Cool tool for finding fiction

If you like Alanna by Tamara Pierce (PB PIE), how can you find more books like it? That is, more books about girls who dream of doing things only guys have been permitted to do, or fantasies that feature healers and knights? As I noted in a previous entry, library catalogs aren't much good at indexing fiction. And the books themselves are usually shelved by author, maybe by genre. Well, here's your answer. On our Recommended Reads page, click on the Novelist link. My search on "Alanna" yields a quick description of the book, followed by a select-able list of topics that describe the book. And what a list! Check out this screen shot:



Ok, ok, the print is small, but trust me when I say that by checking the box next to "Determination in girls" (and/or "Girl healers" and/or "Knights and knighthood"), I can find all sorts of books I might like. Note that if you are searching Novelist from home, you will be prompted to enter your NetID and password.