Reader's Advisory Week 3 Prompt Response

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 assume you just finished “Circus of the Damned,” which is the third book in the “Anita Blake: vampire hunter” series.  The fourth book in that series is titled “The Lunatic Café.”

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.

Have you read “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens?  Her writing is incredibly descriptive and focuses on the marshlands of the Carolina coast.   You might also like “Bloodroot” by Amy Greene.  It appears to have a faster-pace while still having a picturesque setting and lyrical writing.


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!

“Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden is set in 1930s Japan and is full of rich details about Japanese culture with lots of descriptions about the culture. 

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?

“Well-Schooled in Murder” is part of the Thomas Lynley series by Elizabeth George and there are 20 novels in that series.  I can help you find more titles in that series if you’d like.  Or have you tried any of Louise Penny’s novels?  “Still Life” is the first in her Inspector Gamache series and it’s a popular series that has a lot of the same qualities as “Well-Schooled in Murder.”

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?

Has he read the “Day by Day Armageddon” series by J.L. Bourne?  The first book in the series is called “Day by Day Armageddon” and there are 4 books in the series as of now.   The series is advertised for fans of The Walking Dead and is written as one man’s journal during the zombie apocalypse.


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 Rules of Magic” by Alice Hoffman is about three children growing up in the 1960s who come from a family of witches.   “The Song of Names” by Norma Lebrecht is about two men who are reunited after one, a violin prodigy, goes missing as a child on the day of his debut performance.  “The Strawberry Thief” by Joanne Harris is the sequel to “Chocolat” and continues protagonist Vianne’s story as she settles into her life in Lansquenet.


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

Are you okay with thrillers that may have Christian themes?  If so, you might liked the Nikki Boyd Files series by Lisa Harris.  The first book is titled “Vendetta” and features detective Nikki Boyd investigating a missing persons case similar to her own sister’s case that was never solved.

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 find books using a variety of sources.  The most successful for me is GoodReads, as I have identified several friends who have very similar reading tastes as me, and if one or more of those friends has rated a book highly, there is a good chance I will enjoy it.  I also use GoodReads ratings and reviews to evaluate books I find elsewhere.  I follow many Twitter and Instagram accounts that share posts with new releases and popular book club picks in my feed (such as several publisher sites, independent book stores, public libraries, and book club feeds).  I also listen to several weekly podcasts about books, including “What Should I Read Next,” “The Stacks,” and BookRiot’s podcasts.  Last, but not least, I have a lot of luck just skimming the new releases section at my library and Target.  Since I lean more towards new releases, this works really well for me.   When I find a book that catches my eye, I’ll scan it with Goodreads and see the ratings and reviews to determine if it looks like it should be added to my To Be Read list (TBR).  A lot of the time, the book I’m currently reading is either determined by my book club’s pick or by what from my TBR has come up on holds from the library.