Week Three Prompt:

Well, I wasn’t able to access Novelist on IUPUI’s library website but fortunately my local library did have it so I was able to complete this ‘prompt’ assignment.  It was my first time using it and I definitely will continue to use it.

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 fourth one is called The Lunatic Café and the fifth book in the Anita Blake series is Bloody Bones.  I just typed the author’s name Laurell K. Hamilton into the search box and clicked on author’s name and she came up. 

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.

If the patron hadn’t read, Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver then I would recommend Feeding Christine by Barbara Chepaitis  because it is in the same genre as Prodigal Summer with portrayals of strong women in it.  Another option because it is in the “Read- Alikes” section was The Loop by Nicholas Evans because it is in the same genre and subject area ( women and wildlife biologists).

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 recommended the book, The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng based on its Goodreads reviews.  The readers said it was lyrical, perfect, descriptive and though provoking.  It did meet the criteria of location (Malayan in Japan) and it has three different historical periods. 

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 would recommend from the “Read-Alikes” section- Still Life by Louise Penny.  It’s part of a series ( the first one), the Inspector Armand Gamache mysteries.  The book the patron liked was also part of a series so I think he/she will like that as well.

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 would need to know if he had all of The Walking Dead series books by Robert Kirkman which consist of the following: 1. The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.  2.  The Road to Woodbury.  3.  The Fall of the Governor.  If so, I would ask if he liked short stories and if he did, I would recommend, The Mammoth Book of Zombie Apocalypse!, edited by Stephen Jones.  It is a collection of stories focusing on zombies.  If her husband doesn’t like short stories, I would recommend the Black Tide Rising series by John Ringo because of his fondness for zombies. It also received good reviews on Goodreads.  The first book in the series is Under a Graveyard Sky, The second one is A Sail a Darkling Sea, the third one is titled, Islands of Rage and Hope and the last one is Strands of Sorrow. 

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. 

This prompt was the most challenging for me.  I used the limited publication dates, keywords- “books made into movies” and I was not successful.  Then I used the Advanced Search with the same limited publication dates and “books” “made” “movies” as the key words.  I found Made into Movies: Fiction A-Z in the Books to Movies/ Labelled Readers’ Advisory Lists which I could tell was created by a staff member at the library.  I realized that this must be a limited version of the database because it shouldn’t be that difficult in finding this information.  The five books made to movies list:  1. A Dog’s Purpose by Bruce W. Cameron 2.  The Ambassador’s Wife  by Jennifer Steil.  3.  All the Wrong Places by Ann Gallagher.  4.  The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkings. 5.  The Martian by Andy Weir.

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

I would recommend from my personal experience, the author Julia Spencer-Fleming books.  The Rev. Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series is excellent and fits the criteria that the patron is asking for without foul language or sex scenes.  I feel they are fast paced and definitely clean!  The first one is called In the Bleak Midwinter which was published in 2002.  There are currently eight books in the series with the last one, Through the Evil Days published in 2013.

Question:  How do you find books to read? 

Well, I don’t really have a particular system.  I read a lot of information throughout the day and if something catches my eye, I will seek more information about it and then either go to Barnes and Nobles (usually I will call and have the sales associate reserve and then have my family member pick it up) or I will purchase from Amazon.  When I was single, I use to purchase the hardcover of a new book but now I try to wait until it comes out in the paperback version to save money.  I need to say that I do keep a wish list of sorts of the books that I am planning on purchasing soon here.  Also when I go shopping I will always go to the book section and check out what is available. I will definitely be using Novelist again.