Read-a-likes, Reading Maps, the Web for Readers

The most commonly asked reader's advisory question a librarian gets is "Where can I find a book like [fill in the blank--Twilight, Size 14 is not Fat Either, etc.]?" Sometimes, I get lucky, and I'm familiar enough with the book or author that I am able to suggest other titles, based, of course, on what the patron liked about that particular book. Other times, I find that I need help.

In addition to any reader's advisory tools the library has in print, the internet can also be useful. Though it can be daunting navigating through the dead ends, I've found some online resources that are worth mentioning here.

There are many websites dedicated to helping you find books like read like your favorite author or novel. If there's a particular author you're interested in, try http://www.literature-map.com/. This is a fun tool to use, and from my experience, it's pretty accurate, too. Some of the read-a-likes the map lists for my favorite author Elizabeth Berg include Alice Hoffman, Anne Lamott, and Sue Monk Kidd, all three authors I find compararable to Berg. To find a read-a-like for a particular title, try http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/.

Reading maps are a more recent phenomenon. Reading maps provide more detailed information about a piece of literature and generally touch on several themes of a book. Prospect Heights Public Library of Illinois has created a few maps that can be accessed at http://phkreadingmaps.pbworks.com/. A few more sites to visit include: http://library.uwb.edu/pearl ; http://kanawhalibrary.org/advisory/reading_maps.html ; http://oppl.org/media/findbooks.htm.

Reading maps are fun to use and interesting and challenging to create. For assistance creating your own maps, read Neal Wyatt's article "Redefining RA: Reading Maps Remake RA", available online at www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6383011.html.

For more comprehensive reader's advisory sites, try the following: www.bookspot.com/readinglists ; http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/ ; http://www.overbooked.org/ ; www.plcmc.org/readers_club/.

Happy reading!