: Campbell introduces the book with an explanation that she has been interested in death from a young age, partially due to her father's profession as a comics illustrator and the graphic images he would keep in his office for reference material while working on a graphic novel about Jack the Ripper. The book is then divided into chapters, each chapter serving as an exploration of a different death industry centering on a single member of the profession being discussed. For example, the chapter about bodies donated to medicine focuses on the man who runs the Mayo Clinic's donation program. The chapters include practical details about the profession - e.g. what kinds of donors are accepted, what procedures have been practiced on them, what happens to the bodies after they've served their purpose, how the bodies are prepared and stored, etc. However, a lot of what Campbell interviews her subjects about involves their personal feelings about death, if and how their jobs have affected them or their outlook on life and dying, and how they cope. 

In order, the chapters are about: a funeral director, the head of a medical donation program, an artist who makes death masks, a mass-casualty event consultant, a crime scene cleaner, a state executioner, an embalmer, an anatomical pathology technologist, a bereavement midwife who delivers still-born or terminal babies, a gravedigger, the owner of a crematorium, and the president of a cryonics company. 

Subject Headings: 

Death care industry.

Death -- Economic aspects.

Death -- Psychological aspects.

Funeral rites and ceremonies.

Narrative Continuum: Expository with a small narrative thread (Each chapter details a different profession, some more narrative than others, but there is a through-line regarding the author's evolving understanding of death and her own motivations). 

Appeal:

• Pacing: Leisurely-paced; each chapter stands alone, and the writing is more reflective and explanatory rather than gripping. It's easy to pick up and put down as the reader pleases. 
• Characters: Campbell herself is the main character, as the reader is in her head for the majority of the book - she makes observations and philosophizes as she experiences the industry she's writing about. Each chapter then has one or two experts being interviewed and giving a tour of their work - these people range from being deeply sympathetic to slightly off-putting. 
• Feel: Despite being about death, the tone is never particularly morbid. The tone is a little distant, a little reflective or curious, and overall respectful and informative. There are a few moments that are deeply emotionally moving, and a few that are uncomfortable. 
• Intent: The author is clear that her intent is to create more understanding about what happens after death, and to demystify it to make it less scary. She makes the very interesting point that our society is so uncomfortable with death that it makes it hard to grieve - we're split between mourning our loss and trying to deny the reality that death is inevitable and natural. 
• Focus: The focus of each chapter is about a particular industry, as well as an individual and how they're impacted by what they do. The focus of the book in general is societal attitudes towards death, dying, and the processes involved. 
• Language: The language varies depending on what is being discussed. When describing bodies and actions happening to bodies, the language is clinical - it isn't gory, but it does get graphic. The author clearly tries to stay away from shock value but is dedicated to honest descriptions. Otherwise, the language is still clear and straightforward, but is the writing becomes more passionate and thoughtful. 
• Setting: The interviews take place in the US, the UK, and Australia. This matters a great deal because obviously death rites are deeply cultural, and the setting determines what the prevailing attitudes are and what industries are at play. 
• Details: There are a lot of details; the point of the book is to give readers insight into industries that are purposefully overlooked and to pull the "spooky" curtain back. While there are no charts or images, the daily lives of the interview subjects and the procedures they perform are described well. 
• Learning, understanding, or experience: This book prioritizes understanding - there are definite moments of learning, in that the reader does get a lot of facts. However the point of the learning is to more deeply understand death as a concept and to change attitudes towards it. 

Why would a reader enjoy this book? (Ranked): 

1. They are interested in death as a concept, or are maybe uncomfortable with death and are looking for a straight-forward examination of it. 
2. They are curious about relatively unknown professions and industries that revolve around death. 
3. They are interested in the differing philosophies about how death is discussed in modern societies and whether that needs to change. 

Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors:

• From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty: A mortician travels the world, investigating funeral rites in many different cultures. This book would appeal to readers who enjoyed the subject matter and philosophical focus of All the Living and the Dead, and who are interested in learning more about non-Western practices and attitudes. 

• Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation Into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by Megan Rosenbloom: A member of The Order of the Good Death and founder of the Death Salon writes about the practice of biding books in human skin, and of the science behind testing such claims, as well as thinking through what such practices mean. As far as books about death go, this is the ultimate example - a book about books encased in death. 

