lesson 12: personal "what to read" list
Customers want to hear your personal reading recommendations! Indeed, studies show that "personal recommendations from library staff" is the number one way that library users select books to read.
FIRST... Read the descriptions of appeal factors in fiction, below.
Plot:
Readers who like books with an appeal factor of PLOT appeal are usually looking for a fast-paced, heart-pounding story. You don’t get a lot of descriptions of trees and feelings in plot-based books.
Character:
Books with a CHARACTER appeal factor usually dig deep into the character’s thoughts and feelings. Characters are richly portrayed so that you really understand them as complex people. What happens can be important but not as important as the people the plot is about.
Theme / Setting:
Books with a THEME appeal usually explore some idea or philosophy. It’s the message that readers are attracted to, and some authors do a great job of expressing these messages through their stories. Readers who are attracted to a SETTING appeal fall in love with a particular time and place.
Wild Card:
This isn’t an appeal at all, but a general category of books you just flat out love and would recommend to most readers because of the universal appeal.
NEXT... Look at these lists from various TCCL library staff:
FINALLY... Create your own "What To Read" list based on appeal factors using this form.
FIRST... Read the descriptions of appeal factors in fiction, below.
Plot:
Readers who like books with an appeal factor of PLOT appeal are usually looking for a fast-paced, heart-pounding story. You don’t get a lot of descriptions of trees and feelings in plot-based books.
Character:
Books with a CHARACTER appeal factor usually dig deep into the character’s thoughts and feelings. Characters are richly portrayed so that you really understand them as complex people. What happens can be important but not as important as the people the plot is about.
Theme / Setting:
Books with a THEME appeal usually explore some idea or philosophy. It’s the message that readers are attracted to, and some authors do a great job of expressing these messages through their stories. Readers who are attracted to a SETTING appeal fall in love with a particular time and place.
Wild Card:
This isn’t an appeal at all, but a general category of books you just flat out love and would recommend to most readers because of the universal appeal.
NEXT... Look at these lists from various TCCL library staff:
FINALLY... Create your own "What To Read" list based on appeal factors using this form.