As a child and teenager, in the Long Ago Time before the internet, I'd often struggle to find good new reading material. There weren't many places where you could read reviews of books and find out about exciting new releases or older classics that you were unaware of. Often you were reliant on word of mouth recommendations from your friends, but like you, they too had a hard time finding out about worthwhile reading material that was Out There but as of yet unknown to our group. A good librarian or bookseller could introduce you to new authors, based on what they knew you liked, but it was tricky if you wanted to find them by yourself.

The internet has made it easier than ever to find out about books that are worth reading, through sites like Goodreads and online stores, but it can still be difficult to reliably broaden your reading base. "I like Darren Shan books -- what other books are out there than might give me a similar buzz?" It seems like an easy questions, but as we all know, the answers can often prove elusive.

One guy aiming to make our reading lives a whole lot easier is The Reader Teacher. His site is packed with reviews and recommendations, as well as a section called #BookMatch, which specifically addresses that very question -- he lists lots of popular books, then provides lots more similar books by other authors. It's a wonderful little tool, perfect for any reader, teacher or librarian, and you can check it out here:

https://www.thereaderteacher.com/bookmatch

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