Is there a mumsnet good book list?

[tobee]

I love reading recommendations on this thread and often note down titles that appeal to me. However, if a thread really flies that can be a lot to note down. Is there the possibility of mumsnet doing a collated list under types of book? For example, from current threads, to paraphrase, books when your feeling down, books set in WWII, books in style of an author, dystopian future novels. And audio book suggestions. Or is that a stupid or unworkable idea?

[MermaidofZennor]

I think it's a great idea. Maybe you could report your post so MN see it.

Could be something along the lines of Goodreads Listopia sections but more accessible.

[RachelMumsnet]

Thanks for your suggestion. This is a great idea and one we're currently working on. It would be brilliant if other people can post up further suggestions for the types of books you'd like to hear about. We've recently put together a list of spine chilling reads for Halloween and (perhaps a bit more seasonal now): Favourite christmassy books and there will be more to come in the run up to Christmas.

Another idea we've been mulling over is that we'd love to create an area where you can store your own reading list. This could be something within your profile, where you can add books that you've heard of on Mumsnet and that you'd like to read but also create a list of books you've read so you can see at a glance how many books you've read over a specific period. Do you think this would be useful? If you have any thoughts/ideas on this, please do share on this thread. Thanks again for starting this thread

[MermaidofZennor]

I tend to use Goodreads for storing my tbr list, which is seriously out of hand :o but I like the idea of being able to save recommended books here too and have categories to divide them into.

[SatsukiKusakabe]

I use Goodreads for keeping track of the books I've read, GR & Amazon for storing my tbr books, and also keep a paper list.

Let's face it, if I could make a list on Mumsnet as well I probably would, who am I kidding

[tobee]

Yes, I think that would be a good idea re the stored list. I myself have a long wish list and too many books on my bookshelves and virtual shelves but I'm just greedy! From past experience I very much trust Mumsnet readers and their extensive knowledge.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I think we will need a special category called, 'Books for Remus who we all know has read too many and is bloody awkward'.

Yes - good idea!

[CoteDAzur]

"we'd love to create an area where you can store your own reading list"

We are already doing something like this on 50-Book Challenge threads.

An MN-wide "Best of" list would most likely feature lots of chick-lit and YA in top spots. I'd rather hear of the recommendations of a small group of MNers whose literary tastes resemble mine, like on the 50-Book threads.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

All true, Cote - but I still think my suggestion should stand!

We could have a category for 'Crap chick lit' and others for ''YA that is worth reading' and 'YA that is not worth reading' and maybe one for 'Books that Cote thinks are not YA-ish but she is wrong (ie The Martian).

[CoteDAzur]

Yes, you definitely need a list just for yourself, which you will tear through much quicker than books can be added to it

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Work is a bit crazy now, so I might slow down again for a while!

[Oblomov16]

I'd like to see people's top 10.
I want to read recent books, that people have said are very very good.
I just want a list.

[CoteDAzur]

"People's Top 10" is no different than looking at a Bestseller list, though. Or Goodreads list. It's not much use, unless you "know" those people and whether their tastes overlap with yours at all.

Here is Goodreads' list of Best Books Ever.

1. The Hunger Games
   
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
   
3. To Kill A Mockingbird
   
4. Pride and Prejudice
   
5. Twilight
   

You get the picture.

[Oblomov16]

True Cote true.

[MermaidofZennor]

Yes you could say that book recommendations are being stored on the 50 Book thread, but it is time consuming to have to trawl through each one for those recommendations, especially if you only dip in and out and don't keep up with it.

So the Best of 50 Books Thread as a category would be a good one imo, distilling the best into lists with sub categories of, say, sci fi, history, biography etc.

[SatsukiKusakabe]

It is true I never look at those "what to read this summer" lists as they all very much of a muchness, and books that already get an awful lot of publicity anyway.

I don't use the Mumsnet "books" page at all - I rather click on particular individual threads that interest me on the WWR boards but get most recommendations from the 50 books threads. As cote says! you can get more of a sense of context of what other books people are reading, and people give very detailed reviews (without spoilers) which are much better and more informative than a general précis.

[Lokisglowstickofdestiny]

I'd say the 50 book threads are the best place to pick up recommendations. I lurk, may join the 2017 one, and I have picked up a fair number of books this year. There are enough contributors for there to be variety.

[CoteDAzur]

I didn't say that book recommendations are stored on 50-Book threads. I said that our book lists (read in any given year) are stored there.

The way to get good (for you) recommendations out of 50-Book threads would be to actually follow them. You will come to a point where you know the MNers who like the same books as you, and their recommendations will be invaluable. Far more relevant to you than the recommendations of 1,000 strangers whose tastes you don't know, who have most likely been reading mostly what is heavily marketed at the moment - The Girl On The Train, Gone Girl, The Girl With All The Gifts, etc.

[MermaidofZennor]

Cote - I'm not trying to start an argument with you . Perhaps I misunderstood what you said but a new reader joining the 50 Book Thread would have a lot of reviews to plough through from several years. Book lists stored there are a great place to start to see what each person reads and, yes, that gives a quick overview of that person's tastes but it would be hugely helpful to have some place where the reviews are grouped/categorised for easier reference. In a similar way to Goodreads - not a perfect site (their computer generated recommendations are rubbish, but friends ones can be as good as those on here)

[southeastdweller]

I keep my tbr books in an Amazon wish list and the ones I've read I list on the 50 Books Challenge threads and on paper so I wouldn't be interested in having another list on here.

Agree with Mermaid that having a go-to place on MN for our recommendations would be handy. The categories could be:

Autobiography and Biography
Body, Mind and Spirit
Classics
Crime
Fantasy & Supernatural
Film, TV & Radio
History
Historical Fiction
Horror
Humour
Modern Fiction
Music
Poetry
Romance
Science Fiction
Sport
Thrillers
Travel

[CoteDAzur]

Not sure why you think I am arguing with you, Mermaid. Nevermind.

[MermaidofZennor]

Nevermind indeed .

[MermaidofZennor]

Yes that sort of thing, southeast. A good selection of categories.

By the way - have you read/got Alan Bennett's new memoir Keeping On, Keeping On? DH has got it for me for Christmas but have had sneeky peak at it already :o And have been listening to the extracts on Book of the Week.

[tobee]

Mermaid, I pre ordered it on audible last night. I have most of his biographical stuff in book and audio form. I find them calming and centring, iyswim.

There are definitely topics and similar to this author threads that come up often as well as genres.

[tobee]

Btw it's not just a question of mumsnetters having taste, they have knowledge and together are widely read.

[southeastdweller]

Yes Mermaid I have it and even bought it on Kindle so I could read it when I'm out and about as well as buying the huge hardback so I could read at home. I notice that the hardback of this one is even bigger than Untold Stories.