How many times has this happened to you? Someone you know, a friend, a family member, even a coworker, recommends a book that you just have to read. And you try to and you just can’t get through it. Not only that, you can’t figure out why this person, who seems to know you, would think this is something you would like. What to do? I’ve pretended, evaded and flat out lied when asked about the book in question. Not to say I haven’t really loved some of the books that have been suggested to me. A friend of mine turned me on to Lee Child’s stuff which I love and have recommended in turn.
Maybe the real question is why not just say that I didn’t like the book? Well for me there are many reasons. The main one being that I know how I feel when something I recommend falls flat. If asked I will name off what I’m reading or what I plan to read next. But as far as a straight up recommendation? I do it but with reservations. I become too personally invested in my family or friends enjoyment of the book. Did they like it? Do they think I’m an idiot for liking it? Maybe it’s one of the best books they ever read.
I really like it when people suggest books that I should read. I like getting recommendations. I just feel uncomfortable making them. I feel like I’m giving out an assignment. That the book just HAS to be read and there will be a test.
What was the last book you recommended? Did the person you encouraged to read the book enjoy it? Would they tell you if they didn’t? When was the last time someone suggested a book to you? Did you read it and enjoy it or muddle through because you thought you should?
Dakota Complaints Map
Dakota Inmate Dashboard
Loading ...
June 29th, 2010 at 8:55 am
I don’t get around to recommending many books. It’s not that I don’t read a lot, I usually do, it’s just that I never really believe that people are going to enjoy the eclectic mix that I do.
But, this type of worry happens to me with restaurant recommendations all the time. People are constantly asking me where they should go for dinner. I ask for more details and try to offer up a couple of different recommendations based on what I think they’d like, what the occasion is and what I may have most recently thoroughly enjoyed. I’m always waiting to hear back from them what they thought and sometimes I get the ultimate let down. It’s not only hurtful but embarrassing. So I completely understand where you’re coming from Tearitup. Ugh.
But to answer your questions about books:
The last book I recommended was Gang Leader for a Day and at least Sank seemed to like it but I have a feeling he wouldn’t have told me he didn’t like it–at least not until he had a few Scotches in him ;-)
I get books suggested to me all the time but with school (which I am taking a break from for the summer quarter woohoo!) I am just not getting around to them as fast as I like. One sticks out in my mind from about a year ago that was so absolutely miserable that while I made it through (I hate not finishing what I start) it reminded me never, ever, ever to accept recommendations from that person again heh.
June 29th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Funny Bill should mention the restaurants — that was my immediate thought. I very rarely read and when I do, it’s probably not something others would appreciate. Example: Right now, I’m 1/3 of the way through “Hunting Eichmann”, a story about the search for Adolf Eichmann after WWII. I don’t think it’ll get on the wife’s book club schedule.
But for restaurants, I get really disappointed when one of my recommendations turns out to be a dud. It’s like shopping for just the right birthday present and having the person not like it. I try and make sure to give people an accurate portrayal beforehand. Thankfully the negatives happen about 1/10th of the time.
June 29th, 2010 at 9:07 am
p.s. — by the way, I just downloaded the new Kindle app for my Android phone (it’s also available for iPhones). Now I can rarely read “real” books AND rarely read books on my phone.
But I thought I would mention the app is now available for Android phones in case anyone missed the memo.
June 29th, 2010 at 9:54 am
A seatmate on a plane recommended “Eat, Pray, Love” to me, in such a way that it seemed that the book had changed her life.
I later bought it and thought that it was the most ridiculous bit of tripe I have ever read, and I read A LOT.
I too recommend books cautiously, and I try not to be too enthusiastic, because it tends to set that person’s expectations too high. I’d rather they judge it themselves.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:12 am
I guess the same can be said for any recommendations that we make. Whether it’s for a book, a restaurant or a movie. I hate for someone to end up feeling like I wasted their money or worse yet their time. That said, I did just recommend a book to my SIL. I think I know what kind of books she enjoys and author’s that she likes so I felt pretty safe in making this recommendation. But you just never know.
