Recently, a friend and I sat eating breakfast – ok, Tim Horton’s doughnuts – and we started talking books. Anyone watching would have thought we’d gone mad: laughing, talking over each other, wildly gesturing and grabbing our phones: Who is that author? Pullen? Pollen? Pullman! What is the name of his new book? Oh, you know! The one with the dust!

The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman is available in Print, Audio, eBook, and eAudio.

The Power by Naomi Alderman is available in Print, eBook, eBook Spanish, and eAudio.

I urged my friend to read The Power, an ardent work of speculative-fiction that stunned Margaret Atwood and promises to knock our socks off. In the novel, empowered young women are suddenly able to generate and employ electrical current to defend themselves against male aggression. This development reverses gender roles and brings current inequality, misogyny, and brutality into stark relief. Alderman isn’t content with this conceit. She takes it further into horrible and distressing territory. We need to discuss this book.

We talked about Ann Patchett’s character-driven novels and why we love Bel Canto, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction (now known as the Women’s Prize for Fiction) and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, and State of Wonder. Each book begins with an intriguing premise, a hostage situation, a dangerous journey into the Brazilian jungle, and Patchett’s wonderfully developed characters must find ways to survive.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett is available in Print, Large Print, eBook, and eAudio.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett is available in Print, Large Print, Audio, and eBook.

My friend’s son is applying to med school and he turned her on to God’s Hotel by Victoria Sweet, about San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital, the last almshouse in the United States. She offered her experience with this book, like a gift in her hands. That’s how strong the connection can be. You know what that feels like. How many of us have given books as presents? Trying to choose the right book can be difficult because it’s easy to misjudge what friends like to read. Instead, try sharing a list of books you’ve enjoyed this year. Book lovers love long, delicious lists of recommended books. Why do you think there are so many 10 Best lists out there?

Create Personalized Booklists

To create your own reading list … start by reviewing the books you’ve borrowed from the library. If you haven’t already …

• Login to your library account online (from the library website or catalog).
• Select Reading History, Save Reading History, and then Opt In.
• You can choose Opt Out at any time.

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Bookmark and Share

You can share individual books with friends from the library’s catalog using the Bookmark & Share options (includes Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, Email, and many others – hit the plus sign to access more options).

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Share Booklists Using My Book Cart

• Browse for books using the library catalog.
• Select Add to Cart for each item under Additional actions.
• Go to My Book Cart (upper-right side of screen) and save the list for later or email the items in your cart directly to a friend.

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Share Booklists Using My Lists

• Browse the catalog, add desired items to your cart, and save to list.
• Login to your account, go to My Lists, and Export List.
• On the next screen, select what you would like to share and send email.

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Snap A Pic & Share

Make a book stack, snap a pic, and share it via text, email, or social media. Include a link to the library catalog. So this year, spread the joy! Just think, advisory comes in many forms: music advisory, film advisory, app advisory. The possibilities are endless!

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Tip: Click or Tap on the screenshots in this post for a larger view.

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Did you know the Toledo Lucas County Public Library also offers personalized recommendations?