Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Week Three Prompt Responses
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!
After number three, "Circus of the Damned," from 1995 comes "The Lunatic Cafe" from 1996!
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 recommend trying "A Chance to See Egypt" by Sandra Jean Scofield. Scofield writes in a similar lyrical style, but is faster-paced than the languid feel of "Prodigal Summer."
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 recommend "The Shogun's Daughter" and "The Iris Fan" by Laura Joh Rowland, as well as "The Garden of Evening Mists" by Twan Eng Tan. These have the same attention to detail about historical Japan. "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden is a standard in this genre. For a change of pace, you may try "A Scandal in Japan," by Keisuke Matsuoka, featuring the one and only Sherlock Holmes!
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?
Yes, John Sandford can be a little dark. You can try "Cover Her Face" by P.D. James, the first in the Adam Dalgliesh series, similar to the Inspector Lynley series by George. You may also like Martha Grimes' series about Inspector Armand Gamache, beginning with "Still Life."
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 recommend some anthologies of zombie short stories. There are two in a sort of series: One is "Zombies: The Recent Dead" with stories that feature zombies as the main character! The other is "Zombies: More Recent Dead." For a more fantastiscal take, you may like "Zombies Sold Separately: A Night Tracker Novel," by Cheyenne McCray, about a half-human, half-Drow (dark elf) PI who has to stop zombies in New York.
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 recommend "Julieta" by Alice Munro, book and movie from 2016. "All the Right Places" by Jennifer Niven is coming soon to Netflix. "The Song of Names" by Norman Lebrecht takes place in wartime London and came out this past December as a feature film.
7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.
You might like a new title in a classic series: "Manuscript for Murder: A Murder She Wrote" mystery by Jon Land. The Constable Evans mysteries by Rhys Bowen are clean, yet thrilling. If you like a more supernatural take, you might like the Ophelia and Abby series by Shirly Damsgaard, in which the main character is a mystery-solving witch! The first one is "Witch Way to Murder."
How do you find books to read?
I use a combination of newer tools and word-of-mouth. I have a Goodreads account and have found some great reads through there by searching for similar titles. They also have recommendations that get more tailored to what you like the more you read and the more friends you have who rate similar books. Since I discovered NoveList last fall for another class, I've used that from time to time. I haven't used many of the other entries on Chelton's list, though, so I have some exploring to do!
I'll listen to others who I know like the same types of things and look into the books they suggest. I'll also browse the new arrivals at the library and see what catches my eye (book covers are important!), as well as browsing a particular genre's shelves. If there's a particular author I'm into at that moment, I'll look up everything they've done and probably start reading through their list. Occasionally, there will be an ad for a book I'll hear on the radio or streaming audio services, or see a 'trailer' for on youtube or other video service online that looks interesting.
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For prompt 4, I also suggested P.D. James and Martha Grimes. These were the first two authors that are most similar to George in genre. I wonder did you use GoodReads to find these? I noticed that you also have an account with GoodReads and use it to find recommendations.
ReplyDeleteFor prompt 3, I noticed that we both suggested Laura Joh Rowland for books based in historical Japan. When I searched "historical Japan fiction" and other variations of these search terms, hers were always the first to come up. I haven't personally read them, but I read reviews on Goodreads that seemed to indicate she was a leader in this topic. I was intrigued by a lot of the titles that you mentioned. Many of them were not ones that came up on my NoveList searches, so I will have to look into them more! What search system did you use for your recommendations?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I, too, mainly use word of mouth for my reading recommendations. Since you also use some technology to find recommendations, I would suggest using Instagram or other social media to find some new titles as well (if you have an account). I follow many publishers and authors that put stories on their pages featuring new books. I have also found a lot of great books through celebrities' Instagrams that have book clubs, like Reece Witherspoon and Jenna Bush Hager. We have had a lot of patrons come into the library requesting books that they saw on social media, so it is a new avenue that I have started to follow. Just a thought! :)
I used NoveList for finding everything, though I did have to Google how to find certain things (such as Gentle Reads for #7. Goodreads is a nice way to verify reviews, though those are of course subjective, but if thousands of people have given a book a pretty good rating, it's probably a good one to at least recommend! I haven't thought of using social media for getting recommendations; that's a great idea!
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ReplyDeleteGreat recommend in the Japanese category! I love that you included Sherlock in that mix! I agree with your Elizabeth George read alikes as well! James is a great choice, as well as Louise Penny! Inspector Gamache is right up there with Poirot for me, although I think Penny's writing is a little slower than Christie's.
ReplyDeleteExcellent recommendations, full points! You had some great picks and I love that you use a variety of resources to find your own books pics as well as others. Keep it up!
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