When I reviewed the sixth print edition of Who Else Writes Like..? in these columns (RR 2009/169) (see also recent review of 7th ed. (RR 2013/145)), I questioned the “simplicity and portability” of a popular library guide that could not be accessed online. A sign of the times, perhaps, but most librarians now expect to find information and resources at the click of a button, not the opening of a book. So I was very pleased and excited to learn that the latest edition of this invaluable readers' guide now has a website to accompany the increasingly unwieldy printed format.
The list of authors in both versions has been expanded and updated to include nearly 2,500 entries, based on library lending statistics and a team of volunteer advisors. Each entry covers genre, pseudonyms, and key character and series information from the author's best known books, plus a quick link to the author's website (which makes more sense than a URL address on paper!) I would have liked to find a brief bibliography too, or at least a list of recent releases for readers newly introduced to an author, but that is presumably what the aforementioned author websites are for.
The search facility is quick and comprehensive, covering not only author and genre, but character, occupation and environment, plus literary prizes. Search results for “Paris” mostly fall within the crime genre, for example, suggesting authors like Claude Izner and Georges Simenon. Aimed towards the average library user, readers can browse writers of Aga Sagas, Glitz and Glamour, Lad Lit and Mature Chick Lit, as well as the standard themes like historical fiction (by century), fantasy (contemporary, epic, literary) and sci-fi (Near Future and Space Opera). No more helpless shrugs from behind the counter when asked about an unfamiliar author or genre!
Of course, subscriptions are harder to acquire (and justify) than printed material, but users can purchase individual or group (schools, libraries and organizations) rates for up to three years, with a free trial for two weeks to find out if the site works for them. The “hard copy” is the cheaper option, but slower to access and can only be updated with a new edition, while the website is direct, user friendly and based on the latest lending trends. Using the internet to recommend books instead of replacing them is a novel way to unite libraries with technology, and I am sure that staff and readers alike would enjoy browsing Who Else Writes Like..? for popular reading suggestions.
