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RR 2010/74 The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (2nd edition) Joyce G. Saricks American Library Association Chicago, IL 2009 xi + 387 pp. ISBN 978 0 8389 0989 8 £55/$65
Distributed in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa by Eurospan
Keywords Guides and handbooks, Fiction
Review DOI 10.1108/09504121011021832
Written by a librarian for librarians, this revised guide is not a definitive catalogue of genres, but a method of suggesting titles based on general "elements" of fiction that appeal to readers. The readers' advisory service has been established in American libraries for many years, expanding a fundamental service of book lenders and sellers with advice from customers. The theory is that by asking readers why they like certain books, librarians can identify popular features such as pacing, plot and characterisation, without being limited by rigid genre boundaries. Readers are "interviewed" on their favourite titles, and the results are used to help cross-reference books by personal...