Week Three Prompt Response

(I didn't have access to Novelist so I used Goodreads)

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 Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake #4) 

To find this book I searched the author, chose one of the Anita Blake books then clicked the series order to see #4. Normally though when searching for a series order I tend to use the author's website instead of another site.

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.

Something Rising by Haven Kimmel. I first looked at the "Books Similar to Prodigal Summer" section and narrowed down the selections from there. Since the patron wants something faster paced I wanted to focus on that while also giving the option of it having a similar subject matter, even if it was a broad category such both stories dealing with the way people interact with each other and their surroundings. Since the patron also focused on the language used, I made sure to look at quotes from the two books to see how they compared. 

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!

Normally I would ask if they preferred adult fiction, YA or if it mattered. Since it is not mentioned I chose a couple options both adult and YA. I wanted to choose a few that they might not have heard of and one or two that they had. I knew about the YA historical from my own reading but for the others I searched in the Genre: Historical Fiction Japan.

The Way of the Warrior by Chris Bradford. YA historical fiction. This book is very descriptive and does a great job of putting you right there in the story. "Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan, his beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates. Rescued by a legendary master swordsman and brought under his wing, Jack begins the grueling physical and psychological training needed to become a samurai. Life at Samurai school is fraught with difficulty for Jack who is bullied and treated as an outcast. With his friend the remarkable, beautiful Akiko at his side and all the courage he can muster, Jack has to prove himself. Will he be able to face deadly rivals and challenges that will test him to his very limits?"

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. This is one they have probably heard about but I would still recommend it as an option. 

"In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction - at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful - and completely unforgettable."

Shōgun by James Clavell. 

"A bold English adventurer. An invincible Japanese warlord. A beautiful woman torn between two ways of life, two ways of love. All brought together in an extraordinary saga of a time and a place aflame with conflict, passion, ambition, lust, and the struggle for power..."

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?

First I would ask if they had read the others in the Inspector Lynley series which the book they loved is the third of, if not I would recommend those as well as a couple others.

Since this book is set in Britain I chose to look at the list: The Best British Crime/Mystery Fiction to see if I could find other suggestions.

Agatha Christie is an author I would recommend. Murder on the Orient Express. If they were already a fan or had already read her books then I would recommend:

The Lord Peter Wimsey series by Dorothy Sayers. Murder Must Advertise.

Since the patron did not like John Sandford I also looked him up and looked at those similar reads to make sure I was not picking one that might be too similar or creepy.

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?

Deadline (Newsflesh Trilogy #2) by Mira Grant. "Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has. But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead. Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun."

To find this book I looked up World War Z and looked at the similar books.

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.

The Great Gatsby (2013 film)

The Book Thief (2013 film)

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

For this I searched "clean thrillers" on Listopia on Goodreads and looked at "The Best Clean Thrillers and Adventures" list for options.

I would suggest Mary Higgins Clark and Thieves of Darkness by Richard Doetsch. The second was listed under a clean reads discussion on Goodreads as a thriller not a mystery.

How I find books to read:

While I do find new books to read on Goodreads mainly I find new books by following book bloggers of my favorite genre such as Aestas Book Blog. I mainly find out about the new books based on those recommendations through social media. I also find new books or new to me authors by browsing, either on a site like Amazon or when I go to Barnes & Noble. Sometimes I use friend recommendations but I'm usually the one recommending books I've read to them.