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How many times do we find an author we enjoy, voraciously read everything written by that author and then it’s back to the old drawing board looking for a new voice to catch our imagination and take us on another great ride? As a library employee, I am often asked for suggestions by patrons who have run out of books by their favorite authors.

Typically, I am much more helpful to the children and young adults than the adult patrons as I spend a great deal of my reading time enjoying the books my children are reading. There are some marvelous books in the children and young adult sections of the library and recently I have run into some very enjoyable writers who have crossed over between young adult and adult fiction.

Stephenie Meyer, who Publishers Weekly chose as one of the “most promising new authors of 2005,” recently released her first adult novel, “The Host.” From the cover, this book appears to be a scary body-snatcher type story. I can assure you, however, that I am a huge wimp and would never willingly go near a scary book.

It is a very enjoyable, unique story told entirely from the alien point of view, and I loved it. I am in awe of Meyer’s mind that she could come up with such a creative, engaging story, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I brought this author’s first book home on a co-worker’s recommendation, and my children and I were definitely not disappointed.

Another author I read after she was recommended to me is Shannon Hale. After writing several young adult novels rich in lyrical detailing (that is so much fun to say), she wrote a novel for the adult audience titled “Austenland.” As a big fan of Jane Austen’s works, I was intrigued by the premise of a vacation at an English estate recreating the Austen time period and inhabited by actors playing various characters from her novels.

I very much enjoyed this novel and followed it up by reading Hale’s young adult novels, also well written and enjoyable, but my favorite remains “Austenland.”

James Patterson is a very popular and prolific adult writer who in the past few years has somehow, in the midst of releasing several adult novels, written a series of young adult novels in which winged children, who are the results of government experimenting, have escaped from the facility they were caged in and are trying to survive in the outside world.

“Maximum Ride,” the series title named after the main character, is a fast-paced, heart thumping ride that makes me happy I have no idea what the government is actually up to. I have only read Patterson’s young adult novels, but by the way they fly off our shelves, I know his adult novels are enjoyed by many of our patrons.

Although there might be a waiting list for some of these very enjoyable reads, they are well worth the wait. Any of our five county library branches in Bangor, Campbell, Holmen, Onalaska and West Salem can help find these and many other fabulous books for your reading pleasure.

You can go online from www.lacrossecountylibrary.com to place your own requests or to see what items are available and where. Many titles are also available in large print or in audio form.

Stacy Beatse is a La Crosse County Library System staff member at the Onalaska branch.