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Like the zombies, ghouls, and vampires which inhabit many of its books, the popularity of horror fiction is unstoppable. Even if you don't happen to be a fan yourself, you won't be “scared” to advise readers on finding their next great fright thanks to the astute guidance provided by horror expert Spratford in her updated guide. This definitive resource for library workers at any level of experience or familiarity with horror fiction details the state of the genre right now, including its appeal factors and key authors, assisting readers in getting up to speed quickly; presents ten annotated lists of suggested titles, all published since 2000, each with a short introduction providing historical context; delves into horror movies, TV shows, podcasts, and other formats; and offers abundant marketing advice, programming options, and pointers on additional resources.

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.

Whether set in ancient Egypt, Feudal Japan, the Victorian Age, or Civil War-era America, historical fiction places readers squarely at the center of fascinating times and places, making it one of the most popular genres in contemporary publishing. The definitive resource for librarians and other book professionals, this guideProvides an overview of historical fiction's roots, highlighting foundational classics, and explores the genre in terms of its scope and styleCovers the latest and most popular authors and titlesDiscusses appeal characteristics and shows how librarians can use a reader's favorite qualities to make suggestionsIncludes lists of recommendations, with a compendium of print and web-based resourcesOffers marketing tips for getting the word out to readersEmphasizing an appreciation of historical fiction in its many forms and focusing on what fans enjoy, this guide provides a fresh take on a durable genre.

Genre fiction has always been a complex mixture of themes and elements. The increasing popularity of “genre blends,” or fiction that straddles the traditional labels, means greater pleasure for readers but a greater challenge for readers'advisory. In this informative and entertaining book McArdle gets library staff up to speed on these engaging titles, showing how such crossover fiction appeals to fanbases of multiple genres. Complete with booklists, summaries, read-alikes, and thorough indexes, this guideCovers suspense, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, and science fiction, as well as non-genre titles that don't neatly fit into any categoriesOffers guidance for shelving, displaying, and marketing genre blendsShows how to make the most of online discovery tools in cataloging these titlesIncludes “Blend MVPs,” a section spotlighting several popular authors who regularly move between genres, and a useful bibliography of additional resourcesProviding a unique look at how common genres are often combined, this guide will open up new worlds of fiction to readers'advisors and those whom they serve.

Offering a fresh perspective on women's fiction for a broad reading audience—fans as well as librarians—this book defines and maps the genre, and describes hundreds of relevant titles.Women's Fiction: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests celebrates the books in this broad genre—titles that explore the lives of female protagonists, with a focus on their relationships with family, friends, and lovers. After a brief introductory history and a chapter that defines the characteristics of women's fiction, the author showcases annotations and suggestions of approximately 300 titles by more than 100 authors. She explains how women's fiction differs from romance fiction, enabling readers to appreciate this rich body of literature that encompasses titles as diverse as Meg Cabot's lighthearted chick lit to the more serious novels of Elizabeth Berg and Maeve Binchy. The book identifies some of the most popular and enduring women's fiction authors and titles, and provides invaluable reading lists and readalike suggestions that will be appreciated by both librarians and general readers.

Vampires, zombies, ghosts, and ghoulies: there are more things going bump in the night than ever. So how do you wend your way through all of them to find the ones that interest a particular reader? RA expert Spratford updates her advisory to include the latest in monsters and the macabre, including Lists of recommended titles, authors, and sub-genres, all cross-referenced for quick reference Tips for effectively practicing horror RA, with interview questions for gauging a reader's interests An expanded resources section, with an overview addressing the current state of horror lit, and suggestions of how to dig deeperAs both an introductory guide for librarians just dipping their toes into the brackish water of scary fiction, as well as a fount of new ideas for horror-aware reference staff, Spratford's book is infernally appropriate.

This guide offers exciting new reading paths for students who enjoy fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal themes. With over 350 titles organized into their primary appeal characteristics and scores of thematic lists, librarians and educators will benefit from lists of contemporary selections specifically written for teens.Interest in teen fiction has grown in popularity in the last decade, especially within the fantasy and paranormal genres. This timely guide is one of the few books on the subject that lists titles that are written specifically for teens.Read On…Speculative Fiction for Teens features popular, contemporary themes ranging from vampire love and ghost stories to epic fantasy and out-of-this-world science fiction. Each of the five chapters caters to a specific area of interest—story, character, setting, mood, and language—and within the chapter, numerous lists of novels are organized by topic, with the best titles highlighted. Each of the more than 350 listed titles includes bibliographic information and a brief, punchy description.

