# data[].attributes.body
I chose to speed read “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”

The cover:

The cover says that this is the “only been you need to succeed.” That is a bold statement, but it lets me know that this is a self-help book about being influential. The book is obviously old because it says it has been in print for 80 year. The author’s name is in big, bold letters, letting me know that he was famous in his time.

The blurb:

The blurb lists seven other books written by the same author.

Random page:

This book seems easy to read. It is clearly for adults because it talks about marriage and careers. 

Characteristics: 

This is a soft-cover book that could be easily carried. 

Sample:

Since this is a non-fiction book, it does not have any characters. The first chapter explains why the author wanted to write this book. 

Appeal factors:

This book is supposed to make people feel inspired. This book is serious and phycological instead of action based. 

Other factors:

This book is about exactly what the title says, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” The author is Dale Carnegie. He has written at least seven other self-help books. 

# data[].attributes.body
The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs.
1. The cover of the book has a solid black rose. There is liquid dripping at the top and a line of blood under the title. Also under the title it says Dinner With A Vampire. The colors on the cover are red, black and white. It also tells you what genre it is. All the words on the cover are capital letters and the authors name is typed in a different color than the title and tagline.
2. The plot summary is given on the back of the book. There is also a blurb about the author and a quote about the book from a author of a popular series. Meg Cabot stated "Abigail Gibbs will make you fall in love with vampires all over again...but look out: these vampires will bite. This is high praise as Meg Cabot wrote The Princess Diaries which is a bestseller.
3.The font is on the smaller side. It is easy for younger readers than only readers to see. All of the typeface is the same except the title of every chapter goes back and forth between to characters and their names are italicized. There are no illustrations in the book.
4. The book is 534 pages so it is more on the heavy side but not to bad as it is soft cover a opposed to hard. The books stays open while reading. It is a little large to carry around but I have without any difficulty.
5. The first page is just a quote by William Blake from his story The Sick Rose. The chapter starts out with Violet who the is male female character. It starts with her describing her surroundings before she is kidnapped. So it starts off with action right away. In the middle of the books the same two main characters are present, there is hardly any white space in the book, and violet is getting to know her abductors and why she was taken.
6. The book ends with Violet being turned into a vampire by Kasper the lead male character. He is related to the people holding her hostage and they fall in love. There could be a sequel to this books but it is not demanded by the ending. It is more full circle.
6. The whole book is conversations between the two main characters and all the extra characters, there is even a little love triangle, and a moment where the female lead thinks of killing herself to be free but her love interest stops her and the thoughts she has. The chapters are relatively short as it jumps betweens characters but there is no white space. The ending is more closed than open. No knowledge is needed before reading. Everything in the books can be visualized. There is definitely light among the dark in this book.
7. It is a vampire love story but definitely not what you are thinking. Not the norm or average. It is a romance novel and a vampire novel. I think the romance is normal compared to other books but many authors write vampires differently. This series is 2 books. The sequel is called Autumn Rose. I do not think that many readers were begging for more. I think if that were the case there would be more books. I myself was okay with it ending with The Dark Heroine. The author is Abigail Gibbs. The Dark Heroine was her first novel. These are the only two books written by the author thus far.
8. The novel can be categorized as romance, fiction ,paranormal, and fantasy. Or any combination of the four. If you like anything paranormal/science fiction or romance you would like the book.

# data[].attributes.body
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

1) My first thought when looking at the cover is that the book is going to be suspenseful. There is a woman on the cover but you can’t see her face which adds a layer of mystery and intrigue. There is broken glass and in the bottom corner sits a creepy looking cabin faded into the glass. I would say the cover picture is one that could pick up the interest of many adults, although it also has a bit of a feminine look to it.

2) The back of the book gives a great view of how the book is written. The plot sounds like it rotates between the year the main character was abducted and what followed after her escape. I think this would be very helpful to know when discussing the book with patrons because not everyone likes books that jump back and forth between story-lines - that can be confusing and hard to follow for some. I also learned from the back cover that this is the author’s first novel. There is some praise from The New York Times and USA Today. Lisa Gardner was the only author that was noted as praising the book, saying that is a thriller not to be missed.

