Conversation Starter: Reading Recommendations for Characters in Other Media

We already know that TV and Movies are a great conversation starter at our libraries. Because we carry books and offer ways to access TV and Movies, doing displays that offer readalikes for visual media and watchalikes for books is something we have done for years.

However, a fun twist on this "old standby" has been popping up recently, one that is not only a great conversation starter, but also something that reminds our users that we are always here to give anyone a reading rec at any time-- Reading Recommendations for characters.

My colleague Alex Brown has written a couple of these for Tor.com. Their lists include:

• SFF Reading Recommendations for the Characters of Ted Lasso
• SFF Reading Recommendations for the Characters of Good Omens

Current Summer Scares author Maggie Tokuda-Hall has "Buzz Buzz! Recommended Reading for the Characters of Yellowjackets" on the same site. 

I love this idea because you can get the entire staff involved. Send out an all staff email and ask for people to nominate their favorite TV shows and movies to turn into one of these lists. Start with the media with the most nominations and then send out a google form with the main characters and ask people to recommend a read for the fiction characters. They can do one or all. But here's the think, when you ask everyone to help, you are bound to get suggestions for every character because working together is your best resource.

Build lists and displays from the answers. Put them online, on website, social media, and in the building on display and print lists.

Then ask your patrons to suggest titles for the lists you post and/or they can nominate TV shows and Movies that you can tackle next. Add this interactive element to get more conversations started about your entire collection.

I also think this is a wonderful multi-generational opportunity. So for example, you take a popular kids show like Bluey and ask the kids and the grownups to suggest books for the main characters. Then make a display that showcases their suggestions. When kids are obsessed with something, it also takes over the parents lives. I would have loved a reading rec list for the characters in Cars when my son was young-- for him and me. At the very least, it would have given us another talking point connected to the movie which he talked about about day and night.

Here's the is the thing about creating conversation starter displays and lists-- they start conversations about your entire collection. And conversations by default are interactive.

This is a wonderful chance to get the entire staff (and eventually, your patrons) involved in suggesting books. Use your best resource-- each other. Crowdsource idea and lists. Get everyone involved who wants to. Engage them in your brand-- Books. 

It also announces that you care about what other types of stories people in your community are consuming even when they are not checking it out of the library. You want to help them make connections across all of their leisure story consumption, regardless of the format. They do not know that you do this automatically. But if you show them you are thinking about it for one show or movies, I promise you they will ask about more, especially if you have a display or online list that asks them to leave a note or a comment with what you should tackle next.

This will not only engage staff and patrons to participate but it also shows that you are always thinking about suggesting books to people to read for fun-- no matter whether they are living and breathing humans in front of you or beloved fictional characters. 

Bonus: if you do the first one, guess what? You can start with one of your favorite TV shows or movies. 

If you give this a try, let me know and I can share your displays and lists with my readers. Click on the RA for All logo any time for my contact information.

Emily Dickinson on the Screen and on the Page

I am literally in Amherst, MA, right now. Home of Emily Dickinson. I am moving my oldest back into her college bubble from which she cannot emerge until the end of May. Weirdly, she cannot even cross the street to visit the Emily Dickinson house this semester, and yet, Dickinson isn't just here in Amherst. She seems to be everywhere these days, well at least on our screens.

Of course we all have her poetry in our collections and it tends to circulate at a higher rate than most poetry, but what else do you know about Dickinson? Well Season 2 of the show "Dickinson" is streaming  on Apple TV+ right now, so patrons have probably already started asking about her more frequently.

Thankfully, Book Riot is on it. Earlier this week they posted this primer entitled, "The Passionate Life of Emily Dickinson," and it is filled with useful information and links. 

I rarely connect my personal life to this blog, but this synching up of my life with actual bookish info was too perfect to pass up. Click here to read it.

Finally, this is a reminder that Book Riot has excellent content for us to pass on to our patrons. Because they write directly to the reader AND because they care deeply about clicks, their content is very relevant, timely, and accessible to a wide audience. They have the staff and a mission that we cannot replicate on our own. Don't reinvent the wheel. Pass on their articles frequently. They cover all age levels, formats, and genres, and they do a diversity audit on every single thing they publish, so you will have no excuse when you cannot find a book by non-white person for a trending topic. And, your patrons will love you for the bonus information. 