• We're All Going to Die by Leah Kaminsky: Seen through the eyes of a GP working with the living (and dying) rather than those in the death industry, this book has the same underlying thought - that by accepting death, we're capable of living better. 

Relevant Fiction Works and Authors:

• From Hell by Alan Moore (graphic novel): Campbell credits her obsession with death to her father's illustrations for this graphic novel. Those who enjoyed All the Living and the Dead specifically for our narrator/main character might be interested to learn more about her past and what influenced her the most. 

• The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier: This sci-fi novel asks the question "what does it mean to die?" Are we dead when our bodies end, or are we dead when people no longer remember us? There is a City where recently departed souls live, and they vanish when they are completely forgotten. The souls are dead but they still fear what comes next - asking if we're afraid of dying, or the unknown. 

• Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders: A speculation on what sort of journey the soul of Abraham Lincoln's son might have experienced after his death, this book is thoughtful, moving, and deals with the acceptance of death and the beauty of life. It also deals with the discomfort Americans have with the practicalities of death - the way we dress up bodies and embalm and bury and try to deny what dying actually is. 

Relevant Multimedia tie-ins: 

• The Bloody Inn (board game): While this board game absolutely lacks the reverence and thoughtfulness of All the Living and the Dead, it does place the player in the position of being both executioner and gravedigger. Players are part of a horrible family that owns an inn, and who has decided to increase their profits by murdering the occasional guest to pick their pockets. It's all about resource allocation, as you only have enough actions in a round to do a very limited number of things - so you'd better make sure you have enough time to bury that body before the police come snooping around. This game would appeal to those who are comfortable with death and even find a bit of comfort and humor in the grim reality. 

• Pushing Daisies (tv series): A romantic and surprisingly cozy comedy about a pie-maker who has the ability to temporarily raise the dead with a touch.  This show would similarly appeal to readers who enjoy thoughtful - but not morbid - reflections about death. 

• A Mortician's Tale (video game): This is called a "death-positive," "honest," and "sometimes humorous" by creators and reviewers, which certainly describes the book as well. You take on the role of a newly-minted mortician running a funeral home, and you perform tasks such as embalming as well as talking to the bereaved. It's a short game, but full of emotional impact as players are asked to confront negative feelings and examine where those feelings come from. 

• Alternate Endings: Six New Ways to Die in America (documentary): This documentary, on HBO, explores alternates to the typical Western death industry - namely embalming, burial, and/or cremation. Campbell writes passionately about how she doesn't believe that our current norm (embalming and funerals) are honest enough, and that they seem more about profit-making and denial of reality than true engagement with death as a concept. This documentary offers interesting options that people might not be aware of. 

Week Twelve - Prompt Response

Reader's Advisory Matrix 

Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum? The book is a mix - some narrative, some fact-based explanation. 
2. What is the subject of the book? The book is about the filming of the movie "Mad Max Fury Road" - the movie was directed by George Miller and released in 2015. 
3. What type of book is it? This is primarily an oral history, and a behind-the-scenes documentary-style look at film production. 
4. Articulate Appeal
• What is the pacing? The pacing is very fast - the interview snippets are short, and it keeps everything moving rapidly. 
• Describe the characters of the book: Over 130 cast and crew were interviewed, including the leads (Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy) and the featured director (George Miller). There are also reactions/interviews of other directors and actors who were not involved in production. 
• How does the story feel? The story does a good job of reflecting the atmosphere of the creation of the film - namely, chaotic, daring, and sort of awe-struck. 
• What is the intent of the author? The intent of the author is to detail the movie-making experience and draw attention to the fact that the filming was so long, so dangerous, and so unconventional. "Fury Road" took twenty years to create, and Buchanan wants readers to experience how massive of an undertaking that was. 
• What is the focus of the story? The story is broken into three parts, the first part focusing on the conception of the movie (and on Miller as a visionary), the second on the shooting of the movie, and the third on getting the film released. 
• Does the language matter? The book is primarily made up of transcripts of interviews, so language matters in that it characterizes the people speaking. 
• Is the setting important and well described? The film was shot in the Namib Desert, and that setting takes on almost a mythic quality in how big of an obstacle it was to shooting - it becomes an antagonist as much as it is a setting, and it is well-described in the interviews and in Buchanan's writing. 
• Are there details, and if so, of what? There are so many details - details about certain stunts and why they were so ambitious and dangerous, details about the conflicts between members of the cast and crew or between the studio and director, details about the budget or the scope of certain aspects of filmmaking. It's a book full of details. 
• Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? None. 
• Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? Yes, the book provides all three. For those interested in the the art of filmmaking, or about the practicalities of the sorts of relationships and negotiations it takes to create a blockbuster movie - there are plenty of moments to learn from. For those seeking to understand what made this film shoot so wild, considered one of the most dangerous and difficult - there is a lot of testimony to create that understanding. And for those wanting to feel like they were there, to experience the insanity - the tone and pacing of the book seek to replicate some of the madness. 
5. Why would a reader enjoy this book? 1.) They are interested in filmmaking, or the history of it. 2.) They are fans of the movie. 3.) They enjoy behind-the-scenes documentaries. 

