Wednesday, April 27, 2011

If You Like...



As a librarian, one of the joys of my job is matching a book with a potential reader. Reluctant readers are not generally forthcoming with their reading interests, mainly because they themselves don’t know what type of story they like or are interested in. Among the many questions I ask when trying to match book with reader is: What was the last book you read that you liked? If I am able to illicit this information from them I can use my magical librarian skills to find potential books of interest.
Of course the readers of this blog are most likely avid readers and need no prodding, but I know one thing about readers, if nothing else, and that is when we find something we like, if not love, then we want more of it. This is where a problem can arise. Because for many people, other than reading other books by the same author, it is hard to find something similar to what they found a connection with.
Please don’t get me wrong. I have no way of knowing what book you will make that special connection with, reading is so subjective. But what I offer to you is a suggestion. So without further explanation I present:

If you like…

The Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins
In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.



        Then you might like…

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Maze Runner Trilogy #1)


Sixteen-year old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.


Epic by Conor Kostick

 On New Earth, a world based on a video role-playing game, fourteen-year-old Erik persuades his friends to aid him in some unusual gambits in order to save Erik's father from exile and safeguard the futures of each of their families.






  
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (Hunger City Chronicles #1)

In the distant future, when cities move about and consume smaller towns, a fifteen-year-old apprentice is pushed out of London by the man he most admires and must seek answers in the perilous Out-Country, aided by one girl and the memory of another.



  


 
For the Win by Cory Doctorow

In a future where poor children and teenagers work for corrupt bosses as gold farmers, finding valuable items inside massively-multiplayer online games, a small group of teenagers work to unionize and escape this near-slavery.





*Though these books aren’t exactly alike,they have similarities and certain things in common. Because of course who would be happy reading (or writing) a book that is exactly like another book.

*I figured I’d start with a title that most people have read, if not, at least are familiar with.



9 comments:

Holly Hill said...

Excellent, Michele! I hadn't heard of a couple of these. And the TBR pile grows... ;)

Pam Harris said...

Great suggestions! I would also add Divergent to that list. I'm reading it now and I can't. Put. It. Down. Seriously, I almost called in sick to work just so I can finish. :)

Jamie Manning said...

Thanks for this great post! I absolutely loved The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner series, so to have other titles similar to those is awesome...thanks for the list!

Marquita Hockaday said...

The Maze Runner looks pretty interesting. Thanks for the suggestions, I really like this post. I'm always up for hearing about books that are like some of my faves.

Kathryn Rose said...

Wow! What a great idea for a post! This is so valuable, especially since I'd love some more Hunger Games-esque reading materials! Adding to GoodReads now. Thanks, Michelle! :)

Krispy said...

Love the recs! It's definitely put a few of these books back on my radar. I think this is a great type of feature to have.

Hannah said...

Great post, Michele. Will add these books to my list :D

Anonymous said...

I love that you are doing recommendations like this. I love the "If you like this, you'll like this.." section of my Borders. It's such a great idea.

Sophia Chang said...

Thank you thank you thank you.

I swear to god you read my mind - I was frustratedly combing Goodreads last week looking for a "if you like..." option.

Do you take requests? I'm desperate, I mean seriously DESPERATE, for something to fill the high fantasy, female-heroine, first-person void left by my finishing all of Maria Snyder, Shanon Hale and Jessica Day George's books. I need something intimate yet epic like Graceling or the Poison Study series. please please please...