Smithies discussion

Hi people - what's your approach, if you have one, to using goodreads for recommendations?
By the way, just finished the Guernsey Literary and PPP Society and absolutely loved it, also Her Fearful Symmetry, loved it but wasn't sure I would emerge from the dark place it took me too...worth it though!

I don't know if you could call the way I use goodreads for recommendations a system, but I have befriended a couple of rabid readers that write funny and interesting reviews consistently, like every day, and then I read their reviews, look at their to-read books and then when people comment on their reviews I look at the books those people have loved, have reviewed, or want to read with interesting names.
Sometimes I read the stupidest books, but if a funny review got me to read it - in my mind right now is Skye O'Malley, eek it was horrible - then I have that review to pull me through at least part of the book and the end result or understanding the reviewer better. And in most cases it is Elizabeth. I don't know who she is, but she is funny and full of writing.

You know what else I love about goodreads - I love looking at a book, whatever book it doesn't matter, let's say it's the bible and down at the bottom of the list of shelves people have it on there will be someone who has created a shelf called "rust belt radishes" and the bible is on that shelf. So I go to that bizarre shelf and I find all kinds of other books that have some twisted relation to the bible and radishes. I love that, but again I'm not sure it's a system and I don't always get recommendations that way. but now i'm moved to create my own rust belt radish shelf.
-a

I love it! I think goodreads could be a little smarter - like, I want it to tell me "If you liked The Bible, you may like Rust Belt Radishes." More like Pandora.

We can create custom shelves too, as a group. I just made two. Please add books or shelves! Maybe it will be a way to spark discussion.
xo