Then there’s the disappointment in finding out that someone ended up not liking something you really enjoy. To each their own. But for me, I say keep the recommendations coming, especially for restaurants. I may not always find everything to my taste but you never know when you’ll discover a new favorite thing.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:16 am
I rarely get books rec’d to me, but having worked in a bookstore for 5 years, I was recommending books all the time. The last book I can remember being rec’d to me was “The DaVinci Code” and I couldn’t get past page 30. I have picky taste in books, because I do so much intellectual reading for my work and continuing education credits, when i sit down to read, I generally want something fluffy and escapist.
June 29th, 2010 at 10:33 am
Confession time:
Does anyone else have friends, family, coworkers, online acquaintances, etc. that, when they give a recommendation, you absolutely run the OPPOSITE direction from whatever it is they are recommending???
When I hear a movie critic, I pretty much automatically take the opposite of their opinion by default. But there are some people in my life that, when they hate something, it’s going to be my favorite, and vice versa.
And I know I’m “that guy” to some people.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Perfect timing in this post as over the weekend I found myself raving about the Twilight series. I found myself saying, “You MUST read it!” While the other party protested, “…but I don’t like vampires!”
Don’t judge me.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:36 am
As a kid, I read a LOT. Now, I still read a lot, just not books. I’m reading one right now and while the content is good, I find that after 30 pages in, I quit enjoying it. Maybe a novel would keep me more entertained. I guess my short attention span tends to favor Twitter, blogs, etc. over books. And unless I’m reading on the bus, I don’t have huge blocks of time to devote to books.
And yes, MSPD, I run very far from certain people’s recommendations. What’s worse is when those people give you a book for Christmas like you’re supposed to read it and love it too. Ugh…
June 29th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Crystal, we could have a whole thread on the Twilight series. My wife is a huge fan. For the record, I enjoy vampire books, and often read sci fi/fantasy books. She detests them.
She LOVES the Twilight series. If I had said, hey I have this book for you about some two hundred year old vampire hitting on a high school girl and then the vampires and werewolves have a big war…………well, she would have made fun of my taste in books without mercy.
I read the first Twilight book, and have to say, I just dont get it. Creepy in a pedophile sort of way imo.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Twilight? I think I just threw up in my mouth.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
I have been a bookworm for my entire life, but I don’t finish a book if it doesn’t hook me shortly after I start it (ten pages in, say). This has happened less than five or six times over my entire life.
I’m a reading adult. I know what I like (mostly non-fiction), and I don’t mess around. That said, I can’t remember the last time I read a book because someone recommended it, or because it was on a best-seller list. The hold lines at the library are much too long, and there are so many older books I’d rather read, anyhow. At the moment, I’m reading two local history books, and both were published before 1996.
June 29th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
I recently recommended Lee Child’s The Killing Floor to my 22 year old son. I have started working my way through audible book versions of Lee Child’s novels and my son happened to hear a couple chapters while I was outside working on my car. This was Tripwire, so I recommended he start with the Killing Floor.
Most of the more recent books I read at least one of my boys tend to enjoy. I have a number of books I received when being a lazy member of the SciFi book club, thus I amassed 5 years of one or two books per month. All selected by the editors of the club. Of the 60 or so books I amassed, only 1 was I never able to actually finish it. Many of them I’ve read twice. None of them have interested my children in the least. Though the oldest did make his way through my Stephen King books. He got interested in them when the Green Mile series of short books were coming out.
I don’t know if I would read anything my Wife would recommend. Though I think she would never recommend a book to me. She gets cast off books from her Mother and they almost always are Romance Novels. My Grandparents have been reading up on history the past 10 years or more. Retired, they spend time getting books at the local South Dakota small town library. Mostly focused on the beginning of our nation, civil war, WW1, and generally stories about lives lived and lost during the early years of our country.
