Help me find something to read!

There has been a lot of "what's a good book or author to read?" going around lately. We all have our favorite authors, books, and series...and it seems we're always trying something new only to find we don't like a particular writing style or plot. I was doing some digging, and found two tools I believe will come in handy for helping people find books and authors. Further, I believe these tools are just awesome enough to warrant a sticky, so a sticky it shall be!

First: Literature Map
You type in an author's name, and you get a nice "cloud tag" type deal with author names floating around your searched author. The closer an author's name is to yours, the more similar the writing styles and subject matter! (Some seem kinda far-fetched, and I don't know what basis they use, but it's close enough with the searches I made). For example, search for 'lovecraft' and some of the closest author names in the cloud include Clive Barker, Aleister Crowley, Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker, ETC...

Second: What Should I Read Next
Follow the instructions. This one seems to just be user-based reviews and connections. Start typing a book or author in the box, and you'll get a sorta search list. Pick the book or author you're actually looking for and you will then get a list of books other users have decided closely match what you're looking for. This one is nice because it does seem to just be peoples' opinions (so should be updated often) and it will give books as well as authors.

Play with them both, and thank me later!

Baah, your Lierature Map is incomplete. Or rather, simply flawed.

There were a couple authors I typed in... and the Map didn't recognize them. So, I typed both the first and last name, and then it worked. I am a bit taken back; in the cloud for Brian Lumley (Necroscope series, amongst many others) there were quite a few names I've heard of or read, but there are a bunch I've never heard of. Most of the "never heard of" are innermost in the cloud; definitely worth checking out.

Now, onto "What Should I Read Next". You know, I think I may like that site a bit better. Why? The first site has a cloud, by the gods! And, as explained by Shadowcrunch, the closer the name, the closer the style... why would I prefer this second sight, err, site?

REVIEWS.

Type the book name, select the name that best fits what you're looking for, and then you are presented with a list of books. Big deal... but the feature I like is, find a book, click on the book icon, and you get an Amazon listing of the book, along with the price, reviews, excepts of the book, everything you would need to make an educated response to whether or not you get the book, all conveniently located on one site (or click)... unlike the first site, which requires you to search on your own (clicking a name only creates a new name cloud).

Well, I'm off now, to look up author Nikanor Teratologen; this name turned up on a lot of my author searches, and it is a rather interesting name.

Nice finds... consider your reputation raised!