What's next? (following an author through a series of books)

[Boomer]

Some readers like to follow an author through a series of books that share the same character(s) or setting or some other common trait. Not all authors are as cooperative with their titles as Janet Evanovich with the numbers or Sue Grafton with the alphabet. Figuring out what's next in a series, or if you have missed any titles, is not always easy.

There is a library in Michigan that has put together quite a database to help readers who like to follow a series. Mysteries. Fantasy Fiction. Science Fiction. And other genres. And those favorite characters who go from book to book.

This database is being passed around. It links to the catalogue of the library that created it, and, of course, you don't need the catalogue part unless you live near that library. But anybody can use this database to help them find the titles in a series. In fact, today I called the library that created it and asked permission to post the link. The librarian was really nice and said that would be fine. (Librarians love it when people are looking for something to read.)

On the opening page, you will see the boxes to fill in. You don't have to fill in all of them. I just put in the author's name and hit search at the bottom. The name appears on the next page with a little box next to it. Clicking on the box opens the series' titles in order.

This is fun to play around with. (Wow. I sure am exciting, huh.) Anyway, I know a librarian who uses this if she does not know the answer off the top of her head when somebody asks her, "What's next?" She says this database can make her look like a bloomin' genius.

I thought I would pass this along in case it could help some of you find out "What's Next?"

http://ww2.kdl.org/libcat/WhatsNextNEW.asp

Boomer :read:

[uujudy]

Oh Boomer! Bless your heart! I accidentally found a delightful new (to me) author, but the Villages Library had only one book written by her. I used your link and discovered that the book I read was #3 of a series of 4! There are 3 more books in this series for me to read! Yay! :pepper2:
Thank you!
Judy
PS: The author is Patricia Smiley and the book is Short Change, #3 of the Tucker Sinclair series. It was a hoot.

[barb1191]

Boomer.... Thanks so much for the link; it's great. I recently purchased a Kindle and am loving it but just not as yet completely into all of the details of operation. It seems to be very user-friendly though.

Am enjoying perusing the Kindle library and your link will add to my searches.

Thanks again g/f....barb

[Boomer]

Hi judy and barb,

I am so glad you like it.

And I hope people will share this site with others who will like it, too. It is going around like that. And the people I talked to at KDL yesterday thought that was great. They said to just give them the credit and share the link.

I wonder if the librarians at TV's library know about this. Like I said, I got it from a librarian I know who uses it all the time to help.

This is a real treasure created by those at the Kent District Library (KDL) in Michigan.

(And Judy, I am going to have to check out (chuckle, chuckle, snort) that writer you say is a hoot. That's a new one to me.)

Boomer

[Taltarzac]

I seem to remember a resource (hardbound) which lists series of books which librarians used to get at what comes next for various authors. Online ones exist too-- http://www.fictiondb.com/series/author-series~c.htm

There seem to be other online resources as well. http://www.readersadvice.com/ http://www.bettendorflibrary.com/bpl-bin/series.pl

The Big Names section of the Readersadvice.com is really helpful to series what's next for various populare authors-- http://www.readersadvice.com/readadv/000999.html

[Boomer]

I seem to remember a resource (hardbound) which lists series of books which librarians used to get at what comes next for various authors. Online ones exist too-- http://www.fictiondb.com/series/author-series~c.htm

There seem to be other online resources as well. http://www.readersadvice.com/ http://www.bettendorflibrary.com/bpl-bin/series.pl

Thanks, Tal, for sharing more resources for readers. Since the internet, things sure have changed for libraries. In fact, now the MLS is called the MLIS. Master's of Library and Information Science. (Do you know when that changed? I have wondered about that.)

Again, Tal, thanks. You always help us with stuff like this and with movies, too. I appreciate that so much.

Boomer

[Taltarzac]

Thanks, Tal, for sharing more resources for readers. Since the internet, things sure have changed for libraries. In fact, now the MLS is called the MLIS. Master of Library and Information Science. (Do you know when that changed? I have wondered about that.)

Again, Tal, thanks. You always help us with stuff like this and with movies, too. I appreciate that so much.

Boomer

I got a MLIM-- Masters of Librarianship and Information Management-- from the University of Denver back in 1984. Think some of the library schools back then still called it a MLS but others had already jumped to the MLIS.

[Muncle]

Boom, you've hit yet another of my many weaknesses.

Finding an author and especially appealing main characters is such a treat. Once one reads their first Christie, Marsh, or Sayers, he's hooked for every book in the author's (what's that word?) collection. While living in the DC area, I got addicted to dead people sales. Many had a lot of books at great prices. There I stumbled upon Anne George and her Southern Sisters. The masterful dialogue in these otherwise standard mysteries was some of the best written and funniest I'd ever read, and I kept up with them until Ms George passed away. A couple other series authors I discovered at these sales were Rita Mae Brown, Nancy Atherton, and Anne Perry. And of course once you read any Ellis Peters, be it the old monk or the modern cop, you've opened a huge trove of treasures.

Some of these writers are current and I keep an eye on Amazon to get the new releases immediately. But many of them are older books written long ago. This just feeds my love of used book stores. And the nice thing there is that you never know when you're going to stumble upon a new (to you, at least) author with a great character and series. And, of course, there is that surprise/joy of finding a favorite author has an entire different series written under a different pen name.