All the Bridgerton Info and Readalikes

Well, maybe that title is a littler bit of an exaggeration, but today, as we creep closer to Valentine's Day and Bridgerton Mania is everywhere, I have a 2-fer of information for you.

First is from Jennifer Prokop and was first published by Kirkus here. Entitled "A Reader's Guide to the Novels Behind 'Bridgerton,'" this is both a primer on the world of the novels upon which the Netflix series is based AND a primer on Romance, the genre, itself. Jennifer is a genre expert on Romance and you can learn a lot from her.

Second, I have a list from a library worker I have met on my travels, Rachel from Erie County Public Library. Rachel and I have actually crossed paths in real life a few times and in 2018 she had this wonderful guest post entitled, "Why I Love Romance."

Today, I have a broad and diverse readalike list she submitted to me with her permission for you to use this to help readers right now, tomorrow, or in the future because Netflix is like that. People are obsessed with the series now, but more will discover it in the future. 

Here is Rachel's guest post. And thank you to both Jennifer and Rachel for this timely and useful information.

A Mad, Bad, and Fun to Read Era

by Rachel Stevenson

The Bridgeton series on Netflix has brought on a new demand for all things Regency. Not that the Regency era has ever really gone away. With a new Jane Austen mini-series or film adaptation every few years and Regencies being the most popular genre of romance it’s always been around, but now it’s been given a huge spotlight. 

If you’re dying to read more about the Regency period here are some recommendations from a true Regency fan. 

Alison Lane’s Books

Alison Lane is a traditional Regency author. A traditional Regency follows the strictures of Regency society and contains sex only if it fits with the period, although there are some exceptions. Lane is the author of 22 Regencies that all take place in the same world. Although not all of them are series, all of them are connected. As you continue through the 22 books you will find you recognize characters’ names or descriptions. Easter eggs are hidden all through the books and are quite fun to find. My favorite Lane is The Rake and the Wallflower about a shy bird lover who falls for a tarnished viscount. 

Mary Balogh’s Simply Series 

If you’re looking for another family dynasty to follow Mary Balogh’s Simply series is perfect. The first in the series Simply Married follows the relationship of Colonel Aidan Bedwyn as he tries to carry out his promise to a dying soldier under his command. This leads Bedwyn to tell the soldier’s sister about his death in person. What follows is a beautiful love story. Each book in the series follows another Bedwyn as they struggle to find love. Balogh is prolific in the Regency world, but the Simply series is my favorite of hers. For me, the first and the last are the best and act as excellent bookends to the rest of the tales. 

Jane Austen Sleuth?

Stephanie Barron has created an amazing sleuth in her Jane Austen mystery series. The series, which completed in 2016 after 13 books, shows Austen at her strengths. All of us that love Austen know she is witty and has a good understanding of character and why people do what they do. This makes for a perfect sleuth. The books are fun and written in a style I believe Austen would love. My friends can always tell when I’m re-reading them because I start to speak what they call “Austenese”. There’s also a bit of a love interest for Jane. For me, I enjoy having the author who created so many wonderful heroes to swoon over have someone appreciate her for who she is. 

Beau Brummell 

If you’re looking for more Regency set mysteries with an unusual amateur detective look no further than the Beau Brummell mystery series by Rosemary Stevens. There are four books in the series and to see the “beau” of the Regency period with his perfect cravat, cunning wit, slicing comebacks, and insufferable valet solve mysteries when most think he just insulted Prinny (The Prince of Wales whom Brummell referred to as someone’s “Fat Friend”) is a great deal of fun. Also, his high position in society allows him access where few could tread. 

The Grand Dame of Regency Writing

Of course, Georgette Heyer is the original Regency grand dame, well after Austen of course. Between 1934 and 1972, Heyer wrote 28 Regencies. Known for fun characters, excellent writing, and a wit to master Austen’s, Heyer’s fans are widespread and vocal. My two favorites are The Grand Sophy because Sophy is such a fun character, but her aunt is perfect as a put-upon relative and The Quiet Gentleman because I love a good beta hero. 

