Do you ever find yourself in need of a book suggestion? Of course you do, we all do. Sometimes it’s hard knowing what book to try next. I find it especially hard after finishing a good book – nothing else quite matches up.
At the library, we are often asked for book suggestions, and we love to talk shop so please keep asking, but there are also some other resources available to you to help you find your next read.
One of the fun resources here at the Topsham Public Library is our Art Collab. Across from the circulation desk is a wall covered in suggestions from our patrons. Next time you come in, take a look and find a suggestion or two for your next read (and add one of your own suggestions). All age groups are represented on the wall. A few of the book ideas on the wall right now are: Bag of Bones by Stephen King, Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Complete Father Brown Stories by G.K. Chesterton, and Give and Take by Adam Grant. Some of the suggestions for children include the Magic Tree House books, always favorites, but the Gregor the Overlander Series by Suzanne Collins (yes, she has written more than The Hunger Games) also has a growing number of supporters, and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, is a timeless recommendation.
If you don’t find anything on our wall, there is a cart with staff picks in it, and it is full (well, we try to keep it full) of suggestions from the library staff. Also, the library has a display table with books which center around a theme that changes monthly that you could choose from (this month’s theme is Real Life Heroes).
There are also some online tools to help with book suggestions. If you are a mystery reader, Stop, You’re Killing Me is a wonderful resource. It offers book reviews as well as lists of mystery series that you can find either by author or by character. Another great place to find ideas is Novelist and Novelist K-8 (for children) found on Marvel, an online resource accessible on the Topsham Public Library’s website under Resources & Materials. (once on the Marvel site, you will notice the alphabet across the top. Click “N” and a list of databases that begin with N will come up. Click Novelist or Novelist K-8.) Some of you are already avid Pinterest fans, and if you haven’t used Pinterest you should think about it because the Topsham Public Library has a Book Lists board which has a plethora of lists from 10 Nonfiction Books That Will Define the Conversation in 2015 to Happy Ever After: 100 Swoon-Worthy Romances and everything in between. Have you checked out the library catalog (minerva.maine.edu) lately? It has some brand new features! If you scroll down on any book record you will find books in the same series, other books and authors you may like, appeal terms and reader’s reviews and ratings! Have a look at the record for our copy of The Fellowship of the Ring, scroll down and see!
And please, keep your eyes and ears open, as we are always looking for ways to help you find your next read!