Week 5 ~ Assignment 1-3

I have been following Daily Beast and Locus and my impressions are similar for both sites. Each is packed with information and links that make gleaning suggestions a breeze. Frequent visits are a must for me.
Daily Beast's busy page will lead me all over the map if I am not careful. I do enjoy their Cheat Sheet, Highlights, and This Week's Hot Reads. Because science fiction and fantasy are my less preferred genres I particularly enjoy noting titles to try and suggest. I look to Monitor, Reviews, and Perspectives and SF&F news to see what I should be aware of. I'm enjoying perusing the scifi awards' links; I had never heard of some of these, like the Mythopoeic and Sturgeon awards. Fun stuff.
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As far as Early Word goes, I regularly check this site and its myriad of listings/links. For this assignment I discovered the People Magazine book reviews index archive - useful and worth revisiting on a regular basis since I am not a People reader. I also liked Library Love Fest, official blog of HarperCollins library marketing folks. I signed up for their newsletter and found an event to attend next week at Book Expo that will preview upcoming titles for the book club set.
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Finally, Marisha Pessl has a follow up to her widely popular debut, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, published in 2006. Due out this August, Night Film features investigative journalist Scott McGrath who suspects the life (and death) of a beautiful young woman is not what it appears. When he learns the dead girl's father is a reclusive cult-horror film director he senses an unsettling, unseen and eerie threat closing in, especially when another body shows up. Striking a creepy, haunting tone Pessl's clever literary thriller is ripe with exquisitely written prose and a suspenseful tone sure to please her fans long waiting to hear from this talented author.

Week 4 ~ Assignment 4

My Read on Goodreads:

Goodreads has been part of my readers' advisory repertoire for several years now. I use it as a repository for what I have read and what I want to read. I maintain numerous lists and categories for  materials. Keeping track of what my "friends" are reading is an added bonus, as I regularly glean suggestions from them. Occasionally I will comment on a title I feel strongly about or respond to a friend's comment.
Recommendations and Listopia links are fun browsing.

Based on Sam O'Heren's reading habits and love of dystopian teen fiction, I suggested Richard Yancey's new YA book, The 5th Wave, about a silent alien invasion that wreaks havoc and unleashes calamities in waves. With a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled narrative and alternating points of view, this new scifi-esque series will appeal to teens and adults alike. I wouldn't be surprised if it's already on Sam's list.

Week 3 ~ Assignment 3

Conversation No. 1:

This customer read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and is now looking for another good story. I gather she is curious about popular books and is willing to try a title if it "draws her in."  Attracted to a strong, reflective, funny voice, she also pays attention to setting, though it's not the most important appeal. Tone is important to this customer. She follows Oprah's book listings, which she enjoys.
I would suggest Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific crest trail by Cheryl Strayed. It, too, features a reflective tone as the author gives voice to her internal struggles. There is an epic 1100 mile solo hike, so the setting is there, and it's an Oprah selection. Another I might suggest is Traveling with Pomegranates: a mother-daughter story by Sue Monk Kidd, where each confronts their respective challenges during a European trip. It, too, strikes a reflective, thought-provoking tone this customer may enjoy. While this was not an Oprah book it does have the cache of being written by the author of  The Secret Life of Bees.

Conversation No. 2:

This customer is looking for vampire books that are nothing like the slow- to-unfold Twilight series and its angst-filled teen love story. What good vampire books has the librarian read lately?
Well, the customer got me on this one, as my repertoire of vampire books is quite thin. So, off to NoveList Plus. I searched subjects/appeals and browsed through vampire titles. I further limited by appeal factors.
For something lighter minus teenage angst, I would suggest the first title in the newish Vampire Chef mystery series, Taste of the Nightlife by Sarah Zettel. A cozy, culinary mystery that is fast-paced, engaging and witty, and if she likes it she can move on to the second in the series, Let Them Eat Stake. For a classic vampire novel, I would suggest Bram Stoker's Dracula to give the reader a taste of how the trend arguably started.

Conversation No. 3:

This customer enjoyed Candice Millard's The River of Doubt and found the subject matter fascinating, fast paced, and an amazing true story. I gather that this customer doesn't necessarily want another book on Roosevelt's trek but might enjoy another similarly riveting narrative nonfiction.

I would suggest Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City: murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America,  based on its compelling, suspenseful tone. Additionally, I would  suggest Millard's latest book, Destiny of the Republic: a tale of madness, medicine, and the murder of a president. It, too, is a fascinating, true account of  the assassination attempt on President Garfield and the ensuing power struggle over his administration and his medical treatment. If the customer decides another precarious journey is in order I would suggest Scott Wallace's The Unconquered: in search of the Amazon's last uncontacted tribe,  also a suspenseful, compelling account of the National Geographic writer's trip into the depths of the rain forest.

Week 2 Continued ~ Blog Commentary

Check out my suggestions to Melanie Brevis.

Week 2 ~ Assignment 2

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is a jolt to the senses in more ways than one. With its bittersweet tone, compelling prose, and realistic dialogue, readers of this powerful story will find their heartstrings twisted right up to the end. A former overachiever turned quadriplegic and his attentive caregiver are the emotional center of this character driven story of what happens when love may not be enough.

Week 2 ~ Assignment 2

Last train to Zona Verde : my ultimate African safari

Richly detailed and beautifully written prose accentuates the evocative setting in Paul Theroux’s new book, The Last Train to Zona Verde, where the 72 year old highly regarded travel writer packs his bags for one final journey, this time to his beloved Africa and the little known west coast. With a leisurely-paced narrative and characteristic wry, sometimes dark commentary, Theroux  again drops readers smack into the middle of his vivid world, to a landscape, as troubling as it is magnificent.  Whether he is describing  the zona verde (the African bush), a squalor camp, or cityscape, Theroux’s observant sense of place brings the  Africa he knows to life.