I was chatting with a friend the other day and she was enthusiastically telling me about the book she was reading.
She was nearly finished, keen to get back to it, and gave me a little rundown on the story. She’s going to loan me her copy as she’s keen for me to read it, she just loved it.
Then she mentioned she’d spoken to one of her closest friends about it, and they couldn’t finish it. Hated it. Found it really boring. She was aghast!
And that’s the thing about book recommendations, isn’t it? They are so subjective.
We all like different things. We all have different favourite genres, and then within those genres, different authors, different tropes, different series. It’s what I love about books, there are just so many of them for us to devour.
Then on top of that, I do think the mood you’re in when you pick up a recommended book hugely impacts on your enjoyment of it.
Sometimes you just have to be in a certain place in your life, emotionally, mentally, to love a book.
I know my mood helps me to choose my next read off my TBR pile every time. I’ll pass books over knowing they’re not what I need right now, but then will happily lose myself in them a few months later.
Which complicates it further, doesn’t it?
I mean, not only does everyone like different things, you yourself like different things at different times!
There’s also that thing where we can all agree that it’s a ‘good book’. That doesn’t mean you have to actually like it, though, does it? A ‘good book’ doesn’t always translate as one you don’t want to put down, or that makes you feel a certain way. It often can do, but not always.
There can be some book snobbery, too, where you ‘should be’ reading classics, or books that challenge you, make you think differently, make you cry, make you feel.
Of course, read those books. As the mood strikes you. But then pick up whatever makes you happy and have fun with it.
I’ve always loved reading, it’s one of my favourite things to do and is always my escape when I need to switch off from real life. And I read whatever I want to read.
But if we all like different things, there aren’t really books that ‘should’ be read, what value are book recommendations?
I believe they offer us a couple of things.
Firstly, by taking someone’s recommendation, trying a book club read or getting the latest bestseller, you might be trying something new. A book you mightn’t have otherwise picked up. And as with every single book you pick up, it’s bursting with new possibilities. Maybe it’ll make you smile? Maybe you’ll learn something? Maybe it’ll shift something in you? Maybe you’ll discover a new genre or author you go on to enjoy for years? Maybe this will be your favourite book ever?
Secondly, they can help you find more of the books you know you love. You know you love a certain author’s work but you’ve already read everything by them? Check out reviews and recommendations and you’ll soon find an author whose writing is a little similar. You can check out the most popular reads within the genre or trope that you love and give those new books a go. Or you might have a friend that seems to enjoy all of the same books as you, these are great friends to have! If you know your tastes are similar, their recommendations are likely to work for you.
Recommendations definitely have their uses, I like hearing them and reading reviews. I try things I wouldn’t usually try and I’ve found new authors within the genres I like. But I also know that just because someone’s saying a book is the best they’ve ever read, it doesn’t mean that I’ll think so, it doesn’t mean I’ll even like it!
What do you think? Do you love a recommendation?