3) The typeface to me seems very generic, easy to read by most. There only appears to be one used, and there aren’t any illustrations.

4) The book is decent in length - 340 pages. It seems like it would be easy to carry around or throw in a bag to take on a weekend trip. It is paperback and easy to open and keep open.

5) The beginning starts out in present day as the main character, Annie, is talking about finding a new psychiatrist - she is sassy right off the bat which makes you wonder why she has a chip on her shoulder. Within two pages you are learning about her abduction. What that day was like for her. The pacing is very quick, diving right in to what happened and making you want to keep reading and learn how she escaped. Jumping around to some pages in the middle, it seems are exciting as ever. There is a new character called The Freak and there is mentioned of a baby being born. Has me guessing that this is during the time of the abduction. Does she have a baby with the person who is holding her hostage? Definitely keeping the fast moving pace and excitement. The end of the book is just as crazy as the beginning and the middle, learning that Annie’s mom actually paid to have her abducted. Things seem to get tied up a bit plot wise, but definitely a book that will leave you thinking.

6) The first chapter was a bit longer, coming in at 15 pages. Flipping through most of the rest seem to fall under 10 pages. There is quite a bit of dialogue going on throughout, but it seems like a good mix. Each chapter is labeled as a therapy session so she starts out briefly talking to the doc, but it is almost written as if it is in her head. Then it dives into events.

7) The book is about a woman who gets abducted while running an open house. She has escaped and is going to therapy to dive into the crazy turn of events that have happened to her. Through the sessions you learn what happened to her current situation and her past, while also experiencing what seems to be a crazy twist at the end.

8) I would definitely say it is a suspense thriller. I think it would be similar to some of Lisa Jewell’s work. Although it spends much of the time detailing the main characters past experiences, I would still say it is more plot/pace driven and might not be best for someone who enjoys really getting to know there characters. It seems like some of the other characters (boyfriend, mom, friend) that I briefly encountered in my reading are mentioned, but it doesn’t seem like they are characters you really get to know and understand. I think readers who enjoy faced paced thrillers would really enjoy this, but not anyone looking for a strong connection to characters.

# data[].attributes.body
365 Frozen Stories by Disney Book Group
I chose a book that relates to something I enjoy.

1. Cover: Title is in a large enough font to be seen and read in the shade of a dark blue and the images include sisters Anna and Elsa (as well as Kristoff and Olaf) on the cover from the first film as well as the second film and also a beautiful sparkles (non-stick) and the number 365 in a font that's larger but still readable and has a snowflake behind it. (This book was published in January 2019)

2. The back cover explains that Anna, Elsa, and friends experience many adventures. Even a few are mentioned. It also explains that there is one story for everyday of the year and that it's a perfect book for bedtime, story time,  or any time.

3. The typeface is very easy to read, even though it's a bit small. It'd be easy for a parent to be able to read the text to their child as well as for a child to read. The illustrations references the Frozen golden book, the Frozen comics, Frozen chapter books, other Frozen books, and the Anna and Elsa book series by Erica David.

4. The book is lightweight despite it having a total of 368 pages, but it would still be easy enough for a child to carry or they could use a book bag to carry it in; reading level is grades 1-3. It's a hardcover book and can be easily opened. And there is only one story per page.

5. In the first story that has the date January 1 called A Magical Accident, it tells about the accident that had Anna get hit in the head by Elsa's magic while they were playing in the ballroom of Arendelle castle, which is when their parents King Agnarr and Queen Iduna take them to the trolls in the Valley of the Living Rock where Grand Pabbie, the troll elder, heals Anna, but the memories of Elsa's magic change to regular ones; Anna won't remember her sister's magic.  In the story that has the date June 3 called Impressive Artwork, little Anna and Elsa are having a secret playdate while their parents are giving an important tour of Arendelle castle to important guests. (This story is a reference to the little golden Frozen book Anna & Elsa's Secret Playtime by Victoria Saxon.) All of the text (as well in all the stories) is dialogue. The final story with the date of December 31 called The Best Memory, which is to reference the 2nd book of the Anna and Elsa book series, both sisters talk about all the amazing memories they've made in the past (before they were seperated) since Anna wasn't able to remember Elsa's magic because her memories were changed, but she tells Elsa that her favorite memory isn't snowmen any more because hearing the stories that Elsa told her made her realize that her own sister is her most favorite memory of all. While the Frozen 2 book Forest of Shadows that was published before the film came out is for young adults, there might be a few young readers who would enjoy it.

