Conversation One:
The last book I read was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Everyone is reading it so I had to pick it up. It was lovely. She is such an interesting woman and so brave. I enjoyed the descriptions of the countries she went to and what she did while she was there, of course, but I think what I liked most was how she shared her inner thoughts — so reflective but funny too. I thought it might be just light fluff or all me, me, me, me, but it was so much more than that. I read all the Oprah books and just love them. Anyway I wanted to ask you for a few suggestions for my book group. It’s my turn to pick the title.
What I take away from this is that the reader enjoyed a book about an empowered woman and it helped that the story fanned the flames of her wanderlust a bit. Of course, being able to relate to the main character got her more into the book. A book I heard about recently that this reader might enjoy is The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan a memoir by Kim Barker about her time as a correspondent in the Middle East. I am also reminded of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by, the appropriately named Cheryl Strayed, which is a compelling story and an alright movie.
Conversation Two:
Customer: Everything, but especially that teen love story – way too much angst! And way too slow. Have you read any good vampire stories lately?
I like this customer. While I haven't read the books, I feel exactly that way about the movies. The first thing I think of is True Blood TV show, which I describe as the antithesis of Twilight; lots of action, limited angst. Therefore, I might steer the reader towards The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris, which the show is based upon. As this is a series, it might keep the reader busy for a while. Alternatively, I would suggest the classic Dracula by Bram Stoker. I enjoy the way this book is written as a compilation of letters and journal entries. The different perspectives keep the reader engaged.
Conversation Three:
Customer: I just read this great book The River of Doubt. It was about Teddy Roosevelt and this ill fated expedition to chart an uncharted river in the Amazon. They lost almost all their provisions, the president was injured, and it turns out one of their crew was a murderer since there was a murder. And the most amazing thing was that it true. It was fascinating and really fast paced. Do you have anything to recommend that is like that?
This is the type of reader I can relate to, a history nerd. When I read this I take away that they like true stories of real life adventures and how people overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. For this reason I would recommend A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca by Andre Resendez. This book is about the disastrous Navarez Expedition of 1527 where a crew of 600 men set out from Spain to explore Florida and only 4 survivors staggered into Mexico City 8 years later. The story is compelling and explains how this tiny band of men were able to overcome hurricanes, epic distances, enslavement, and failures of leadership to survive. As an alternative, I would also suggest my pick from last week, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick for action packed nonfiction. However, I'd preface that by telling them to avoid the movie.
The last book I read was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Everyone is reading it so I had to pick it up. It was lovely. She is such an interesting woman and so brave. I enjoyed the descriptions of the countries she went to and what she did while she was there, of course, but I think what I liked most was how she shared her inner thoughts — so reflective but funny too. I thought it might be just light fluff or all me, me, me, me, but it was so much more than that. I read all the Oprah books and just love them. Anyway I wanted to ask you for a few suggestions for my book group. It’s my turn to pick the title.
What I take away from this is that the reader enjoyed a book about an empowered woman and it helped that the story fanned the flames of her wanderlust a bit. Of course, being able to relate to the main character got her more into the book. A book I heard about recently that this reader might enjoy is The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan a memoir by Kim Barker about her time as a correspondent in the Middle East. I am also reminded of Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by, the appropriately named Cheryl Strayed, which is a compelling story and an alright movie.
Conversation Two:
Customer: Can you recommend any vampire books that are nothing like the Twilight series?
Librarian: Let me see how I can help you. What don’t you like about Twilight?Customer: Everything, but especially that teen love story – way too much angst! And way too slow. Have you read any good vampire stories lately?
I like this customer. While I haven't read the books, I feel exactly that way about the movies. The first thing I think of is True Blood TV show, which I describe as the antithesis of Twilight; lots of action, limited angst. Therefore, I might steer the reader towards The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris, which the show is based upon. As this is a series, it might keep the reader busy for a while. Alternatively, I would suggest the classic Dracula by Bram Stoker. I enjoy the way this book is written as a compilation of letters and journal entries. The different perspectives keep the reader engaged.
Conversation Three:
Customer: I just read this great book The River of Doubt. It was about Teddy Roosevelt and this ill fated expedition to chart an uncharted river in the Amazon. They lost almost all their provisions, the president was injured, and it turns out one of their crew was a murderer since there was a murder. And the most amazing thing was that it true. It was fascinating and really fast paced. Do you have anything to recommend that is like that?
This is the type of reader I can relate to, a history nerd. When I read this I take away that they like true stories of real life adventures and how people overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. For this reason I would recommend A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca by Andre Resendez. This book is about the disastrous Navarez Expedition of 1527 where a crew of 600 men set out from Spain to explore Florida and only 4 survivors staggered into Mexico City 8 years later. The story is compelling and explains how this tiny band of men were able to overcome hurricanes, epic distances, enslavement, and failures of leadership to survive. As an alternative, I would also suggest my pick from last week, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick for action packed nonfiction. However, I'd preface that by telling them to avoid the movie.
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