This is a question I get asked all the time working in the bookstore: "What would you recommend for somebody who loved "_________"? (fill in the blank)" Usually I can come up with something, but that something can be a bit of a wild guess if it's not a book or genre I normally read. This is where you helpful people come in. If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.
I know, it's a general question, but I'm getting a lot of people in the store looking for what they're calling "beach reads". It's also a good question for the beginning of summer, which is finally here, hot sun and all. Generally, as far as I've seen, the people looking for this sort of book are also interested in it's portability, so mass market or trade paperbacks are their preferences, rather than harcovers.
Now, here's where the searches start to differ. Some people are looking for the longer books they've been meaning to read - now they'll have time for them. Others are looking for simple, mindless enjoyment. I'm still seeing a lot of the Girl With A Dragon Tattoo and is sequels in peoples hands. I can't help but wonder if it fits the first category more, or the second.
This time, the question I'm asking is really two questions. There's the "what books would you recommend?" which is what I'm asking every week, but there's also "what was your favorite summer read?".
3 comments:
I don't distinguish my own reading between seasons. (Bad sentence, I know. You get the idea?) I read based on my mood, and I generally try to recommend books based on customer moods and tastes as well. However… I try to get as many people hooked on Gods Behaving Badly (mythology meets chick lit) and Mistress of the Art of Death (forensics meets the 13th century) as I can. They're fun, tough to put down, and well written.
Hmmm. Something lighter in the genre that they already like. My most successful recommendation was The Once and Future King by T.H. White. My friend stayed up all night on a flight to London, reading it.
That's definitely a good recommendation, JG.
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