This database from Gale Cengage Learning compiles books published in the United States and Canada. It is searchable or can be browsed by title, author, or genre. Users can sort the books into adult, child, or young adult. The genre breakdown is quite descriptive, going beyond the simple “fantasy” or “realistic” into the major themes of the book. The entry for each book includes a list of similar titles, as well as ratings and reviews from users on the site.
The idea of this database is great for readers advisory as long as the reader knows what he or she is looking for. Though the idea is great, there are several flaws that make the database less useful. The books included are as recent as those released within two or three months, but there is nowhere on the site that says exactly what dates are in the database. There are also many places where linking would be helpful, like on the author page when a user searches by author. Though the site itself could use some work, it could still be a good place to go to find read-alikes. ( )