Week Eleven - Prompt Response

Ebooks and audiobooks are modern conveniences that allow readers to more easily access books, and to experience reading in a different way. Overall, I think it would be difficult to argue that they are not net positives. Audiobooks allow people to read while they're working or driving, and they open up options for readers who might normally struggle with reading. Ebooks are easy to travel with, they provide their own light to allow for reading without disturbing others, they often have useful features such as a dictionary to help readers with words they don't recognize. I know if I were going on a trip for a month, I'd much rather carry an ereader in my purse than try to shove five novels into my suitcase. 

I will admit, though, the romantic in me resisted both formats for far too long. There's something about the weight, smell, and feel of books that I don't think most people will ever want to give up - nor should they. Just like ereaders and audiobooks have their places, physical books have theirs. There's nothing like the feeling of curling up by a window when it's raining or snowing, preferably with a hot and/or boozy beverage, and propping an old paperback up on your knee.

My first audiobook was one I checked out before facing a 13-hour solo drive from Indiana to Texas to visit my family during the early pandemic - definitely not a time for a plane trip. I found a list of popular narrators, and decided on Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, narrated by Wil Wheaton. I've never had a drive go by so quickly; I was utterly absorbed. Since then, I used audiobooks while I'm driving longer distances, and have also started listening to them while I walk. I've found that while listening to music, I can stroll around the neighborhood for maybe 30, 45 minutes before I get bored and head home. With audiobooks, it's common for me to walk an hour or two - so thanks, audiobooks, for the added cardio health. Audiobooks have also provided me with a way to get through series that I'm maybe not particularly interested in but want to read because they're popular, or on the behest of a friend - I can put them on while I'm working and get through 4-5 hours a day without feeling like I'm wasting my time on something I don't really like. (I'm currently doing this with the A Court of Thorn and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, which are incredibly long and that I find to be fairly mediocre; but, they're my best friend's favorites so I want to experience them with her). 

There are some appeals that might be altered by audiobooks - for example, characterization. The tone that a narrator chooses for a certain line might be different than how a reader might have interpreted it in their head. My general experience has been that characters in audiobooks sound a little more confident, a little more wry or sassy, and a little smarter than I would have read them myself - and I think that comes down to who chooses the career of an audiobook narrator. They have confident voices! It's what they do for a living. 

And there are some appeals/deciding factors that are added in the audiobook format as well, such as narrator preference. I can't tell you how many books I've had to stop, and then re-check-out as ebooks or physical books just because I didn't like the narrator's voice or what they were doing. Most recently, The Poppy War, which is a book I ended up loving but almost didn't get past the first chapter of because I originally got the audiobook, and the narrator sounded like she was about to start crying the entire time. Very off-putting. On the other hand, some narration choices add a depth and layer to the original text that transforms it, makes it something more. I'm specifically thinking of the cast-reading of Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, narrated by 165 readers; I found it to be an almost life-changing experience, and while the writing was strong I also give credit to the fact that the narration forced me to pay closer attention to every word than I might have done had my eyes been reading too fast. 

