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Who do you trust for book recommendations?

V

Violanthe

New Member
Do you seek recommendations for books from anyone in particular? Family? Friends? Favorite reviewers? Why do you trust this(these) particular person or people to give good recommendations?
 
Most of my TBR list is made up of recommendations made by people on this site. When someone recommends a book, I usually have a look at the synopsis and reviews on Amazon and if it appeals to me, I add it to my mile-long list :)
 
When looking for my next book I usually visit the Barnes & Noble website and read the reviews. I also come here and see what everyone's reading.
 
I have a couple people I work with I trust for recommendations that I usually follow-up on. I'll usually search a book or author here then Amazon to see if it's worth pursuing. Working in a bookstore allows me to check things out at my leisure. Around here I'll pretty much check out any recommendation by the same methods listed above. I also keep an eye on the 'currently reading' status of a handful of members.
 
MonkeyCatcher said:
Most of my TBR list is made up of recommendations made by people on this site. When someone recommends a book, I usually have a look at the synopsis and reviews on Amazon and if it appeals to me, I add it to my mile-long list :)
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The same goes for me. I wonder exactly how long my list has gotten by now?

Sometimes I'll get recommendations from trusted friends, or at least those of them that actually read. They are familiar with the types of books that I am interested in even though I will read anything.
 
MonkeyCatcher said:
Most of my TBR list is made up of recommendations made by people on this site. When someone recommends a book, I usually have a look at the synopsis and reviews on Amazon and if it appeals to me, I add it to my mile-long list :)
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Likewise also. I'd say about half of my TBR is based on what I read about here. The rest is based on recommendations from friends, my librarian mother, and reading the newspaper. The latter are generally mainstream genre-fiction recommendations, while the TBF-based recommendations are often a little more literary or less mainstream. I read quite broadly - from chick lit to Chekov, so this breadth works well for me.
 
I, like others, get a lot of suggestions here. There are a couple specific members who I find I have a lot in common with when it comes to book choice. So, I keep an eye out for what they might be talking about, or suggesting for Book of the Month.

I also get a lot of suggestions from my mother, aunt and cousin, simply because they pass books along to me (which means free).

Lastly, I get suggestions from Bookmarks Magazine. Their reviews are good and generally give me a sense of whether or not I'll enjoy something.
 
Only one of my friends reads often, and since we have similar tastes in literature/fiction we usually trade and/or recommend books.

Apart from her, I usually just go to Amazon.com and B&N.com to see what other people think. Recently I've been using this site to find more books as well.
 
I trust people with a similar taste.
I also get recommendations from authors I enjoy and literature teachers.

Similar taste: Lenny Nero, my mother, my boyfriend, etc.
Authors: If Neil Gaiman says I should read Alan Moore, I'll read Alan Moore. :p
Teachers: If my Humanities professor says Sappho is brilliant, I'll read Sappho.

Also, Barnes & Noble's website lists the top 10 books of each subject... sometimes I go by that (like what Anamnesis said).
 
Yeah, my English professor this semester highly recommended that I pick up some Kundera, Bellow, and Coetzee.

By the way, Libra, we have the same birthday. Just thought that was interesting...
 
Recommendations of friends, (Henry James, Lolita Casebook)
Recommendations of local small bookstore owner (6 on subject of Hitler's rise)
Myself (William Faulkner, Walter Dubus, Proust, Joyce, Plath, Ammons, Pound, Zelda, Vera, 100 Years of Solitude, Orientalism, Gilgamesh Epic, John Donne)
TBF (Neil Gaiman, readings on Arab world, Reader's Manifesto),
Reviews/forums (Alice Munro, Lukacs, Collapse, Steinbeck)
Browsing (Memoirs of a Geisha, The Emperor's General, Cryptonomicon, Anita Shreve, 1491, chess books, Henning Mankell, readings on terrorism, Bombay Ice)
Misc. (many)
Plus mind mush,
Peder
 
Mainly my friends because we share the same tastes...I sometimes go to Amazon but I've found enough book suggestions reading threads on TBF:cool:
 
How could I forget?! While I don't exactly trust them I always take a good look at those listed for prizes and the winners. Nobel, Pulitzer, Booker, Giller, etc. Libra6Poe makes a good point too, recommendations by respected authors is a good place to look.
 
MonkeyCatcher said:
Most of my TBR list is made up of recommendations made by people on this site.
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Same here. Since joining here the number of books I own has multiplied many times over and my to be read list has gotten out of control. :p

I have surprisingly few friends that I actually trust to give a recommendation on books. I know one that would probably give me a half decent fantasy recommendation, but I have enough books on my shelves to last me a while. My boyfriend doesn't read much apart from manga and martial arts books (half of which I doubt he's read). Here is the only place I can feel at home with my love of books. :)
 
A great website to gather information is Wikipedia. Type in the name of the author and you will get tons of info fast.

wikipedia_200505261054.jpg
 
unKeMPt said:
Yeah, my English professor this semester highly recommended that I pick up some Kundera, Bellow, and Coetzee.

By the way, Libra, we have the same birthday. Just thought that was interesting...
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Ah, an interest in in Gaiman's "The Sandman" & the same birthday? Must be kismet. :p
 
AquaBlue said:
A great website to gather information is Wikipedia. Type in the name of the author and you will get tons of info fast.
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Oh yeh. But if I start looking for books on there I start doing edits and making a list of pages I want to try and expand. :confused:
 
tartan_skirt said:
Oh yeh. But if I start looking for books on there I start doing edits and making a list of pages I want to try and expand. :confused:
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A Tartanpedia is the only solution! :)
 
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