I used many sources when trying to find suitable books such Novelist Plus, Goodreads, Amazon, and Google (mainly for descriptions) and used read-Alikes for suggestions.
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!
Circus of the Damned is #3 in the Anita Blake, Vampire series. The urban fantasy novels continue with The Lunatic Café (Jan 1996) #4. Anita Blake finds herself ‘dating a werewolf’ while trying to solve a series of the shapeshifters disappearances.
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.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. (August 2018, 384 pages). This book is a coming-of-age story set in a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. The main character Kya has lived alone in the marsh when she opens herself to a new life, because of the interest of two men from town. Unfortunately, the unthinkable happens….There are beautiful and violent secrets and a tale of possible murder.
Let’s No One Get Hurt by Jon Pineda. (2018, 256 pages).The book describes vivid imagery of the locales in the southern part of the United States. This book appeals to readers who enjoy lyrical but disturbing fiction. This is a coming-of-age story centered on young women living on the outskirts of society.
Waltzing the Cat by Pam Houston.(1998). Series of interconnected short stories about Lucy O'Rourke, a thirtyish wandering photographer from Houston who weathers disasters both natural and romantic while searching for herself and love.
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!
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 1997. The "memoirs" of one of Japan's most celebrated geishas describes how, in 1929, as a little girl, she is sold into slavery; her efforts to learn the arts of the geisha; the impact of World War II; and her struggle to reinvent herself to win the man she loves. *This book is a classic!
Shogun by James Clavell. January 1975. Set in 17th century Japan, the book finds an English adventurer, a Japanese warlord and a beautiful woman torn between two ways of life and love. This is a saga of a time and a place charged with conflict, passion, ambition, lust, and the struggle for power. *This book was made into a movie shown on TV.
The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai by Barbara Lazar (Jun 2013). This book is set in 12th-century Japan. It is a historical tale with a lot of fast-paced action and romance over the course of the female character, Kozaisho's lifetime. It can be compared to a combination of Memoirs of a Geisha and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Gai-Jin by James Clavell. (1993). Set in 1860, foreigners, have arrived to do business with the Japanese. The mighty Struan shipping empire, Noble House, has built a base in Yokohama and the new Tai-Pan stands ready to take over. Gai-Jin finds he must fight Japanese and foreigners, to keep and build his family's fortune.
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?
The Martin Beck detective series by Mai Sjowall, from the 1960s, has inspired all crime fiction written ever since.
Roseanna is the first in the series (10 books) followed by The Man Who Went Up in Smoke and then The Man on the Balcony, each one written within 12-months.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Jun 1930)by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This book contains in one volume, four full-length novels and 56 short stories chronicling the adventures of Sherlock Holmes with every word Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ever wrote about Baker Street's most famous resident.
* This series is my all-time favorite.
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?
Day by Day Armageddon Series (4 Books) by J.L. Bourne
Day by Day Armageddon #1
An ongoing journal showing one man's personal struggle for survival, dealing with the trials of an undead world unfolding around him.
Beyond Exile #2 (2010, 277 pages). The terrifying sequel when armies of undead
have risen up across the U.S. and around the globe; there is no safe haven from them.
Shattered Hourglass #3 (2012) and Ghost Run #4 (2016) next in the series.
The Zombie Autopsies by Steven Schlozman (2011, 198 pages).
Passing as nonfiction, this book describes the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. It explores the medical science behind reanimation.
Zombie CSU by Jonathan Maberry.(2008),288 pages.
‘What if they were real? What would happen if, tomorrow, corpses across the nation began springing up out of their graves and terrorizing the living?’
The author goes into great detail about how the authorities would respond to a zombie outbreak, if such a thing ever happened.
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 tried to find ‘literary’ movies that are current, but the actual books were written prior to 5 years. Even if the patron did not want an older book, I will still recommend these, because there are classics and the storylines are so good.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer.(July 2008) and (2018, movie).
The book tells the story of Juliet Ashton, a writer and her relationship with an eccentric group of people, who have suffered by the experiences of the Occupation during WWII. The group has found comfort with their forming of a book club where the enjoy each-others company through reading and discussing books.
*This is an absolute wonderful book and storyline.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen 2006 (movie, 2011). Jacob Jankowski remembers his time in the circus as a young man during the Great Depression, and his friendship with Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, and Rosie, the elephant, who gave them hope.
Watership Down by Richard Adams (1975). movie (2018) A worldwide bestseller for more than forty years, this book is a compelling tale of a band of wild rabbits struggling to hold onto their place in the world. It is a classic tale (no pun intended) of discovery and struggle.
*Loved the book; read it when it first came out!
7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast paced.
Kill or be Killed: Thrillers by James Patterson (Oct 2016) Collects four fast-paced suspense novellas, including "The Trial," in which a vicious drug lord unleashes unexpected violence on the lawyers, jurors, and police involved in his case. Thriller, fast-paced, plot-driven and suspenseful.
The Reckoning by John Grisham. (Oct 2018). The book centers in Clanton, Mississippi. It traces an unthinkable mid-20th-century murder of a local reverend by a young war hero who refuses to defend his actions during a bizarre trial. Thriller, fast-paced and plot-driven.
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This is all new to me. That is why I am so glad to be in this class. I do work at the library, but it is in circulation, so I do not get a chance to suggest or try to help patrons with books. I am new to Novelist, Goodreads…. If I wanted to find out about a book I would just ‘Google it’.
If I hear about a book that appeals to me, I read it and then if I like it, I read EVERTHING the author writes along the same storyline like Harry Potter series, Janet Evonovich series, Aunt Dimity, Sherlock Holmes, Anne Rice, etc.
The Anita Blake Vampire series from question #1 has sparked my interest. When I go to the library, I usually gravitate to the ‘new book’ section for mysteries, fantasy and vampires and witches.
Blogs, different reading sites, lists and reviews are new to me. So, I am really anxious to read the class blogs to get acquainted with the latest reviews to give me some insights to help me expand my book experience:)