The same holds true for ebooks - there are some appeals that just aren't the same. For fantasy readers, there's often something satisfying about picking up an extremely long book that's the first in a series of extremely long books. Personally, I get all starry-eyed looking at the comically wide spines of books like the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and knowing that once I start, I'll be in that world for a long, long time. It's hard to get that same sense of scope when picking out a book on an ereader. There might even be books that are impossible (or at the very least pointless) to attempt to read on an ereader. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski comes to mind as an experience that is impossible to get in any form other than physical - the formatting, the color of certain words, the feeling of the book are all as essential as the words themselves. 

Overall, the addition of audiobooks and ebooks into our lives is a good thing. However, librarians and readers need to be aware of the unique appeals of each, and chose titles to experience in each format that does justice to the work itself. 

Fantasy Annotation

Title: The Poppy War

Author: R.F. Kuang

Publication Date: 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Number of Pages: 545

Geographical Setting: Nikan (fictional country)

Time Period: The Third Poppy War (equivalent to the Second Sino-Japanese War) 

Series: The Poppy War #1 (trilogy)

Plot Summary: Fang Runin, "Rin," was not supposed to amount to much. She's a war orphan from a backwater village in Rooster Province, one of the unimpressive Southern territories that make up the massive Nikara Empire. Her prospects are limited - continue running opium for her cruel guardians, or allow the matchmaker to marry her off to an old man. Instead, she risks everything to take the Keju - an academy entrance exam given to promising teenagers in all of the Provinces - and gets the highest marks in her territory. Her score qualifies her to attend the military academy Sinegard, the most elite of the schools. Sinegard is an escape from the drudgery of her previous life, but it is not without its own set of difficulties. Her peers and instructors harshly discriminate against her on the basis of her Southern heritage. Her workload is stifling, barely giving her time to sleep or eat between studying military history, tactics, lore, and weapon training. Rising political tensions between Nikan and their oppressive neighbors, the Federation of Mugen, threaten the start of a war that would inevitably land on the shoulders of Rin and her classmates. And most frighteningly, in the back of her mind, Rin can feel a power awakening - a power that wants to burn down the entire world. 

Subject Headings: 

Goddesses -- Fiction. 

Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction.

Magic -- Fiction. 

Military education -- Fiction.

Shamans -- Fiction.

Appeals: 

• Building pace: The book begins before Rin enters the academy, and it takes a while for her to even get to that point. Once she's there, we spend the majority of the novel learning about the world, the history of Nikan, and the personalities of the students and teachers at Sinegard. There are entire chapters where the only things that happen are a meditation session, or a trip to a library, or the details of cultural festival. Readers get full situated in the world and in the characters' lives before the action picks up - but once it does, the pacing shifts to something more similar to an adventure novel full of extremely violent battles and desperate fights. 

• Well-defined setting and frame: Wyatt & Saricks describe fantasy as "a genre of abundance - of creative ideas, lavish description, and telling details" (2019, p. 125). R.F. Kuang clearly dedicated time and thought to her fantasy setting, deftly weaving together shamanistic religions and traditions with powerful magic, drawing on the history of pre-industrial China as well as the horrific events of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The setting and frame of the story are just as important as the characters or the plot - it isn't a story that could happen anywhere else. This is an epic fantasy, complete with maps, deep history, and a detailed description of a magical system. 

• Grimdark tone: This is not a happy book. There are realistic depictions of violence, of racism, poverty, war, and genocide. Like the Dark fantasy novels described by Wyatt & Saricks, "they are stories filtered through a grim, violent, and gritty worldview" (p. 127). Our protagonist is the victim of a lot of this grimness, but she deals out her fair share of atrocities as well, creating a complex feedback loop where death begets more death and morality becomes something much murkier than black-and-white. One chapter in particular, based on the real WWII Massacre of Nanjing, is excruciating to read.

• A long, rich story: Standing alone, The Poppy War is a long read - almost 550 pages - but it is also the first book in a trilogy, and the subsequent books are equally long. They tell a continuous story, spanning years - from peacetime into foreign war, from foreign war into civil war, and from civil war into the start of an Industrial revolution. The characters, story, and setting get plenty of room to grow and become elaborate, and readers are rewarded for their patience after a slow-paced start by getting to spend their time in an intricately-developed world. 

