Readers Uncovered is a biweekly feature, featuring readers and their answers to tough reading questions.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST RELIABLE SOURCE OF BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS, AND HOW DID IT EARN THAT STATUS?
Social media, no question. Book blogs, Twitter, even interactive newsletters from my library. One of the great things about using a variety of social media sources to learn about books, is that you have access to both quality and quantity. There are some bloggers and tweeters (including a lot of awesome indie booksellers) whose recommendations are enough to rocket a book to the top of my wishlist, but I also put things on my wishlist when I hear about them over and over from a variety of different people on blogs and Twitter: if that many people are so excited about a book, it is probably something worth checking out.
-Jen from Devourer of Books
Sometimes it feels like I inhale book recommendations out of the air. I can’t always remember how I found out about a certain book. Often it will seem that I keep seeing a particular title everywhere I look. I’ll give a quick rundown of the different ways books come to me, and their degrees of reliability.
I tend not to read too many book reviews, because they’re always, always full of spoilers. It also seems that much of what’s being reviewed is “contemporary women’s fiction,” which doesn’t grab me.
Literary award lists tend to be pretty great sources. I’m working my way through the Pulitzer winners and the Booker long lists. I’d say I absolutely loved at least 2/3 of those, and there have only been a couple I’ve wished I hadn’t read.
At the bookstore I go by cover art. If the cover has a picture of a woman with no head, I pass. If it’s totally abstract, chances are it’s literary fiction!
If I want to read something and my library has it, it tends to be a pretty good sign. I’ve sought out non-circulating books before and it’s hardly ever worth the bother.
Ultimately my most reliable source is two online booksellers. I have liked everything on the Powell’s Indiespensable list, and most of the Amazon Book of the Month list over the last couple years. The latter includes a lot of non-fiction. I find it odd that these easy picks aren’t better known.
-Jessica from Both Eyes Book Blog
My most reliable source of book recommendations is a handful of folks on Twitter. They include @joebfoster, @MissLiberty, @permanentpaper, and @readandbreathe. I’ve found that my taste in books matches theirs quite closely, so when they rave about a book, I take note.
-Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?
Book bloggers of course! I’m trying to remember where I got recommendations from before blogging, and I can’t. There was a time when I wandered through the library just seeing what book looked good, sitting there on the shelves. Wow, has it been a long time since I’ve done that or what! I looked back over the books I’ve read recently, and nearly everything was because of reading book blogs, or being part of the book blogging community. There are the few exceptions, those books that perhaps I’ve had on my radar for a long time and are just now getting to, but most of the books I read now I would have never known about if not for blogging. Even all the local author stuff I read, it’s because of being involved in blogging.
-Suey from It’s All About Books
Thank you to our lovely August panelists. Stay tuned for an all new panel for September!
Okay, they answered the question; now it’s your turn. What is your most reliable source of book recommendations?
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{ 5 comments }
I love the feature at Goodreads for easy additions to the to-be-read category and usually remember to say who rec’d it – usually always book bloggers! But I take recs from everywhere and don’t rely on any one source. And I love bloggers that make lists for their challenges and see confirmations for really goods one in comments.
Care´s last post ..The Bell Jar
the most reliable?–since i am not taking classes at University right now (profs and classmates were always a brilliant source)–book blogs have been great. i like browsing lists and book covers in stores and libraries and goodreads. I have a few friends that help point a few books for the daughter, but most of my in-person readerly friends rarely shop from the same shelves (though not always a bad thing).. Also, my husband is becoming quite the reliable source of book recommendations.
leslie´s last post ..marked
Care – I use that feature on Goodreads too! It’s nice when I do it, because I usually forget where a recommendation came from by the time I read the book. And challenge lists are nice too. I can’t wait for the challenge lists for this year’s R.I.P.
Leslie – I miss getting recommendations from professors and classes! But book blogs are a really solid source. And my sisters-in-law and I tend to find books that we all enjoy.
Jessica, you have such wonderful features on your blog. I absolutely love this Readers Uncovered bit that you do. I am so happy I found your blog!!
Like Suey, I can’t remember where I got my book recommendations before I discovered book blogs. How do some people survive without them????
Robbie´s last post ..Monday Musings – August 30- 2010
Robbie – Thank you! I’m having such fun with the Readers Uncovered, too. Perhaps you’d like to be on one of the future panels?
I have to admit that most of my recommendations come from blogging too. Or forums relating to my book blogging, like Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The only other major source for me is family.
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