Week 3 Prompt

 Answer the following questions using Novelist (or another RA site) as much as you can - just to familiarize yourself with it if you aren't already using it.  Explain why you chose the books you did.

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 Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton.

The Lunatic Cafe was the fourth book in the Anita Blake series when I searched for Laurell K. Hamilton and clicked on the “series” tab under her name. Since the patron had read the third book, this book was the obvious recommendation.

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 would recommend Yellow Emperor’s Cure and The Minaturist, both by Kunal Basu.

The books are described as “fast-paced” (the middle of three choices for book pacing) and the writing style was described on NoveList with the same phrasing used for Prodigal Summer’s writing style (EBSCO Industries, Inc., 2023a; EBSCO Industries, Inc., 2023b; EBSCO Industries, Inc., 2023c).

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!

I would recommend The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery. 

NoveList mentions that the book is set in “late-nineteenth-century Japan” and it is categorized as historical fiction with a writing style that is “descriptive” and “richly detailed” (EBSCO Industries, Inc., 2023d). 

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?

I would recommend Deborah Crombie’s Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mysteries.

The Kincaid and James mystery series is said to be “leisurely paced” and the webpage for the first book in the series also has no mention of a violent tone, which could take away the “creepy” feeling the patron had when reading John Sandford (EBSCO Industries, Inc., 2023e).

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 recommend Zombies: A Brief History of Decay by Olivier Peru.

In looking at the suggested read-alikes along the side of the webpage for Olivier Peru’s title, World War Z and The Walking Dead are both listed (EBSCO Industries, Inc., 2023f). Therefore, I feel like I could make an educated guess that Zombies: A Brief History of Decay would have enough similarities that the patron would enjoy it.

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 would recommend A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, as well as Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Having recently come out in theaters with film adaptations in the last year or two, both A Man Called Ove and Where the Crawdads Sing revolve around a main character’s experience within the respective novel. (For A Man Called Ove, even though it is currently in theaters, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the book so the patron could read ahead of the movie still!) Additionally, although Little Women is not a new book, the newest film adaptation came out in 2020, so it could work as a recommendation given the patron’s criteria.

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

I would recommend any books by Carolyn G. Hart, as she writes fast-paced novels that are labeled “gentle reads” by NoveList, and NoveList defines gentle reads as “books at the adult reading level that are characterized by no sex, no violence, and little or no offensive language” (NoveList, 2022). 

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 am a diehard, loyal Goodreads user and have used the site for the last decade to track books that I want to read. I have several hundred books that are on my shelves on my account, so they give me a good basis for looking through recommendations for myself. I also like to use Fantastic Fiction on occasion to help patrons, family and friends look for books because I don’t need to have an account to work the website (unlike Goodreads which always seems to need the account to use all the features). Of course, my main source of finding books to read is talking to my friends, family, coworkers, and library patrons about the books that they love to read.

References

EBSCO Industries, Inc. (2023a). Yellow emperor’s cure (Sep 2011). NoveList Plus. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=10019073&site=novp-live 

EBSCO Industries, Inc. (2023b). The minaturist (Jan 2003). NoveList Plus. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=128608&site=novp-live 

EBSCO Industries, Inc. (2023c). Prodigal summer (Oct 2000). NoveList Plus. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=038330&site=novp-live 

EBSCO Industries, Inc. (2023d). The teahouse fire (Dec 2006). NoveList Plus. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=149383&site=novp-live 

EBSCO Industries, Inc. (2023e). Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mysteries. NoveList Plus. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=754499&site=novp-live 

EBSCO Industries, Inc. (2023f). Zombies: a brief history of decay (Apr 2017). NoveList Plus. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=10567153&site=novp-live 

NoveList. (2022, November). NoveList search strategy: Searching for gentle reads. https://www.ebsco.com/sites/g/files/nabnos191/files/acquiadam-assets/NoveList-Search-Strategy-Gentle-Reads.pdf