Week 3: The Reader's Services Conversation

Conversation 1:
     It sounds like this person is looking for something light but introspective, with a lot of detail about the setting / destination.  I would suggest "Traveling with Pomegranates" to this person.  This book is by and about Sue Monk Kidd, who has written several "Oprah Books." The story is about the journey she and her daughter take, and their changing relationship.  It's a memoir, so it's very introspective, and includes a lot of detail about the places they travel to.

Conversation 2:
     It sounds like this person is fed up with the Twilight hype, and might want something with more adult themes.  I would first recommend "Let Me In," by John Lindqvist.  This is horror about vampires, and I would check with the person to make sure they are ok with a super dark plot.  If not, I would also recommend "An Unattractive Vampire," which is light and funny.  It pokes fun at the myriad of modern vampire tropes that have sprung up after the craze about "Twilight."  The main character is an old, ugly, traditional vampire.  It's a really fun look at how what we think of as "vampire" has changed.  I would also recommend Anne Rice's vampire books, which I think of as Twilight for adults.  They are very romantic, but with more horror, and sexual themes for adults.  I would check to see if the person is ok with the lovey dovey stuff, or if they just don't like romantic vampire lit. in general.  I would ask them what it is about vampire stories that they really like, because there are a lot of other old folk-lore / monster stories to branch out to if its the horror element they like, and a lot of adult vampire / monster romance too if that's the direction they want.

Conversation 3:
     This person sounds like they are interested in expedition / adventure in history, and for something that is fast-paced and more focused on the "plot" of the journey than in a ton of extraneous historical detail.  I would recommend a book that was written for non-history majors but that tackles an exciting account of adventure and expedition.  I would recommend old-school Everest mountain climbing stories, something about Shackleton's expedition, Lewis and Clark, or the Age of Discovery in general.  Something with a quick pace is "Over the Edge of the World" by Laurence Bergreen.  It's about Magellan, and reads like epic adventure fiction rather than nonfiction.  It is also impressively researched / supported factually, which seems like something this patron really liked about "River of Doubt."