Something sinister is afoot out there—and this newly updated readers'advisory has all the clues to help librarians solve the mystery of which titles readers should check out next. Equally useful for novice librarians and seasoned gumshoes, this handbook • Summarizes the history of mystery fiction, highlighting key figures in its development • Covers the latest and most popular classic titles in the genre, as well select suspense and thriller fiction with crossover appeal • Offers examples of how library staff can help readers move back and forth from fiction to nonfiction • Suggests ways to conduct an effective reference interview With several well-chosen booklists, practical programming ideas, and a brand new compendium of print and web-based resources, your only crime would be not adding this guide to your collection!

“What's good besides Twilight?” Answer frequently asked questions such as this with the help of Mathews'engaging tour through today's spooky lit. Readers will be able to search'read-alike'lists for series featuring their favorite'creatures'with up-to-date, chronological lists of series titles and summaries. Librarians will be able to suggest a multitude of adventures starring angst-ridden heartthrobs, superheroes, and champions. Focused exclusively on the best of the best, this lively readers'advisory • Rates each series on a scale of 1 - 5 for levels of violence, sensuality, and humor • Contains more than 200 annotated entries • Enables book selection by type, character, series, and author • Lists all the volumes in a favorite series together and offers numerous read-alikes Designed to keep librarians and readers up-to-date with the hottest contemporary supernatural beings in adult literature, Fang-tastic Fiction is both fun to read and easy to use.

This revised edition provides a way of understanding the vast universe of genre fiction in an easy-to-use format. Expert readers'advisor Joyce Saricks offers groundbreaking reconsideration of the connections among genres, providing•Key authors and themes within 15 genres•An explanation as to how the different genres overlap•The elements of fiction most likely to entice readersProvocative and spirited, The Readers'Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction, 2nd Edition offers hands-on strategies for librarians who want to become experts at figuring out what their readers are seeking and how to match books with those interests.

In public libraries, reference librarians are often called on to make recommendations to readers, sometimes in genres that they don't personally read. Learning how to frame a discussion and articulate the appeal of a book, author, or genre marks the essence of a successful readers'advisor. Readers'advisory is defined as,'patron-oriented library service for adult leisure readers,'according to Saricks, a noted expert on the subject. In the completely revised third edition of Readers'Advisory Service for Public Libraries, Saricks updates this critically acclaimed how-to guide, making it more.

It's a dark and scary world. Fans are rabid. Blood, guts, and gore are the norm. Welcome to the horror genre. Horror classics have been scaring people for years. Nowadays, who doesn't know about Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Dean Koontz? Profiled in a special section, the'Big Three'have turned horror into best-sellers. For all the horror fans that haunt your library, this is the must-have guide. Readers'advisors and reference librarians will appreciate the key tools provided to expand upon this genre, including listings of top books, authors, and award winners within eleven horror subgenres-like mummies, biomedical, monsters, and splatterpunk. Clear descriptions of characteristics within subgenres are provided throughout. To further help you engage new readers, expert horror mavens Spratford and Clausen draw a savvy connection between film and horror as a potent reminder that the scariest movies have been adapted from novels. Their classic and contemporary recommendations like Rebecca, The Shining, and Rosemary's Baby reinforce activities between readers'advisors and library programming and open up the (cellar) door for further patron involvement. Readers'advisors and reference librarians will also learn: The art of the readers'advisory interview for horror Strategies to develop, and tools to market, the horror collection Tactics for introducing non-horror readers to the genre Where to go for more details and resources Horror may be an acquired taste, but under the guidance of two passionate aficionados, any librarian can master the basics to add horror into readers'advisory services

Science fiction and fantasy and their various subgenres are summarized, and recommended books in each subgenre are described, in this guide for librarians unfamiliar with science fiction and fantasy. Subgenres covered include classic and general science fiction, cyberpunk, time travel, aliens, historical fantasy, quest fantasy, and fantasy romance. An appendix lists Hugo, Nebula, Mythopoeic, and World Fantasy award winners.

Three librarians from Scottsdale, Arizona provide library staff with an introduction to the mystery genre and offer tips and techniques for providing advice to mystery readers in the library. They include some of their own bibliographies, but refer readers elsewhere for fuller ones. They also include a brief history of the genre to pass on to readers new to it.