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urban fiction
Oct. 28th, 2007 09:59 am*sigh*
So how is it that I, one of those people who don't like reading realistic fiction, prefer my books be laced with Wodehousian grammatical goodness, and think the Mabinogion is a fun relaxation time reading choice...
Open my mouth at work and say "I think we might need more Urban fiction - I get a lot of Readers' Advisory requests for it" and find myself in the position of planning to sit down and figure out all the books recommended online by librarian types, and what our library owns etc...?
I don't really enjoy reading this sub-genre of books - for the same reason that a lot of people love them. It's like watching a car accident or something what the characters in these books get up to - hypnotically awful, so that you can't look away. I.E. very attention grabbing for the often-uninterested reader. I don't think they're fantabulous books or anything, but I don't think they're bad. And other people want to read them. So if I want the library to have more Vampire/Werewolf action books, because *I* like 'em and so do my friends, then I should want the library to have more Urban fiction books, right? For the folks who like that.
But one caveat: I wish people would stop STEALING all the quirky awesome books we find for them and put in the library. I know you love the book. I know you crave the book. Talk to me and we can work something out. I have been known to buy library patrons books of their own on the flimsiest of provocations. But if I special order it for you and we get it in and you take it out of the building without checking it out, no one but you and your friends can read it. Budgets are tight. The book will not be reordered. And four months later your group will be back complaining to me that we have no books you want. *sigh* It's a vicious cycle folks, and you know who you are. Please just stop.
So how is it that I, one of those people who don't like reading realistic fiction, prefer my books be laced with Wodehousian grammatical goodness, and think the Mabinogion is a fun relaxation time reading choice...
Open my mouth at work and say "I think we might need more Urban fiction - I get a lot of Readers' Advisory requests for it" and find myself in the position of planning to sit down and figure out all the books recommended online by librarian types, and what our library owns etc...?
I don't really enjoy reading this sub-genre of books - for the same reason that a lot of people love them. It's like watching a car accident or something what the characters in these books get up to - hypnotically awful, so that you can't look away. I.E. very attention grabbing for the often-uninterested reader. I don't think they're fantabulous books or anything, but I don't think they're bad. And other people want to read them. So if I want the library to have more Vampire/Werewolf action books, because *I* like 'em and so do my friends, then I should want the library to have more Urban fiction books, right? For the folks who like that.
But one caveat: I wish people would stop STEALING all the quirky awesome books we find for them and put in the library. I know you love the book. I know you crave the book. Talk to me and we can work something out. I have been known to buy library patrons books of their own on the flimsiest of provocations. But if I special order it for you and we get it in and you take it out of the building without checking it out, no one but you and your friends can read it. Budgets are tight. The book will not be reordered. And four months later your group will be back complaining to me that we have no books you want. *sigh* It's a vicious cycle folks, and you know who you are. Please just stop.
