I assume that it gets better at breaking bubbles with more books added for it to draw from, but I do find it humorous that upon adding two of my favorites (two being the minimum for it to create...
I assume that it gets better at breaking bubbles with more books added for it to draw from, but I do find it humorous that upon adding two of my favorites (two being the minimum for it to create suggestions) the top suggestions were two of my other favorites.
If it is in fact returning books I'm "statistically unlikely to read" then I apparently do a pretty good job of breaking my own bubble it seems.
I put in a few, and among my recommendations were the NIV Bible (I'm an NASB kind of guy) and a Mario Batali cookbook, to which I say "well done, algorithm!" Hard for me to think of two books I'm...
I put in a few, and among my recommendations were the NIV Bible (I'm an NASB kind of guy) and a Mario Batali cookbook, to which I say "well done, algorithm!"
Hard for me to think of two books I'm less likely to pick up.
I put in two books, one a Seanan McGuire novel and (ignoring the kids books ) one of the recommended books was a Mira Grant novel - Seanan's horror/SF penname. I've read a lot of the recommended...
I put in two books, one a Seanan McGuire novel and (ignoring the kids books ) one of the recommended books was a Mira Grant novel - Seanan's horror/SF penname.
I've read a lot of the recommended fantasy ones. And a decent number of the others. But I think recommending "Big Dog, Little Dog: A bedtime story" is a weird choice. Though it has been a long time since I read that one I suppose.
I don't think this does much for me. Especially with just covers - I'm not going to be drawn to the things that are different if I'm already judging by cover.
I think this is mostly fine. It seems like her purpose for using a penname is mostly market segmentation. To filter out children's books it seems like you could choose Acclaimed instead of the...
same person, different name
I think this is mostly fine. It seems like her purpose for using a penname is mostly market segmentation.
To filter out children's books it seems like you could choose Acclaimed instead of the default "Special Blend"--but they should have more options for filtering out books by intended audience/reading level, shouldn't they?
edit: also, I notice that the site is somewhat limited. It seems to return a lot of the same books for different types of queries. But if you restrict by a specific published decade like 2000-2010 there is much more variation.
Oh I understand why she uses the pen name but having read basically every book she's written, it's not an unlikely pick and you probably already know about her other works. Hopping to a horror...
Oh I understand why she uses the pen name but having read basically every book she's written, it's not an unlikely pick and you probably already know about her other works. Hopping to a horror novel by a different author would make more sense.
I like to read different things but it's definitely going to come from recommendations from people who can convey why I should be interested rather than cover with no context. The ones I did have context for, I'd already read, or read enough by an author to recognize another book by them and what it was (historical women's fiction in this case).
It just doesn't hit for me.
ETA: Acclaimed gave me mostly classics albeit cross-genres, I'm wondering what awards list or similar it's using, because there are certainly critically acclaimed kids books too. I do see the Hatchet on the one you linked so Newberry is there, but I considered it cheating since the kids book was in the seed
Zero results on a few non-fiction and fictionalized history titles. I put in "Dune" and "Ancillary Justice", got Nora Roberts back??? I have read a couple of Nora Roberts books, and they're so far...
Zero results on a few non-fiction and fictionalized history titles.
I put in "Dune" and "Ancillary Justice", got Nora Roberts back??? I have read a couple of Nora Roberts books, and they're so far from my literary cup of tea that this is practically useless. Like /u/DefinitelyNotAFae, I got recommended "Big Dog, Little Dog: A bedtime story" and several other children's titles.
Honestly, it looked like a spew of every literary genre except epic science fiction, without particular regard for quality within genres. There were a few hits, like Elie Wiesel's "Day", Allison Bechdel's "The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For", "The Complete Sherlock Holmes", Ira Levin's "The Stepford Wives", some of Stephen King's midlist, but otherwise maybe two books I hadn't read yet that looked even slightly intriguing.
As /u/kfwyre said, well done algorithm, because I'm unlikely to read most of this site's results.
