Week Three 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!

The Next book in the Anita Blake  series is The Lunatic Cafe. This title was originally published in 1996.  I chose this title because that is what the patron is specifically asking for.

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 have a few different recommendations for this patron:

My first selection is The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. This title was first published in 2009. This title involves environmental factors like the Barbara Kingsolver book, but is faster- paced. It is more of a fantasy novel than the book the patron just finished, but it is descriptive and lush like NoveList describes Prodigal Summer.

The next book I have selected for this patron is The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos. This thriller was published in July of 2023 and is about a Sheriff in Nevada that is attempting to solve the murder of a retired FBI agent. It is also fast-paced, descriptive, and lush.

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!

My first selection for this patron is The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery. This title was published in December 2006. It focuses on the lives of two women in 19th century Kyoto as the country faces westernization and radical changes. It is leisurely paced, richly detailed, descriptive, and atmospheric, allowing the reader to be transported to that time period.

The next title I have selected for this patron is Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka. It was published in October 2002. This book is set in 1861 Japan and tells the tale of Lord Genji as he joins forces with a mysterious geisha, two Christian missionaries, and a legendary swordsman to fight off assassins and restore the honor of his clan. This book contains a love story as well as plenty of historical information about Japan. 

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?

For this patron, I would need to ask follow up questions. Well-Schooled in Murder is the fourth book in the series, have they read the first three books? If the answer is no, I would suggest starting with those (A Suitable Vengeance, A Great Deliverance, and Payment in blood in that order) since they liked the author. If the answer is yes, I would I would suggest continuing with the fifth book in the series, Payment in Blood. The series is quite long, with a total of 20 titles so if they continue with the series they will be busy for a while. 

If the patron is interested in a new series similar to the Thomas Lynley mysteries, the Duncan Kinkaid and Gemma James mystery series would be what I suggest next. It is about an English inspector and Scotland Yard Superintendent who use their skills and intuition to solve murder cases that are difficult. 

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?

My first selection for the patron's husband would be Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. it was published in March of 2011. I chose this book because her husband seems to be interested in books that have been adapted for the screen, and there has been a movie produced that is based on this book. 

My next selection for the patron's husband is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. This book was published in April of 2009. It is another book-turned-movie that spins the classic tale by Jane Austin on its head. The English village of Meryton is plagued by the undead and Elizabeth Bennet takes on the zombies but becomes distracted by the arrival of Mr. Darcy.

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.

My first selection for this patron is The Turning by Henry James. This title was published in December of 2019 and was adapted for the screen in 2020. It is a collection of short stories, the most famous being about a governess that becomes increasingly concerned that there are malicious spirits haunting the children in her care.

For my next pick, I have selected Dune: The Graphic Novel by Frank Herbert and illustrated by Raul Allen and Patricia Martin. This title was released in November of 2020 and the movie was released in 2021. This story follows Paul Atreides as his family gains control of the desert planet they live on. 

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

My first selection for this patron is Lights Out by Natalie Walters. It follows a CIA analyst as she tries to locate a missing spy and prevent a cyber blackout, all while working with her ex-boyfriend that she betrayed in the past. I chose this item because it was described as being fast-paced, chaste, and suspenseful.

The next item I selected for this patron is The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y'Barbo. It is about Annie Walters, a Pinkerton Agent who also happens to be the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, as she investigates a connection between murders in London in 1889 and Austin, Texas in 1884. I chose this title because it also is considered fast-paced, chaste, and suspenseful.

The most common way that I find new books that I want to read is through TikTok, my sister and cousin, or scrolling through GoodReads. I also get many great recommendations from patrons that come in and want to discuss the new fiction book they just finished and recommend to me to read. I also find many titles that interest me by browsing through the different collections highlighted on Libby.