Literary Maps and Flow Charts, Just in Time for the Holidays.

Le sigh

So here they come, the dreaded, anticipated holidays. One can only hope to spend them cuddled up with our boyfriend/girlfriend/mother/cat in front of a glowing fire that fills the room with joy and tenderness, but there is the (slight) possibility that your boyfriend/girlfriend/mother/you will get drunk on eggnog/tequila shots and end up in some sort of uncomfortable situation. And if I've known one thing since childhood, it's that the perfect retreat from a family smack-down brawl is found in a book. So here's to hoping for the best, and being prepared for the worst.

If you are more of a DIY reader and tend to mistrust the "Best Ofs" lists that always come out around this time of year, I've hunted down two new methods for finding your next favorite novel.

1. Check out this literature map that threatens to suck hours out of your day. You just type in your favorite author and BAM, this site generates 20+ authors that you should like as well. The map is an interactive experience of sorts, the closer the name of the author is to your favorite, the more you will like them. You can click on any of the names and the site will generate an entire new map. Happy hunting!

2. I like the Hunt your Way Through Horror concept with this Gothic and Horror Novel Flow Chart. It reminds me of a choose-your-own ending childrens book, but instead of finding a faerie holding a golden crystal of love at the end, you find Carrie, or We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (A book I had entirely forgotten about until I stumbled upon this flow chart, you should all read it, it's quite amazing).

--Alex