Hear me out: The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For is a genuine masterpiece. Bechdel got more recognition and acclaim for Fun Home, but I honestly think DTWOF is her magnum opus. It ran for decades...
Hear me out: The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For is a genuine masterpiece.
Bechdel got more recognition and acclaim for Fun Home, but I honestly think DTWOF is her magnum opus.
It ran for decades and was a pioneer in queer comics. I read it a few years ago, and I was amazed at how well it had aged. Turns out it was significantly ahead of its time! So many of the discussions raised in the comic are ones that we’re still having now.
I can’t remember where I saw/read this — some documentary probably — but Bechdel talked about how she had a big spreadsheet to keep track of characters and plot lines over the course of hundreds of strips. That kind of attention to detail and care for continuity comes through in the comic, which is delivered thoughtfully while also being resonant and funny.
I strongly recommend it to anyone for whom it sounds interesting or, in the spirit of this topic, to anyone who wants to read outside of their comfort zone. It is an impressive achievement.
Agreed - I had it in the list of good stuff recommended, and Dykes to Watch Out For really is one of my favorite works of graphic storytelling of all time. Keep in mind, I read it as a baby butch...
Agreed - I had it in the list of good stuff recommended, and Dykes to Watch Out For really is one of my favorite works of graphic storytelling of all time.
Keep in mind, I read it as a baby butch and Mo was my role model - I felt like it was a chronicle of my community, far more than just another cartoon in the alt weeklies.
Ah, I misread your comment thinking that your "hits" were in the context of the app -- as in "I'm very unlikely to read these." Also, even if I had read it correctly, I probably still would have...
Ah, I misread your comment thinking that your "hits" were in the context of the app -- as in "I'm very unlikely to read these."
Also, even if I had read it correctly, I probably still would have talked up DTWOF because I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to help it shine!
I got plenty of SF from Atwood and Asimov to Grant as I mentioned but I'd also put a SF book in. There were obscure ones around that but like, it's less I wouldn't read them, and more idk enough...
I got plenty of SF from Atwood and Asimov to Grant as I mentioned but I'd also put a SF book in. There were obscure ones around that but like, it's less I wouldn't read them, and more idk enough about them to pick them up. I'd rather have descriptions, or even book jacket blurbs, to work with than the covers
If you click the cover it loads a description. It might be worth noting that there are two different engines on the site. The main one loads similar books (which might be more what...
If you click the cover it loads a description.
It might be worth noting that there are two different engines on the site. The main one loads similar books (which might be more what patience_limited is looking for):
I'm on mobile, so clicking on the cover seems to just offer me a link to Google or Amazon. Same if I load the desktop page. I'm saying I'd rather get a blurb than the cover. And I have been using...
I'm on mobile, so clicking on the cover seems to just offer me a link to Google or Amazon. Same if I load the desktop page. I'm saying I'd rather get a blurb than the cover.
And I have been using the break the bubble one that was linked. Not accidentally using the similar one.
My point isn't that there are no different books, it's that there are a surprising number of similar ones and basically no "sell" to help me pick from the different ones. Because of this I'd personally be drawn back to the covers, authors, and genre I recognize and prefer already. IMO there are too many options, fewer choices and with more info would be helpful.
Because I can scan past a bunch of covers at the library. Even wanting to read something different, I need recommendations that sell me, rather than just a pic. So personally it isn't doing it for me.
For sure--I can see where you are coming from and I agree. I imagine having even a Goodreads score as social proof would be more convincing. I also think showing book covers is antithetical to the...
My point isn't that there are no different books, it's that there are a surprising number of similar ones and basically no "sell" to help me pick from the different ones
For sure--I can see where you are coming from and I agree.
I imagine having even a Goodreads score as social proof would be more convincing. I also think showing book covers is antithetical to the goal of helping people choose to read something that they wouldn't pick in the first place because of the book cover, title, author's name, etc.
Maybe this doesn't fall under fair use but if I was building a site like this it might be interesting to just throw the raw text at people--maybe not the whole first chapter but the first few five or ten pages...
