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 is called The Lunatic Cafe. I found this by looking up the series, and then viewing which books were in the series.
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.
- Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood, the first in a trilogy, which explores a post-apocalyptic world, ruined by ecological and scientific disasters. Chosen for its lyrical, descriptive writing and fast pace.
- The Boy Detective Fails, by Joe Meno, a mystery novel that follows Billy who is coping with his sister’s suicide. Also chosen for its lyrical, descriptive writing and fast pace.
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!
- The Pure Land, by Alan Spence, chosen for its writing style (compelling and descriptive),tone (strong sense of place), and setting in mid-19th century Japan.
- The Teahouse Fire, by Ellis Avery, chosen for its writing style (descriptive and richly detailed), tone (strong sense of place), and setting in 19th century Japan.
4. I read this great mystery by Elizabeth George called 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?
- Peter Robinson (Inspector Alan Banks series), set in Yorkshire, chosen for its compelling characters, intricate plots, fast pace, and not as much violence. Found through similar Elizabeth George authors.
- Penny Louise (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series), set in Quebec, chosen for Louise’s compelling characters, more leisurely pacing, and intricate plot. Also found through authors similar to Elizabeth George.
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?
- Cell, by Stephen King, chosen for its genre - horror - and its focus on zombies, along with fast pacing and compelling writing style, which both The Walking Dead and World War Z contain.
- Feed, by Mira Grant, chosen for the same reasons as Cell.
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.
- The Yellow Birds, by Kevin Powers. The book was released in 2012 and the movie of the same name in 2017. The Yellow Birds is also classified as literary fiction by Novelist. A reflective novel written by a veteran focusing on two inseparable soldiers during the Iraq War.
- Room, by Emma Donoghue. The book was released in 2010, and the movie in early 2016. Novelist also classifies this book as literary fiction, as well as psychological fiction. Room is a fast paced, haunting novel is narrated by a five year old who never leaves his room because his mother is trying to protect him from the man who kidnapped and has held her prisoner for years.
7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.
- Are they looking for clean thrillers, or just fast paced clean books? For fast paced clean books, I’d recommend M.C. Beaton’s Hamish Macbeth or Agatha Raisin series (found by searching for fast paced gentle reads). For clean thrillers, I’d suggest Ted Dekker’s books (found by searching for fast paced christian fiction, and then looking for books that were also thrillers).
How I find books to read:
- I typically find books to read through Goodreads and some journals - usually SLJ and Booklist - though I do occasionally peruse Kirkus. This combination is usually enough to keep my to-read pile continuously overflowing. I do also generally keep up with awards lists, and will occasionally read books that make them, though not always. It really depends on if the book looks interesting or not. After reviewing Chelton's list, I may end up with a few more sites to refer to for books, too! (500 Graphic Novels & Overbooked.com look particularly useful!)
I will openly admit that I haven't had much time for reading the past few years, and what time I have had has generally been given to picture books and middle grade or young adult novels, along with graphic novels and manga. I like them because they're easy for me to follow along with and drop and pick back up whenever I need to. I can also generally finish them in about a week, so I enjoy that aspect as well.
When I do branch out, I generally lean towards romances, historical fiction, and nonfiction, with a focus on 20th century history.
In regards to middle grade and young adult novels, I particularly enjoy historical fiction and horror. Historical fiction, because I enjoy learning about the ways other's lived. Horror, for the pacing and the unpredictability of them in book format (I can't stand horror/suspense movies though!). If I'm in the right mood, I do also enjoy fantasy and science fiction. The world building has to be well done for me to enjoy these genres though, so I'm more picky about which I'll read.
Over the past few years, I've also found a fondness for both graphic novels and manga, and my selections within that format vary widely. I particularly enjoy slice of life manga along with memoir graphic novels, as it allows me to see everyday life through the lens of different cultures, much for the same reason that I enjoy historical fiction.
I'm looking forward to reading more books this semester that are for adults, both for my personal readings habits and so I can feel more comfortable recommending books to others outside of youth materials. I'm also looking forward to better articulating the plots of books as well as their appeal factors through the annotation process. The rule of three that Saricks (2009) explains to us particularly fascinates me, as I'm usually pretty wordy as opposed to concise when discussing books!
My top 5 books of 2017, from various formats and genres:
Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura (slice of life manga)
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service by Eiji Otsuka (horror/mystery manga)
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (nonfiction)
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi (fantasy MG/YA)
The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (historical fiction MG)
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Saricks, J. (2009). At Leisure: The Rule of Three. Booklist, 106(3), 25. Retrived from Academic Search Premier.
