Dying book stores and recommendations
When I was going through school I was a voracious reader, sometimes tearing through as much as a book a day. I think a lot of that was due to the staff at the walden books near our house. The staff there seemed knowledgable and they consistently introduced me to new authors and books I enjoyed. If you could mention a few books you liked they could produce a long list of suggestions from memory. Each new author I read would lead to two more. If it wasn't for all their suggestions I'm not sure I would of read nearly as much.
It was a sad day in 1995 when they were acquired by Borders, but larger book stores were what was popular. At first it was great visiting those stores, but the staff changed often and they weren't as knowledgeable. You'd get the same suggestions from different people every-time and I got used to talking with other customers for suggestions. Where did all the great staff from the smaller bookstores go? It certainly wasn't to Borders or Barnes and Noble. Now only the latter remains and they certainly haven't gotten any better of the years trying to compete with Amazon. It's hard to stay in business when customers would ask for suggestions then order it online. I haven't found anything online that is as great for discovering new authors and books as talking to other people who read a lot.
Living in Japan now it's even more apparent as I have been searching for new authors to read. Reviews are great for technical books and rice-makers, but not so great for the latest SF novel. Amazon's recommendation engine has failed me too many times to trust again. People likes and dislikes of books aren't something computers can analyze easy and make recommendations. It requires an intuitive leap they just can't make.
I'm going to have to depend on B&N now when going home, but I wonder how long they'll be around. Do you have any good suggestions of web sites to visit for recommendations? I am nearing the end of my book with no idea what to choose next.