Terms that best describe this book: Grimdark, Asian-influenced military fantasy, world-building 

Relevant Fiction Works and Authors:

• Jade City by Fonda Lee: Both novels are the first books of series that take place in East Asia-inspired fantasy settings on the brink of war. Other appeals shared between the two are the epic story, the descriptive world-building, the compelling and large cast of characters, and the "own voices" tone. However, while The Poppy War centers on characters who are in the military or in military academies, Jade City revolves around a criminal syndicate. 

• Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan: This book is YA, and so it doesn't have the same amount of grim violence present in The Poppy War; instead, the tone leans more towards romantic and enchanting. But both books are descriptive, detailed, and draw their inspiration from Chinese mythology. In fact, the story of the Moon Goddess is one that features briefly in Rin's spiritual education and history lessons in The Poppy War. 

• Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao: While this novel leans more towards sci-fi than fantasy, the main character of the series is similar to Rin: vengeful, prone to violence, and with frighteningly loose control over deadly psychic abilities. Common appeals are a strong female protagonist, a military/war-torn dystopic setting, and a grim/gritty tone. 

Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors: 

• Illustrated Myths & Legends of China: The Ages of Chaos and Heroes by Dehai Huang, Xiang Jing, and Zhang Dinghao: The magic that exists in the world of The Poppy War is directly linked to a pantheon of 64 shamanistic gods, who are either heavily inspired by or directly taken from Chinese mythology. This illustrated guide gives background on the creation myths and the powerful deities that flavor the world created by R.F. Kuang. 

• Mao: A Biography by Ross Terrill: Mao Zedong might be one of the most polarizing historical figures of all time; he is also the basis for the character of Rin, an equally complex personality capable of creation and destruction. Understanding Mao's rise to power and what he does once he gets there is to get a glimpse into the motivations and worldview of Fang Runin. And many other characters in The Poppy War are inspired by Mao's real-life allies and rivals - fans of the series might find it fun to try to figure out who is who. 

• Forgotten Ally: China's World War II, 1937-1945 by Rana Mitter: the European front of World War II is a topic covered heavily in the American education system, but the Chinese front of the war is less well-known in the West despite the fact that 4 million soldiers and 20 million civilians died as a result of Japan's invasion. Many battles in The Poppy War have direct historical counterparts taken from the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the gruesome genocide, chemical warfare, and human experiments that occur in the novel are essentially non-fiction lifted directly from some of the darkest moments in human history. 

Relevant Multimedia tie-ins: 

• The Shadow (movie): This is a 2018 Chinese wuxia movie about two rival kingdoms, the fates of which rest on a cruel king and his calculating general, an intricate plot involving look-alike warriors, and a lot of court intrigue. Like The Poppy War, the film is a fantastical retelling of Chinese history, and contains plenty of violent battles and stunningly choreographed fight sequences.  
• The Chinese History Podcast (podcast): The contributors of this podcast are Chinese history PhD students, and it covers everything from ancient histories to breaking down modern/current events. If you find yourself fascinated by Rin's world and are curious as to what the past of Nikan might have been, and what it's future may be after the end of the trilogy, this podcast is a treasure trove of knowledge. 
• Scythe (board game): Scythe is an engine-building game, and draws inspiration for its setting from alternate history - in this case, a 1920s with some steampunk elements. There are factions based on Eastern European countries, and each player controls one, urging their civilization onward to conquer territory, build up their villages and population. and develop technology. Similarly to The Poppy War, military conflict is a necessity born of nations' need to grow and their desire to protect their own at the expense of everyone else. 
• Shadow and Bone (tv series): Alina Starkov, like Fang Runin, is an orphan who has joined the military out of necessity, and who is constantly overlooked due to her background of poverty and her race (unlike the books the show is based on, the show's Alina is half-Shu). Both women rise to power in the ranks after displaying magical aptitude, and struggle with the awesome responsibility that comes with becoming a nation's savior-figure. Another shared appeal is the slightest hint of a romance between the protagonist and tortured antagonist. 
• God of War (video game series): [SPOILER!!!] Rin's mystical power in the novel is a gift and a curse from the Phoenix God; she is a conduit for one of the Pantheon to enact its will on the mortal plane. And its will is to burn, to destroy. In God of War, players control Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the Greek god of war through tragic circumstances. Both works are violent, grim reimaginings of mythology and of the gods, and both look back to the history of civilizations with modern eyes. 