First, I just want to note that book covers are not a bad way to pick books overall, the cover artists and designers do good work for a reason, and I think we all use the covers in this way. But...
First, I just want to note that book covers are not a bad way to pick books overall, the cover artists and designers do good work for a reason, and I think we all use the covers in this way. But it's bad for "pick something you wouldn't normally read" like you noted.
Goodreads score isn't helpful to me by itself, even accounting for inflation plenty of people love books I hate. An ideal would be personal recommendations. But it'd require a lot more work.
And just generally, it's not giving me what I hoped for out of the tool. Maybe the first few pages, but a good jacket summary is workshopped and designed to sell with a quick read. If this site gets me to that blurb, I'd probably be more likely to pick them up
(If there were also like five books at a time, and not actual kids books, etc..)
I put in Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby and Black Ice from Michael Connelly and The Count of Monte Cristo --- it gave me The Gun Seller from Hugh Laurie. Good pick!
I put in Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby and Black Ice from Michael Connelly and The Count of Monte Cristo --- it gave me The Gun Seller from Hugh Laurie. Good pick!
Top three it gives me after adding 5: "Ella Sarah Gets Dressed" by Margaret Chodos-Irvine "Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great" by Bob Shea "Rage of Angels" by Sidney Sheldon Those are indeed not the...
Top three it gives me after adding 5:
"Ella Sarah Gets Dressed" by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
"Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great" by Bob Shea
"Rage of Angels" by Sidney Sheldon
Those are indeed not the sort of books I would read. Most of the other suggestions also look to be either young children's books or thrillers. Might have to play around with it more, figure out how to filter out the kid books...
I love the idea! I'm certainly the type to buy books based on what I wouldn't like. Though I'm currently at like 100 books on my to-be-read bookcase so I probably should hold back for a bit.
With Borges, Vonnegut and Homer as inputs and my first output is drum roll .....Paddington. Which, you're right, I don't read kids books, but I could never say no to Paddington. Second hit was...
With Borges, Vonnegut and Homer as inputs and my first output is drum roll .....Paddington.
Which, you're right, I don't read kids books, but I could never say no to Paddington.
Second hit was Arthur Conan Doyle. In that case, yeah maybe some English (British?) serials are due for me to read. I have bought a good number of antique/almost-pulp copies of P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves series.
I put in a YA horror-fantasy and a Sherlock Holmes spinoff by Laurie R King and it gave me... Sherlock Holmes. And like a dozen children's books. I do read some middle grade stuff, but sure, I'm...
I put in a YA horror-fantasy and a Sherlock Holmes spinoff by Laurie R King and it gave me... Sherlock Holmes. And like a dozen children's books. I do read some middle grade stuff, but sure, I'm unlikely to read picture books. Can't say I'm unlikely to read Sherlock Holmes, though...
I'm curious how old this tool is, as the book covers on the recommendations seem aged in their graphic design choices, and it doesn't seem to have anything from at least 2022 forward, but that's just based on popular titles I tried.
Put in Dostoevsky's 'The Brothers Karamazov' and Louis Guilloux's 'Blood Dark' and got back a recommendation to read Calvin and Hobbes. I mean... I did love C&H growing up so it's not entirely...
Put in Dostoevsky's 'The Brothers Karamazov' and Louis Guilloux's 'Blood Dark' and got back a recommendation to read Calvin and Hobbes. I mean... I did love C&H growing up so it's not entirely wrong but...
I assume that it gets better at breaking bubbles with more books added for it to draw from, but I do find it humorous that upon adding two of my favorites (two being the minimum for it to create suggestions) the top suggestions were two of my other favorites.
If it is in fact returning books I'm "statistically unlikely to read" then I apparently do a pretty good job of breaking my own bubble it seems.
I put in a few, and among my recommendations were the NIV Bible (I'm an NASB kind of guy) and a Mario Batali cookbook, to which I say "well done, algorithm!"
Hard for me to think of two books I'm less likely to pick up.
