I have been a member of Riffle, though I’ve not been as active there as I have on GoodReads. Recently, Riffle invited its members to try out a new feature where you can get personal book recommendations from people, not bots.
I signed up. What followed was quite easy. You receive an email, follow the link, then click through a chat-like interface, selecting general categories to describe the type of book (fiction, non-fiction, audience, etc…), then optionally add books that are similar to the type of recommendation you’re seeking, and add any comments to help. Takes a minute.
As I’m ever hunting for good vampire novels, I requested one of a more upmarket/literary bent. Submitted my request. Later when I checked my inbox, I found three recommendations. I was delighted. The Riffle expert explained each of her recommendations and offered to look for more if either I had read them already or they did not match my interest.
No worries — these were great. I had not heard of any of the novels before, and each story appeared better than the last. So I added them all to my to-read list and will grab one as soon as possible.
My first run with Riffle’s Expert Suggestions was a great experience. I recommend that you try it if you can. If you do, let me know about it.
In case you’re curious, the novels recommended are:
- The Stress of her Regard by Tim Powers
- The Quick by Lauren Owen
- Suffer the Children by Craig Dilouie