Why I hate giving recommendations

[Pagan]

It's because Sci-Fi, oops, excuse me, SyFy is run by a bunch of idiots.

They've had soooo many good shows that they've gotten rid of.

Dresden Files
Tremors
The Invisible Man
Flash Gordon
The Chronicle
and, the real crime, Doctor Who!

The only shows I watch on there anymore are "Eureka", "Warehouse 13", and "Merlin". I'm really hoping that "Riverworld" gets off the ground this time.

[Andara Bledin]

Haven't gotten "Turn Coat" yet and just realize that two more are coming out this year. I wish SciFi hadn't canceled the TV series, it wasn't half-bad.

Changes is really good, and quite lives up to its title. I really can't wait for the stuff that's coming out in November. I just finished re-watching the series again on Netflix. It really is a shame they didn't give it a chance to develop.

^-.-^

[Pagan]

Does anyone else, after rereading it a number of times, start skipping over some of the poetry and verse in it?

Walking the long road to Mordor... again.

I started doing that the first time I read it after going cross-eyed during the first one. But this....

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

is still awesome!

As far as reading it out loud, that is the only way my mom got through Silmaril. Mom had reconstructive bone surgery on her legs (graphic - not for this thread) and as a result of the surgery was bed-bound for 3 yrs and on heavy doses of pain meds, so Dad had to read it to her, every night as part of their evening routine, and he'd read and she'd nodd off, and the next night, he'd ask her, "what is the last thing you remember?" She'd tell him, he'd flip back, sometimes as far as a chapter, and start reading again....

That's how I got introduced to Tolkien. My mom read "The Hobbit" to me over the summer when I was in grade school, like 3rd or 4th grade.

And as much as I wished that they had actually done the Scouring of the Shire in the LOTR movies, I can't wait for this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit_%282011_film%29

I have a fairly open mind about books, I'm LOVING the Hollow's series by Kim Harrison (also known as the Rachel Morgan books); Love Dresden;

I just finished "Dead Witch Walking". Picked it up as a freebie on my nook. Now, I really want to read the others. And yes, I'm aware this is exactly what Barnes & Noble intended.

Haven't gotten "Turn Coat" yet and just realize that two more are coming out this year. I wish SciFi hadn't canceled the TV series, it wasn't half-bad.

Mom - she pushes me to read a series, "oh you need to read Pern, i really think you'll enjoy it, they're great books" umm yeah, only you said the same thing about the Derini books, and I couldn't get through the 1st one... it was so boring, and I've enjoyed books that Mom was indifferent about...

I've tried Pern and they're ok. But, you really need to read the Sword of Truth series. I kid! I kid!

[Andara Bledin]

I tried reading that one, but I really couldn't get into it as much as I did Dresden Files for some reason. Might go back and give it another shot, though.

It's a lot heavier and more epic high fantasy to the Dresden pulp noir detective air. But while it doesn't really lighten up at all through the series, it does get a little easier to read, somehow.

^-.-^

[skeptic53]

I have to ask, as another person who has read LOTR more times then I can count...

Does anyone else, after rereading it a number of times, start skipping over some of the poetry and verse in it?

The first few times, I read it cover to cover, word for word, but after a while I started to find it a little long winded.

C.
Walking the long road to Mordor... again.

OHY! I even skip parts of the plot. I was not disappointed that Tom Bombadil was cut from the movie, but I was very disappointed that "The Scouring of the Shire" was cut/reworked. Different people have different favorite parts. Whatever floats your ship to the West, I guess.

[firecat88]

If you like Dresden and like high fantasy, you absolutely must read the Codex Alera, Butcher's other series, which just finished.

I tried reading that one, but I really couldn't get into it as much as I did Dresden Files for some reason. Might go back and give it another shot, though.

[Magpie]

Tanya Huff is another author I really like, but I don't recommend her as much.

My husband's complaint is that he doesn't like how every single one of her books has so much humour. To him it detracts from the suspenseful or dark parts when there's jokes. Me, I like it, but a lot of the humour is really dark.

[chainedbarista]

lol at amina!

how about something by the marquis de sade? that'll take care of most people, unless they're not 'knowledgable.'

i generally don't need recommendations; i know what i like and i go straight to it, and if something catches my eye on the way in, i check that out, too.

people who can't figure these things out probably need to learn more about themselves and read less about other things.

[Andara Bledin]

The Pern books are good, but the Harper Hall books are the best of that series, in my opinion.

If you like Dresden and like high fantasy, you absolutely must read the Codex Alera, Butcher's other series, which just finished.

Another series I like to recommend is the Vorkosigan saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. Her character development is outstanding. And her Curse of Chalion series is excellent, as well.

Tanya Huff is another author I really like, but I don't recommend her as much. Although her space marine series is one I particularly enjoy.

