Subject
#1: CK
Reader Profile
CK
is a voracious reader of horror and young adult books. She usually does not
read anything that is not one of these two genres. However, she does really enjoy
horror books that feature comic or fantasy elements, and young adult books with
science fiction or dystopian elements. She enjoys the tension and scares of
horror books, and the variety of subject matter in young adult books. She does
not have cable television or internet access at home, so she mainly reads for
entertainment between four to ten hours a day.
Interview
I asked CK what
book she has read that she would like to be able to read again. She stated that
she would love to read Horns by Joe
Hill again. This led me to believe that she would like to read a horror book
that has a funny and fantastical edge to it. I asked her if she had any objection
to length of book or how old the book is. CK stated that any book I pick will
be new to her, even if was written a hundred years ago, and that length is not
a problem considering she finishes about a book a day. I asked her point blank
if she would rather read a young adult book, or a horror novel. She said that
she was in the mood for a horror story.
Bibliographic Aids
I used Goodreads
and NoveList to find recommendations for CK.
Recommendations
·
Lullaby
by Chuck Palahniuk
·
Bloodsucking
Fiends by Christopher Moore
·
American
Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
·
Roadwork
by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
·
John
Dies at the End by David Wong
Results
Whenever
you provide readers’ advisory, there is always the chance that you will
recommend books that the person has already read. In this case, CK had already
read Bloodsucking Fiends, Roadwork, and John Dies at the End. Luckily, she said that she enjoyed all three
books and that they would have been good fits for her mood. She has seen the
movie American Psycho and always
heard wonderful things about the novel. However, she chose Lullaby as it is a Chuck Palahniuk book she had not read. Three days
later, CK reported back to me that she really enjoyed the book in its horrific
and violent glory.
Subject
#2: AS
Reader Profile
AS
is a casual, irregular reader of “fun” science fiction and fantasy, and young
adult books. She only reads from time to time when she becomes bored of video
games and television. Since the publication of the last Harry Potter novel, she
has reread that entire series six times. Despite this love for J.K. Rowling’s
cultural cornerstone, she has found little to grab her attention and spark her
imagination since. A few years ago, she read the Hunger Games trilogy and
several Doctor Who novels and enjoyed everything she read. AS told me that she
does not like to read anything that is “realistic” or would be close to being
assigned for an English class.
Interview
With
her reading history in mind, I asked her if she wanted to read a “fun” science
fiction, “fun” fantasy novel, or a young adult novel. She replied that she
wanted to read something like Harry Potter. Mentioning that Harry Potter is
sometimes seen as a children’s book, I asked if she would mind if the books I
recommended were from the “juvenile” section of the library. She stated that
she did not care who the books were meant for, just as long as she enjoys it.
Then I asked if she wanted a book series, or just a “one-off” novel. She said
that she would not mind a series that she could decide to read if she liked the
first book.
Bibliographic Aids
For
this advisory session, I used Amazon, Goodreads, and NoveList to gather
recommendations.
Recommendations
·
City
of Bones by Cassandra Clare
·
The
Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
·
The
Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
by Michael Scott
·
The
Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
·
Artemis
Fowl
by Eoin Colfer
Results
After
delivering recommendations to her, AS took to Amazon to read more about the
suggested books. She felt that all five books would have fit what she wanted.
However, due to sharing the same legendary character featured in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,
she chose The Alchemyst by Michael
Scott. While she readily admits that “it is no Harry Potter,” AS has moved on
to reading The Magician, the second
book in the six book series following Nicholas Flamel.
Subject
#3: MH
Reader Profile
MH
is an irregular reader of mysteries and adventure novels. As he works around 55
hours a week and is gearing up to teach at Ball State University next year, MH
has little time for recreational reading. He mostly listens to audiobooks on
his long commutes to and from work, and during his long regular work trips to
Dallas, Louisville, and Evansville. As he works in the banking industry, he
likes to keep his reading, whether printed or audio, to be light and funny. He
has read all 21 mainline Stephanie Plum novels, as well as the four “between
the numbers” books. He mostly enjoys their lighthearted nature, but also likes
the strong female protagonist.