June 29th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Chad (& Joey) – When my book club suggested reading a book about vampires, I was like “no way”. Next thing I knew, I had read all four books (plus the one from Edward’s perspective online) and I was all for reading a zombie book next. And yes, I AM going to the movie, but more for the social aspect than the movie.
Speaking of, I think the social aspect comes into play for books too. While some I just can’t get into (Kushiel’s Dart for example), others (like Eat, Pray, Love), take on a new life when discussed in a group setting. Some parts that I glazed over may have been extremely exciting to a friend who helps me see it in a new light.
June 30th, 2010 at 7:26 am
I agree with you Crystal. There is a social aspect to books as with most things in the popular culture. Some of the more lively online discussion groups I’ve taken part in started because someone wanted to discuss a book. Although I’ve never belonged to a structured book club, I’ve often found that my friends and I are reading the same books at the same time. And as was pointed out, their take on a book can be completely different than mine. Sometimes to the point of “did we read the same book”?
I definitely know people who when they give me a recommendation I assume the opposite to be true for me. I know they mean well but could not be further off the mark. I hate to think it but I’m pretty sure I’ve been that person for someone myself.
June 30th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Recommending ZEITOUN by Dave Eggers, a true-life account of a good samaritan’s bad experience in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.
Bill, have you started watching The Wire yet? Please post your opinions when you do.
July 1st, 2010 at 9:41 am
I am always reading. real books with paper pages, tangibility remains good for this old Luddite.
I am not usually a fan of what is popular (like another poster, I only got 20 pages into the latest Dan Brown novel and had to give it away, feh) but i am enjoying the first Stieg Larson “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, i think it is a good summer read.
I read mostly nonfiction or historical fiction or mystery/espionage/detective fiction.
The nonfiction book most recommended to me this summer is “Hellhound on His Trail” by James B Stewart , which is a nonfiction detailing of James Earl Ray in his buildup to killling ML King and the hunt for him afterward.
July 6th, 2010 at 8:56 am
I was reading a post on Sank’s blog today and came across a recommendation for Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear. It has an intriguing premise and one I found interesting. I’m adding it to my ever growing reading list. BTW, is this part of a series? Have you read anything else by this author? Thanks Sank.
August 4th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Lee Child has a new Jack Reacher novel coming out in October, Worth Dying For. I have it on pre-order for my Kindle.
August 5th, 2010 at 11:31 am
looks like a follow up to 61 hours. which i’m waiting for from the library.
bb
August 6th, 2010 at 9:20 am
well, after 2 1/2 months on the waiting list, miz friendly computer called me and 61 hours is mine for two weeks:)
bb
August 6th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Enjoy! I’m sure you’ll rip right through it. Please post what yout think of it once you’re done.
August 6th, 2010 at 10:29 am
I never thought I would say this about any author I enjoy reading, but Mr Child needs to slow down. I dont think 61 Hours is even in paperback yet.
I will have to check this weekend I guess.
October 2nd, 2010 at 6:10 pm
I found a new to me author while looking for some reading for a recent trip. I read The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva. This is the latest in a series of books featuring Israeli intelligence officer Gabriel Allon.
Once I finished it and realized that it was part of a series I went back and picked the series up at the beginning. So far they’ve been good stories. The books are listed as thrillers. If you like fast paced stories with a bit of edge-of-your-seat thrown in give them a look.
I’m also looking forward to Steve Berry’s new book The Emperor’s Tomb. It will be out next month some time.
October 3rd, 2010 at 1:46 pm
t.u, i thought 61 hours was good. really sets you up for what happened to reacher.
have you read anything by robert crais? he’s another good read.
bb
October 4th, 2010 at 7:44 am
bb, I haven’t read any Robert Crais so far. I’ll have to take a look at his stuff. I’m really looking forward to the next Reacher book. It should be out soon.
