Prompt #1

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 of the Anita Blake series is The Lunatic Café followed then by Bloody Bones.

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.

A book to consider may be A Parchment of Leaves, which is also set in mountain life. The story follows the marriage of a Cherokee woman to a white man and the struggles she faces.

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!

Beyond the Blossoming Fields by Junichi Watanabe is set in Japan in the 18^th century. The author describes political, cultural, and academic atmospheres of the time period as they tell the story of a young woman struggling to become a doctor.

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?

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich is a female detective mystery story that follows more along the humorous route.

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.

Some more recent books that have been turned into movies are The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Divergent series by Veronica Roth, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Hobbit series by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

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

Devil-Devil by G W Kent is a murder mystery with an exotic setting and engaging main characters. Sergeant Ben and Sister Conchita investigate the disappearance of an American anthropologist on the island of Malaita.

When I am personally looking for a new good book to read I like to use Goodreads and LibraryThing primarily. I also enjoy using a website called Whichbook that allows me to use some custom options in my book search.

Reading Profile

Hello everyone! My name is Brandi and I love reading.

My schedule as of late has made it more difficult to find the time to read as much as I want, but that just makes it more satisfying when I get to sit down and enjoy a good book. Fantasy is probably my all time favorite genre, but by no means my only devotion. I also love a good horror novel or historical fiction. I also like to try and make time occasionally for some of the classics like Dracula or Call of the Wild when possible.

I enjoy browsing through sites like Goodreads and LibraryThing for some occasional inspiration on reading topics. They make some excellent recommendations based on my previous selections. Maybe this year I will do one of their reading challenges to get some new book list recommendations. I may also try to look up some additional books written by authors of some recent favorites. Some of those authors would be Frances Hardinge, Laurell K. Hamilton, D.M. Cornish, and Holly Black.

I would have to say I have rarely had to think about the reasons I liked the books I do in appeal terms, like recommended in the School Library Journal's article, 'It's All About the Text Appeal'. However, I can see how they would make finding book recommendations much simpler (Nesi 1). If I am in the mood for suspense, I want a slow burning novel with darker tones and clever dialog. In the case of an action or adventure novel, I prefer something fast-paced with witty dialog and ideally some comedic undertones.

 I wouldn't mind breaking into some new genres as well this year. I have never really gotten into mystery novels, but I wouldn't mind trying to break into the genre. I think that some more diverse genres would also be a good choice too. The wider a variety of reading materials I am familiar with, the better at reader advisory I can be!

 References:
Nesi, Olga. "It’s All About Text Appeal." School Library Journal. N.p., 1 Aug. 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2017.