If you like......, try.......

[Curmudgeoness]

I have been trying to find a way to find new authors who I might enjoy reading. There are a lot of sites that say they do this, but seem to come up short when I play around with them. One site, when I entered Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle", gave me a list that included Abby Hoffman's "Steal This Book"....which I read in my youth but do not see any comparison.

But this site looks promising:

http://www.lititzlibrary.org/lititz/lib/lititz/pdfs/author_readalikes.pdf

Simple and easy to check out.

Any other suggestions?

[Scuba]

1. Try this one ...

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/

[Curmudgeoness]

2. That is an interesting site,

and very informative and useful. I like it, but..... I don't see what I was looking for there, though. I know some of the authors and books that I have really loved, so I wanted to be able to use that information to find other authors who might write in a similar manner or about similar topics. I started this search because, years ago, our local library used to post lists of authors to try if you liked a certain author....and I wanted to find that information that they used to supply.

[Scuba]

3. Here's another, perhaps it will better fit your needs ...

http://www.literature-map.com/

[Curmudgeoness]

6. You are right, that fits my needs.....

and it is also really cool. I'll be wasting a lot of time there now, playing.

[SheilaT]

9. That is quite amazing.

I checked out several of my many favorite authors and the groupings seemed pretty good. Interestingly enough, one of my all time favorites, a Canadian writer name of Andrew Pyper only has two other authors who show up on his map, and neither one is very close.

But this could be a very useful tool, especially for someone who is a lot younger and simply hasn't read as much. I know that I will tend to glom on to a particular writer and work my way through much of that person's oeuvre. Often when I'm recommending books to others I'll recommend by other somewhat more than by individual book.

[getting old in mke]

17. I love the map

And I find a whole lotta familiar names near by when I put in my (current) favorites. There's a reason I've read them But there are also enough others to work on, too.

Thanks!

[Scuba]

18. You're welcome. Anything for a member of Wisconsin Local 1848!

[TuxedoKat]

20. Wow

that's a really cool map. Thanks for sharing that.

[CrispyQ]

22. Great sites. Thanks for both!

[scarletwoman]

5. I imagine it depends on the genre you're into.

I'm into Scandinavian crime fiction, and I've been able to find well over a dozen authors (so far) whose books I've ordered through my local library and I've enjoyed every one of them.

I can see that looking for something in a less distinct genre could be more difficult. All I know is that I'm happy in the groove (rut? ) I'm in, and Fantastic Fiction hasn't steered me wrong yet.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. Well, I guess that I wanted to expand a little.

As in, I like Barbara Kingsolver....but I want to read other authors and maybe find something totally different but along those same lines. I was looking for other authors that I did not know about yet. I can't research by genre or by author because I don't know what I am looking for. Just getting bored with the same things that I am usually drawn to.

[scarletwoman]

8. Yeah, Kingsolver is sort of a genre by herself.

Once in a while, I just wander among the library shelves randomly reading titles to see if anything strikes me. I've actually found a few interesting books that way over the years.

I'll stand in front of section and look at all the books whose authors' last names start with "G" (for example) - and pull out a few titles and read the blurbs. Sort of like throwing darts at a map while blindfolded - you just might come across a treasure.

[SheilaT]

10. I have long wandered library shelves just pulling out books at random.

I honestly thought everyone did that. Stumbling across a new author that way is lovely.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. I do that sometimes too.

Found one of my favorite authors that way---Carl Hiaassen. The book title "Sick Puppy" just shouted to be read. Then I did, over the years, read all his other books and enjoyed them all.

But I also think that it is a real hit-or-miss method, and I have no doubt that I miss some great books because the title doesn't appeal to me.

[llmart]

16. I've found some wonderful books that way.....

I love walking up and down the library stacks looking at the titles, but then I end up with a crick in my neck from having it tilted to the right so much. LOL

I have always loved a library where the books were chock-a-block crammed together and on shelves floor to ceiling, but I do know from working in libraries that today library shelves are supposed to be neat with lots of leftover space, empty shelf space, etc. and that librarians have "weeding" guidelines for how and when to weed out a book/books that haven't circulated very much. I really don't like that, but I guess I'm in the minority.

[CrispyQ]

21. Yesterday I was looking through the titles & saw the library had five copies of

"The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith. Five copies? So I checked one out. I haven't started it yet as I just finished my first Kingsolver book, "The Bean Trees." I'm still digesting that story & not ready to move on yet, but maybe later today. I love the library. When I visited my home town last year the library was the first place I went. How many hours did I spend in that building as a kid?

[scarletwoman]

4. I LOVE that site! I've found many, many wonderful authors by browsing there.

It's one of my most frequent stops on the intertubes.

I've created enough lists of books to check out that I could be kept in reading material for years.

The head librarian at my local library turned me on to Fantastic Fiction, and I've been addicted ever since. I email her list after list of books that I've come across on that site, and I've been making my way through author after author with hardly ever ending up with clunkers.

I love their list by country, too. So many gems from so many different cultures. It's just very, very cool!

[Worried senior]

19. I use

fantastiction.co.uk also and really have found some good books through that site.

[Enthusiast]

12. Have you read the Douglas Preston books?

The ones with Lincoln Childs or his solo efforts? I would suggest you read all the Preston-Childs books from beginning to end. But you might not like that sort of thing. My wife and I read them all and enjoyed every one. However it might be my peculiar tastes.

[Curmudgeoness]

13. Well, that is a new one on me.

I had never heard of them, but it seems that there is a lot of books written by them. I guess that it is not the genre I normally read, but it isn't like I never have read horror type books (was a big Stephen King fan in my youth). They also seem to be pretty silly guys from what is on their website.

I am willing to give it a try but I could never read all of one type of book in a row without getting bored, even when the books are good. So, tell me, which one should I start with? Are they a series, where the same characters show up and you are a little lost if you haven't read the older books?

[Enthusiast]

14. I would read the first one....first.

I suppose it wouldn't matter too much. This one. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/douglas-j-preston/relic.htm

[Curmudgeoness]

15. Thanks. It is on my list.

And since I loved Jurassic Park, and it is mentioned on the cover, I am already intrigued. Too bad the library isn't open on Sundays.