NB: I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow them to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account.
This week I'm taking a look at recommendations and where we get them.
I'm not a great one for offering recommendations to anyone other than my dad! I know his reading tastes are the same as mine so I can easily hand him the books I've finished reading and know he'll pretty much like all of them. I'm less keen on recommending to online friends as I know less about your specific reading tastes even though I know the genres most of you like. I'd rather write the reviews and talk about what I like and why, and let those looking at the blog see for themselves what they like the sound of reading. That means it's not really my fault if you don't like it! (coughs*cop out*coughs)
Where do I get my recs from then? Basically, when I visit blogs I try to read as many reviews in the genres of apocalypse, horror, urban fantasy, as I can. I look at the occasional fantasy review or other things that catch my eye too. I never hold the blog owner responsible if I decide to buy a book based on their review or promotion aand don't like it as nobody forced me to try it! Let's face it, you never know what you're getting from any book you pick up!
I also get an email delivered to me daily from https://www.bookbub.com/. You sign up to them, choose the genres that interest you and they will email you with any bargain books in that genre they find that day. I've found a few interesting books I haven't heard of through this and it's simple to change the genres to increase or decrease the options sent to you.
Mainly though, I get my recs from Amazon. When I read my first prepper apocalypse books from Amazon, I started getting tons of recs for lots of Indie books in the genre. Through this, I have discovered some really great books and a good few duff ones as well, but I'm never short of new ones to try. I view my Amazon page once a week to see what else they are showing me, and then I research the books to decide which I want to sample or buy or delete from the page. The only frustration I get from Amazon is that even when I delete books 1-5 in a series, they STILL offer me book six when it comes out! I wish there was an option for deleting where you could choose 'I'm not interested in this author' instead of deleting 20 from an author you hate!
The one place I never use recs from is Goodreads because they always offer me crap and they aren't based on what I'm reading at all. If I read a Stephen King book, for example, they offer books from the shelves of other people who once shelved that same book so I end up offered a ton of romance, contemporary, erotica, crime etc which I just never read. I complained countless times to Goodreads about this but they just ignore me so I never even bother looking at what they offer now. At least Amazon try to tailor it to my tastes!
Do you recommend a lot of books to people? Where do you get your recommendations from? Do you use Goodreads or Amazon recommendations?
I kind of hate when people whose taste I don't really know ask me for a rec lol. Like, how do I know??? There are some bloggers though who I feel like I have a pretty good handle on their taste just from reading so many of their reviews, from discussions, from talking to them, etc. I don't go out of my way to rec them books, but if they comment or something, I might be like, "You might like this one!" or I'll rec a book if we're talking about something else and it kinda comes up. But I don't ever hold other people responsible either if I don't like a book they rec'd. It was my choice to read it, and it's all so subjective!
ReplyDeleteI've has people blame me when they don't like a book I've talked about on web sites and blogs, which I think is kind of pathetic when I never rec'd it to them directly! I just find it so hard to rec books to other people!
DeleteI know which bloggers have similar tastes to me, so I get a lot of recommendations from reading their blogs. If I’m interested in a certain topic or genre, I’ll Google it to see what books have been written about it. If I can’t find what I want, I ask for recommendations on Twitter or my blog. Bookworms on social media seem to know everything and are very helpful.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I also tend to find books for myself just by looking at wherever I visit, whether it's web sites or blogs etc. On Goodreads I ask NOT to receive recs from friends as some of the people send out a rec for a book they love to everyone regardless of their actual genre interests!
DeleteYou can turn off getting recs from friends? I have GOT to go do that...
DeleteAs far as I know you can't...I just have a message in my profile asking friends not to send me recs, invites, events things. If they send them I warn them by Goodreads message not to. If they persist I unfriend them as they don't respect my wishes!
DeleteI tend to get most of my book recommendations from other bloggers, but also from Goodreads. (Even though half the time my library doesn't have the books they suggest.) I look at Amazon, too. Basically, wherever there are books there I am, too. :)
ReplyDeleteAmazon is my main source plus anything good sounding on blogs I visit!
DeleteI get a lot of my recommendations from blogs and Instagram. I have a lot of people tell me they add books to their TBR's because of my reviews, so that makes me feel good.
ReplyDeleteI get nervous when people say they bought a book because of my reviews! I worry they won't like it!
DeleteI get recommendations from reading the reviews of trusted goodreads friends and bloggers. Those are the only sources I really trust.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to have solid sources! I like reading detailed reviews that give a lot of information. It really helps you decide which books you want to try.
DeleteWhen I firsts tarted using Goodreads I got a lot of my recommendations there. Then as I started using Twitter more for my blog than for personal use, and joining in various weekly memes, I have found more books that I am interested in. I have met some fellow non-fiction readers through Goodreads who we recommend books to and understand each other's tastes. I have found tons of books via BookBub and almost never use Amazon unless it is via BookBub that I have gotten a book, and then looked at the similar books listed on the page.
ReplyDeleteI might find the odd book on Goodreads through friends reviews but mainly I use Amazon's more accurate ones! I do read a lot of Goodreads reviews before I make a final decision to buy, especially 1 and 2 star reviews to see the issues the books may have!
DeleteI mostly discover books through blogs now, as I don't spend as much time in bookstores as I used to. I pretty much know what I like so if a review catches my interest, I usually know pretty well if I want the book. And I don't rec too much myself, because yeah you never really know if someone is going to like it, so I try not to too much?
ReplyDeleteBlog reviews are a good way to hear about books for the first time, then I tend to check the Goodreads reviews for them to get more info. I plan to do that for every read next year except the series I follow of course!
DeleteI always hesitate to recommend books. I have use that “recommend this book to a friend” on GR maybes a handful of times because I never feel I knoww 100% someone else’s taste. I agre GR recommendations are meh
ReplyDeleteI think browsing sites and blogs is the best way to go. I'm so excited by this year's reading that I want to read everything next!
DeleteI always get a little nervous when someone tells me that they bought a book because of my review. I don't want to be responsible if they hate it. Goodreads recommendations are so strange. I get random recommendations from "friends" that never interact with me. Then Goodreads will tell me that other people who read this book like this other book. Like I need more books on my tbr list anyway :)
ReplyDeleteI really do hate Goodreads attempts at recs! I just ignore them now. I hated it when I'd get a romance rec and I'm thinking 'remind me who you are?'!!!
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