Where do you find reliable recommendations for good books?

On here.
I subscribe to Waterstones and Blackwell's emails.
If I've enjoyed a novel, I'll also look at who's endorsed it and check out their novels too.
I also listen to the Women's Prize For Fiction Book Shelfie podcast - I've discovered some great books through that.

It’s partly about good books, but mostly about books that suit what you personally enjoy. The best recommendations I’ve had are from people who know me very well and know what I’d like. But if you have a a few “types” of book you like, I’ve found a few Facebook / online type groups for “people who like this sort of book” eg Georgette Heyer, Dorothy Dunnett, sci fi, fantasy, historical etc, and there are some good recommendations in with the nonsense, esp if the people recommending seem to enjoy similar stuff to you.

This is quite fun - have you played with it? Type in authors you like and it tells you what others people who like Author X also enjoy. https://www.literature-map.com/

For new releases, I look at the reviews in Good Housekeeping, BBC History (although I think they have slightly changed the title) and The Sunday Telegraph.

I also look at the New and Upcoming Releases on the Waterstones' site.

I have been following Harold Bloom’s famous canon list. It’s not totally reliable (no P G Wodehouse or Ted Hughes for example), but he has introduced me to some amazing new writers.

I have given up on modern critics and academics. I just can’t trust them anymore. I no longer trust them to praise or recommend books based on quality alone. Too often, they will praise a writer because they tick a certain box, not because they are any good.

That said, most of my favourite writers are long dead anyway. I still haven’t read all of Iris Murdoch’s novels, for example.

On here!