Thing 14 -- reader's advisories

Getting in more time today prior to the blizzard predicted for tonight (and I fly out to Istanbul Friday -- today's Monday), anyway checked out Readingtrails.com. I really wasn't impressed, but clicked on comedy and the book Gospel: A Novel, by Wilton Barnhardt, came up. Then I copy-blocked the title into Amazon, read some good reviews, and will have to remember to request it from the library when I return. That's agreat librarian tip, which I showed my computer savvy substitute, if you need to find a CD or DVD, amazon it to see what it looks like. Works for books, too, just gives you the color of the jacket, illustrations, etc.

Back to my earlier investigating, booklamp.org. This site breaks books up by scenes and then compares elements (density, dialog, etc.) and the data from one book can be used to compare it with other books. Watched the short video, then couldn't resist -- joined. I tried Jurassic Park (you have to choose from their list) and only got back sci-fi stuff. Then I tried To Say Nothing of the Dog, more sci-fi. It looks like that's the main genre of this site, however you can request them to add books, so looks promising for further research.

Then at whatshouldireadnext.com I wrote in Gospel: A Novel (Paperback)
by Wilton Barnhardt and got this back:

Our Recommendations

These are our suggestions based on readers' recommendations.

The Secret Lives of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd See Amazon UK | US
Telex from Cuba: A Novel - Rachel Kushner See Amazon UK | US
Departures - Elizabeth Oness See Amazon UK | US
The Ha-Ha: A Novel - Dave King See Amazon UK | US
Well-School in Murder - Elizabeth George See Amazon UK | US
Uhuru - Robert Ruark See Amazon UK | US
Hot Fudge Sundae Blues: A Novel - Bev Marshall See Amazon UK | US
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World - Lucette Lagnado See Amazon UK | US
Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith See Amazon UK | US
Garnet Hill - Denise Mina See Amazon UK | US

Then I clicked on 'more results' and got these additional ones:

Plays By Anton Chekhov: Uncle Vanya; Ivanoff; The Sea Gull; The Swan Song - Anton Chekhov See Amazon UK | US
Under the Volcano - Malcom Lowry See Amazon UK | US
A Voice Through A Cloud - Denton Welch See Amazon UK | US
W, or the Memory of a Childhood - Georges Perec See Amazon UK | US
What's for Dinner? - James Schuyler See Amazon UK | US
Wheat that Springeth Green - J.F. Powers See Amazon UK | US
When I Grow Too Old to Dream - Oscar Hammerstein II (words), Sigmund Romberg (music) See Amazon UK | US
Where Angels Fear to Thread - E. M. Forster See Amazon UK | US
Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf? - Edward Albee See Amazon UK | US
Missed Fortune: Dispel the Money Myth-Conceptions--Isn't It Time You Became Wealthy? - Douglas R. Andrew See Amazon UK | US

Again, another a very promising site.

Lastly I ended up at http://www.loganberrybooks.com/stump-form.html -- the book stumpers site. This is the brief 23 Things description: this site lets people ask about books they are trying to find based on vague memories. Other people make suggestions. It costs $2 to post a Stumper, but you can answer and browse others' answers free. a half-hour flew buy, but if you have a book title that complete escapes you, this would be the place to start.