1. I am looking for a book by Laurell K. Hamilton. I just read the third book in the Anita Blake series and I can’t figure out which one comes next!
The fourth book in the series is titled The Lunatic Cafe and the whole series order can be viewed here: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/laurell-k-hamilton/
The fourth book in the series is titled The Lunatic Cafe and the whole series order can be viewed here: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/laurell-k-hamilton/
I used fantasticfiction.com to find the next book in the Anita Blake series. This website lists books in series order and is very easy to use.
2. What have I read recently? Well, I just finished this great book by Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer.
I really liked the way it was written, you know, the way she used language. I wouldn't mind something a bit faster paced though.
I really liked the way it was written, you know, the way she used language. I wouldn't mind something a bit faster paced though.
I used Novelist and Fantastic Fiction (for in depth book descriptions) and the book that I chose is The History of Bees by Maja Lunde.
I chose this book because it is also about nature and humans connection to nature much like Prodigal Summer. The patron expressed interest in something faster paced.
This book jumps between three different time periods as families of beekeepers face different crises related to the environment and its destruction.
According to Novelist, this book shares the theme “green reads” with Prodigal Summer. It’s tone is thought provoking, same as Prodigal Summer.
The writing style is described as engaging however, and the patron expressed interest in something a little faster paced.
I chose this book because it is also about nature and humans connection to nature much like Prodigal Summer. The patron expressed interest in something faster paced.
This book jumps between three different time periods as families of beekeepers face different crises related to the environment and its destruction.
According to Novelist, this book shares the theme “green reads” with Prodigal Summer. It’s tone is thought provoking, same as Prodigal Summer.
The writing style is described as engaging however, and the patron expressed interest in something a little faster paced.
3. I like reading books set in different countries. I just read one set in China,
could you help me find one set in Japan? No, not modern – historical. I like it when the author describes it so much it feels like I was there!
could you help me find one set in Japan? No, not modern – historical. I like it when the author describes it so much it feels like I was there!
I actually used a book I read in high school for this one! I chose Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden for this patron.
I chose this book because according to Novelist it is richly detailed, lyrical, atmospheric, and is set in the early 20th century around the time of World War II.
It is a fictional memoir about one of Japan’s most famous geishas and how she overcomes her beginnings of being sold into slavery, learning the art of being a geisha, and trying to win over the affection of the man she loves.
As I recall from reading the book the sense of place is very strong and the book is very detailed and makes the reader feel as though they are there in 20th century Japan.
I chose this book because according to Novelist it is richly detailed, lyrical, atmospheric, and is set in the early 20th century around the time of World War II.
It is a fictional memoir about one of Japan’s most famous geishas and how she overcomes her beginnings of being sold into slavery, learning the art of being a geisha, and trying to win over the affection of the man she loves.
As I recall from reading the book the sense of place is very strong and the book is very detailed and makes the reader feel as though they are there in 20th century Japan.
4. I read this great mystery by Elizabeth George called Well-Schooled in Murder
and I loved it. Then my dentist said that if I liked mysteries I would probably like John Sandford, but boy was he creepy I couldn't finish it! Do you have any suggestions?
and I loved it. Then my dentist said that if I liked mysteries I would probably like John Sandford, but boy was he creepy I couldn't finish it! Do you have any suggestions?
I started by going to Goodreads in order to get a detailed summary of Well-Schooled. This helped give me a feel for the book and the plot line.
According to Novelist, this book is character driven, has a strong sense of place, is a police procedural, and is compelling, lyrical and richly detailed.
The book I chose for the patron is The Dry by Jane Harper. This book, like Well-Schooled, is a police procedural mystery. It also has a strong sense of place and is gritty and richly detailed.
It is also suspenseful and menacing. It does include a violent crime involving children, but if the patron liked Well-Schooled and this aspect didn’t bother them then I would feel confident suggesting this book as well.
According to Novelist, this book is character driven, has a strong sense of place, is a police procedural, and is compelling, lyrical and richly detailed.
The book I chose for the patron is The Dry by Jane Harper. This book, like Well-Schooled, is a police procedural mystery. It also has a strong sense of place and is gritty and richly detailed.
It is also suspenseful and menacing. It does include a violent crime involving children, but if the patron liked Well-Schooled and this aspect didn’t bother them then I would feel confident suggesting this book as well.
5. My husband has really gotten into zombies lately.He’s already read The Walking Dead and World War Z, is there anything else you can recommend?
I would suggest The Last of Us: American Dreams by Druckmann, Hicks and Rosenberg. It is a graphic novel about a young girl, Ellie, who is living in a quarantine zone after a parasitic infection turned the majority of the population into zombie-like creatures.
It is detailed, dark, gritty, and fast-paced. It is also post-apocalyptic, features a band of survivors, and is about zombie-like creatures. All of these characteristics are shared with the graphic novel series The Walking Dead.
It has survival aspects that tie it in with World War Z as well.
It is detailed, dark, gritty, and fast-paced. It is also post-apocalyptic, features a band of survivors, and is about zombie-like creatures. All of these characteristics are shared with the graphic novel series The Walking Dead.
It has survival aspects that tie it in with World War Z as well.
6. I love books that get turned into movies, especially literary ones. Can you recommend some? Nothing too old, maybe just those from the last 5 years or so.
I’m not sure if the patron means a movie that’s come out in the last five years or a book so my suggestion might be a little too old. I would suggest The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.