Book Club Experience

 

I am in a regular book club, that tries to meet about once every-other-month. We're also a weekly Dungeons & Dragons group, and a monthly trivia team ("Chaotic Stupid"). However, there are only five of us and it's incredibly informal, so for this assignment I decided to visit a friend's book club instead. This is a group of people that I met while doing activist work and fundraising. There were around a dozen participants during the meeting I went to, and I was told that this was pretty normal - ranging from 10 to 20 each month. 

The make up of the group was really interesting. My friend is the "leader" and hosts, and she is a OBGYN. There were a large number of other doctors there, but a lot of them seemed to have different specialties. One was a nephrologist, another was a general practitioner traveling to different VA hospitals. There were a couple of nurses, a few residents who seemed to have tagged along with their respective doctors, and then a social worker and a grant writer who both seemed affiliated with a hospital as well. At least two people were volunteers with Planned Parenthood doing clinic escort work, and probably had non-medical full time jobs. 

The book club discussion was scheduled to start at 7, but people were encouraged to get there as early as 5:30 for snacks and drinks and non-book related chatting, since the club is made up of colleagues and friends. I'd imagine this would be very different for a more formal club, where members are really only brought together to discuss a text. My friend's home is the usual location, although I'm told other people have hosted. The atmosphere was very comfortable, and pretty casual. However, when the book discussion got going it did stay focused. There weren't any side-conversations or much veering off course (I think people got all their other chatting out during the social hour). 

The "leader"/host did ask a lot of the questions and steer the discussion this time, but I'm told that whoever chose the book being discussed tends to lead - not always the host. The questions asked were all open-ended; even ones that could be answered with a yes/no ("did you agree with...?") invited respondents to explain why or elaborate. Everyone actively participated, although some people were more quiet and others maybe droned on a little too long. Actually, I noticed the residents were way less likely to talk and especially to disagree, which makes sense considering they're in the presence of their mentors. The group was a majority women, but there were at least 4 men, which was nice - especially considering the book being discussed is one that male doctors should probably be familiar with. 

There was one moment of tension, or vehement disagreement, but it was a good one that showed that it was a discussion group unafraid of arguing and really getting into the books. A quick summary, just because I found it an interesting experience: the book being discussed was about reproductive justice, and included the right to have and raise children safely. An example the author used was that wealthy people who can afford childcare are often seen as better parents than the "help" they've hired, who are forced to spend less time with their own families to care for rich parents' children. Now, in a group that includes very well-off households where both parents are doctors, and social workers and activist volunteers who work with people in poverty every day...you can imagine this sparked some spirited debate. The double-doctor couple seemed affronted by the idea that hiring childcare was anything less than a good thing, and the social worker pushed hard at the idea that often childcare workers are undocumented and underpaid and taken advantage of, and that this system violates that worker's own reproductive rights. It got heated! But stayed respectful, and while it was a little uncomfortable to observe, I found it really really enlightening. 

The books read by this group tend towards non-fiction, I think because of the scientific background of most of the members. But it seems like fiction books aren't a rarity, especially ones involving social issues relevant to the members' interests. Previous books they've read include: The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Fascism: A Warning by Madeline Albright, and The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin. The way they choose books was interesting to me as well. They have a Google Forms page where all members can add book suggestions to a list, and then every month before the next meeting, members vote for the book they want to read next. 

Special Topic Paper Summary - Hi Lo Books for Adult Readers

"About 130 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills according to a Gallup analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education. This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level" (Schmidt, 2022, para. 1).

The topic of my paper is how readers' advisory services can cater to adults who read at a low level. These are adults who are not "level 1" readers - or readers who would benefit from basic literacy services, but rather adults who are literate but might struggle to read more complex books. 

Something important to remember about adults who read at a low level might seem obvious, but bears stating plainly: they are still adults. If an adult patron in this category comes to the library seeking readers’ advisory services, it might be tempting to focus solely on reading level. However, just because an adult reads at a 6th grade level does not mean they have any interest in middle school books. The vocabulary might be more comfortable for them, but reading is about more than just understanding the words. Books have to interest their readers, or the entire exercise is fruitless. 

