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Thoughts on a books website idea?

doris.ehcd

New Member
Hi everyone, I’m thinking about developing a new website to help with something I as a book lover personally find frustrating. I’d really welcome your comments!

I feel that it takes too long to discover great books that fit my tastes (fantasy, etc.) There’s so many books and lists of books out there, but not enough guidance for choosing among the options when I’m deciding what to read next. I have to start a lot of books that I don’t finish because I don’t like the writing style or pacing. My favorite books are ones I discovered after a *lot* of looking around online.

So I’m thinking about developing something like a “Rotten Tomatoes for books,” where each book gets a number score based on how critics and blogs have reviewed it. The site could also have Netflix-style categories (like “young adult novels set in the US with male protagonists”) to give recommendations if you tend to like books with specific elements.

Would you find a site like this useful? Or if no, why not? Both answers are very welcome!
 
I think it would be interesting. As for whether it would be useful or not, I guess you can only find out after the website's been set up.

I like your idea but right now we don't know how many bookworms will actually use your site.

I have a question. Will you only use reviews from other sites or do you plan on accepting book reviews submitted by readers without affiliation to review blogs/sites?
 
I dunno...I've never really trust Rotten Tomatoes. From what I see, too many "fanpeople" drive up ratings for certain movies and shows they've got a cult following for (like the Marvel superhero movies), and I personally don't trust most mainstream many are hacks paid by movie studios to write good books (or feel they need to write decent review of bad movies so they can have access to stars--Peter Travers, anyone?)

I tend to rely on "best [genre} booklist compiled by (to me) credible sources to find authors and books. Right now I'm on a mystery/crime kick and most the authors I'm reading now come from these kind of searches.
 
Hi everyone, I’m thinking about developing a new website to help with something I as a book lover personally find frustrating. I’d really welcome your comments!
. . . .
My favorite books are ones I discovered after a *lot* of looking around online.
. . . .
Would you find a site like this useful? Or if no, why not? Both answers are very welcome!

Doris,
I agree with your comment about 'a *lot* of looking around' being necessary.
That is one way I have found many of the books I have ended up reading.
The other way is through recommendation from my wife. She is a real book hound and reads books, and also about books, much more widely than I do.
So she is an excellent source.

With respect to your description of the kind of site you would envision creating, I would only suggest that you not underestimate the amount of work and personal attention it might require.
I have only moderated the occasional book discussion here and there on a number of different forums and have found the amount of attention required to be nearly all-consuming. That experience in itself has deterred me from setting up any online site of my own.

Finally, I am a glutton for looking at collected book lists (100 Best . . . , Best of Year, All time Best, Recently Published, etc etc). So, yes, I would no doubt look at your list too, were it to appear.

Hope that helps.
Peder
 
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