The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction

From psychological suspense and historical fiction to "gentle reads" and romance, this new guide from expert readers' advisor Joyce Saricks explores the many worlds of fiction. Covering fifteen popular genres (including often-neglected literary titles), each chapter includes a definition of the genre, its characteristics and appeal elements (such as character development, story line, and frame), and its key authors and subgenres. To help you prepare for the eternal "can you recommend a good book on..." question, there are also reader interview tips, reference sources, and guidelines on how to prepare for the questions you will undoubtedly get. Packed with specific examples, this user-friendly and readable guide will help you to: * Learn which elements of fiction actually entice readers. * Distinguish the expectations of readers of different genres. * Uncover "Sure Bets" - titles that consistently appeal to a variety of readers. * Master the ins and outs of the readers' advisory interview. Provocative and spirited, The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction offers hands-on strategies for librarians who want to become expert at figuring out what their readers are looking for and ho