Prompt #1 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! 

The fourth book is The Lunatic Café.  In order to find this, I searched for series and entered Anita Blake which brought up the regular series and graphic novel series in Novelist Plus.  Ordinarily, I would go to the Fantastic Fiction website (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk ) in order to find this information.  It is really quick and easy. 

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. 

After searching in Novelist Plus, I am recommending The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh.  Like Prodigal Summer, this novel has a writing style of descriptive, lush and lyrical and a romantic tone.  Prodigal Summer’s tone is additionally described as thought-provoking.  Although neither novel had the pace listed in Novelist, this one sounds more exciting and has a dramatic tone. 

Listing for The Fever Tree in Novelist (retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=10173670&site=novp-live ): 
Description:  Forced to abandon her life of privilege in 1880 London and relocate to the Southern Cape of Africa, Francis Irvine becomes entangled with two very different men including one driven by ambition and another by his ideals.
Book Appeal Terms:  Definition of Appeal Terms
Genre:  Historical fiction
Tone:  Dramatic; Romantic; Strong sense of place
Writing Style:  Descriptive; Lush; Lyrical

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 recommend The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery.  In order to find this I searched for Japan Historical Fiction Descriptive using the Keyword Field. 

Listing for The Teahouse Fire in Novelist (retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=149383&site=novp-live ): 
Description:The fates of two women--one American, one Japanese--become entwined in this sweeping novel of 19th century Japan on the cusp of radical change and westernization. The Japanese tea ceremony, steeped in ritual, is at the heart of this story of an American girl, adopted by Kyoto's most important tea master and raised as attendant and surrogate younger sister to his privileged daughter Yukako. Pasts shrouded in secrets and mysterious traditions rocked by modernization make The teahouse fire a compelling and provocative story, lush in details and epic in scope.
Book Appeal Terms:Definition of Appeal Terms 
Genre:Coming-of-age stories; Historical fiction
Storyline:Sweeping
Pace:Leisurely paced
Tone:Bittersweet; Moving; Nostalgic; Reflective; Strong sense of place
Writing Style:Descriptive; Engaging; Lyrical; Richly detailed

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 recommend A share in death by Deborah Crombie which is the first Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James mystery.  Like Well-Schooled Murder, this is a British mystery and police procedural.  In addition, it has similar pace, writing style and tone.

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?

After searching Novelist for Adult Fiction Zombies and browsing the results, I recommend Zone One by Colson Whitehead. 

Listing for Zone One in Novelist (retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=neh&tg=UI&an=10008126&site=novp-live ):

Description:In a post-apocalyptic world decimated by zombies, the U.S. government has retreated to Buffalo, New York, and survivor efforts to rebuild are focused on lower Manhattan. With several others, Mark Spitz works as a "sweeper" -- eliminating zombie stragglers as he struggles with PASD (Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder) and recalls humanity before the apocalypse. -- Description by Dawn Towery.
Book Appeal Terms:Definition of Appeal Terms
Genre:Adult books for young adults; African American fiction; Horror stories; Satirical fiction
Pace:Leisurely paced
Tone:Bleak; Darkly humorous; Gruesome
Writing Style:WittyPersistent

I find books myself a lot of different ways.  If I am reading a series, I usually go to Fantastic Fiction to find the order or the next one in the series.  I really like to get personal recommendations from people.  That is one of the great benefits of Goodreads!  In addition, I browse Amazon, read reviews, look at book awards lists, browse the shelves, get recommendations in my Facebook feed, and talk to my coworkers. 

When helping patrons, what I use depends on the situation.  Sometimes, they want a quick suggestion and don’t want to wait for a typical RA interview.  I have several books in different genres, I recommend depending on what I can glean from the patron.  I often use Novelist, Goodreads and Google to find additional recommendation.