Diana Tixier Herald is on a mission—a mission to put people together with books. As the youth collections librarian at Mesa County Libraries, Herald recently published a reference title that will help do just that.

“Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests,” is structured to guide all types of readers to their next reading adventure.

A literary journey

Herald’s enthusiasm for reading and libraries started at an early age.

“I visited the library at least three times a week,” she said. “Because I was an Air Force brat, we moved a lot, and the local library was always my first destination.”

Herald’s first degree was in art, but she wanted a good job at the Denver Public Library, and eventually, she attended library school.

After working in the library system, Herald continued to freelance for libraries and teach workshops on being a reader’s advisor. She also worked for School District 51 as library director before coming back to the public library.

Connections are important in every walk of life and the library world is no exception. On her way to a library conference, Herald ended up sharing a cab with three people who were all working with Libraries Unlimited, a publisher of professional and educational resources for librarians.

“Later when they were looking for someone to take over the writing of ‘Genreflecting’ they recognized my name, I wrote a sample chapter and here I am finishing the eighth edition!” said Herald.

459 pages of daunting

The newest “Genreflecting” title is actually the eighth edition of the book published by Libraries Unlimited. The brainchild of Betty Rosenberg, a prominent library science instructor, “Genreflecting” made its debut in 1982.

The selection guide, which encourages libraries to include popular genre fiction to their literary collections, has been going strong since. Herald has worked on several of the editions as well as a teen version of popular titles, one on fantasy and science fiction.

Creating a 459-page book can be overwhelming, so Herald invited Teen Services colleague, Sam Stavole-Carter, to join her.

“I jumped in halfway through the book,” said Stavole-Carter.

The process to update the new edition proved challenging. First, the pair evaluated the relevancy of previous edition titles to see if they would be included in the new edition. Next, they wrote introductions for each genre, read lots of books that had been published since the previous edition and decided which ones to include.

“The sheer volume of titles is overwhelming. Indexing is very labor-intensive, as there are lots of crossovers when books are listed under more than one genre,” said Stavole-Carter.

A book club’s dream

The result? A well-organized guide that lists popular fiction books by genre (historical fiction, thrillers, mystery, westerns, romance, fantasy, and science fiction), and indexed by author, title and subject. Each title has a short description and includes a special icon if it has won an award, has an outstanding audio version, or has been made into a movie. If the book is part of a series, other titles in the series may be listed.

At the end of each section is a “Must Read” list, and appendices provide a list of audiobooks and graphic novels. The book is a librarian’s best friend, a book club’s dream, and a reader’s handy tool.

A reference title for selecting books sounds a little stuffy, but “Genreflecting” has proved to be a more than readable book. Herald recalled a conference where someone approached her about the books.

“During a break, a man saw my nametag and rushed up to me. ‘I love your books!’” she recalled him saying. “I told him he must have me mixed up with someone else because I write reference books. ‘Oh, no,’ he said. ‘I read science fiction and I never knew there were so many types to read!’”

Herald’s dedication to promoting the librarian’s reader’s advisory role is key to her continued library work.

“Our librarians are trained to match readers with books they will enjoy, and they live for those discussions that lead to books that change lives. Many patrons are hesitant to ask for help in choosing a book because they think they may be bothering someone in asking, but this is the work our librarians love,” said Herald.

Author recommendations

“Genreflecting” will not only help librarians. According to Herald, even big bookstores like Barnes & Noble have purchased copies to train their staff in assisting customers to find the right book for them.

Readers can also use the book to find other books by authors they enjoy, additional books in the same genre, or books in a completely new subgenre they didn’t know existed.

Stavole-Carter is enjoying “Lightning Men” by Thomas Mullen. A mystery that is also considered historical fiction, the book discusses the country’s first black police officers as they deal with the Jim Crow South.

One of Herald’s favorites is “Crimson Lake” by Candice Fox, a crime thriller set in Australia.

Herald has three rules to help readers find enjoyable reading:

1. Never apologize for your reading tastes!

2. People never read the same book. Readers take away their own unique view on what they read, depending on their experiences. No one sees things from the very same perspective.

3. If you’re reading for pleasure and don’t like a book, you can stop.

MUSTReads:

A selection of recommended titles from “Genreflections”

Historical Fiction:

“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr

Mystery:

“Glass Houses” by Louise Penny

Thrillers:

“The Dry” by Jane Harper

Westerns:

“The Son” by Philipp Meyer

Romance Fiction:

“Lord of Scoundrels” by Loretta Chase

Fantasy:

“American Gods” by Neil Gaiman

Horror:

“The Fireman” by Joe Hill

Science Fiction:

“The Road” by Cormac McCarthy

Read Banned Books!

By Kimberly Blaker

Celebrate your freedom to read September 22-28 during Banned Books Week. Here’s a list of some of the top reads of the last century challenged by parents, teachers and others who claim the books to be too controversial. You can check these out at your local public library or bookstore!

    Adult reads

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou

“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini

“The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

“Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James

  Get the grandkids involved!

“For Every Child a Better World” by Jim Henson

“Captain Underpants (Series)” by Dav Pilkey

“It's Perfectly Normal” by Robie Harris

“In the Night Kitchen” by Maurice Sendak

“This Day in June” by Gayle E. Pitman

“Bone (Series)” by Jeff Smith

“Julie of the Wolves” by Jean Craighead George

    Books for the whole family

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”

by Mark Twain

“Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck

“Harry Potter (Series)” by J.K. Rowling

“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger

Find and read more challenged titles and authors at www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks