Week 5 discussion

With little or no professional reviews for Ebook romances it takes a little bit of faith for the selector to purchase for their collection. As a selector it would be necessary to look for the author, if not popular, in print format and reviews of those books. Having these review might lead the selector to an informed decision on the author and the book. If this author does not have any other books in print, look at the content. Is the story similar to other popular authors, subjects, location, etc.? If so, this book could be popular with patrons. With little or no reviews, a selector needs to take extra time to investigate and make an informed decision.

From these reviews I am not getting that it is a romantic suspense. The book appears to be another love story. What would attract patrons who like to read romance is that it happens during the magical time of Christmas. Romance and Christmas time fit well together allowing the reader to think that something magical will happen. The reviews did not provide enough information about the pace, setting or style of writing. I would have to look elsewhere for information to see if the author wrote any other books or if there are any more reviews located on a different resource. I would not order this book based on these reviews alone.

The reviews for Angela’s Ashes brought me into the story. Would I add this to my collection, yes I would. The review brought parts of the book that tugged at the reader to the surface. The details of the children that died and the tearing wood from the walls pulls the reader into the struggle they are experiencing. Just enough to make the reader to want to know more.

Do I think it is fair that one type of book is reviewed to death? No, I do not think it is fair. Popular authors have a better chance of being reviewed then those who are just starting out. Why do I believe this? An example is the lack of reviews for Ebooks. Some of these authors may be first time authors but yet there is a lack of review because of the format. Have I seen some badly written books in electronic format? Yes I have. I believe this is because it is easier to publish and get a book out into the reader’s hands. The process is different from print.

Review resources who do not print negative content are not thinking of their readers. There are siding with the authors and publishers. It is giving them a way to sell a book without the bump of negative reviews. All sides should be allowed so the purchaser has been given enough information to make an educated decision.

I currently purchase 800s for my library. It appears that this section is not one of the favorites for selectors. I was not familiar with the section but I am learning. Is it real exciting to me? No, I would prefer 741s but I am giving it the proper research and though out purchases it deserves. I use review for each purchase I make. Even the ones that are suggestions by a patron. I try to find Kirkus and Library Journal reviews. I do so because I believe they are reliable resources. Periodically I look at list such as the New York bestsellers to find books that people are reading. I still however use reviews to help with my final decision. Nonfiction should be about both sides and contain correct information. These sources help selectors in the purchasing of books that do just that.