Neal Wyatt is a contributing editor and the readers' advisory columnist for Library Journal. She has served as President of The American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), chair of the Collection Development and Evaluation Section, and as chair of the Readers' Advisory Research and Trends Committee, The Notable Books Council, The Reading List Council, and The Listen List Committee, the last two of which she founded. She was instrumental in the creation of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, the Sophie Brody Award, and the Zora Neale Hurston Award and is the founder of the Readers' Advisory Research and Trends Forum. She won RUSA's Margaret E. Monroe Award (2012) and the Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award (2013). She is the author of The Readers' Advisory Guide to Nonfiction as well as numerous articles and several book chapters. She holds a PhD in Media, Art, and Text.
Samples
- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the Authors
- Reviews
This book is available in e-book format for libraries and individuals through aggregators and other distributors—ask your current vendor or contact us for more information. Examination copies are available for instructors who are interested in adopting this title for course use.
Everyone’s favorite guide to fiction that’s thrilling, mysterious, suspenseful, thought-provoking, romantic, and just plain fun is back—and better than ever in this completely revamped and revised edition. A must for every readers’ advisory desk, this resource is also a useful tool for collection development librarians and students in LIS programs. Inside, RA experts Wyatt and Saricks
- cover genres such as Psychological Suspense, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Literary and Historical Fiction, and introduce the concepts of Adrenaline and Relationship Fiction;
- include everything advisors need to get up to speed on a genre, including its appeal characteristics, key authors, sure bets, and trends;
- demonstrate how genres overlap and connect, plus suggestions for guiding readers among genres; and
- tie genre fiction to the whole collection, including nonfiction, audiobooks, graphic novels, film and TV, poetry, and games.
Both insightful and comprehensive, this matchless guidebook will help librarians become familiar with many different fiction genres, especially those they do not regularly read, and aid library staff in connecting readers to books they’re sure to love.
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Appeal and Genre: Gateway Frameworks for Working with Readers
The Adrenaline Genre
- Chapter 1 Adrenaline
The Intellect Genres
- Chapter 2 Psychological Suspense
- Chapter 3 Mystery
- Chapter 4 Literary Fiction
- Chapter 5 Science Fiction
The Landscape Genres
- Chapter 6 Fantasy
- Chapter 7 Westerns
- Chapter 8 Historical Fiction
The Emotion Genres
- Chapter 9 Relationship Fiction
- Chapter 10 Romance
- Chapter 11 Horror
Appendix: Hack This Book and the Five-Book Challenge
Author/Title Index
Subject/Appeal Index
"This valuable resource lets public librarians move beyond a narrow approach to readers’ advisory and become more open to a wide range of possibilities."
— Library Journal
"The book is as well-written and engaging as ever, and it is so chock-full of both theoretical and practical information it puts Mary Poppins’ bag to shame ... Absolutely essential, and this updated edition cements its relevance."
— Booklist (starred review)
"Provides both depth and breadth ... A great guide for librarians building collections in these areas."
— ARBA
Praise for previous editions:
"This book is brilliant, accessible, and quite useful … for librarians and readers alike."
— ARBA
"This book is also a great read! It is highly recommended for public libraries and anyone helping readers select books for enjoyment and leisure reading."
— The Australian Library Journal
"The book makes a real contribution to the field and is useful both to its intended audience of librarians and to nonprofessionals who are aficionados of genre literature."
— Internet Reference Services Quarterly
"Saricks has written a thoroughly enjoyable readers' advisory guide. Of equal use to professional librarians and library science students, this easy-to-navigate comprehensive guide is an invaluable resource tool for learning how to connect readers with the right book."
— Catholic Library World