Prompt #1

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!

I would recommend the fourth book in the Anita Blake series, The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #4). This series appears to have twenty-five books currently published, and a twenty-sixth book set to come out this August (2018). All books should be available at your local library. If you are not interested in continuing the Anita Blake series, Laurell K. Hamilton also has other series with multiple books, if you would like the title of those I would be happy to supply them. I chose this book because it was logical in that it was the next in the series that the patron already acknowledged as enjoying and needing help continuing to find the books. I located the title using Goodreads by searching for the author and further specifying the series name, which indicated that Lunatic Café was the fourth book.

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.

If you enjoyed Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, I would recommend Solar Storms by Linda Hogan. Goodreads describes Prodigal Summer as the perfect balance between a compelling narrative, drama, and a flowing writing style. Hogan demonstrates a similar ability to balance a narrative, and to have multiple plots throughout the novel that ultimately intertwine perfectly. Goodreads readers describe it as harrowing, lyrical, but most important boldly incisive. Where our patron may have been disappointed with the pace of the Prodigal Summer, Solar Storms has decisive language that moves the plot forward with clear-thoughts and plot lines. I believe that this will suit the patrons need for a story that is fast 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!

If you are looking for a historical novel set in Japan, I would absolutely recommend Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden published in 2005. Golden received a M.A. in Japanese history from Columbia University, and has been quoted as spending years writing this debut novel so that he could achieve seamless authenticity and remain true to the time period and historical culture. Patrons, who have read the novel, praise it for its exquisite lyricism and engaging story-line. I chose this novel as a recommendation, because it satisfies both the patrons request for a novel set in historical Japan, but also the want for a writing style that allows readers to feel as if they are experiencing and witnessing what the characters are.  

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?

Considering that you enjoyed the first book that you read by Elizabeth George, I would highly recommend that you consider other books by her. She is an extremely prolific writer; the book you read was the third in the Inspector Lynley series, and there are twenty total. However, if you would like to try a new series or author, I would recommend that you try Martha Grimes. Like Elizabeth George, she writes Inspector mystery/detective novels, and according to patron reviews on Goodreads, has a similar fast passed writing style. In addition, she is a relatively tame author in that her writing is neither overtly creepy, scary, or grotesque. The first book in Grimes series is The Man With a Load of Mischief (Richard Jury, #1). I chose this novel for the reasons stated above that indicated a match in writing style and themes, but also because Grimes has similarly positive patron reviews on Goodreads.

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?

Based on your positive reactions to The Walking Dead and World War Z, I would recommend Day by Day Armageddon, by JL Bourne. It is unique in that it is written in diary format from the point of view of a solider home on leave when the outbreak occurs. Furthermore, it follows the typical zombie tropes that everyone has come to know and love with zombie fiction. Also, having been written in diary form, the novel reads quickly. In addition to the similarity of a fast paced reading format, Day by Day Armageddon focuses on the everyday survival skills needed to live in an apocalyptic world, rather than larger ramifications for society as a whole. A final thing to note about this novel, is that the author has written four books in the series, and plans to continue writing this year with a new book being released soon.

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.

Literary movies would be hard to describe without further questioning of the patron; I feel that the description of literary would be subjective based on the person. For this reason, I will recommend movies that I feel had merit and that were based on popular and well-received novels. The first movie that I will recommend is Hidden Figures written by Margot Lee Shetterly. The movie features the true story of the female African-American mathematicians employed at NASA, who helped launch the program's first successful space missions. The second movie that I would recommend is Murder on the Orient Express written by Agatha Christie. The movie features a race against time to solve a murder that occurred aboard a train before the train stops and the murderer can get away. I would recommend these two movies, because they are based on novels that were highly acclaimed and were received and adored by readers from all backgrounds. If given the chance to question the patron in more depth on the qualities she feels makes a movie literary, I could narrow my suggestions further.

7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.

I have recently discovered that there is a genre dedicated to ‘cozy thrillers’ just as there are cozy mysteries. While there is a demand for gritty, tell-all mysteries and thrillers, on the flip side there are those that prefer clean thrillers. If you are looking for one of those cozy thrillers/mysteries, I would recommend the author Lilian Jackson Braun and her ‘The Cat Who’ series. The first book in the series is The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. If you would like other authors, I would recommend Mary Higgins Clark’s or Anne Perry and her William Monk series. I chose these authors, because they all have common traits of a cozy thriller or mystery: no sex, profanity, or language. However, even though it does not have these elements that other thrillers do, none of the three authors lack in providing concrete, fast paced writing styles, or in a mystery that keeps readers on their toes until the very end.

In all sincerity, the way that I find books is most often from patron recommendations and from my time ordering books for my library. With patron recommendations, I have quite a few patrons that will go out of their way to come to my office and tell me about what they have read that they believe that I will like. I keep track of these with Goodreads so that I always have a next book to read. When I am ordering books for the library, I receive monthly periodicals such as Kirkus Review, Library Journal, and Public Libraries. In addition to these, I receive countless catalogs from publishers a month and a monthly catalog from Ingram, the distributor that my library works with.