Week 3 Prompt

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 looked in Novelist to find the Anita Blake books. I clicked on the series tab and found that the fourth book in the series is The Lunatic Cafe. Another site that would be quick to use is fantasticfiction.com.

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 searched Prodigal Summer using Novelist and found two read-alike books that I might suggest, both are described as richly detailed. The first is Ectopia by Ernest Callenbach. The second is Anthill by Edward Wilson. Anthill is suspenseful so it might be more of what you are looking for since it should be faster 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!

Using Novelist, I would suggest The Teahouse Fire by Elllis Avery. I searched using Japanese historical fiction and limited the search to descriptive. The Teahouse Fire is a story surrounding a Japanese tea ceremony and takes place in the late 19th century. It is described as richly detailed and nostalgic story.

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 searched Well-Schooled in Murder on Novelist and found some read-alike titles that I could suggest. Still Life by Louise Penny has many similarities to the Well-Schooled in Murder such both are listed as being character-driven, intricately plotted mysteries. Another read-alike title is The Man with a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes. It also has similarities to Well-Schooled in Murder but with some wit and charm. Neither of these titles should be creepy.

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 used Novelist to find a read-alike title called Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. I searched for The Walking Dead and refined my search to zombies to find this title. Library Journal and Kirkus give this novel good reviews and it has 5 stars based on popularity. I also searched for World War Z and found a read-alike book, The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks from the Apocalypse by Steven Schlozman.  This book is written for zombie fans and enthusiasts about a zombie research project and it also has great reviews. I would suggest both of these titles for your husband to read. 

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 can suggest several movies using "Based on the Book". Two titles released in 2015 are Brooklyn by Colm Toibin and The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff, both are based off these literary titles with the same name.  Both books are richly detailed in language. There is also the movie The History of Love released in 2016 based on the book by Nicole Krauss. "Based on the Book" is a compilation of books made into movies compiled by Mid-Continent Public Library. http://www.mymcpl.org/books-movies-music/based-book 

After selecting some titles from "Based on the Book", I then looked at Novelist for the books that were considered as literary titles.

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

I checked GoodReads for a list of clean thrillers that does not contain foul language or sexual content. I would suggest Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean. It is listed as a fast paced adventure thriller and has a high rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

How do I find my books? I have several sources. I occasionally look at Library Journal, School Library Journal and Book Page to find out about new books. I also like to peruse Barnes and Noble (or other stores that carry books) to see what they have on display. I check out the New York Times best seller list every week and also look at some other book lists. I sometimes look at Amazon and GoodReads for reviews about titles. Sometimes my patrons suggest books to read. But I find most of my books when I check in or shelve material, straighten shelves and when we receive new books at the library.