"Give me my books, my golf clubs and my leisure, and I would ask for nothing more. My ideal in life is to read a lot, write a little, play plenty of golf and have nothing to worry about." Lord Balfour



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[zcaveman]

Thanks Boomer! I like it. I usually try to get the latest book and copy the latest list of books the author has written so I have the current list and go from there. But this is easier.

Z

[uujudy]

(And Judy, I am going to have to check out (chuckle, chuckle, snort) that writer you say is a hoot. That's a new one to me.)

Boomer

Boomer, the book had an unusual angle to it (Tucker grew up working for her parents' detective agency), but it's not in the league of Muncle's list of really great mystery series. The book was more like a Sue Grafton than a Dorothy Sayers. I'd read it from the library (or a used book sale) but I don't think it's a pay-retail-and-keep-on-the-shelf-forever book.

[Muncle]

Here are a couple great websites for mystery fans:

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/

http://www.booksnbytes.com/mystery.html

The first one is outstanding when you remember a character but cannot recall the author's name or book titles.

[uujudy]

Thanks Muncle! They look like great websites. :coolsmiley:
I added them to my favorites list.

[Boomer]

Hi Judy,

You know how much I love Carl Hiaasen. But he has not written any fiction for adults in a really long time. He did that book about golf and the next one was a book for kids. Well, I grew weary of waiting and had to go get me another crazy Florida author on the side.

So I have taken up with Tim Dorsey. I am not too far into Dorsey yet. But he is even crazier than Hiaasen. The humor is darker. I used the site I linked here to find out the order of his books so I can follow the character Serge Storms around.

- - - - - - - - - - -

And Munc,

When I saw you mention the Southern Sisters on here a long time ago, I tracked down one of the books. And I liked it. Thanks.

Boomer

[uujudy]

Boomer, you got me hooked on Hiaasen! I have read every one of his books from the Villages library, and I found a few others at the used book store here. I worked my way down the list of Florida authors that was posted here some time ago, and Tim Dorsey was on the list. I read his Nuclear Jellyfish, but it was so hard NOT to compare him to Carl, and Dorsey's stories are a LOT darker, and it took me quite a while to realize that the serial killer was the hero of the book. Maybe if I'd started from the beginning I would have figured it out sooner? Maybe it was too soon after I read all the Hiaasen books I could get my hands on? I'll give Dorsey another try.

Muncle, I'll check the Library for the Southern Sisters books on Monday (When The Bonesetter's Daughter and The Kite Runner are due). I'll let you know if the library has the series.

PS: Did you guys know that Bonesetter's Daughter author Amy Tan is in a rock group with Carl Hiaasen and Dave Barry? They call themselves the Rock Bottom Remainders. Did I tell you I had a Dave Barry sighting in Jackson Hole? Does anybody remember what the topic of this thread is? :shrug:

[Boomer]

Judy,

I know exactly what you mean about Dorsey in comparison to Hiaasen. I was reading one of the later ones and ended up leaving it at Boomette's house and my son-in-law carried it off somewhere and I never did finish it. But I got far enough to know that his humor sure is darker. Hiaasen is probably more my type. But I wish he would get busy and write us a new one.

Right now I am reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett, a first novel. The stories of women's lives in 1962 Mississippi intertwine. Lives on both sides of those lines that were not to be crossed. I heard about it from someone in my water aerobics class. Her book club was using it. It is hard to put down.

Boomer

PS: I did not know about that rock group you told us about.

[graciegirl]

I have maxed out all my favorite mystery novel writers and I am TRYING not to buy the new hardcover ones when they first come out, my secret vice.
I have just been the winner of an auction on ebay for 65 mystery paperbacks for $12.

I may find a few new gems in there.

[uujudy]

Woo Hoo! Sixty-five mystery books for $12? GG, that's a treasure! Congrats! Where are you? Are you here? Will you have the books in TV? Should we all start a mystery book sharing club? Maybe there's already one here in TV? I could have Mr. Judy ship me some boxes of books the next time he's back in Utah.

Boomer, thanks for the tip on "The Help" Is it brand new? I put it on my list. And I try not to compare authors, but I'm rarely successful. Is The Help like the Secret Life of Bees? That's what first came to mind.

BTW, and off topic just a teensy bit, the Villages library has an interesting system for their new books... They rent them from a book rental place. That's the way it was explained to me when I signed up for my library card. If a book is extremely popular THEN they'll buy it. Seems like a good idea, and a way to save money so they can buy even more books.

[Boomer]

Judy, I don't know if "The Help" is like "The Secret Life of Bees" because I have not read that one yet. But I hear good things about it.

And about those mysteries and sites for finding mysteries, there is a link in Muncle's post above, here in this thread. The link is to Stop, You're Killing Me. I had not heard of that site before I read about it here. But then, just today, I heard about it again from a librarian who said that it is absolutely the best site ever for finding mysteries. Mystery lovers should not miss Munc's link in Post #11.

Nevada Barr writes mysteries that take place in national parks. I have read only one of those, but they are pretty popular.

Happy Reading to All!

Boomer :read:

[uujudy]

Thanks Boomer. I added Nevada Barr to my list.
Have a great weekend, everybody!