Week Three Prompt Response

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 next book in the series is The Lunatic Café its book 4 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series.

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.
The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin is described as having a compelling and lyrical writing style. The lyrical would appeal to your appreciation of her writing style and the compelling indicates it moves a bit faster.

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!

You might like The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz it is a detailed novel told in the first person about the first commoner to marry into the Japanese royal family and how her life changed.  Coming full circle to arranging her own son's marriage.  It is full of rich detail.

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 would recommend Still Life by Louise Penny. It is another procedural series this is also set outside of the US told at a leisurely pace. You could also check out the next book in the Thomas Lynley series by Elizabeth George called A suitable vengeance.

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?

I would recommend Zombies!Zombies!Zombies! its an anthology of zombie stories that include both modern and classic works. It will be episodic like The Walking Dead comic but have the full story of World War Z.

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 would recommend The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, it is not a movie yet but it will be soon! It is about a young boy who steals a famous painting after a terrorist attack he survived as a child. This is the story of his life.

7. I love thrillers but I hate foul language and sex scenes. I want something clean and fast-paced. You may like to Watch the Girls by Jennifer Wolfe. It’s about as child actress who is trying to re-establish her career on a fake investigation reality show when she gets fired and stumbles upon a real case.

I have always struggled to find a follow up to what I was reading unless it was a series. I mostly thrived on recommendations from friends and family. I have asked for RA assistance a couple times from a librarian. I will generally search around where I found my last good book to see if I stumble upon anything else. I am a window shopper, I pick up a lot of books before I decide what to take home.

Our Kind of Cruelty By: Araminta Hall

Our Kind of Cruelty

By: Araminta Hall

Synopsis

Mike had only known how hard life could be until he met V. Their relationship lasted through college where they developed a game called Crave. V would go to a bar and get hit on by other men and then Mike would stake his claim to her in a strong way. Then when V called it quits Mike was sure it was just until he held up his end of their plan. Mike finds V again after accomplishing everything he set out to do but she is engaged to another man, is this real or is it just another one of their Craves from college?

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Characteristics for Thriller

·         Dark, gritty theme and mood

·         Story results in he said/she said legal case based against previous sexual history

·         Resolution that leaves you thinking.

·         Moves at a fast pace with Mike’s actions to get V’s attention escalating rapidly.

·         Narrative told between memories, flashbacks and present day.

·         Both protagonist and antagonist are well developed and strong willed.  Cursory characters are fleshed out enough to give them meaning.

Read A-Likes

·         Her Name was Rose by Claire Allan

·         Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton

·         Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

·         The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

READING PROFILE!

I like to read a little bit of everything. It depends on my mood honestly. I really love historical fiction, literary fiction and fantasy. I am not one to shy away from non-fiction books either I have a massive personal library of philosophy books. I like historical and literary fiction because when I am in the mood I like plausible stories about real people.

When I want to be transported to the surreal I prefer fantasy over science fiction. I like the magic of it all. I think stories can still be about real people in an unreal setting, for example, one of my favorite books is The Hobbit Bilbo is a real person facing extraordinary circumstances. Now hobbits aren't real but some of the dilemmas he faces are. I don't always like books where the heroes win and the good guy gets the girl. I like to see the bad guy come out on top every once in a while because that is life.

I really like listening to podcasts that are Dungeons and Dragons actual play and other story-based podcasts. I like these because they are cooperative stories being told by a group of people each playing a different character. It's a living story. I tend to listen to my podcasts at work when I am working in chat.

It's hard for me to pick favorite authors. I am more interested in the story. So my top 5 favorite books are in no particular order The Hobbit, 13 Reasons Why, The Count of Monte Cristo, the Inkheart trilogy and The Harry Potter series.  I am hoping to develop my skills in picking what book to read next after finishing one and helping people choose what to read to expand their interests.