I had a similar experience and it made me happy. No bubble for me!
I'm not sure how correct it is, since I put in 3 books, and the #5 recommendation is another book by one of the 3 authors I picked.
Same. It kept adding books I would have put on my Favorites list.
But it was fun, so thanks OP!
I put in two books, one a Seanan McGuire novel and (ignoring the kids books ) one of the recommended books was a Mira Grant novel - Seanan's horror/SF penname.
I've read a lot of the recommended fantasy ones. And a decent number of the others. But I think recommending "Big Dog, Little Dog: A bedtime story" is a weird choice. Though it has been a long time since I read that one I suppose.
I don't think this does much for me. Especially with just covers - I'm not going to be drawn to the things that are different if I'm already judging by cover.
I think this is mostly fine. It seems like her purpose for using a penname is mostly market segmentation.
To filter out children's books it seems like you could choose Acclaimed instead of the default "Special Blend"--but they should have more options for filtering out books by intended audience/reading level, shouldn't they?
edit: also, I notice that the site is somewhat limited. It seems to return a lot of the same books for different types of queries. But if you restrict by a specific published decade like 2000-2010 there is much more variation.
Oh I understand why she uses the pen name but having read basically every book she's written, it's not an unlikely pick and you probably already know about her other works. Hopping to a horror novel by a different author would make more sense.
I like to read different things but it's definitely going to come from recommendations from people who can convey why I should be interested rather than cover with no context. The ones I did have context for, I'd already read, or read enough by an author to recognize another book by them and what it was (historical women's fiction in this case).
It just doesn't hit for me.
ETA: Acclaimed gave me mostly classics albeit cross-genres, I'm wondering what awards list or similar it's using, because there are certainly critically acclaimed kids books too. I do see the Hatchet on the one you linked so Newberry is there, but I considered it cheating since the kids book was in the seed
Zero results on a few non-fiction and fictionalized history titles.
I put in "Dune" and "Ancillary Justice", got Nora Roberts back??? I have read a couple of Nora Roberts books, and they're so far from my literary cup of tea that this is practically useless. Like /u/DefinitelyNotAFae, I got recommended "Big Dog, Little Dog: A bedtime story" and several other children's titles.
Honestly, it looked like a spew of every literary genre except epic science fiction, without particular regard for quality within genres. There were a few hits, like Elie Wiesel's "Day", Allison Bechdel's "The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For", "The Complete Sherlock Holmes", Ira Levin's "The Stepford Wives", some of Stephen King's midlist, but otherwise maybe two books I hadn't read yet that looked even slightly intriguing.
As /u/kfwyre said, well done algorithm, because I'm unlikely to read most of this site's results.
Hear me out: The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For is a genuine masterpiece.
Bechdel got more recognition and acclaim for Fun Home, but I honestly think DTWOF is her magnum opus.
It ran for decades and was a pioneer in queer comics. I read it a few years ago, and I was amazed at how well it had aged. Turns out it was significantly ahead of its time! So many of the discussions raised in the comic are ones that we’re still having now.
I can’t remember where I saw/read this — some documentary probably — but Bechdel talked about how she had a big spreadsheet to keep track of characters and plot lines over the course of hundreds of strips. That kind of attention to detail and care for continuity comes through in the comic, which is delivered thoughtfully while also being resonant and funny.
I strongly recommend it to anyone for whom it sounds interesting or, in the spirit of this topic, to anyone who wants to read outside of their comfort zone. It is an impressive achievement.
Agreed - I had it in the list of good stuff recommended, and Dykes to Watch Out For really is one of my favorite works of graphic storytelling of all time.
Keep in mind, I read it as a baby butch and Mo was my role model - I felt like it was a chronicle of my community, far more than just another cartoon in the alt weeklies.
Ah, I misread your comment thinking that your "hits" were in the context of the app -- as in "I'm very unlikely to read these."
Also, even if I had read it correctly, I probably still would have talked up DTWOF because I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to help it shine!