Interview
Knowing
the subject for over 25 years, I asked him in-depth questions to find out why
he reads what he does. I asked if the character Stephanie Plum was an essential
reason for his love of those books. MH stated that it not a primary reason “but
either a secondary or tertiary reason.” I followed up with determining if he
was listening or reading to the books, as this would limit recommendations to
only books available in an audiobook format. He stated that he was going to be
reading this book rather than listening. Lastly, I asked if he wanted a “fun”
book or a “thought-provoking” book, prefacing it with that these were not
mutually exclusive. MH said he wanted a quick, fun read.
Bibliographic Aids
For
this advisory, I exclusively used NoveList.
Recommendations
·
Agnes
and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie
·
Star
Island by Carl Hiaasen
·
Heads
You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward
·
The
Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn
·
First
Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
Results
Outside of Carl
Hiaasen, he had not heard of any of these authors. After reading synopses of
the books, he chose to read First Grave
on the Right. He said that he liked that it seemed fast-paced and that it
had a snarky, strong female protagonist. Even though it drifted towards the
suspense genre, there was some plot aspects that overlapped with Janet
Evanovich’s premier series. A couple of weeks later, MH told me that he enjoyed
the book, but he did not care for the supernatural elements of the story. He
said that he would listen to the second book, Second Grave on the Left, on an upcoming trip to Florida.
Subject
#4: HW
Reader Profile
HW
is a voracious reader of high fantasy. She names Tanith Lee’s Birthgrave series
as some of her favorite books. HW is pretty stubborn about what she reads, as
she will not read something if it does not capture her attention in twenty
pages. Being exclusively tied to one genre of literature limits my options for
recommendations, but it makes it easier to be successful in picking books HW
should like.
Interview
I
began by asking what she thought of Brandon Sanderson’s work finishing Robert
Jordan’s The Wheel of Time. She
thought he did a great job replicating Jordan’s tempo and language that had
become so recognizable. I asked if she had read any of Sanderson’s other work,
to which she replied that she had not. As high fantasy tends to be lengthy as
both singular works of fiction and as series that can be a dozen of volumes
long, I asked HW if length was an issue. Like a true high fantasy fan, she
stated that length is never a concern for her.
Bibliographic Aids
I
utilized NoveList and Goodreads to find high fantasy for HW.
Recommendations
·
Mistborn:
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
·
Wizard’s
First Rule by Terry Goodkind
·
The
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
·
Written
in Red by Anne Bishop
·
The
Shadow of the Lion by Mercedes Lackey
Results
For
voracious readers of one genre, or in this case subgenre, it can be difficult
to find books that they have not either read or attempted to read. She had
already read Terry Goodkind’s Sword of
Truth series. Yet, my question about Brandon Sanderson’s involvement in The Wheel of Time piqued her interest in
his other books. Despite her wanting to read the other three recommendations,
HW stated that she would read Mistborn
first. She was not disappointed, stating that Sanderson is “a special author
who knows how to craft a wonderful narrative.”
Subject
#5: CB
Reader Profile
CB
is a daily reader of literary fiction. He is a retired English teacher who
enjoys the literary fiction that he used to teach. He has been going back and
reading books that he did not have a chance to when he was teaching. Recently,
he read E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime with the
local book club and absolutely loved it. He feels that life is too short to
read bad fiction, and he joked that he is attempting to read as many great
books before “he starts to lose his eyesight, his hearing, and his mind.”
Interview
With
his reading goals in mind, I asked CB if it was important that the book
received awards or overwhelming critical acclaim. He replied that the acclaim
was important but that the awards were not, as the awards were “as much
political as critical.” Then I asked if there was one author who he has read
that he wish he read more, to which he replied John Irving. As literary fiction
tends to be bleak and graphic, I asked if there were any themes he would rather
not read about. He said that as long it is well written, he can read anything.
Bibliographic Aids
To
better determine recommendations for CB, I utilized NoveList, Goodreads, and Wikipedia
in my search for great books.
Recommendations
·
The
Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks
·
The
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
·
Middlesex
by
Jeffrey Eugenides
·
A
Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
·
The
Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael
Chabon
Results
Surprisingly, I found five books
that the retired English teacher had not read. After receiving the list, CB
said that he always meant to read Toole’s one and only book. He was pleased
that all five books were critically acclaimed and featured a wide array of
themes and characters. While he was going to read all five books, he said that
he would start at the top with The Sweet
Hereafter. After reading Russell Banks’ heartbreakingly sad story, CB said
it was one of the best books he’s read since he retired five years ago.