The C Series by Edith Layton 

For some of the more salaciousness found in Bridgeton feel free to pick up Edith Layton’s C series. The common character is Annabelle a lovely woman, who tries as she might to land a lord and fails in each book until her own. Her love story in To Wed a Stranger is my favorite, but the final book in the series focusing on Annabelle’s new sister-in-law has its fun bits as well. 

Jane Austen Sequels 

For some, Regency is all about Austen. Some of my favorite Austen sequels or written from a different point of view books are by Skylar Hamilton. I love her Conviction which gives us Georgiana Darcy’s story, but has enough Elizabeth and Darcy action to please all P&P fans. Also, Amanda Grange has a whole series of diaries from the men of each of Austen’s books. It’s fun to read Persuasion and Emma from Wentworth’s and Knightley’s viewpoints. 

Asian Dukes, Dyslexic Heroes, and Indian Beauties 

One of the big pluses about the Netflix series Bridgeton was its colorblind casting. For people looking for more diversity in their Regency reads Courtney Milan is a must. The Duke Who Didn’t is a wonderful friends to lovers stories which are some of my favorite. She also wrote Unveiled where the daughter of a duke goes undercover as a servant in the heir’s household. It features a dyslexic hero and gorgeous writing. 

Louise Allen is a favorite of mine and she has a trilogy following the Herriard family. The head of the family becomes a marquess later in life since he was not originally next in line for the title. Instead, he goes to India and falls for a local Indian beauty. The following books follow their two children and deal with the differences between the children and other noble children because they were raised by parents from different races. 

Strong Women Who Love

Vanessa Riley has so many positive reviews on her books and she should. She creates strong female characters and highlights issues in the Regency time. In The Duke, The Lady, & The Baby Riley explores how women did not have rights over their children. If their husband died their children could be taken by a male member of the family, no matter how distant the relationship because it was thought mother was not a good substitute for a father. In Riley book, a woman whose husband mysteriously dies has her child taken away and she goes undercover as a nurse to reunite with her son. Definitely worth reading and keep watching for Riley. She’s a rising star in this genre.  

Gay and Lesbian Regencies

Some of my friends were disappointed that Bridgeton was so diverse in its casting but did not include a gay character. There are plenty of books involving gay characters in Regency reads. I loved A Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite about two women who fall in love over astronomy and science. This story touches me because it shows strong women in science even if one of them had the credit for her work taken by a man. There were women involved in science and other disciplines in the Regency and it’s important to bring that up. Also the way they fall for each other makes for a good read.

In The Pretty Gentleman Max Fincher takes us into the world of artists and the aristocracy. Now in Regency times artist were considered to have loose morals. This book has it all: a secret diary, blackmail, mysterious men. It will make you say “Lady Whistledown, who?”

Modern Day Royalty

For those who just want a love story with Royalty I cannot recommend Alyssa Cole enough. Her “Reluctant Royals” series is entertaining and something you can read again and again. I started with A Princess in Theory and just kept going. Cole has a historical series as well only based during and after the Civil War in the United States. 

Hopefully, this will begin to quench your thirst for Regency reads, but there are so many more to discover. 

The Enduring Appeal of Agatha Christie via EW and Staying Up To Date on the Pop Culture Landscape

It's the 100th Anniversary of Christie's first book and she is more popular than ever. We know this at libraries both because of the continuous circulation of her books and the hundreds of new titles that are inspired by her.

In the most recent issue of EW, they have an in-depth look at her popularity here.

A must read for all library workers as patrons will see it and we may see an uptick in requests for Christie and Christie-esque stories based off of this article.

But you can also learn here as, this article goes into depth as to WHY people enjoy Christie-- then and now. [And see if you can spot the horror movie franchise inspired by Christie too. Seriously. I was shocked by this revelation.]

I would also like to use this post to provide a general reminder about how important it is for those of us who work with leisure workers to be aware of the general pop culture conversations. We cannot possibly know about everything that is popular at the moment, but we should know the resources to find that information.

EW's website and the now monthly magazine are the easiest way to stay up to date on every aspect of popular culture; it's your easy, one-stop shop to survey the entire landscape with a few clicks. They cover all aspects of media and pop culture and draw connections between them-- this Christie article is a great example as it looks at books, movies, and TV shows. But they do  it for everything all of the time. They frame the most popular things in our culture for us, every day.

