Week 3 Prompt: Reading Recommendations

 Reading Recommendations

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 on comes next!

The fourth book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series is The Lunatic Café. Vampire Hunter is the only Anita Blake series with more than three titles.

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.

You may like The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. The book is set in 1936 in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky and tells the story of a young woman who joins the Pack Horse Librarian Project. You may also like State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. The woman protagonist travels into the Amazon forest to find her mentor, a researcher who has disappeared.

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 bestselling novel, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Set in 1930s Japan, this book shares the confessions of a Japanese geisha. The story reflects the authentic experiences of Japanese geishas. You may also like The Mask Carver’s Son by Alyson Richman. Set in 1890, this book tells the story of a Japanese art student who longs to study in Paris, but feels pressure to follow in his father’s footsteps, carving masks for traditional Japanese theater.

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 Sanford, but boy was he creepy I couldn’t finish it! Do you have any suggestions?

You may like the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series by Deborah Grimes. There are eighteen books in the series; the most recent installment was published in 2019. Grimes writes mystery novels set in the United Kingdom. The content is not overly dark or heavy. You may also like the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny. There are seventeen books in the series; the most recent installment was published in 2021. Penny writes mystery novels set in Canada. The content is mostly comfortable and “cozy.”

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?

Your husband might like I am Legend by Richard Matheson. Although this novel involves vampires instead of zombies, the plot is similar to a zombie apocalypse. Everyone on earth is infected by a virus; only the protagonist remains, and he must survive constant life-threatening dangers and threats of violence. Your husband may also enjoy the Zombie Fallout series by Mark Tufo. There are fifteen books in the series; the most recent installment was published in 2020.

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.

You might like The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. This #1 New York Times bestseller is a historical fiction novel which tells the story of two sisters seeking freedom in German-occupied France. Movie due out in 2021. You may also enjoy Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift. This historical novel tells the story of an orphan/housemaid who has no mother to visit on Mothering Sunday. Movie due out in 2021.

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

Mary Higgins Clark writes in the thriller/mystery genre. She’s published many books, including many stand-alone novels. Clark’s books are not overly graphic in nature. You might check out her series, Under Suspicion. There are seven novels in the series; the most recent installment was published in 2020. You may also enjoy Robin Cook. Cook writes in the medical thriller genre, and is also not overly graphic in his writing. You might check out his Jack Stapleton/Laurie Montgomery series. There are twelve novels in the series; the most recent installment was published in 2019.

How I find Books to Read

I do come across titles I’d like to read while looking through publications like Kirkus and Library Journal. However, I don’t typically use any tools to find books for myself to read. I read authors I know, or I browse the library shelves for books that look interesting or “jump out at me.”

For readers advisory, I typically use Goodreads, Fantastic Fiction, or What Should I Read Next? I have a lot to learn about how to use all of the tools that are available and how to decide which tools will work best for me. I would like to check out Novelist, but our library only subscribes to the K-8 Plus version.