Great Book Recommendations

When I make a book recommendation to a friend I am always a tad worried. There is always a fear in the back of my mind that although I loved a book, they could hate it. The same is also true when I pick up a book on the recommendation of a friend. How am I supposed to respond if I hated a book they highly praised? While this has yet to happen, I always get a bit nervous when starting a book plugged by a friend.

My experiences with the Harry Potter series helped me find some great friends. The passion we share for the Harry Potter series often translates to a general love of reading. As that feeling is shared with this great series, I often find many of us to have similar tastes in books. When a love of books and shared interest combine, great book recommendations are often the result.

I credit my discovery of the fantastic world of Young Adult (YA) literature to recommendations from friends. In some cases, the book suggestions come inadvertently. After noticing a few friends commenting on a book on twitter, I will look to get more information about it. Often–as was the case with John Green’s novels– I’ll find myself heading to the bookstore to pick up the book. A love of YA books was born.

My friends are not the only people who recommend books to me via Twitter. I mentioned previously that there are a few fantastic authors that I follow on the site. These authors can also be a great source for recommendations. A while back, Maureen Johnson tweeted how she had written a blurb for Heist Society by Ally Carter. This mention put the book on my radar, and I purchased it on my next bookstore run. I enjoyed the story so much I ended up picking up the author’s Gallagher Girls series. Another successful recommendation!

Sometimes I pick up books based on their covers. Other times I pick up a book based on a suggestion by a friend. While the book cover route has had mixed results, a recommendation from a friend has never let me down. Keep those great book reviews coming, guys!

Authors are all aTwitter

Twitter is a fantastic place to get information out quickly. Many authors have realized this, and they are using Twitter to quickly spread the word about their work. This practice helps authors in reaching their existing readers, communicating with them, and giving them updates about their books. In addition authors are also using Twitter to reach out to new readers. I love using Twitter to find new authors and to keep up with my favorite authors.

An example of an author whose books I started reading after I found them on Twitter is Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson). I met Maureen at LeakyCon 2009. After the conference I decided to check out Maureen on Twitter. What I found was a stream of hysterical tweets that inspired me to check out her books. I have since read and ejoyed all of her currently published works. Now I use Twitter to keep up with the status of her next book, The Last Little Blue Envelope, due out May 2011.

I follow my favorite authors on Twitter to find out about their newest projects. When an author announces a new book, Twitter is often the fastest way to find out about it. Jane Green (@JaneGreen) tweeted about possible title choices for her upcoming book. Other authors like Ally Carter (@officiallyally) sometimes tweet excerpts from the works they are editing. Looking for a cover or release date for a book? Check out an author’s Twitter account!

Authors don’t only tweet about books while they are writing them. Authors use Twitter to get the word out about their soon-to-be release books. Meg Cabot (@megcabot) recently tweeted about a book giveaway for her upcoming book release. John Green (@realjohngreen) recently posted his tour dates on Twitter for for his upcoming tour.

I find the best way to keep track of my favorite authors on Twitter is using lists. I have created a Twitter list of some of my favorite authors. Feel free to check it out, and hopefully find a great new author! Have an great author I’m not following? Let me know so I can check them out!