I watched a webinar yesterday, and it led to a question. So, I’m doing a survey here, and I’ll answer it as well. Who do you trust for book recommendations? Quick, without thinking. What are your top three sources for book recommendations?
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Here are the three people I trust to recommend books that I will probably like. Not always. No source is perfect. But, I picked three people rather than journals or magazines.
1. Kaye Wilkinson Barley – Friend, author, and blogger at Meanderings and Muses. Kaye and I don’t always like the same books. I tend to read more cozy mysteries than she does. But, if Kaye recommends a book to me, she’s usually right on target. And, at the end of the year, our list of favorite books will include several that are the same.
2. Donna Seaton – Friend and co-worker. Donna’s taste is much more literary than mine, but she’s often able to spot the book that I’ll like.
3. Talia Sherer from Macmillan. Talia is the Library Marketing Director for Macmillan. Her taste is more grisly than mine, but Talia can often pinpoint what I like.
And, I didn’t mention my sister, Christie. She doesn’t recommend books, but we talk about mysteries and amateur sleuths as if those characters lived next door.
I read book reviews, journals, several blogs, and publicists contact me quite frequently. And, often a publicist will hit the mark with one title or so. But, I’ll listen to these three people, and at least check out the book they recommend.
So, take a look at your list. Is there a librarian on there? That’s what the webinar was about. Are librarians still a trusted source for book recommendations? Were they trusted sources when you were a child? Do you ask your librarian for recommendations now?
I’m curious. If you answer the question, you don’t need to name the person. You can say a friend, my mom, a co-worker, my sister. If it’s a blog or a magazine, give it a shout-out. I’d love to know who you trust for book recommendations.