6. Pacing: The characters and plot are revealed quickly especially for those who are huge fans and have read other Frozen books. It starts out with the first film from January 1-January 15 and then transcends into other stories involving either Anna, Elsa, Olaf, or Kristoff and all of the stories are told from third-person point of view.
Frame: The background is minimal with colorful illustrations in the top corners and pictures of the characters in the bottom corners. I think the book is supposed to make the reader feel like they're reading/hearing stories about interesting characters and maybe have a familiar knowledge of the fictional Norwegian kingdom; Arendelle.
Storyline: The story emphasizes Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and Kristoff and the adventures/events that happen either in Arendelle or in the mountains including ones that happen in the past and in the present.
Characterization: The characters show a bit more development with their personality, but they're still recognizable. The stories mainly focus on Anna and Elsa, but there a lot of stories where they're involved with the other characters; Kristoff or Olaf. I would say that the most important aspect of the story is the experiences and adventures the characters have. I'd say there are more memorable characters such as Oaken, Marshmallow, the Snowgies, and the trolls, but there are a few secondary characters that appear from the Anna and Elsa book series. The most dominant appeal factor is the memorable characters who are relatable.

7. Plot: The plot is basically the past and future adventures that Anna and Elsa have or get involved in; new allies, missions, fun with friends, going to other kingdoms, or helping around Arendelle village.
Genre: The recognized genre would children's literature while the subgenre would be fantasy fiction. The book confirms the genre of children's literature since it includes colorful pictures and characters they're be familiar with.
Series: I would say it more likely references a book series as well as other stories. So it's a book series in a sense. It may excite readers to read other Frozen stories.
Author: Disney Book Group has written many other Disney stories, but also stories for PIXAR films such as ONWARD, Soul, Toy Story franchise, and others. Other books include 5 Minute Stories series, Christmas stories, princess stories, and many more.

8. The genre the book fits in is children's literature and the sub genre would be fantasy fiction.
Another book that shares the same appeal factor would be Frozen Storybook Collection that features Frozen 2 illustrations on the cover; features great familiar stories and great illustrations.
The kind of reader that would enjoy this would not only be the children who love Frozen, but older Frozen fans as well because who says that this can only be for kids?

While there is a bit of a grammar error on the story of March 17, where the name of Kristoff's troll mother is spelled wrong, I think that most of the readers will be able to look past it because not all authors are perfect; we all make mistakes.

# data[].attributes.body
The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckley

I picked up a book I had never seen or heard of in the library’s fiction section (not classified by genre.)

The cover has the title in large script letters in different tones of orange. In the background there is a black-and-white photo of two young women standing back to back between large windows and sheer curtains. (At first glance, I thought it was the same girl in a mirror, but after reading inside the jacket I realize they are two of the main characters.)

There are about ten quotes by other authors on the back cover, most of them titled “New York Times bestselling author," the most familiar name to me is Mary Kubica, who writes psychological thrillers.

From the quotes and the inside blurbs I can tell that this is a fast-paced read and a family-based thriller about lies and relationships. (Words used: “heartbreaking page-turner,” “psychologically complex,” “suspenseful,” and “family drama.”)

The typeface is soft on the eye, one of the last pages informs me it is called Bembo. The font is rather large for this kind of hardcover. The chapters are short, there is also a lot of blank space within the chapters, and it seems dialogue heavy. The book is about 350 pages long, not too heavy, and stays open easily on a flat surface.

