In her book Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library, Joyce Saricks defines four appeal elements to look for when suggesting materials to a reader. These elements go beyond what a book is "about," and describe characteristics of the book that appeal to readers, regardless of subject. When you're talking with readers about what they want to read, listen for words and phrases that describe these elements.

Pace

Pace refers to the speed at which the author moves the reader along. Some words that describe pace: fast-paced, meandering, leisurely, building in intensity, densely written, snowballing, multiple storylines.

Characterization

Do we know the characters immediately, or do they take time to develop? What are their personalities like? Does the author spend a lot of time on character development, or does he focus more on something else? From what point of view is the story told? Are there lots of secondary characters, and how are they presented?

Storyline

Storyline goes beyond plot. In addition to plot, describing storyline gives us a sense of the "feel" of the book. Is the storyline more internal and psychological, or external and action-based? Does the story happen on one or more levels?

Frame

In Readers Advisory Service in the Public Library, Saricks refers to frame as "setting, atmosphere, background, and tone."

Other Considerations

Beyond the appeal elements identified by Saricks, these are some other elements to consider when recommending materials to readers.

Writing Style

Writing style refers to the way the author treats the story and reveals the author's personality. Some questions to consider: Does the writer write in "high" language, like Tolkien, or simple language, like Hemingway? Are the sentences long, short, or somewhere in between? How long are the paragraphs? Does the author use a lot of literary devices? Repeating phrases? Dialect?

Author

"Do you have the newest John Grisham/James Patterson/Danielle Steel/Stephenie Meyer?"
Many readers will read anything by their favorite authors. Sometimes RA can be as simple as putting the latest book in the reader's hand. Of course, if the author is popular, the title will be checked out with a long waiting list. You will need to do an RA interview if the reader wants to take something home today!

Narrator (audiobooks)

People who listen to audiobooks sometimes find a particular narrator they like. Maybe this narrator is a famous actor, has a soothing voice, or does character voices really well.

Subject matter

Readers might want materials with characters of a certain profession or set in a certain place. They might want chick lit with a wedding playing a prominent role, or a mystery with a strong Chicago backdrop. For the Chicago reader, you might suggest Mark Richard Zubro's Tom and Scott series, which is set in Chicago. You might also think about branching out to other genres. For example, suggest the narrative nonfiction book Devil in the White City, about murder at the Chicago World's Fair, if the reader is open to nonfiction.

Red Flags

Is there something about this book that might bother your reader? Sex, violence, vulgar language, political bias, and religion-related themes are a few things to look out for and mention in your description of the book. Keep in mind, however, that "red flags" for one reader might appeal to another.

References
Saricks, Joyce. Readers advisory guide to genre fiction. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2001.
Saricks, Joyce. Readers advisory service in the public library, 3rd ed. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2005.
Writing style. Retrieved July 31, 2008, from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing_style