I got plenty of SF from Atwood and Asimov to Grant as I mentioned but I'd also put a SF book in. There were obscure ones around that but like, it's less I wouldn't read them, and more idk enough about them to pick them up. I'd rather have descriptions, or even book jacket blurbs, to work with than the covers
If you click the cover it loads a description.
It might be worth noting that there are two different engines on the site. The main one loads similar books (which might be more what patience_limited is looking for):
https://abooklike.foo/?q=NLgRAN,zx0wn2&fnf=a&pop=a&period=p_1990_2000
While the other loads dissimilar ones
https://abooklike.foo/escape?q=NLgRAN,zx0wn2&fnf=a&pop=a&period=p_1990_2000
I'm on mobile, so clicking on the cover seems to just offer me a link to Google or Amazon. Same if I load the desktop page. I'm saying I'd rather get a blurb than the cover.
And I have been using the break the bubble one that was linked. Not accidentally using the similar one.
My point isn't that there are no different books, it's that there are a surprising number of similar ones and basically no "sell" to help me pick from the different ones. Because of this I'd personally be drawn back to the covers, authors, and genre I recognize and prefer already. IMO there are too many options, fewer choices and with more info would be helpful.
Because I can scan past a bunch of covers at the library. Even wanting to read something different, I need recommendations that sell me, rather than just a pic. So personally it isn't doing it for me.
For sure--I can see where you are coming from and I agree.
I imagine having even a Goodreads score as social proof would be more convincing. I also think showing book covers is antithetical to the goal of helping people choose to read something that they wouldn't pick in the first place because of the book cover, title, author's name, etc.
Maybe this doesn't fall under fair use but if I was building a site like this it might be interesting to just throw the raw text at people--maybe not the whole first chapter but the first few five or ten pages...
First, I just want to note that book covers are not a bad way to pick books overall, the cover artists and designers do good work for a reason, and I think we all use the covers in this way. But it's bad for "pick something you wouldn't normally read" like you noted.
Goodreads score isn't helpful to me by itself, even accounting for inflation plenty of people love books I hate. An ideal would be personal recommendations. But it'd require a lot more work.
And just generally, it's not giving me what I hoped for out of the tool. Maybe the first few pages, but a good jacket summary is workshopped and designed to sell with a quick read. If this site gets me to that blurb, I'd probably be more likely to pick them up
(If there were also like five books at a time, and not actual kids books, etc..)
I put in Razorblade Tears by SA Cosby and Black Ice from Michael Connelly and The Count of Monte Cristo --- it gave me The Gun Seller from Hugh Laurie. Good pick!
Top three it gives me after adding 5:
Those are indeed not the sort of books I would read. Most of the other suggestions also look to be either young children's books or thrillers. Might have to play around with it more, figure out how to filter out the kid books...
I love the idea! I'm certainly the type to buy books based on what I wouldn't like. Though I'm currently at like 100 books on my to-be-read bookcase so I probably should hold back for a bit.
With Borges, Vonnegut and Homer as inputs and my first output is drum roll .....Paddington.
Which, you're right, I don't read kids books, but I could never say no to Paddington.
Second hit was Arthur Conan Doyle. In that case, yeah maybe some English (British?) serials are due for me to read. I have bought a good number of antique/almost-pulp copies of P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves series.
It didn't know about any of my books. Which doesn't surprise me in the least. :)
I put in a YA horror-fantasy and a Sherlock Holmes spinoff by Laurie R King and it gave me... Sherlock Holmes. And like a dozen children's books. I do read some middle grade stuff, but sure, I'm unlikely to read picture books. Can't say I'm unlikely to read Sherlock Holmes, though...
I'm curious how old this tool is, as the book covers on the recommendations seem aged in their graphic design choices, and it doesn't seem to have anything from at least 2022 forward, but that's just based on popular titles I tried.
Put in Dostoevsky's 'The Brothers Karamazov' and Louis Guilloux's 'Blood Dark' and got back a recommendation to read Calvin and Hobbes. I mean... I did love C&H growing up so it's not entirely wrong but...