The two girls on the cover are cousins, Arden and Rory, college students who end up unconscious in the hospital after a fire. The plot seems to revolve around how Arden’s mother Natalie and Rory’s father Vince are trying to puzzle together what happened during the girls’ freshman year, up until the fire. The short chapters are all captioned Natalie, Arden or Rory, and the novel seems to be written from these three perspectives.

Natalie is the narrator in the first chapter and Arden in the last. There are other characters named in both chapters, such as Vince (the brother-in-law,) Natalie’s husband, and other male children of this family. One of the middle chapters involves the two girls at college with two males, Hunter and D.D. and discussions about providing them with Adderall (probably one of many secrets.) It is unclear if either of these male characters are the third party in the “love triangle” mentioned in the blurb. Spoiler alert: the last chapter has Arden waking up and referring to her last conversation with Rory as “a good goodbye.”

The category is: psychological mystery/thriller/drama about what lies do to family relationships. It seems to be a quick read, where uncovering the truth is what drives the plot. Having three female narrators suggests that the book is focused on women’s relationships. The dialogue seems light-hearted, but probably peppered with lies. As the author has been awarded awards for both thrillers and fiction, and there are elements of romance and mystery, the title seems to be a mix of genres.

# data[].attributes.body
How to Read a Book in 10 Minutes

The Drop by Michael Connelly

The cover tells me that Michael Connelly is also the author of The Lincoln Lawyer which is a best seller. His name appears before the title, the font for his name is the largest print on the cover, also indicating he is a best seller.  It states that he is a master at building suspense. This leads me to believe Connelly is known for mystery/ suspense/ adult/ genres.  The jacket is red with silhouettes of birds and palm leaves. I am under the impression the story takes place somewhere tropical. The jacket has a masculine appearance.

There is a complete summary of the plot found in the jacket. It also refers to the main character, Harry Bosch, as being the main character in a  series of books by this author. Comments by other authors and reviews are included. There is a brief history about Connelly that lists the previous best sellers he has written. The bio again makes  a reference to his best seller The Lincoln Lawyer.  I am only familiar with the movie The Lincoln Lawyer, which is based on Connelly's book. I am not familiar with him as an author. Based on what I read in the jacket, I think I would recommend reading the first book in the Harry Bosch series.

I opened the book to chapter 8, the first letter of the first word is in a  large point and a different font than the rest. The typeface is probably about a 14 point font making it easy to read and line spacing is about 1.5. This book is most likely intended for an older audience. There are no captions or illustrations. Only one type is used.

The book is of moderate weight. It is approximately 9 ½ by 6 inches. It could be carried in your hand or a backpack, it is an average sized hardcover book. It opens easily.

The first chapter is descriptive. It describes the scene at the police precinct, introduces the main character along with his partner and two other people working there. It sets up one of the two cases Bosch will be working on according to the information on the jacket. I opened the book to chapter 23. It describes a scene at a restaurant and Bosch is with a woman he has just met. There is some drama, the story is written from the main character's point of view. He is a tough police detective, this book is definitely intended for an adult male audience.

The book is fast paced. The sentences and chapters are short. The chapters start out  describing the scene and then quickly get to the linear plot. The ending is open, there will be an investigation about the way he handled a case. I am led to believe that another book in this story line is in the future.

The story background is minimal, there are references to his former partner, other people pop up that gave me the impression they are characters in previous Bosch storys. He offers enough information so I can understand the plot without boring someone who has read the other books.

This is a serious drama that focuses on events and action but the psychological aspect is certainly present.I think the biggest appeal factor is the integrity of the main character and his drive to solve crimes and get criminals off the street.

This genre is male adult, most likely for someone more mature,but any gender or age could enjoy it. In 30 seconds- it is about a police detective who works cold cases. He has a lot of integrity which gets him in some hot water with politicians. There are parts of his personal life thrown in and it is full of action and intrigue. The book is part of a series, I think it would be best to read the first book first but there is some back story. From what I read it explains quite a bit about the characters past. I would say Bosch’s character is almost fully developed but not quite.

From the little I read and based on the information in the chapter Readers Authority, I would say this book is a good read and would recommend it to a patron who is looking for a crime drama, or just a book by a popular author.