October 14th, 2010 at 10:21 am
t.u.,
vince flynn was on kq this am promoting his new book ‘american assassin’. a prequel going back to mitch rapp hiring on with the cia. sounds good. i’ve heard flynn talk before and he’s very well spoken.
bb
October 14th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Sorry I missed that. I’ll have to check out the new book. Now that summer is behind us I’ll have to work on my curled-up-by-the-fire reading list. Nothing like a roaring fire, some hot chocolate with a shot of schnapps in it and a good book to make me almost not hate winter.
October 15th, 2010 at 9:47 am
October 6th, Vince Flynn was on Garage Logic with Joe Soucheray. You can download the episode or find it on on ITunes if you want to hear it. Vince has started his book tours on Joe’s show a few times now.
Go here and hit back, back, back until you get to the 6th. http://1500espn.com/ondemand/
October 15th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Thanks Mikeh, I’ll check that out.
October 15th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
I can’t believe I am admitting this, but, I have read (and actually enjoyed) the Twilight series. My wife got me reading it. She then turned me on to the Sookie Stackhouse books, written by Charlaine Harris(I think), these books are a more “adult” take on the vampire series. The Sookie Stackhouse books were actually the basis for the True Blood series on HBO. So, if you liked Twilight I would reccomend these.
October 16th, 2010 at 8:58 am
“Nothing like a roaring fire, some hot chocolate with a shot of schnapps in it and a good book…”
T.i.u., for the fall season, I highly recommend hot apple cider with a shot of cinnamon schnapps and a good book…just in case you want to get started early … why wait for winter? :)
October 16th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Sounds good to me Whit. Now all I need is some cinnamon schnapps. :)
Blaine, My SIL has been telling me about the Sookie Stackhouse books for a while now. I’ll have to check them out.
October 30th, 2010 at 8:07 am
mspd, have you read The House on Garibaldi Street and or Judgement in Jerusalem? the first one was written by isser harel, former chief of israel’s secret service about how they captured eichmann. the 2nd by gideion hausner, one of the judges that tried him. i have the house on garbaldi if you’d like to read it. the other one walked away sometime ago:(
bb
October 30th, 2010 at 8:10 am
t.u.
i walked in to the library thursday and guess what was staring me in the face? worth dying for:) on the lucky u, 7 day shelf. so being as i’m about 450 on the waiting list, i scored big. brought it home, put my foot down, and the mrs is reading it. but i get it next.
bb
October 30th, 2010 at 8:55 am
bbstacker, no I haven’t. I got about 1/2 way through Hunting Eichmann and haven’t really been reading much since. I did read about 30-40 pages of Elie Wiesel’s “Night” the other day. Who knows when I’ll finish either of those.
October 31st, 2010 at 6:56 pm
TIU and Whit – add some sour apple pucker to that cider and schnapps.
October 31st, 2010 at 8:56 pm
bb stacker – Let me know what you think of Worth Dying For. I liked it for what it was, a set up for Reacher’s next big adventure. I also enjoyed how the events of the last book came in to play here.
November 1st, 2010 at 7:33 am
Sour Apple Pucker, cider and what else? There’s a caramel apple drink in there somewhere.
November 1st, 2010 at 9:48 pm
While I’m a huge urban fantasy/pnr fan, and I even liked the first Twilight, I have to put my foot down here. The Sookie Stackhouse series is NOT the same thing as the Twilight series. Forget the HBO schtick, Ms. Harris wrote the series to be a metaphor about prejudice/homophobia, and yes, I have talked to her a couple of times and she said it. Twilight is about a teenager finding a cool guy.
Whew. I feel better.
That said, has anybody read Heat: An Amateur’s Adventure as a Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany? Yes, that’s the title. It’s a great portrayal about life in the restaurant kitchen. Anthony Bourdain recommended it in an interview, and while he tends to annoy me, he’s right about this one.
