What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday??

     Welcome to What's in Your Library Bag Wednesday!! What a perfect day to stay in side and curl up with a good book! Have you read any lately? Good books that is. Personally, I am stuck in the Kitty Norville series I mentioned to you last week.
     One thing I have noticed about finding good books to read is that you do need to know what it is you like about a book. Just saying you liked the book isn't enough. Dig deeper. Think about it. Did you like the fiesty female lead or do you like a strong male voice? Do you like a series that revolves around community or do you like one that centers on mystery and intrigue? Do you like to really get to know your characters, as in following them as they change and grow in a series, or do you like to read a single story from start to finish in one book? Do you like the romance/relationship aspect or do you perfer a lot of historical background instead? How about dialogue?
     As I type this, it somehow makes it feel like I am giving you an assignment, but one thing I've learned in trying to find books for people to read is that it is important to really listen to what they are saying about the books they are reading. Case in point: there is one series that I absolutely love. I've talked about it before; it's Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. The three biggest characteristics of this series, in my opinion, are 1)the love that lasts through time, 2) the fantasy of time travel and 3) the heavy use of historical background that Ms. Gabaldon incorporates throughout the novels. Now, my favorite part of these novels is the time travel and a love that lasts literally through time. But, I have recommended this series to others who really love a meaty historical novel and they have loved it also. They have gone on to read novels by Ken Follet and loved them, too. Whereas, he has never been on my radar because his ginormous novels focus heavily on the history of the time periods he's writing about, without much romance.
     So, you see, if you really focus on what it is you like in a novel, it's much easier to find one you'll really like or have someone like me be able to find one for you. One thing I really hate is when I suggest a book to someone and I totally get it wrong, cuz no one wants to read a boring book!! The next time you are in the library, stop by my desk and we'll chat so we can hopefully find your next winner.