Today’s topic: Recommendations. Do you use LT’s recommendations feature? Have you found any good books by using it? Do you use the anti-recommendations, or the “special sauce” recommendations? How do you find out about books you want to read?
LibraryThing Recommendations are a wonderful thing and that was one of the first features I played with when I joined LibraryThing. I’m not sure what “special sauce” recommendations are, but I’m going to have to find out! The most fun I had with the Recommendations feature was using the Unsuggester. What I find when I go there is 1) my library is very ungodly (90% of books on the first few pages are Christian in nature) and 2) that I really need to look into Neil Gaimon.
Despite the glories of LibraryThing Recommendations, the best place to get turned on to some great reads is through other book blogs. When people comment on add them to my Google Reader and I get a wealth of new reading ideas every week.
I haven’t really been able to act upon any of the ideas I’ve come across with the Recommendations tool because of my ever increasing ARC pile. I started out the month of July determined not to reply to any new ARC offers so that I could read “what I want, when I want.” Well, my resolve lasted about a week. I have been offered some really wonderful books and I couldn’t say no. The truth is that I am still reading “what I want, when I want,” it’s just not from the books already on my crowded bookshelves. A reading life is a wonderful life. 
I’ve sort of come to the same decision about ARCs. I’ve got so many right now that it’ll probably take me all year to get through them. And by then, all the books will have been published and there won’t be anything “advanced” about those ARCs!
I, too, have much more on my TBR pile than I will get to anytime soon…but what a great problem to have!
Where did you find all these people looking for advanced reviews?
>1) my library is very ungodly (90% of books on the first few pages are Christian in nature)
You are so right about this! Not a helpful feature at all.
I keep joking that my ARCs and my book reviewing has become a part-time job, but it really takes nearly that much time. If only I could find a way to get paid for these reviews, I’d be in heaven!
My library is ungodly too! I think most people’s are, from today’s posts. And it’s so hard to resist ARCs, especially when getting requests (as opposed to requesting yourself)! It gets overwhelming pretty fast, but it’s definitely a great problem. =)
I finally read a bunch of non-review, non-book club books on my honeymoon. Books I just wanted to read. Of course now there are 21 books to be reviewed on my bookshelf (well, 20, I’m about 5 pages into another one), I know of at least 5 or 6 more that are definitely coming soon, and I have a few more offers in my email I need to decide about.
All these ARCs make Brian happy, though, because they severely curtail my trips to Half Price Books.
P.S. I’ve nominated you for a blog award. Details in Readerville
JLS, you’re right about the advanced turning into yesterday’s news very quickly. Still, when something intriguing comes along, it’s hard not to say yes.
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Readerville, it is a nice problem to have and I swear I’m not complaining one bit and thank you so much for the award! I’m touched and honored!
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Bluestocking, most often I’m contacted out of the blue. I’ll send you an email and we can talk more about it.
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LisaLynne, here, here on getting paid to do it or to have my husband’s career skyrocket so I can devote my non-mother and housewife hours to reading.
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LisaLynne and Meghan, I’m glad my library’s not the only ungodly one out there.
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Jen, you are my reading hero. I cannot imagine having those many books waiting for review. I hope that you had the most spectacular wedding and honeymoon. ARCs make my husband happy, too.
hi! I’m not into LibraryThing; I just got into bookmooch and I signed up for Shelfari but already forgot my pswd. TOO MANY BOOK/sites… Also, I feel bad reading ARCs if people can’t yet buy them when I recommend them or am I mistaken about the timing? I wanted to stop by and say that I posted about The Other Boleyn Girl – did you see it? did you like it?
I almost completely rely on book bloggers now for reading ideas. I still browse the bookstores (the hard way, but enjoyable), pull out books, read the blurb, riffle the pages, and look for books that interest me. Bookstore scour is part of that happy life of a reader.
This is the TT I missed while on vaca, but my answer wouldn’t have been very long. I don’t use the recommendations
But you’re definitely right- the best way to find new things to read is to visit other bloggers.