The article on appeal factors brought to mind a few considerations that I did not think were addressed. A few other aspects that might affect a person's like or dislike of a book are:
- Viewpoint- Is the book told in the first person or third person? I have had customers that liked one way but not the other. Also, is the book told from one person's perspective or different characters' perspectives?
- Timeline- Does the book jump back in forth between different periods of time or is it more linear?
- Bias- Some titles have a political or social agenda. If it does not line up with the customer's ideals, they may not appreciate the recommendation.
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbaugh is a novel filled with complex characters facing emotional, moral and physical dilemmas. The story centers on Henry, a star shortstop on his Wisconsin college baseball team who has had a long streak of no error games. That ends when he throws a wayward ball that injures a teammate and sets off an excruciating period of doubt and loss of ability. The book is rich with literary allusion and meditations on some of life's big questions. Even non-baseball fans will relate to this coming of age story that burrows deep into the psyche while you root, root , root for the home team.
Annotation 2:
The Ex-Pats is a fast-paced thriller filled with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. It follows an American family who are living in Luxembourg under the pretense that the husband's job has caused them to relocate. This plot driven novel incorporates the world of high finance and a cast of characters who are never who they say they are.
I recommended two books on Debbie Bastacky's blog- The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker and The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.
M'Lissa, I think you might like
ReplyDelete- Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan because it involves intrigue and deception, but is also very well written with complex characters.
- Housekeeping by Marilyn Robinson because it is a beautiful and haunting coming of age story.
Thanks Kate!
DeleteI will put both of these titles on my 'To Read' list.
Also thank you sooooo much for allll of your past, present and (I'm sure) future help on the blog!!!!!
Calico Joe by John Grisham might interest you. Told through the eyes of his son, this is the story of Warren Tracy a pitcher who was not remembered for his pitching, but for the dramatic events of one game played long ago.
ReplyDeleteYou might also try
The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva. Silva writes fast action and suspense in a very interesting setting.
Thank you Sarah!
DeleteDon't forget to post your recommendations on another's blog and also put a shirt post on your own letting us know where to find them. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou might like The Company by Robert Littell. It's an intriguing story about spies and double agents after WWII. Fictional characters as well as real historical figures play prominent roles.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of spies, you might also like the Secret Lives of Codebreakers by Sinclair McKay. Set in an old estate near London called Bletchley Park, people worked tirelessly in unpleasant conditions and helped change the course of history by breaking the German Enigma Code. Bletchley Circle is a PBS show about 4 women who worked together and then reunited to solve mysteries using those codebreaking skills they learned during the war. It was on TV recently.