This is the space for hi-lo reads. According to Shannon Maughan, “[a] hi-lo book, broadly defined, is a title that offers highly interesting subject matter at a low reading level,” (2012, para. 2). The “hi” in hi-lo means high interest. But that isn’t a universal measurement - what interests one reader may completely bore another. A lot of readers’ advisory work relies on finding read-alike, but adults with low level reading abilities might not necessarily be able to name books or authors they’ve previously enjoyed. However, a good readers’ advisory librarian knows how to direct a conversation. Ask about favorite video games, favorite movies or television shows, favorite hobbies. Find a topic that interests your reader, and go from there.

Knowing the terminology “hi-lo” is the biggest step to being able to locate these materials for patrons. There are plenty of libraries and librarians who have already done the bulk of the legwork by creating lists, articles, and books on the subject. For example, the San Francisco Library has a staff-created list that is frequently updated titled “Hi-Lo Picks for Adult Readers.”  Or the list “7 Hi Lo Books for Adults,” published by Nicole Klett, which suggests books in a variety of genres (from urban fiction to romance to dystopian) to match readers’ interests. 

References 

Klett, N. (2022, August 2). 7 hi lo picks for adults: Simple reads aren’t just for kids. Early Bird Books. https://earlybirdbooks.com/hi-lo-books-for-adults

Maughan, S. (2012, May 28). ALA 2021: What’s up with hi-lo? Publisher’s Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/52124-what-s-up-with-hi-lo-ala-2012.html

O’Neil, R. (2016, September 7). “Books where stuff happens”: An exploration of hi/lo books. Young Adult Library Services Association. https://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2016/09/07/books-stuff-happens-exploration-hilo-searching/#more-21383

San Francisco Public Library. (2023, February 2). Hi-Lo picks for adult readers. San Francisco Public Library. https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/list/share/380247022/711718427

Schmidt, E. (2022, March 16). Reading the numbers: 130 million American adults have low literacy skills, but funding differs drastically by state. APM Research Lab. https://www.apmresearchlab.org/10x-adult-literacy#:~:text=About%20130%20million%20adults%20in,of%20a%20sixth%2Dgrade%20level.

Gentle Reads Annotation

Title: The City Baker's Guide to Country Living

Author: Louise Miller

Publication Date: 2016

Genre: Romance; gentle read

Number of Pages: 352

Geographical Setting: Boston, Massachusetts & Guthrie, Vermont

Time Period: contemporary 

Series: none/standalone  

Plot Summary: Olivia "Livvy" Rawlings has a chaotic but exciting life as an upscale pastry chef, catering to the wealthy social clubs of Boston. Then she drops a flaming Baked Alaska during an event that just happens to be chaired by her (married) boyfriend, and lights the building on fire. Luckily, she knows exactly where to hide out while she licks her wounds - her best friend's small town of Guthrie, Vermont. It's only supposed to be a temporary tactical retreat while Livvy gets her life back together, but she finds herself enamored by the town and its residents, and by who she might become if she stays. She takes a position as the baker for the local inn, run by prim-and-grumpy Margaret, whose obsession with winning the county apple pie competition borders on unhealthy. And then there's Martin, the handsome son of a farmer who has returned to town to spend more time with his elderly and ill father. As Martin and Olivia grow closer, Olivia begins to wonder about the possibility of a very different future for herself than any she's wanted before. 

Subject Headings: 

Women cooks -- Vermont -- Fiction

Romance Fiction

Baking -- Fiction

Appeal:

• A cozy setting: Guthrie, Vermont is the perfect setting for a gentle read novel. The small inn, nestled away among the sugar maples at the end of a long, winding road, and the tiny cottage behind the inn where Olivia makes her home, draw readers in and provide a level of comfort that promises everything will be alright. The description of every location - from the rustic bar where locals sidle up next to carvings of bears to gossip while fiddle bands play in the background, to the creaky barn where tourists and townsfolk alike gather to hold fundraiser dances for the library - serves to reinforce the dreamy, idyllic mood. 
• Lush descriptions: Olivia is a baker, and cooking is a quintessential part of what makes the novel work. The author spares no details when it comes to the descriptions of the food, baked goods especially. Reading about the sight, smells, and sounds of the bustling kitchen provide the same comforting feelings of childhood, watching parents and grandparents as they cook. 
• Lovable characters: Aside from a few necessary antagonists, this book is populated with people you'd want to be friends with, people who you come to care deeply about. These characters are not tropes - they're fully realized, with quirks and issues, with flaws and histories that make them unique. The story isn't driven by rapid action or a suspense, but instead works because of the investment the reader will feel in the characters and their happiness. 

