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!
So then you just finished Circus of the Damned right? The next book you want is The Lunatic Cafe. One great resource we have linked on our library website is called NoveList. When I searched for Laurell Hamilton, I got a list of all the books she has written. In addition, I was able to look at all the series she has written, which is where I found the books in the Anita Blake series in order! Would you like me to print you the list for next time?
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.
Using the NoveList database that you have access to with your library card, it’s linked on our website, I searched for Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer. It describes the writing style as descriptive, lyrical, and lush. It’s said to have a romantic and thought-provoking tone. Are those some terms you’d use? From there, I did a search for books with descriptive and lyrical writing, plus a fast-pace.
Ann Leckie’s novel Translation State matched those terms, but with the tone descriptions of dramatic and thought-provoking. If you’re looking for something with that romantic feel, Paula McLain’s Love and Ruin might be a better choice as its writing style is also lyrical and richly detailed.
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!
One that immediately comes to mind is Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha. It makes the recommended reading lists for AP English students on a regular basis which is where I first encountered it. I haven’t read it yet myself, but I have a copy!
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie might be another title of interest for you. I used the search functions in the NoveList database to look for historical fiction in Kyoto, Japan. The tone is said to be “heart wrenching” but that the writing style is compelling.
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, first things first, would you like to read more of Elizabeth George? The title you just finished is actually the fourth in a series about Thomas Lynley. The next book you’d be looking for is called For the Sake of Elena.
In the case of something new, one read-a-like author that our database NoveList suggested is Louise Penny. Her mysteries are described as “intricate and quirky” with a hopeful tone. So, likely not as creepy as John Sandford!
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?
When I searched on NoveList for similar books to those titles, I got The Zombie Autopsies by Steven Schlozman and The Last of Us: American Dreams by Neil Druckmann.
The Zombie Autopsies is written as though it is a journal kept by a CDC biologist as he investigates and searches for a cure to the zombie apocalypse. Druckmann’s work, The Last of Us: American Dreams takes place in the same world as the hit video game of the same title. This story is set as a prequel to that game meant to provide more backstory to Ellie. It isn’t a traditional prose novel though, it is a graphic novel so that might be something different!
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 suppose I’d like to clarify a little about what you mean by too old. Are you looking for books that were published in the last five years, adaptations that were released in the last five years, or both?
I only ask this because works like Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher and Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw were both published in the 1800s, but Netflix recently adapted the two works for modern miniseries, with The Haunting of Bly Manor premiering in 2020 and The Fall of the House of Usher in October of 2023.
Here’s one where both the adaptation and book are newer. In 2022, Hulu adapted Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s 2019 novel Fleishman is in Trouble for a drama miniseries. The NoveList database calls this book a work of literary fiction that is complex and sardonic.
7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced
One of my go-to thriller authors is Catherine Coulter. I’ve read The Cove which I believe was the first of her FBI thrillers, and have read most of her Brit in the FBI series which starts with the title The Final Cut. I’ll admit, these aren’t recent reads for me, but I remember them being clean aside from the occasional bad word here or there. Coulter got her start as a romance author, so some of her titles may cross into that territory.
Can you tell me more about what it is in thrillers that you like? I wonder if cozy mysteries might be something you’d enjoy as well. They’re usually quick, fast reads with an endearing cast of characters. Most of the time there is some element of romance, but it’s very mild and never gets graphic.
Part Two:
Up until very recently, the number one way I found books to read was just by going to my city’s Barnes & Noble and browsing the shelves and displays there. I probably visited the bookstore every other week or so. This changed because I moved to a new city that doesn’t have a Barnes & Noble. The nearest one is only about forty-five minutes away, but I can’t justify going as often as I used to. Target was my other go-to store to browse at, but I no longer have one of those in town either!
But no fear, it worked out because the reason I moved was because I was offered a job at the library here. Since I oversee all of the new books that come in, I get to see what new titles are released and what’s been popular. If I notice something that I really want to read, I’ll usually order myself a copy…. from Barnes & Noble of course!
I also really enjoy flipping through the BookPage magazine, but I don’t think I usually end up reading many of the books that they feature. Every once and awhile a title stands out to me though which is why I continue to grab the latest issue!
