Week Three Prompt Response

 The following responses were gathered with research from NoveList. All readers' advisory interviews start with the information professional welcoming the patron and end with the librarian inviting the patron to come back to the desk if they have further questions or need more help.  

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!

"Certainly. If you just read Circus of the Damned, and you want to read the fourth book in the series, you’ll want The Lunatic Café."

I chose this book, because it is the fourth in the series. 

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 might try One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash. It moves a bit faster but has that lyrical writing style. You also might try The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve. You might also like The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese."

I chose One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash, because NoveList says that it is fast paced and has a lyrical writing style. I chose The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve, because Anita Shreve is a best-selling author, and this book is also written lyrically. I chose The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, because it fits and was on Oprah's Book Club list. 

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!

"That makes me think of Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. It’s set in 1929 Japan. It has that richly detailed, historical fiction vibe. If you are looking more for a coming of age type book, you might try Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie. It is set in 1948 Kyoto. I can give you one nonfiction choice as well. Try Stranger in the Shogun’s City by Amy Stanley. It is a biography."

I chose Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, because it is the best-known book with a historical setting in Japan by anyone who was alive in the United States in 2005 when it was made into a movie. I chose Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie, because it has some of the same appeals as Memoirs of a Geisha. These are both said to be written with rich detail. I chose Stranger in the Shogun’s City by Amy Stanley, because the patron did not rule out nonfiction. 

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’m guessing you read Broken Prey. Not everybody is into the violence. Elizabeth George is a prolific writer. If you have not read it yet, you may enjoy A Banquet of Consequences. If you wanted to try stepping away from that author, you might try Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon. You might also try Find Me by Alafair Burke. It has that likeable main character, and it is also intricately plotted."

I chose A Banquet of Consequence by Elizabeth George, because there are a ton of choices for other Elizabeth George books. I chose Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon in case the patron has already read all of the Elizabeth George books. Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon is a violence-free mystery. I chose Find Me by Alafair Burke, because it has a likable main character and is intricately plotted like Well-Schooled in Murder. 

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 have some ideas for that. You would be surprised how many Zombie apocalypse books there are. Have him try Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne, Zone One by Colson Whitehead, or Monster Island by David Wellington."

I chose all of these books, because they are zombie apocalypse books that have at least 3 stars on NoveList. 

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.

"If you are looking for something suspenseful, you might try Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. They just made that into a movie in 2022. If you are looking for something more coming of age, you might try Are you there God? It’s me Margaret by Judy Blume. If you are looking for satire, you might try Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. They made that a movie in 2019. They also did a remake of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott in 2019."

I chose Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie, because I wanted to give choices from a few different genres. I chose Are you there God? It’s me Margaret by Judy Blume, because I know many adults make decisions based on nostalgia as a trend lately. I chose Catch-22 by Joseph Heller in case the other choices did not hit the mark. Finally, I chose Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, because it has mass appeal, even though it does no appeal to me. 

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

"You might try Piece of My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark. It is a clean, fast-paced thriller. She also has a newer book called Where are the Children? that you might like."

I chose Piece of My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark, because Mary Higgins Clark is well-known for clean thrillers. I chose this book to recommend first, because it is marked as being more fast-paced than the newest and last Mary Higgins Clark book. I also recommended the newest Mary Higgins Clark book. 

Second, after you get a chance to do the readings, I want to hear about how you find books to read. It could be a site or a resource you've just discovered or one you've used for years, one you use for yourself or for your patrons or family and friends. It could even be the New York Times or Tiktok!

I find books in all the ways listed. I use GoodReads, Library Journal, Book List, Kirkus, and Novelist. I have read a few books based on TikTok reviews. I also browse the shelves in the library I work at, and I watch to see the year in review lists that public libraries in my area post about most checked out books.