^-.-^

[Magpie]

Tolkien is wordy! and the thing to keep in mind about The Silmarillion is that it reads much like the Bible.

I personally find that I can really hear his roots in heroic sagas when reading his work, and even more so in The Silmarillion. Most of the Bible is easier to read than this (unless you're using KJV, a paraphrase, or one of the third-grade reading level versions). Of course, the stories in The Silmarillion are part of why you really feel like you're reading the old epic poems, but the feeling is just so strong there. Even more so than reading about the battle with Smaug, which is another great example of his roots showing.

[Treasure]

I'm reading The Silmarillion a chapter at a time (skip to the second story if you ever try it again). It's really heavy, but I want to know the stories. At least I would if they weren't so bloody depressing.

Tolkien is wordy! and the thing to keep in mind about The Silmarillion is that it reads much like the Bible.

As far as reading it out loud, that is the only way my mom got through Silmaril. Mom had reconstructive bone surgery on her legs (graphic - not for this thread) and as a result of the surgery was bed-bound for 3 yrs and on heavy doses of pain meds, so Dad had to read it to her, every night as part of their evening routine, and he'd read and she'd nodd off, and the next night, he'd ask her, "what is the last thing you remember?" She'd tell him, he'd flip back, sometimes as far as a chapter, and start reading again....

as far as I know, dad has only read Silmarillion 2x, and that was Mom's one and only....


I have a fairly open mind about books, I'm LOVING the Hollow's series by Kim Harrison (also known as the Rachel Morgan books); Love Dresden; have read R. Zalsney's (sp??) Amber books, R. Aspirin's "Myth" series (fun and cute, must love puns!) never got far in Xanth, -
so Dad can usually recommend books, I just may take my time in getting to them...
Aunt T, she can bring over a book she's reading and just leave it on the coffee table, I usually will pick it up read the back, and ask her opinion of it so far - sometimes she's not thrilled with it, but thinks i will be, sometimes she's loving it and thinks i will too, sometimes she enjoys it, but doesn't think i will... but she's known me long enough to know....
Mom - she pushes me to read a series, "oh you need to read Pern, i really think you'll enjoy it, they're great books" umm yeah, only you said the same thing about the Derini books, and I couldn't get through the 1st one... it was so boring, and I've enjoyed books that Mom was indifferent about...

so i guess the secret to giving recommendations is to Know your audience, and if you don't (some random customer) the only think i can suggest is probe - what kind of movies does person X like? other activites/music - that doesn't always work, but its my 1.5 cents on the matter

[Chrismor]

I have to ask, as another person who has read LOTR more times then I can count...

Does anyone else, after rereading it a number of times, start skipping over some of the poetry and verse in it?

The first few times, I read it cover to cover, word for word, but after a while I started to find it a little long winded.

C.
Walking the long road to Mordor... again.

[Imogene]

I have two stories about recommendations to share, not book recommendations, but recommendations nonetheless.
Story the First:
As a young, nubile movie store clerk in The Chesterfield, one day I had two gents walk up to me and tell me, basically, the one guy was blind, and he wondered what my favorite movie was. Something that wasn't heavy on the visuals, obviously. I hemmed for a moment, then said, "Brokedown Palace. The visuals are pretty bad, but they're not necessary, it all rides on the plot anyway, and you will NOT see the ending coming." The two gents and I chat it up a bit, and they leave after buying a copy of Brokedown Palace. A few weeks later, I'm being nubile again, and the other guy comes in, and says, "You were right, that was an amazing movie, with a wonderful ending! Thank you." And while I didn't recognize him immediately, as the day wore on, I realized who he was, and my recommendation, and was pleased. (Yes, I know what nubile means, I'm in an odd mood.)

Story the second:
Tonight, actually, I'm dragging around the last twenty minutes of my shift, and greet a customer who's checking out gift cards near my registers, and happen to notice a copy of Great Mouse Detective in her cart, and comment on it. "Man! I love that movie!" and we get to talking, she asks my opinion on it. I say, "It's kind of like Sherlock Holmes for kids... not much in the way of songs for a Disney movie, but it has Vincent Price's best role ever!"
"Will kids of 5 like it?"
"I'd say yes." And I go on to try to explain the plot set up to her, doing a bad job of it, but she eventually gives in and buys it.

[grokit]

I ask for recommendations all the time, usually after I've walked up and down the scifi/fantasy section for at least 30 minutes reading blurbs on the back of books.

But I'll always mention some other writers whose style I like and I've had some good recommendations that way. My problem isn't usually that they don't have a recommendation I like, but that they have too many that look interesting!

[Lots42]

I don't like recommending stuff for kids because the parents sometimes say 'That's too hard' then I get sad. Spider-Man is not too hard for a ten year old. Challenge the kid a little.