The Next Best Book Club discussion

It would be nice to have everybody in the world as your friend. But rather pointless.
So how do you select to whom you're going to send a friend request?
It's going to take me a long, long time, but I intend working my way through all 12 000 members, and am hoping to end up with a couple of hundred friends with things in common.
First I look at the member's picture (backgound - where is he/she, doing what?) and what is being currently read. When was the last activity?
If promising, I go to the member's profile.
If I decide to send a friend request, I usually also send a message motivating my request.
Everybody isn't the same - it is highly unlikely that someone who reads Hemingway will also read Danielle Steel.

Glad to be friends, Leon! Look forward to hearing your suggestions!

Yeah glad to be friends. (:
(I have 2 friends now woohoo!)

Leon Wrote: So how do you select to whom you're going to send a friend request?

I couldn't; guess it's a phobia driven by awkwardness. But I do want to add lots of people here. Addiction for books automatically makes you all my BFF!

Fair enough, Som. But I still think quality is better than quantity.

Leon wrote: "It would be nice to have everybody in the world as your friend. But rather pointless.
So how do you select to whom you're going to send a friend request?

I mostly send request to people who inspires me(any of their qualities, their interesrts) but i m very selective. still i feel bad too reject requests

Leon wrote: "It would be nice to have everybody in the world as your friend. But rather pointless.
So how do you select to whom you're going to send a friend request?

I mostly send request to people who inspires me(any of their qualities, their interesrts) but i m very selective. still i feel bad too reject requests

I mostly sends requests to people who have the same reading tastes as myself.

Same here. I have some friends I knew before joining, people I've met since, and people who share similar taste in books. Because frankly, there are some genres I have very little interest in, and the point of this website is to talk about books I like.

Hi Katy,
My point exactly - see "Hemingway/Danielle Steel".

Leon...thank you. A great thing about friendships ids that they continue to intrigue, inspire and challenge you. You've already accomplished the first two.

Hi Miss,
Could I suggest you look at my blogspot eithere on GR or directly on Leonmare.blogspot.com
Not only will you find some books there (Poacher is currently in the top 2% on the Amazon.com sales list and the sequels in the top 4%), but on the blog be sure to read "The Lion at the Sperm Bank" and "The Maputo Crocodiles."
Feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks for the kind words, Scott.

I am friends with RL friends or people I have encountered elsewhere on the net. There is a small group of people I met on GR who I also chat with on FB but otherwise I have little interaction with my GR friends.

I usually accept friend requests to see new book suggestion if the person has about 50 books in common with me and have the same/ near rating.Not 50 books which I have rated 5 and they rated it 1 or 2.

I accept friend requests from almost anyone who requests because I love networking with new people who are avid readers like myself (and I'm fairly new to GR). So far, I haven't had a reason to "delete" anyone because most are mature adults. Sometimes I send requests to people if we are in one of the same groups, like a book club, just because I feel we share similar interests.

As an author, finding friends on this site has been hard for me. I don't want to seem pushy as an author and I really don't know how that system should work when asking others to become friends, whether we share interests or not.
Though the few people I have approached have been very kind in accepting my request, I find it very telling that the majority of the small number of friends I have on this site are also authors. Wich for me seems a bit self defeating since it is the reader's opions, likes and dislikes that all authors should be cultivating interest in to make their own writing better for those who read it. Not to mention that I have yet to meet another author that isn't also a reader.
I guess I am stuck in the great Author/Reader divide.

Dear Aalia and KV, All authors are indeed readers as well. And choosing one's friends isn't creepy - I would say there are few thing in life more natural.
Example: I have just sent a long email to a valuable friend I found on GR. He posted a review on Amazon.com recently, and I recognised the name. In another review yesterday I got a bolloxing by someone unknown about spelling and grammar. (At least he did have the the grace to award it 5 stars). I was, of course, extremely worried, and sent an email to my GR friend.
At least now I have an unbiased opinion from someone I know and trust.
Friends of value, eh?

I've sent few friends requests, and only after getting to know them in the book club first.

It bothers me when I get requests from people who have an agenda, such as promoting their book.

I have found a much better way to sift through potential friends: Rather than work through the list of 12 500 members, I now only go to whoever is online.
This is obviously updated by the second - but at least it tells you who hasn't gone dormant.
I only wish people would post more information on their profiles - what they're currently reading doesn't give one much on which to base your decision to send a friend request.

Hey Leon,

Thanks for the friend request! Happy to be friends!

Welcome to my world, Amrit.

I occasionally make friend requests but I don't typically go out of my way. I've sent friend requests because I have a few mutual friends with the user and/or we have several books in common and/or they've written a couple reviews I really enjoyed. I would never friend someone if we didn't have at least somewhat similar tastes.

If someone is actively looking for friends, I would advise reading the reviews of books you love. If someone wrote a review you liked, check out their profile and compare books. If you seem to have a fair amount in common, send a friend request and introduce yourself.

Hi Dawn,
I was rather surprised to come across your posting. I was beginning to think the topic has died a natural death.
What you're saying makes a lot of sense - I couldn't agree more.

Oh, and PS.: I will be off the air for a week or two, as I am moving to a new house in Yzerfontein today (have a look on Google Earth - awesome little town). No high speed line on the premises yet.

Sometimes I'll add my two cents even if a topic has died haha. Good to know you agree. :)