Week 2: Appeal Factors

A book I really enjoyed was “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand. This book is a non-fiction story profiling the WWII hero, Louis Zamperini. She writes about his survival of his plane crash in the Pacific, his time stranded on a raft, and being a prisoner of war under brutal conditions. Unbroken is perfect for a reader who loves both fast-paced adventure/adrenalin stories, as well as those with involved characterization as you see Zamperini affected by the various challenges he faces. The reader who enjoys this title might also like “Into Thin Air” by John Krakauer (Pacing-Adventure), and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, by Steig Larsson (Pacing-Adrenaline, Characterization).

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, is a biography of Henrietta Lacks, the woman behind the famous HeLa cells so important to the advancement of medicine. The fascinating story of the woman and her family behind the cells (who have been largely unknown) is the main driver of this book’s appeal. Throughout the book, we slowly learn who Henrietta Lacks was while learning how her cells made such an impact on the world of medicine. This type of book has deep character development and appeals to readers who want a personal connection with the characters. The reader who enjoys this title might also like “Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present” by Harriet Washington and “Prodigal Summer” by Barbara Kingsolver (Emotion-Women’s Lives and Relationships).  

“Another Thing to Fall” is a Tess Monaghan series book by Laura Lippman. Tess is a tough, but funny private investigator. This mystery series relies upon predictable characters and tone. As a reader, you know who Tess is, how she is going to react to events and the general humorous, but approaching serious tone. Readers who enjoy this series might also like “One for the Money”, the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich as well as “A is for Alibi”, the Kinsey Milhone series by Sue Grafton.