So read the Christie article ASAP, but also make EW's website a regular stop as you work. Follow what's hot and anticipate your patrons leisure reading needs based on what's popular across the pop culture landscape.

Race and Horror: Resources and a Free Live Event About the True Monsters of Lovecraft Country

To end the week I wanted to let everyone know about a free event I am a part of that you can register for right now. Please read this entire post because after the ad for the program itself, I provide resources you can use to prepare to participate, even without  reading or watching Lovecraft Country itself.

From Library Journal:

This virtual roundtable will cap off our Twitter series #LJReads presents Lovecraft Fridays, during which every Friday in October we explor different horror literary themes in both the show and novel. This roundtable will highlight more literary works and premises that can be linked to Lovecraft Country. It will also serve as a critical lens to view both the novel and the show through.
 

In this free, two-hour Zoom event, we will not only go in depth over the themes discussed during the Lovecraft Friday’s series but new ones such as: 

• The true monsters of Lovecraft Country and what makes them scary.

• What it means to be “Othered” and the ramifications of being labeled as such.

• The importance of telling a Black American story both in literature and on screen in a genre they were largely ignored in.

• Generational trauma and it’s lasting impact on a person’s character and decision making.

• H.P. Lovecraft’s legacy, from his racist views to the creation of a whole new sub-genre Cosmic Horror.

• Modern adaptations of Lovecraft’s work, reimaging his stories to critique him.

Speakers:

• Becky Spratford is a readers’ advisory (RA) specialist in northern Illinois and the author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror (2d ed., ALA). She runs the popular blogs raforall.blogspot.com and raforallhorror.blogspot.com
• Alexandria Brown is a queer Black librarian, local historian, writer, and author. She writes about speculative fiction and young adult literature for Tor.com, as well as on her blog. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access set the foundation of everything she does.
• Gabino Iglesias is a writer, editor, journalist, and book reviewer living in Austin, Texas. He is the author of Coyote Songs, Zero Saints (both from Broken River Books), and Gutmouth (Eraserhead Press).
• Matt Ruff is the author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning novels 88 Names, Lovecraft Country, Bad Monkeys, The Mirage, Set This House in Order, Fool on the Hill, and Sewer, and Gas & Electric: The Public Works Trilogy.
• Mary SanGiovanni is an award-winning American horror and thriller writer of over a dozen novels, including The Hollower trilogy, Thrall, Chaos, The Kathy Ryan series, and others, as well as numerous novellas, short stories, and non-fiction.
• Steffan Triplett is nonfiction writer and has been published in Longreads, Vulture, Essay Daily, Electric Literature, Nat. Brut, Slate, and elsewhere, and is anthologized in the forthcoming Sweeter Voices Still: An LGTBQ Anthology from Middle America(Belt 2020).

For those of you who have not watched the show or read the book, I think this conversation will still be very relevant to your work. The very real horrors of the current Black Horror renaissance is extremely important to discuss.

For a little more background on that topic please see this article by horror author and Black Horror professor Tananarive Due or this piece from CNN, "Black Writers and Filmmakers Are Bringing New Scares to the Horror Genre." These pieces as well as my fellow panelist, Alexandra Brown's recaps of the show on Tor.com will be enough for you to learn from this conversation.

I hope to see some of you there.

Primers on Lovecraft for Public Libraries

I am currently working on a primers of my own about Lovecraft, his racism, and the importance of his legacy for the new book, but with the release of Lovecraft Country the TV show, others are also putting out some excellent resources right now.

So as you help patrons who are enjoying the show but do not know much about the man or his work, here are some resources you can use ASAP.

