Stormy day on beach. Not a great place to read:>)
SONJON PHOTO 2013
I get asked about what books to read, pretty frequently, but it is so difficult to answer. Unless I know your reading style and preferences, I can’t begin to answer you. One person’s trashy book, is another person’s treasured book. That means I can answer the question for my mom and my aunt. I could make a good guess for a few others. That’s it.
I love many things about technology, and one of them is the way I can easily find books that I would like to read. I hope these suggestions lead you to hours of great reading.
If you go to www.goodreads.com and join, you can quickly zip through, mark and rate the books that you have read. Soon, goodreads magic will give you tons of suggestions based on your top-rated books. Easy-peasy. You can even see what your friends are reading. You can even see what I’m reading. However, my page is not very accurate. I read many books that I don’t mark, and I review books that I win, or books from other writers that I meet. I am lousy at updating with the books I am reading.
Join http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=24 and look for threads of the genres you enjoy. I randomly chose a thread about end-of-the-world themes WITHOUT aliens, vampires and the like. Oh, and I didn’t join. About a dozen people answered with title and author and a short comment. If you click on the title, you are taken to the book’s page on Amazon.
At http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet23 you can chose book lists by age group, and they also have a list of banned books, just for fun:>) My library, Timberland Regional Library, list books the same way. When I click on a book, to read its description, it also has links to the same kind of book, or other books by the same author. Your library probably has some of the same features.
http://bestsellers.about.com/od/readingrecommendations/Reading_Lists_Recommendations.htm has some interesting lists that you might want to check out. Extensive reviews, including pros and cons.
There are many, many more sites, but this should get you started. Happy reading!
THE WRITE PLACE... 
October 4, 2013 at 6:53 am
As an avid reader, I find that I like books no one else does, but many of the popular mainstream type books just don’t work for me – it is all about personal preferences at that particular moment in time. But I do choose a lot of books from goodreads – not based on the review as much as the synopsis.
October 4, 2013 at 1:13 pm
I actually read the bad reviews, and a couple of the good ones, but I usually decide with the synopsis also.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Pamela.
October 4, 2013 at 5:09 pm
So, so true. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. I read so much, but I only leave reviews for books I can heartily recommend. A negative review means only the reviewer is not the author’s ideal reader. It is fun to share treasures.
October 4, 2013 at 5:14 pm
I agree! Thanks for stopping by.
October 4, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Great post Patti, good on you for sharing the word on Goodreads, it’s amazing how many times I mention the site to people who never heard of it. I am like you, I have only added a smidgeon of the amount of books I read but I am trying to catch up with it now. On that note, I will find you and add you 🙂
October 4, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Thanks, DG. I also love it for the giveaways…have “won” about 5 recently! And quotes of every type. These are both under the “Explore” button, top R side.
I know there are some skirmishes over there, but like most things in life, I use the good stuff and ignore the crap:>)
See ya soon,
Patti
October 7, 2013 at 9:33 am
You’re a good researcher and information gatherer, Patti. You have so many resources down and I’m glad you’re active at Goodreads. How do you keep all the balls in the air? Although we are connected at Goodreads, it becomes another thing to keep up with and more hours sitting at the computer or just sitting anywhere. I haven’t been active. I’m now reading ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ by Katy Butler and it’s excellent, so I’ll try to write a little review when I finish. You inspire me. I have piles and overcrowded shelves of unread books that I want to read. Need more time in the day. I appreciated all the comments here, too. Sounds like Goodreads is helpful for everyone.
Thanks again. I’ll share this on FB.
October 7, 2013 at 10:10 am
Thanks, Elaine. My big secret is that I don’t have much of a life, social-wise. The second is that I don’t sleep much. It is 10 a.m. here and I went to the beach as the sun came up and lucked out because the drenching rain stopped just before I got out of my truck. So, at some point today I may sleep a few hours, since I did not last night.
I just got another Goodreads First reader giveaway that I am excited to read. It is the “uncorrected proof” of “Book of Ages, The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin” by Jill Lepore. Jane was Ben Franklin’s sister.
Glad you enjoy your visits here. I love research:>)
Patti