Terms that best describe this book: Cozy, quirky, romantic

Relevant Fiction Works and Authors:

• The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate: Both novels are gentle, cozy romance novels revolving around cooking. However, Senate's book has a spark of magical realism, as the main character who inherits her grandmother's Italian cooking school might also have inherited her ability to mend love with the right dish. The novels also both feature a lovable and diverse cast of secondary characters to add to the cozy feeling. 
• Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen: Sarah Addison Allen's books are well known and well loved cozy reads, and this particular novel offers another charming and atmospheric setting - Lost Lake, Georgia. The owner For readers who enjoyed the descriptions of small town life, the hospitality industry, and natural beauty found in City Baker. 
• Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber: This story, about a woman who returns to settle business in a small town that she never intended to stay in longer than she needs to, has a lot of similarities to The City Baker's Guide to Country Living. A city girl slowly and reluctantly falling in love with a quirky small town. The joy of finding family. And the power of the perfect slice of pie. 

Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors:

• Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairytale by Sarah Robinson: A cozy and empowering feminist fairytale history of the intersection between magic and food. This book should appeal to anyone who loved the cooking scenes in the novel. 
• Bread: A Global History by William Rubel: Part of the 91-book "Edible" series, this volume delves into the history of the cornerstone of Olivia's profession - bread. Part education, part travel guide, and part cookbook, this book is a great place to start for anyone who wants to learn more about bread. There are also volumes in the series about other baked goods that would be worthwhile companions to the novel, such as Pie, Biscuits and Cookies, and Cake. 
• Vermont Perspectives: Sense of Place, State of Mind by Anne Averyt: The cozy appeal of the novel owes a lot to the idyllic small-town Vermont setting. This similarly  comforting essay collection, written by a Vermont native, has pieces covering everything from agriculture to local happenings, from quirky history to community traditions, and should provide readers with the same remarkable sense of place 

Relevant Multimedia tie-ins:

• Gilmore Girls (TV series): Stars Hollow, Connecticut - where the tv show takes place - is possibly the most cozy town in fiction, and should rival Guthrie, Vermont in terms of warm & comforting settings. Both works feature quirky main characters, working in New England inns, who are in their early 30s and still trying to get their lives together, along with romantic interests who are a little shy and a little gruff. 
• Coffee Roaster (board game): This is a solo board game, for one person (although pairs can make the decisions together and play as one "player"). The premise is simple - make the perfect cup of coffee. Players can choose the difficulty, signified by the "blend," and then they use a "push your luck" mechanism by drawing tokens that help improve the roast, flavor profile, etc. But the tokens can also include burnt beans, acidic soil, and other drawbacks. 
• The Holiday (movie): In the movie, a busy city-dweller retreats to a small cottage in a quiet village for Christmastime. Both the festive winter setting, and the sweet romantic plotline should appeal to readers who enjoyed A City Baker's Guide to Country Living.
• Stardew Valley (video game): In this quintessential comforting video game, players take on the role of a young adult struggling in a crushing corporate job. Then, they receive a letter from their grandfather, who recently passed away, willing them the family farm located in the tiny town of Stardew Valley. Every day, players will spend their time cutting down trees, breaking apart rocks, tilling soil, planting, watering, and harvesting crops, along with caring for livestock, fishing the streams and rivers of the town, and gathering berries and other wild-growing bounties. There is also a cast of lovable and complex townsfolk to get to know, and eventually romance. 
• Flour, Butter, Eggs, Sugar (podcast): This podcast is hosted by Kate, a home baker, out of her small flat in London. It's aimed at home bakers, or those interested in home baking, but even listeners who don't cook will enjoy the cozy atmosphere, Kate's soothing accent, and the gently amusing stories of bakes gone wrong.