• First here is my verbal review of the book. It is part of a recorded book talk about Lovecraft inspired titles by people Lovecraft himself would have hated. The entire book talk will help you find readalikes AND understand cosmic horror a little better.
• H.P. Lovecraft Was a Virulent Racist. How 'Lovecraft Country' Confronts His Legacy: This article from The LA Times is excellent. If you only read 1 thing from today's post, this should be it.
• Cosmic Shenanigans [Podcast]: Cosmic Shenanigans is a podcast focusing on cosmic horror in films, television, art, games, music, fashion, pop culture, and just about anywhere else our little tentacles can reach. Host Mary SanGiovanni delves into what makes it timelessly relevant and enjoyable, and examines how it permeates so much of modern culture. Further, as a writer of cosmic horror herself, Mary looks at her and others’ roles in the subgenre and in publishing at large, and explores the female perspective toward and within works of cosmic horror. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. [Description from homepage]
• An article from Apex Magazine by Mary SanGiovanni entitled, Lovecraft and the Occult
• 13 Must Read Horror Books for Fans of Lovecraft Country by author and reviewer, Gabino Iglesias via The Lineup
• Flip the Script: H.P. Lovecraft: an article a annotated reading list by horror reviewer, Sadie Hartmann

Finally, look for an interview with cosmic horror scholar and author Mary SanGiovanni [mentioned above] that we are currently working on together, specifically for library workers, all about Lovecraft, his legacy, and what "Cosmic Horror" really is, in the October issue of Library Journal.

Resource Alert: New Book on British Binge Worthy Television With Bonus Becky Rant on Helping Readers Consumer Stories Regardless of Format

When I am out providing my RA training programs, I always talk about how our work with readers includes all of the ways they consume stories-- meaning that while books are the primary method [and audio, ebooks, and graphic novels are included there], tv, movies, and podcasts are also something we need to be aware of, always.

Our patrons consume stories in a variety of ways. They "read" in many formats. One of the biggest areas is through binging television shows. Just this weekend I was talking with a friend about how much she loves to read a novel and binge a tv series. We discussed how they are both a similar activity and honestly, take the same amount of time. And, from what I have seen, my friend is not alone.

People are binging more shows and this is great for us because, again, it is simply another way they take in a longer story. We need to understand that in the patrons' eyes, the wide difference we see between reading a book and watching a multi-episode tv series is rapidly shrinking. To our patrons, both are consuming a story. And, not only do they do both, we have both for them-- as DVDs to check out, streaming services to access, and even Rokus to checkout to access the pay services.

There is NO reason, other than stubbornness and out of date point of views that stop us from helping to match our patrons with their next good story regardless of format. Books are not the only or the "correct" way to do this...period.

Well, there is one reason, we are lacking solid resources to help us help them find their next great binge.

Into this void walks, Sarah Cords, a RA expert who recently released Bingeworthy British Television: The Best Brit TV You Can't Stop Watching which is an excellent resource for you to help patrons identify the best British shows for them.

This book is getting amazing reviews. Click here or here to read them.

Personally, I appreciate how well it is organized [also noted by the reviewers above]. It is broken up by types of shows making it very easy to use while working with patrons. Also, the American-British co-authors both interject their personal voices which makes the book feel more personal, like they are right there, looking over your shoulder, helping you to help others. I especially love the information provided by Jackie Bailey explaining the British specificities, some that are lost on even the most Anglophile of Americans.

But don't take it from me or the two stellar reviews only [again here and here], let's hear from Sarah Cords herself, including why she wrote the book and information on how easy it is for your library to order it through traditional methods.  Take it away Sarah:

*******************************************

I grew up as a farm girl, and although my parents encouraged reading, they did not encourage TV watching. And they really only encouraged reading when we were done with our chores—which meant, basically, that we didn’t get to read all summer and only got to read in winter when we were done with our homework, shoveling snow, and other chores. Recreational time was at an extreme premium. 

As a result I take my recreational time and activities very, very seriously. 

When I was a librarian, I reveled in the fact that reading was something to encourage in others and something to do as a professional activity for myself. I tried to learn from Becky and many others in the wonderful RA world about how best to work with readers and to use my knowledge of authors and books and genres to help them maximize and enjoy their reading time and experiences. I loved classifying nonfiction books and authors so much that I eventually wrote several guide books on the subject, including The Real Story (about nonfiction reading interests and genres) and The Inside Scoop (about investigative and journalistic books).  

Increasingly it becomes clear to me that stories not only help us to live, they make our lives more fun to live. I’ve decided to just give in and admit to an addiction/love affair that I’ve had all my life: with television, and more specifically, with British television. 

