Top Five: While Wendy's Away

Part of my job is monitoring "the holds list." Those books that are popular enough to generate a waiting list amongst our library patrons. Now that most library catalogs are on computers, keeping up with "the holds list," is a lot easier than it used to be. Basically, we run a report, and the computer spits out what we need to know. I then look over the list and make the executive decision on whether or not to order more copies. Since I was gone all last week at RWA, I missed a "holds list." Looking over this week's list, I noticed several titles that jumped up in demand while I was away. Here they are:

In Bed With The Devil by Lorraine Heath - I hate to shatter the Super Librarian myth, but I do not order every single brand new romance title that is out every single month. I just don't have the budget for it. So I tend to pick and choose, then wait for any patron requests to roll in to mop up my slack. One trend I've noticed? Despite my whining about their No American Historicals policy, Avon's historicals are insanely popular among our patrons - with Eloisa James and Julia Quinn being the front runners. Now it looks like Heath is gaining some ground. Intriguing. I would have thought it would be Loretta Chase, but so far she's still in "modest" territory for us. Go figure.


Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich - Man's wife, who apparently had oodles of secrets, dies and thrusts him into the path of an assassin and international manhunt. This is a thriller, so naturally there is also a global conspiracy involved. I knew this would do well for us, and I ordered several copies of it right out of the gate. Still, I didn't expect it to take off like a rocket.






Treasures by Nora Roberts - This is a reprint featuring the stories Secret Star and Treasures Lost, Treasures Found. This came in as a patron donation at some of our branches. Yes, yes - I always order Nora. I'd lose my job pretty quickly if I didn't buy Nora's books. But I passed by this reprint because we already own the two featured stories in different anthologies. I'm chalking this up to our library patrons not realizing the stories are available elsewhere. Oh well. It happens to the best of us.




The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - Otherwise known as The Little Book That Could. It's 1946 and an author finds inspiration for her next book in her pen-pal correspondence with a native of the island of Guernsey, who tells her the story of how a book club proved to be an alibi during the German occupation. I've seen and heard buzz already on this book, and given that the story is told in the form of letters - well no shock that it's starting to pick up steam. Also, it has The Book Club Stink. This one is going to have legs folks. Take my word for it.



The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, Large Print Edition - Suffering from terminal cancer, professor Randy Pausch passed away while I was on vacation. His "last lecture" already an Internet sensation, this book has quickly become the new Tuesdays With Morrie among our library patrons. Demand for the regular print has stayed steady, but news of his passing saw holds jump for the Large Print edition.