Chase Talks About Things He Found Using NoveList

1. The Lunatic Café is the fourth book in the Anita Blake series. I chose this naturally because it is the fourth book in the series.
2. I chose Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood because both titles have the same lyrical and descriptive writing style as well a thought-provoking tone. However, the book by Atwood is faster paced than the one mentioned. The patron didn't mention any plot elements, so I essentially went off those aspects.
3. The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery might be a good selection for this patron. It is set in Japan in the 19th century. The writing style is described as descriptive, which covers many of the traditions Japan is known for.
4. I would suggest Deborah Crombie's books. Her writing seems to be closer to Elizabeth George's than John Sandford's. Both of these writers write intricate plots but are leisurely paced. Their tone is also similar in that they have a strong sense of place and suspense.
5. The Passage by Justin Cronin is the first book in a series about a virus that creates blood-thirsty vampires. Although it's not about zombies, it is still in the apocalyptic/horror genre as The Walking Dead and World War Z. This novel is character driven as are the other two works while offering the bleak and suspenseful tones.
6. Andre Aciman's Call Me by Your Name is a little bit out of the five year period suggested. However, this novel is set in the 80s but doesn't seem so dated. The novel is impeccably and stylistically written in from both character and the setting perspective. The movie is currently in theaters and has been nominated for an Oscar. 
7. Mary Higgins Clark is the way to go with this one. I thing a good number of librarians would immediately jump to her. I would also suggest a local author, Lori Rader-Day, who has won the Mary Higgins Clark award for Little Pretty Things in 2016.

I'm pretty much up on the types of books I like to read, which as I have mentioned before is mainly non-fiction, pop culture based books. I always look at Entertainment Weekly's book review section since they cover a lot of that area. If I'm looking for fiction, I tend to do subject searches in the Overdrive catalog or look at Amazon suggestions based off of other things I've ordered or looked at.

Chase Talks About the Thriller "The Chalk Man" by C.J. Tudor

"A swift, cleverly plotted debut novel that ably captures the insular, slightly sinister feel of a small village. Children of the 1980s will enjoy the nostalgia." - Kirkus Reviews

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

Synopsis:

The past comes back to haunt Eddie Adams in The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor after a mysterious letter shows up in his mailbox. Its contents, a crayon-drawn stick man strung up by a noose and a single piece of white chalk, brings back memories of the summer of 1986 with his friends, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey, Hoppo, and lone girl Nicky - a summer that shatters their innocent lives.

As children, the gang of friends developed a system of secretly communicating with each other around their English town of Anderbury using chalk drawn stick figures. Innocent as their drawing seem, their stick men suddenly start appearing at the scenes of death including a headless body of a girl in the woods. The suicide of a local teacher with whom the girl was close to gives to the assumption that her murder has been solved.

Alternating between 1986 and 2016, the now 42 year-old Eddie is once again haunted by the chalk men as one of his friends ends up dying under mysterious circumstances. Can he find the answers in his childhood memories? Does his much younger border, Chloe, have something she’s hiding?

This thrilling tale takes many twists and turns before Eddie’s past and present collide in one last confrontation with evil.

Thriller Elements in The Chalk Man:

·      The mystery at the center of the story is revealed in pieces and gives the appeal of solving a puzzle.

·      The plot hinges on an elaborate narrative ripe for cinematic value.

·      Eddie is a typical thriller protagonist: sympathetic but flawed, unable to trust the people in his life, and follows his own moral patterns, which leads to a few twists in the book.

·      Plot elements bring in several social and moral topics such as abortion and extremem religion.

·      The protagonist finds himself dealing with various secrets and betrayals as story elements are revealed to him and the reader.

·      The ultimate villain (or villains?) represent the bad side of nature in the battle of good and evil.

·      The tone is dark and gray.

Read-Alikes:

·      It by Stephen King

o   Nostalgia (past vs. present, childhood vs. adulthood)

o   Dark

o   Setting (small town)

·      Killing Time by Linda Howard

o   Nostalgia (past vs. present)

o   Convoluted plot

o   Setting (small town)

·      Grist Mill Road by Christopher J. Yates

o   Nostalgia (past vs. present)

o   Setting (small town)

o   Intricate plot (twists & turns)

Chase Talks About His Reading Profile

My favorite types of books are nonfiction books about pop culture. Specifically, I enjoy books related to TV shows, movies, music, etc. Not too long ago, I read a couple coffee table-style books about the making of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street movie and the entire Friday the 13th series: Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy by Thommy Hutson and Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete Friday the 13th History by Peter M. Bracke. Both books are great examples of the type of nonfiction I am drawn to. I am fascinated by the trivia, behind the scenes stories, and mechanics of something with which I am familiar. These two books were done in a collective narrative structure coming from multiple participants in both movies. I love this type of format especially because this narrative structure manages to hit the same types of appeal factors that a fiction book would over a book just listing the facts.

A few years ago, I read Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones, which helped me discover a new level of reading nonfiction. The book spanned the life, career, and death of Muppet creator Jim Henson with strong emphasis on his work. Each time I read about something he had created whether it be early avant-garde commercials, familiar Muppet moments, or other works I would stop and watch those moments on a myriad of streaming services. In other words, technology and the resources it makes available to us has made me appreciate reading nonfiction even more as I feel more active in the process. (I suppose this would be similar to someone reading a Harry Potter book and then watching the corresponding movie.) I had a similar experience reading The Facts of My Life by Charlotte Rae who starred as “Mrs. Garrett” on the 80s TV show The Facts of Life. I was able to explore the life and career of one of my favorite actresses in a way that enriched her story and brought it to life for me. I will also say that it’s a great way to prolong a book that you don’t want to end.

My preferences in fiction books are to pin down because I cannot pick up any discernible pattern in my reading habits in this area. I have to feel that a book will have some meaning for me, so I am not apt to just grab something to read. My love for horror movies is a known fact, but it would be a misnomer to say that the horror genre would appeal to me. It is hard to find one where the pacing is as exciting as the movies are to me. I will definitely be reviewing the horror genre for this blog in an attempt to connect with it. One of my good friends from high school, Lori Rader-Day, has had three mystery novels published and another one on the way. Through interest in her work, I have been able to get a taste of the mystery genre.

Finally, I do enjoy graphic novels from time to time. The classic Smurf graphic novels are a favorite. The Franco-Belgian style of comics, as are the Smurfs, is one that is not rivaled anywhere in the world, and it is an area of graphic novels that I have a growing interest in. In the past, I have read some of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Afterlife with Archie graphic novels. More recently, I have enjoyed the series Scooby Apocalypse, which reimagines the Scooby Doo gang in a post-apocalyptic world as the title suggests.