Today’s worries about screens and screen time focus almost primarily on kids and the time they spend on social media, but my fellow Gen-Xers and others may remember a time when the discussion was about how television was rotting our brains and turning our bodies into couch potatoes (the more things change, the more they stay the same). My farm household was also conservative, so that argument held sway there, although we of course watched the news and the weather and Bugs Bunny cartoons on Saturday morning and sometimes even Dallas while my mother was folding laundry. But none of that was enough for me, which is why by the time I was eleven and twelve, I was hiding out in my oldest brother’s room...where there was a TV on which I could secretly watch Remington Steele, starring the delectable and very Irish Pierce Brosnan. I have loved television deeply ever since. 

Which is why, after thirty years of being a TV addict and twenty years of being a British TV addict, I decided to combine my two loves (books and TV) into physical form, and published Bingeworthy British Television: The Best Brit TV You Can’t Stop Watching (with my British friend Jackie Bailey as co-author). 

First, the details: the book is 280 pages long, it is split into genres of television (including Comedies, Dramas, Crime Dramas, Literary Adaptations, etc.), it is fully indexed by title, actor, creator, and writer names, and it includes a bunch of fun sidebars of “insider information” written by Jackie. (For example: Why are there so few guns in most British crime dramas?) It includes information on more than one hundred of the best-known, best-loved, and also the quirkiest British programs available, including information about how long it takes to bingewatch each series, who created it, who stars in it, and what some other similar programs are that you might want to watch next. Sure, it’s all information you can find online, but it’s meant to be more relaxing than a targeted search: I included trivia about each program and a little bit about what truly makes each program “bingeworthy.”  

I was a librarian and I wanted specifically to make this book a valuable tool for librarians and collection developers. I belong to several Facebook groups to which thousands of other British TV fans belong, and, although you may think the format is dead, I still read a lot of comments about how people still watch a lot of British programs on DVD (and also get them from their libraries). These are people after my heart, because I have watched thousands of hours of British television, and I wrote this book, and I did it all without ever subscribing to one streaming service. I don’t have Amazon Prime, or Netflix, or Acorn TV, or Britbox (all of which are streaming services, the latter two devoted almost exclusively to British TV). I watch broadcast TV with a converter box, because my family’s income gives us very little wiggle room. I am so grateful to be part of a library system with a fantastic physical collection of British programming. Between broadcast PBS and the South Central Library System (WI), there is very little British TV that I can’t see, and I am grateful for that for cultural reasons but also for very economic reasons. 

There is a ton of content available, and a ton of resources talking about that content, and I know a lot of viewers are happy to watch whatever their TV service of choice offers next. But there will always be people who appreciate the personal touch where recommendations are concerned, and that’s very much what Jackie and I tried to do in this book. I hope it is useful to any librarians curating their Brit TV DVD collections, as well as to any individual who wants to read it as a companion to their viewing, and to feel like they are connected to other television superfans. 

Bingeworthy British Television by Sarah Cords and Jackie Bailey, published March 2019, list price of $19.99, ISBN 978-0-9600487-0-0, is available with the standard 55% discount through IngramSpark. It is also available directly from Amazon, and I offer the standard deal that if you buy and review a copy there, just send me an email at sarah.cords@gmail.com and I’ll send you a second copy absolutely free. I should also add that I maintain the Great British TV Site at greatbritishtv.com (@GreatBritishTV at Facebook), where I post weekly rundowns of British TV headlines and news, as well as conversations with Jackie about all the latest British TV. 

Thanks so much for reading and thanks to Becky for allowing me to post here! It’s so great to speak with library professionals again. Now get out there and do that vital RA (and other!) work that you all do. 

Game of Thrones! Game of Thrones! Game of Thrones!

Is there anything else happening next weekend? Not in my brain. And actually, the Game of Thrones mania is just beginning. This is a topic that people will be interest in for weeks. So I am here to help you get ready.

Notice I didn't call this post Game of Thrones readalikes. I purposely just listed the title as an exclamation because this is how people feel about this show and series. They love it. And today, I wanted to talk about why it has such broad and enthusiastic appeal. Also, you don't need me to give you basic readalikes lists. There are many options available, but I hope to get you to be a little more creative and inclusive in your readalike suggestions with this post because fans of the series are coming at it from more angles than you might at first think.