# data[].attributes.body
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

1. Cover: The imagery on the cover leads me to believe that this is probably a fantasy story. It looks like it could be aimed towards New Adult/the Crossover audiences because the cover style is reminiscent of Young Adult fantasy cover styles. It also seems to have a Middle Eastern influence. The blurb by Laini Taylor furthers my inference that this book is a crossover novel, because Laini Taylor is a well loved Young Adult fantasy writer. The cover also notes that this edition includes insights, interviews and more at the end of the book.
2. Blurb: A summary of the story is given here, telling the reader that this is a story set in eighteenth century Cairo where a swindler and a djinn warrior must travel to Daevabad, the legendary city of brass. There are also a few blurbs from literary journals and another popular Young Adult fantasy author that compare this book to The Name of the Wind.
3. Typeface: The font is about average size for an older teen/adult novel. This font style would be fitting for most reading ages, though it does not have the larger text size of children's or middle grade books. There are illustrations on the chapter headings that are reminiscent of the mandala on the cover. There is also a map at the beginning of the book that seems to fit the story very well.
4. Physical Characteristics: The book has a slight heft to it. It sits at about 536 pages.It's not so heavy as to dissuade readers from carrying it around, however. The book is a a large paperback. It's of the floppier variety, so it is very easy to open and read. Were you do set it down while open, it would stay open.
5. Read a Sample: The first chapter follow Nahri as she swindles a rich man who thinks he's going to die. She tells him a false remedy for his nonexistent ills and prepares to lead a zar later that night. She uses a language that only she seems to know during this zar and appears to summon something unusual. The middle pages appear to have many more characters than were introduced in the first chapter and they seem to no longer be in Cairo. The last chapter is about a death that happened during the story and seems to set up the next book by posing the question, if someone were to get "the ring" would they be able to reverse this death?
6. Appeal Factors: There seems to be more description than dialogue. The chapters are longer (21+ pages each). From what I've read so far, the characters seem to be well fleshed out.
7. Other Factors:  The book appears to be about Nahri and the djinn warrior traveling to the fabled city of brass. The genre seems to be adult fantasy and adventure with a bit of historical mixed in. This book is the first in a trilogy. I believe readers will be eager to read the next one.
8. Connect: The blurbs on the book connect it to The Name of the Wind. I would liken it to books like The Priory of the Orange Tree, The Bear and the Nightengale and The Golem and the Jinni because of its rich folklore and rich atmosphere. I think this book would appeal to older teens and adults who enjoy adventure stories with a long journey and fantastical elements.

# data[].attributes.body
Book I chose: A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.

1. Cover: From looking at the cover, it looks like it takes place in the past and it shows a man with a sword in hand and it looks like he may be ready for battle. The cover states that it is the "sequel to the #1 New York Times Bestseller Towers of Midnight.
2. The Jacket Blurb: In the jacket blurb in the back cover of the book features the two authors (Jordan and Sanderson), and a few sentences about them. The jacket blurb does not really give any details about the story of the book.
3. Typeface: The font size and type seem to be readable by any age, it seems to be pretty standard sized and I would say most people would find it easy to read.
4. Physical characteristics: The book is pretty hefty, being 909 pages long. There are not any illustrations. The book can be easily set down and opened to read. It is a hardcover book.
5.Reading sample: The first chapter describes a place called "Taren Ferry" which seems to be destroyed by war. The characters Rand, Perry and Merin are introduced. The middle section is describing a battle that they are in. The last chapter the character realizes that the "Dark One" is not the enemy and it never was. I'm not sure who this is as the first or middle chapter did not mention it.
6. Appeal Factors: Pacing: there seems to be more description than dialogue. There is not a lot of white space in the pages. There are 48 chapters that are about 10-15 pages each, with a 74 page prologue.
7. Other factors: I really couldn't tell too much about what the book was about other than probably it being about war and battles. This book is book 14 of a series.
8. I think the kind of reader that would like this book is someone who enjoys reading more action packed and fantasy type books.