It was released in 2013 so is a little older than the 5 year cut off but it is slated to be made into a movie this coming year (Bowman). According to Novelist The Goldfinch is in the genre of literary fiction and psychological fiction.
Saricks describes literary fiction as “character-centered rather than plot-oriented” (177). Additionally “elegantly written, lyrical, and perhaps layered” could be used to describe these types of books.
The Goldfinch fits all of these appeal terms according to Novelist.
It was released in 2013 so is a little older than the 5 year cut off but it is slated to be made into a movie this coming year (Bowman). According to Novelist The Goldfinch is in the genre of literary fiction and psychological fiction.
Saricks describes literary fiction as “character-centered rather than plot-oriented” (177). Additionally “elegantly written, lyrical, and perhaps layered” could be used to describe these types of books.
The Goldfinch fits all of these appeal terms according to Novelist.
Another suggestion I came across when googling “books made into movies” is The Sense of an Ending which was a movie released in 2017 (Zemler).
The book, originally published in 2011 by Julian Barnes, won the Man Booker Prize. According to Saricks literary fiction books often win awards (177).
According to Novelist this book is in the genre literary fiction and is described as character-driven, intricately-plotted, spare and witty.
Not all books that are in the literary fiction genre need be written in the same style and actually, they often use a wide variety of style and language (Saricks 179).
The book, originally published in 2011 by Julian Barnes, won the Man Booker Prize. According to Saricks literary fiction books often win awards (177).
According to Novelist this book is in the genre literary fiction and is described as character-driven, intricately-plotted, spare and witty.
Not all books that are in the literary fiction genre need be written in the same style and actually, they often use a wide variety of style and language (Saricks 179).
7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.
For this one I looked in Novelist for author read alikes for Mary Higgins Clark. I chose her because according to Saricks “Mary Higgins Clark has honed the softer-edged end ofthe spectrum to an art form…[i]n contrast to the harder-edged Suspense,
these novels exhibit a more romantic worldview, in the sense that we see less violence and more details of the characters’ ordinary lives” (61).
While Higgins Clark writes mainly suspense, in my opinion thriller and suspense can go hand in hand and have similar pacing and themes.
According to Novelist Mary Jane Clark is a read alike author for Higgins Clark. The first in Jane Clark’s KEY News series according to Fantastic Fiction is Do You Want to Know a Secret? Novelist describes this book as fast-paced, suspenseful, and engaging.
The genre is thrillers and suspense, so I think this one would fit the bill, and if the patron enjoys it there are 11 more books in the series.
these novels exhibit a more romantic worldview, in the sense that we see less violence and more details of the characters’ ordinary lives” (61).
While Higgins Clark writes mainly suspense, in my opinion thriller and suspense can go hand in hand and have similar pacing and themes.
According to Novelist Mary Jane Clark is a read alike author for Higgins Clark. The first in Jane Clark’s KEY News series according to Fantastic Fiction is Do You Want to Know a Secret? Novelist describes this book as fast-paced, suspenseful, and engaging.
The genre is thrillers and suspense, so I think this one would fit the bill, and if the patron enjoys it there are 11 more books in the series.
Second, after you get a chance to do the readings and explore Mary Chelton's list
of tools, I want to hear about how you find books to read. It could be a site or a resource you've just discovered or one you've used for years,
one you use for yourself or for your patrons or family and friends.
I mainly use Goodreads and the Book Page, which my library receives monthly. I also get suggestions from coworkers who like to read the same things as me.of tools, I want to hear about how you find books to read. It could be a site or a resource you've just discovered or one you've used for years,
one you use for yourself or for your patrons or family and friends.
I tend to read what’s new and popular, for instance The Girl on the Train was blowing up at my library (and around the country) so I read that and it really started my love of thrillers and other books similar to it. The Bird Box is of course on my list. I’ve already watched the Netflix movie so I’m curious to see how the book differs.
Ruth Ware is an author most of my coworkers read so I read her books as well because I like the genre and it gives me someone to talk about the books with.
When I use Goodreads I like to peruse their “best of” lists for thrillers and horror.
References
Novelist Plus. Ebscohost. Accessed 23 January 2019 through the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library.
Wands, Dave. Fantastic Fiction. Fantastic Fiction, 2019, https://www.fantasticfiction.com/about.htm. Accessed 23 January 2019.
Chandler, Otis. Goodreads. Goodreads, Inc., 2019, https://www.goodreads.com/about/us. Accessed 23 January 2019.
Bowman, Sabienna. 20 Books Being Made into Movies in 2019. POPSugar, 11 January 2019,
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Books-Being-Made-Movies-2019-45432193?stream_view=1#photo-45432225. Accessed 23 January 2019.
https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Books-Being-Made-Movies-2019-45432193?stream_view=1#photo-45432225. Accessed 23 January 2019.
Saricks, Joyce G. The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. American Library Association, 2009.
Zemler, Emily. 24 Books Becoming Movies This Year. Elle, 18 April 2017,
https://www.elle.com/culture/books/g29305/movies-based-on-books-2017/. Accessed 23 January 2019.
All images were taken from Fantastic Fiction except for The Last of Us, which was taken from Goodreads.
https://www.elle.com/culture/books/g29305/movies-based-on-books-2017/. Accessed 23 January 2019.
All images were taken from Fantastic Fiction except for The Last of Us, which was taken from Goodreads.
Great job outlining the resources and steps used to find your books. Full points!
ReplyDelete