Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests, 7th Edition

By Diana Tixier Herald, Diana Herald, Samuel Stavole-Carter

Book Overview

For readers' advisory librarians with patrons looking for their next great read, professors teaching readers' advisory service, or even enthusiastic readers who prefer to help themselves, Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests serves all of their needs. A new introductory section covering the role of readers' advisory service in the library and the basics of readers' advisory service is followed by chapters that list best-known titles organized by subgenres, identifying popular genres, describing their characteristics, and explaining their appeal.

This seventh edition expands on the previous with chapters on nonfiction, mainstream fiction, and women's lives; as well as on emerging genres and formats such as urban lit, graphic novels, and Christian fiction. The expanded coverage makes the book an ideal text and resource for students in library school classes on readers' advisory service or introduction to genres as well as to trainers working with new library staff.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1598848410
• ISBN13: 9781598848410
• Release Date: April 2013
• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Length: 622 Pages
• Weight: 2.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.0" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

My Favorite

I received this book in the mail yesterday and read it, off and on, all day. I can't believe all the reference material that is found here. As a true bibliophile, I have many books about books in my collection, but this one has moved right to the top as my favorite. It lists many of the best modern works in print and will help me, in the future, to have more discerning tastes in the books I read. I am completely satisfied and highly recommend it to others.

Sixth edition, but more like a first draft

I am so glad that this volume exists because I care much about advising readers, and the intent of this tool is right on. I appreciate the suggestions in each genre, and subgenre. However, the presentation of the titles is so inconsistent that it puzzles me that this could be a sixth edition--it seems more like a draft. Several of the titles are elaborately annotated, while others are simply listed without supporting information. I wish that the titles were treated more consistently. I do appreciate that this advisory series from Libraries Unlimited exists. However since this is their flagship volume that has gone through multiple editions, I expect a higher standard.

Thank goodness this great book has been updated again!

This book is a very valuable resource for public librarians acting as a reader's adviser ("I like this author, who/what else would I like?"), but I can't imagine anyone having the time to be poring over the pages as a collection development tool. Genreflecting is also a great reference for writing or literature studies students who are studying genre - along with lists of authors that they can pursue, there are very lucid discussions of the genres, and it's a good starting point for assignments in this area. (I used it for this purpose at Uni, and liked it so much that I tried to buy a copy - unfortunately it was between editions at the time.)