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I read Heat Michele and really enjoyed it.
November 14th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
BB, I wish we’d had more time to talk about Worth Dying For and other books. I enjoyed Worth Dying For but looked at it as mostly a set-up to the next book. I always thought of the Reacher books as stand-alones but the last one, 61 Hours and this one are pretty well connected.
I agree with you, at some point Jack Reacher is going to be too old to be doing the things he does in these stories. Maybe Child will have to kill him off. It would be hard to put another someone with his particular skill sets in his place. Not impossible but really difficult if not done in a really clever way.
November 15th, 2010 at 8:37 am
I have not read Worth Dying For yet, but I would hope that at some point, assuming the books continue, that Reacher transitions into some sort quasi govt job and we can see him grow old leading a team of people doing this sort of thing.
I have felt that the last couple are sort of becoming A-Teamish, but still enjoyed them a great deal.
November 15th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
a DESK JOB:( reacher will never stand for that. he doesn’t work for the government he’s a loner kinda like rambo.
i think they should resurrect his brother and be a tag team. child could bring him back. say recovering from grievous wounds, mistaken identity, any number of excuses would work for me:)
bb
November 15th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
I agree. No way a desk job for Reacher. He’s too much of a loaner/non-conformist at this point.
I like that idea bb. I really disliked the idea that his brother was killed off. There are many ways to correct that error.
November 15th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I thought the killing of his brother seemed oddly placed. Why bother to write a story around that if you weren’t looking to use the character somehow later?
November 15th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
I liked the ones where he has reconnected with members of his old unit I guess. Maybe he embraces the dark side and signs on with some sort of domestic black ops firm and starts taking out bad guys for hire.
November 15th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
bb, I got a Robert Crais and I’m enjoying it very much. Thanks for the recommendation. :)
Killing off Reacher’s brother was a bad plot devise. That story could have advanced a different way. Just my .02. I also think it further established Reacher’s loaner status. His brother was his only living relative right?
November 15th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
i think so. he was done in early on in book one. right on with his being the ultimate loner. still a 40+year old whooping up on the college boys 2-3 at a time. however, child writes them, i’ll read ‘em.
crais is a clever writer, kind of like coban.
so many books, so little time:)
bb
November 16th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Nice typo Tearitup. Hopefully no one has noticed. I guess I know who I need to see if I ever want someone to “borrow me something”. Duh! :)
November 16th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Why kill off his brother? So people quit asking “Hey! When you going to team Reacher up with his brother?”
Reacher settling down with a desk job? WHAT?!? Have you read the books? That would be a fundamental change in the character tantamount to killing him off.
Reacher’s age may not be such an issue. Might even be able to get that brother team up. Not all of the books are chronologically written. Child just needs to write about an earlier event in Reacher’s life, thus avoiding literary acrobatics worthy of the greatest of soap operas: “Hey Bro, good to see you! I have been in a coma on the planet Neptune for the last 10 years. My body was replaced with Elvis’s after it was taken from the crime scene”.
November 16th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I guess when I was saying that I see him more as a mentor or a team leader of some kind, I did not mean a desk job. I meant more as the top guy on a crack team of some sort, possibly made up of some of his old MP unit.
Think something along the lines of the team that Charley Castillo leads on the WEB Griffin Presidential Agent books, except focused on domestic issues.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:59 pm
bb, have you read any of Daniel Silva’s stuff? BTW, I’ve read a couple of the Robert Crais novels. These were the ones based around the Joe Pike character. I liked them and I noticed there is another one due out in January. I’ll pick that one up too. Thanks again for recommending him. Right now I’m reading the latest Steve Berry, The Emperor’s Tomb. So far so good.
Anything new coming out that you guys are looking forward to?
