Discussion: Where do you get book recommendations?

This is something that’s always been interesting to me. A friend of mine texts me pretty regularly with “I need books!!!” and ends up with a twenty-book-long list.

Despite being such an avid reader, I don’t know that I’ve ever asked anyone I know for recommendations. I do occasionally stalk the Goodreads pages of people whose taste I trust, but I don’t know that I’ve ever personally sought out recs beyond shrieking of the void that is book Twitter.

I’ve tried Goodreads’ recommendation feature before and found it to be, frankly, pretty shit. Most of the recs I received were “not exactly what you’re looking for but I love this!” with a John Green novel when I specifically asked for YA with no romance in it. I’ve had better luck just stalking the updates feed.

Personally, I have some lists bookmarked in a folder on my browser and browse through that when I’m not feeling anything on my TBR. More often than not I wind up coming across a RT on Twitter that’s by an author I’m unfamiliar with and badabing badaboom it’s requested from the library before I know what’s happening.

Some Q’s

Do you use the recommendations feature on Goodreads or just read from your shelves and damn the rest?

Do you comb through book Twitter or bookstagram for your next read?

Do you text your bookish pals for what they’re reading or Google things your interested in and wind up in a black hole of blog-hopping and suddenly find that it’s 4am?

Do you ask the nice librarian or indie bookseller for something good?

Maybe a combination of all of these?

Let me know! I am genuinely curious.

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4 thoughts on “Discussion: Where do you get book recommendations?

  1. I mostly just pick up books randomly based on the blurb/cover until I find one I want to read, although I do also really enjoy looking at lists of books and am working my way through several lists. I do sometimes find books through Goodreads/Amazon when they recommend books or using the “similar to” feature.

    Now that I’ve joined book twitter, my tbr list has grown quite a bit thanks to all the books I see other people mentioning/recommending.

    So yeah it’s really a whole variety of ways! Sometimes even just picking one at random from the “new” section at my library.

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  2. I have enough books on my TBR without asking other people to add to it lol. I really only ask for recs if there’s something specific I’m looking for and can’t find easily on my own. I used the GR rec feature once and managed to get one rec that actually fit what I was asking for out of like five -_- The only other place I’ve ever asked for recs was on my blog, and I got a few that fit. Mostly I find new books just when I’m on Amazon or Goodreads and I see books in the related book sections that look intriguing, or I find them posted on NG and other sites being offered review. Idk, I find books just kind of randomly!

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  3. From time to time I will get recommended books from friends, but most of the time I end up searching around myself. I usually find good books randomly at the book store or while I am browsing the internet. I also check out the books recommended by Barnes and Noble after I purchase a particular novel (you know the list of books that are floating around under the title “books you may be also interested in”). A lot of my taste come from trial and error. I honestly try to stay away from GoodReads because no two people are going to like the same thing. I try to make a decision for myself before I go searching for reviews. Remember a book cover and summary can draw you in but that doesn’t mean it’s a good novel. Open the middle of a book and read the first page you come to. If you like it after that random page then go ahead and purchase it. Don’t be afraid to pick books on a whim!

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  4. Before I started blogging I got most recommendations through friends and from really sticking with one author once I know they write books that I love to read (I have quite a few Karin Slaughter and Scarpetta books). Since I started blogging it’s gotten worse, there are books I haven’t heard of brought to my attention and when I like the review I often add it to my wishlist.

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