Assignment One:
From looking at NPR books frequently for the past few weeks, I've developed a much better eye for picking up on appeal factors from reviews. I've often discovered that, depending on the reviewer's style, a book might sound SO awesome, but when I actually sit down to read it I find a clashing appeal factor like tone or pacing that turns me off. I also had a preconceived notion that NPR only reviews "snooty" books, and it was a little more diverse than I was expecting. And even if they aren't always showcasing books that I definitely want to read, the actual articles NPR wrote about the books were interesting on their own. I like when they include information about the story behind the book, or the author.
I also followed RT Book Reviews, which is romance genre reviews. Romance is a genre that I rarely read, so it was nice to expand my knowledge about what is new and popular. Reading the reviews helped orientate me to appeal factors in romance, and to some of the nuances of the sub-genres.
Assignment Two:
I thought the EarlyWord section for books being made into movies was super helpful. Normally I just find this information through word of mouth, so its neat to have it consolidated in one place. The bestsellers list all linked together there is also awesome, and I will definitely continue to use that.
Assignment Three:
I picked "Everything is Teeth" a graphic novel in the Amazon Best Books of the Month. This book seems like it has some universal appeal because it deals with the common human experiences of love, loss, and family. The style of illustration will greatly affect the tone, and from other people's reviews it sounds like it is dark and foreboding. It will be best fitted for people who like non-traditional / literary style narrative graphic novels.
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