December 3rd, 2010 at 8:37 pm
t.u.,
crais’s initial character was elvis cole and i believe pike was his partner. i do like steve barry’s books. he uses fiction based on actual history.
nothing new here.
lately i’ve been reading about WWII in the pacific. must be the swabbie in me:)
thanks for the tip on silva, i’ll check him out.
waiting for reacher to show up in virginia!
bb
December 6th, 2010 at 8:05 am
I’m waiting for Reacher to get to Virginia too. :) I want to pick up Mark Twain’s autobiography. I wonder if it’s true about the 100 year stipulation.
Not books but, have you seen Flag of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima? We were talking about these 2 movies this weekend after watching Grand Torino again. I haven’t seen either of Clint Eastwood’s WWII movies but have heard good things about them.
December 6th, 2010 at 9:29 am
both eastwood WWII movies were/are awesome. seeing flags got me interested in reading the book by james bradley, the son of the navy medic who was one of the flag raisers, the 2nd raising that is. the book fills in gaps about the battle and subsequent journeys of the three survivors. a great read.
letters gives you an idea of the mentality of the japanese fighting men preparing for a one way journey.
bb
December 6th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Thanks bb. I’m going to add both of those movies to my Netflix queue.
December 21st, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Anyone read any of these? Any recommendations from the list? http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20326356_20451849_20890156,00.html?hpt=C2
March 8th, 2011 at 8:29 am
I’m reading the second book of Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle, The Wise Man’s Fear. Chad recommended the first book, The Name of the Wind, in another thread a few months back. I was lucky to read the NOTW when I did. There were apparently delays in the second book coming out but I didn’t notice as there was only a couple of months between the books for me.
I have a feeling that once I click the last page of TWMF it will be a long wait for book three. I’m already looking forward to that one.
Some reviewers have stated the second book has a lot of ground and many plot lines to cover and that is causing some people to give the book just ok reviews. I’m loving it and haven’t been bothered by the issues that some reviewers are mentioning. The Wise Man’s Fear is a good fantasy story well told. If that genre interests you at all look it up.
March 8th, 2011 at 10:30 am
Thanks TIU, I am in the middle of The Crippled God by Steven Erickson, and these books are sort of turning into Robert Jordan material. LONG and very Dense. I thought I would be done already, but find myself only about half way through.
Wise Mans Fear will be my next purchase, and I cant wait to get started. While the authors delays and apparent arrogance at being an instant success are somewhat of a turn off to me, I am still anxiously awaiting getting to start the book.
March 9th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
The Wise Man’s Fear is conspiring to keep me up past my bedtime and winning.
Chad, have you read any of the Dragonlance Chronicles, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman?
March 9th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
I have not. I have seen them, but never seemed to be able to pick out where it all started, so never picked one up.
March 9th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
If you’re ever interested in giving the books a try start with Dragons of Autumn Twilight then Dragons of Winter Night and finally Dragons of Spring Dawning. There are others in the series but these three are the whole of the best story.
April 19th, 2011 at 8:36 am
tu,
have you read anything by James Grippando?? i’ve seen some of his stuff around but until last week haven’t read anything. i picked up Afraid of the Dark from the library, his latest. it looks like he’s written 16 others:) this one is a easy read and a good story line. i’m not quite through yet but if it keeps up, i’ll try and round up some of his earlier works.
bb
April 19th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Hey bb, I haven’t heard about or read anything my James Grippando. I’m putting him on my list of authors to check out. Thanks for the heads up.
April 20th, 2011 at 8:37 am
try this,
http://www.jamesgrippando.com/
bb
April 20th, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Thanks bb. I have some time off coming up and was looking for something new to read.
April 21st, 2011 at 9:37 am
I also recommend John Burdett’s novels on Bangkok… about a police detective…start with his first “Bangkok 8″….. they are a different twist on the genre and are well written with an eye to Thai society and culture.
May 15th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
I’ll have to check those out mulch. I like stories that take a different path than the usual.
The title of the new Reacher novel was announced… The Affair. The release date isn’t until sometime in September.