At JCPL, Some Books Are Just too Delicious To Pass Up

How many times have you been offered something to eat and been told, "Oh it's so good! It tastes just like chicken!" How many types of food are there that can taste "just like chicken?" I'm suspicious! According to Dave Barry's "Guide to Guys," food is not the only thing that tastes just like chicken. In this hilarious look at "guy issues," Barry admits that in the mad panic to prepare for Hurricane Andrew, he was so intent on getting the supplies he needed that he could actually taste the plywood, and guess what? It tasted just like chicken! Even Hollywood, in thier quest to entertain, uses this analogy on the big screen. Example: In The Lion King when Timon eats a grub, it's yummy, just like chicken. You get the picture. We always like to use comparisons, whether the subject is food or something else, a visual picture brought on by comparisons to familiar things help our brains and taste buds to "get the picture."

At the Jasper County Public Library, when readers need to be entertained by a new fiction title or a new author, one of the first questions we ask is, "What was the last book that you read that you really enjoyed?" And from there, the search is on for a "readalike." Here is a short list of "readalikes" that may be just what you're looking for!

With her comical characters and the homey setting of urban Trenton, New Jersey as her home base, author, Janet Evanovich has won legions of fans and a following of avid readers over, letting the sassy dialogue in her wacky mystery series lead her to be at the very top of the list in the Humorous Mystery genre. If you enjoy the bantering that goes on between Stephanie Plum and her friends and family, as well as the "almost" romances between she and Joe Morelli and the ultra-suave Ranger, you'll love the Chicago based mysteries of Joe Konrath, each named after a cocktail. With smart, sassy and funny Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels as a Chicago Police Lieutenant leading the way, along with her eccentric partner, Herb Benedict, and a crazy cast of characters playing starring roles in "Bloody Mary," "Dirty Martini," "Fuzzy Navel," and "Cherry Bomb," this "crime stopper duo will be sure to keep you turning pages.

Legal issues and courtroom drama, along with the complex dynamics of family relationships, are the specialty of Jodi Picoult. Sprinkle in a dash of medical mystery, and you have the ingredients for a story that features ordinary people who find themselves facing extraordinary circumstances. With "My Sister's Keeper," "The Pact," and "Plain Truth" to her credit, Jodi Picoult hooks her readers emotionally by challenging them with the controversial issues that delve into the human psyche, unleashing the question, "What would I do if that happened to me?" In "The Rest of Her Life" by Laura Moriarty, you'll meet Kara, a high school senior whose spur of the moment decision changes everything for her, her family, and her community, and the struggles and legal issues that result from her one moment of carelessness. Other authors who are able to capture the essence of the human condition and resemble the writing style of Picoult are Luanne Rice, Sue Miller and Jacquelyn Mitchard.

If you're seeking a warmer climate (and these days, who isn't!), take a trip to sultry Florida, where author, Carl Hiassen, invents quirky characters who will appeal to your sense of humor with their madcap antics and daily foibles. Thrillers like "Basket Case," "Skin Tight," and "Tourist Season" contain serious plotlines, but in an upbeat and laugh out loud style. If you like Carl Hiassen, check out "The Naked Detective" by Laurence Shames. The bumbling gangsters and lyrical style, along with the Florida setting, will appeal to Hiassen fans. "Florida Roadkill" by Tom Dorsey also provides a hysterical ride through the sunshine state, offering an escalated pace of violence and demented humor along the way.

Let's see; how would I describe these books? Delectable, delicious, and nutritious; just like chicken!