Adult Reader's Advisory Spring 2021

Integrated Advisory  I am a huge fan of integrated advisory! Why, then, did I post a picture of books? Movies have the highest circulation numbers at the branch I work at, so I wanted to do something to highlight another part of our collection. If our patrons know movies, perhaps they might be interested in reading the book a movie was based upon, or might enjoy learning that their favorite movie was inspired by another work. This seems to be the opposite of the examples used to explain integrated advisory, but perhaps the same basic message applies: It is important to highlight genres across collections and not limit within one material type or collection.  This is one example of a display I have made at the library I work at. First and foremost, I am not a fan of glass display cases for items you intend to circulate. Even with the sign I placed in there to ask a staff member for assistance checking out one of the items, it tends to deter patrons from engaging with the materi...

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan A posh wedding is just the occasion to enjoy time with her cousin and enjoy the luxuries of a vacation. There is nothing quite like finding a new love on the island of Capri, but that is far from Lucie’s experience meeting George Zao. Off put by George’s eccentric, outgoing, and confident Chinese mother and George’s personality and lifestyle, Lucie wants nothing more than to distance herself from the Zao family after George kisses her. Even her cousin Charlotte does not approve of the match, so Lucie is forced to push him out of her mind. As fate would have it, George comes back into Lucie’s life after years apart. A few years older and somewhat curious about what happened between them, Lucie is intrigued by his reappearance yet does not want to get too close. She has a fiancé after all and would do almost anything to get the Zaos out of her life. After George and Lucie’s mothers become friends, it becomes even harder for Lucie to escape George’s presence,...

Let's get started! I read the two reviews provided for Holly Rayner's The Billionaire's First Christmas and was not completely surprised by what I found. The customer review from Amazon mentioned the plot of the book, but reads very clearly that she enjoyed it and is almost blinded by her love of the characters and of the theme of Christmas. I appreciate the second review from a blog because even though it shares personal details as to why the person was reading the book and what they liked, it seems a bit more objective. The reviewer provide additional detail as to how quickly they read it, what the central plot is, and the overall message they received.  Both reviews provide personal details unique to each reviewer, yet accomplish the same goal. Ultimately, they both share their thoughts on the book and whether or not they enjoyed it. That being said, I would argue that they both provide reliable information. Personally, I enjoy reading various reviews to gather more info...

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions, I decided to complete this assignment over the phone. I know how phone reference can sometimes be a bit difficult to navigate, but enjoyed the experience that I had.  I called to get a recommendation for a novel within the genre of magical realism. After answering some questions about my previous experience with this genre or if I had a particular author or title in mind, the librarian was able to narrow down a bit more information about my preferences. I shared my enjoyment reading books like The Ghost Bride  and  Mexican Gothic , and they were able to point out some of the similarities between these works, and connect these to another book.  I was recommended to read Like Water for Chocolate  by Laura Esquivel. It shares the complex familiar relations like the novels I enjoyed reading previously, and continues a conversation of Mexican tradition and heritage that I loved so much in Mexican Gothic. We also ...

 Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell        Genre: Thriller,  Fiction , Suspense Publication Date: August 4th, 2020 Number of Pages: 368 Geographical Setting:  High-end neighborhood in  London, England Time Period: Present day Plot Summary: We are introduced to Cate, a mother of two teenagers and wife to Roan, a child psychologist. Their marriage is somewhat shaky as she manages the kids and wonders if her husband is still faithful. The family is renting a house in a high-end neighborhood but Cate does not feel welcomed. Recent attacks on women are closing in and placing her on high alert, even more compelled to keep an eye on a lonely and somewhat creepy neighbor across the street. That neighbor is Owen, a school teacher who is currently under investigation for displaying inappropriate behavior with two young women and showing a preference towards guys in his classroom. Owen is the easiest to target when a 17-year old Saffyre goes missing, but don't fo...

Using Novelist:  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!     It looks like the third book in the Anita Blake series was Circus of the Damned.  The next book in the series, and the one you are looking for is The  Lunatic  Cafe.   I  have never used Novelist but I began by typing in the author's name. After that I selected "series", and then chose the Anita Blake series. The fourth book was easy to find!     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 first searched for the book Prodigal Summer . I debated searching the author first, but I know this person enjoyed reading the way this particular title was written. It ...