Let's begin with the obvious epic fantasy aspect. We know that epic fantasy is popular with a good sized segment of the population and has been for a long time. Long series in the tradition of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings command much space on library shelves, but Game of Thrones is different. Both the books and the TV series since they have been embraced by people who don't consider themselves epic fantasy fans. So if you are only matching readers who like GoT with epic fantasy, you are doing them a disservice.

Also, many GoT readalike lists are focused on other epic fantasy titles driven by white characters and from a Western pov; however, I would argue that the very best epic fantasy these days is being written by people who of color use non-Western traditions to tell the epic fantasy stories people always been drawn to but from a different perspective. The diverse points of view have added energy and a renewed sense of wonder to an old genre.

Also, GoT, while being set in a fictional Europe, also breaks a lot of the old school rules of epic fantasy. As result, I often suggest non-Western pov fantasy series to GoT fans [and have had great results]. Here are some of my current favorites to recommend:

• The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
• The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee
• The Sixth World Series by Rebecca Roanhorse
• The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Charkraborty
• The Dark Star Trilogy by Marlon James 

One of the biggest appeal factors in GoT are the characters. This is a character driven story, but unlike most epic fantasy, where we know who the hero is [and as a result can be assured by genre rules that they will live to complete their mission] and conversely, where we know who the villain is, with GoT they whole point is that we do not know who the hero is. Many characters are vying to be the King or Queen of the Iron Throne. And they are all potential heroes/heroines or antagonists. This is dizzying at times but also fantastically entertaining.

As a result, not only do main characters die, but everyone who remains is not all good or all bad. There is something redeeming in even the most despicable characters here. Martin has done this brilliantly. This is very unique for any book. This nuance and distinction is intriguing and engrossing. It draws people in, many who don't always enjoy the clear lines of "good" and "bad" in traditional epic fantasy.

There are so many "main" characters, which some readers and viewers find confusing, but others relish it because it means that so many of the characters are fleshed out in detail, a detail in so many different characters that you don't usually see in any series.

A secondary appeal as a result of the nuanced characters is that there is a lot of similar appeal here with today's unreliable narrators in psychological suspense. GoT in many ways is a historical psychological suspense. I have found many readers who tend to only read psychological suspense who love the GoT TV show. The books, they have found slow and too detailed [but that is a trademark of epic fantasy in print], but the TV show is perfectly paced for them. So please don't forget to think about some more detailed, character focused stories with unreliable narrators and a psychological suspense, atmospheric and tense tone like books by Tana French, Donna Tartt, or Kazuo Ishiguro.

Another appeal is a historical one. GoT is basically a fantasy retelling of the time of the War of the Roses. In fact, many fans have told me that the reason they like GoT and don't generally like other fantasy is that the fantasy elements are secondary to the historical elements [even though it is alternative history which is a whole other readalike area to branch off into, but this post is getting long]. So some historical titles from pre 1500 might also work. I have had success giving people who like this aspect of GoT books by Madeline Miller and the Ken Follett Kingsbridge Series.

Finally, these books are dark, and while they have a type of zombies in them, I wouldn't call them horror, but they do share a lot with other epic dystopian, post-apocalyptic stories that touch or even cross into the edges of horror like Station Eleven, Severance, and The Fireman. All those links go to my reviews of those books and lead to even more readalikes in this vein.

So yes, you can get GoT readalike lists by the hundreds on the Internet, but really all that is giving you is other epic fantasy titles and a not very diverse list of the best of the newest and most exciting ones at that. What I hope to have done here today is to help you better help the patron in front of you by understanding the unique appeal of this amazing series and broaden your thinking about where to take readers next.

Trend Alert: Westerns Are Hot [With a Mini-Review of River of Teeth]

I have been saying for about 18 months now in my live genre events, but westerns are making a comeback. People giggle and gave me that, "whatever, Becky" look, but I saw the signs of a coming resurgence, and 2017 is proving me right.

Here's the big catch though, the reason westerns are coming back is because the genre is shifting to fit what readers want to read about today, while still staying true to the essence of what makes something "a western." Up until recently, in order to be called a "western" a book needed to be about the expansion of the west and the men who tamed it. It also had to be set from after the Civil War to the turn of the 20th  Century. Okay, before I go any further, you can see right away why there is a problem with this definition-- mostly white men, very strict time frame, limited scope.

But there are other things that are appealing about westerns that many readers love and that this genre always got 100% right. For example, the rich descriptions of the beautiful landscape and the plots which place the characters in a morality play where revenge and redemption are at the center. These appeals are not unique to the western but they are things about the genre that fans also adore.

The new renewed interest in westerns uses these basic appeal factors and a broad definition of "The West" as a place, but not always in those former strict time constraints. These are stories of the west that add in something else, like another genre, a darker tone [but still with the underlying nostalgia of "The West" as a place, or are just plain "weird." They can now also be set anytime as long as "The West" as a place features prominently.

Basically, you could say, "these aren't your parents westerns" but then again, if you look hard enough, they kinda are. And the moral of the story today is...If you aren't paying attention to what is going on with westerns, you are missing out on a lot of excellent books.

Okay, now let's talk titles. Here are some books you have definitely heard of, books that are very popular and that all use western frames, motifs, and tropes prominently. At their essence these books are westerns, but interestingly, many of today's readers who enjoy these titles would not call themselves western readers:

• The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
• True Grit by Charles Portis
• And what will be one of the most popular series in the coming months-- The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

Now let's tackle diversity in the western. One of the best books of last year and one of my favorite reads so far this year is a traditional, quiet western written by a woman which features the true diversity of characters all interacting as they would have in that place and time- News of the World by Paulette Jiles. Click here for my full review and details.

Another diverse series that is a mystery-western mashup and has been around since 1990 [with new books still coming out] is also quite popular right now due to it's success on tv, Joe R. Lansdale's Hap and Leonard series. This series features two best friends in East Texas who solve crimes- Hap, a "good olde boy" white guy, and Leonard, a gay, black, Vietnam Vet.

Speaking of Lansdale, he is often referred to as the father of another popular subgenre, the weird western. You can use this link to see more detail, but basically, these are westerns that use science fiction, horror, and supernatural elements. The subgenre has been gaining in popularity as genre blending in general has become the norm. Goodreads has a list of Weird Westerns as does NoveList.

Some recent books I have read and reviewed which specifically blend the western and horror very well are:

• Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon which is actually book 2 in the vampire-western I Travel By Night Series.
• Zombie Gold by John L. Lansdale [brother of Joe R.]
• And the book I can't stop talking about-- In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson

Use the links for each title to read a full review where I point out the well realized "western" aspects of each novel. And those are just the few I have read recently. You can use the Goodreads link to find more weird westerns.

But right now, my absolute favorite western is at the top of that "weird" list on Goodreads because it is new and AWESOME-- It's the novella [which are also a trend right now] River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey. Here is the plot summary from Goodreads:

In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true. 

Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two. 

This was a terrible plan. 

Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.

That's right, it is an alternative history, traditional cowboy western, except instead of horses and cattle we have...hippos!

You may think this sounds dumb but I will tell you that it 100% awesome and except for the hippos, it's a straight up western.

This book is short so I am not going to give much except to point out that the characters are very diverse-- keeping with the trend in this reemergence of the western. The hero is gay, one character uses the pronoun they, and the biggest badass is a lady. It the the wild west filled with all of the actual "characters" who lived during the actual time, not a white washed version.

The character development is the bare minimum we need to enjoy this fast paced and fun western. The alternative history based on a real idea that could have been also adds to the enjoyment. As you are hooting and hollering along with the characters and the action [and you will be], it is cool to step back and realize that this is not silly...this could have been.

Oh, and did I mention hippos! I know I did, but they are given personalities just like the horses in a traditional western. You care about them, yes, but it is so fun to read about their habits, how they walk, how they are raised and bred, etc.... You cannot discount the enjoyment they add to the story.

The only negative about this book is that it is too short! A sequel is coming though. Phew!

Three Words That Describe This Book: fast paced, strong world building, fun

Readalikes: See this entire post.