Where's the Pandora for e-book recommendations? - Page 2

Moejoe · 09-08-2009, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

On a related note, where's Pandora for non-US listeners? The only thing I can see on the site is a notice that I can't use the service as I'm in the wrong country...

Grooveshark

LAST.FM radio

Spotify (if you're in UK, Spain, France and a few select others)

Crowl · 09-08-2009, 06:27 AM

It's a shame for those of us outside north america, you can't even use the non-music playing part of pandora to get music suggestions and quite an odd limitation too since you would think that they would want to give people a reason to use their site until such time as it was worth their while expanding.

eaderigt · 09-08-2009, 08:11 AM

Hi All,

How about http://beta.booklamp.org/

Best.
Erik

Bob Russell · 09-08-2009, 08:23 AM

Erik - Thanks for the link! It's very much the sort of thing I was wondering about. Quite exciting to see that, actually.

It's apparently not ready yet, but they seem to have some great ideas. It will be very interesting to see what they can do with it... with something like this, quality of execution is everything. So many things will determine the final quality of the recommendations - access and analysis of a huge number of books, properly choosing and applying the right criteria, getting the right feedback mechanisms and all the other details that will go into a successful site.

Let's hope they find a way to make it work!

kennyc · 09-08-2009, 08:25 AM

Ah, I just started a similar thread here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55771

Now I'm going to go back and read this thread.

Bob Russell · 09-08-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Ah, I just started a similar thread here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55771

Now I'm going to go back and read this thread.

Thks Kenny. I think we'll find that this is a common theme on the site that has been discussed in a number of interesting ways. It's so true what you say in that thread, "Life is too short". And with all the books out there, avid readers probably see that constraint more clearly than many because the list of books that you want to read is clearly far longer than the amount of time we will have in a lifetime to read them. So it is all about reading the right books, whether it's for fun or to benefit.

Btw, speaking of other threads on the topic, this one by "frui"

Quote:

Please give a writer harder to put down than Dan Brown

is the recent hot thread that got me thinking about this topic.

kennyc · 09-08-2009, 08:53 AM

Yeah, slightly different emphasis I think now that I've re-read the entire thread here.

But yeah -- true in general -- more "stuff" (information) flying around assaulting our senses and how do we find a way to filter and optimize and efficiently process it.

BearMountainBooks · 09-08-2009, 09:12 AM

I generally read reviews--and I also like Amazon's recommendations. Other sites use the technique too.

Here's a couple of review sites that I've mentioned before. This first one really breaks down a book into the why and why not:

http://redadept.wordpress.com/

Then there's Books on the Knob:

http://booksontheknob.blogspot.com/

and one of my favorite reviewers because she reviews a bit of everything:

http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/ (She's a librarian.)

Maria

Format C: · 09-08-2009, 09:59 AM

I'm just trying Book Lamp, but there are really few books to start with...
I tried 1984, and the closest match I got is "Patrioct Act" by the U.S Congress.....

rahlquist · 09-08-2009, 10:13 AM

This goes back to some of the same concepts I was referring too (albeit not clearly) in the thread I started last month on how the next big successful reader will have social networking built in. Pandora for books would need the same level of interaction as Pandora for music. Which means the best reader will be the one that lets you rate a book when you read it and through some type of connection to a central database builds your recommendation/taste listing.

Slite · 09-08-2009, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rahlquist

This goes back to some of the same concepts I was referring too (albeit not clearly) in the thread I started last month on how the next big successful reader will have social networking built in. Pandora for books would need the same level of interaction as Pandora for music. Which means the best reader will be the one that lets you rate a book when you read it and through some type of connection to a central database builds your recommendation/taste listing.

Which IMHO is a very very bad idea. Whats going to stop the makers of that reader to "abuse" that kind of data by planting ratings/recomendations? Or if not that, using it as a guideline for selecting what kind of author/genre they should supply?

kennyc · 09-08-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slite

Which IMHO is a very very bad idea. Whats going to stop the makers of that reader to "abuse" that kind of data by planting ratings/recomendations? Or if not that, using it as a guideline for selecting what kind of author/genre they should supply?

Which is what is going on right now in various places -- including wikipedia -- on the web.

People are paid to post favorably for a particular cause.

Could be true or reviewers as well I suppose --- payola and all that sorta bad karma.

Slite · 09-08-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Which is what is going on right now in various places -- including wikipedia -- on the web.

People are paid to post favorably for a particular cause.

Which is why you should by all means listen to a recommendation, but in the end trust your own judgement

kennyc · 09-08-2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slite

Which is why you should by all means listen to a recommendation, but in the end trust your own judgement

True. I only want to have some kind of general direction and potentially agreement on books/authors before I spent any time making my own call.

Superlucky · 09-08-2009, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 13xforever

Have anyone tried BookLamp.org? The only problem there is that it's been in beta for ages.

I went and registered so I could try it, but all I found on the site were forums. If there's a link to the actual tool I couldn't find it.

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09-08-2009, 06:27 AM	#17
Crowl Wizard Posts: 1,340 Karma: 1160346 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Southport, GB Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition	It's a shame for those of us outside north america, you can't even use the non-music playing part of pandora to get music suggestions and quite an odd limitation too since you would think that they would want to give people a reason to use their site until such time as it was worth their while expanding.

09-08-2009, 08:11 AM	#18
eaderigt Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: all of them	Hi All, How about http://beta.booklamp.org/ Best. Erik

09-08-2009, 08:23 AM	#19
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Erik - Thanks for the link! It's very much the sort of thing I was wondering about. Quite exciting to see that, actually. It's apparently not ready yet, but they seem to have some great ideas. It will be very interesting to see what they can do with it... with something like this, quality of execution is everything. So many things will determine the final quality of the recommendations - access and analysis of a huge number of books, properly choosing and applying the right criteria, getting the right feedback mechanisms and all the other details that will go into a successful site. Let's hope they find a way to make it work!

09-08-2009, 08:25 AM	#20
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,891 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Ah, I just started a similar thread here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55771 Now I'm going to go back and read this thread.

09-08-2009, 08:53 AM	#22
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,891 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Yeah, slightly different emphasis I think now that I've re-read the entire thread here. But yeah -- true in general -- more "stuff" (information) flying around assaulting our senses and how do we find a way to filter and optimize and efficiently process it.

09-08-2009, 09:12 AM	#23
BearMountainBooks Maria Schneider Posts: 3,746 Karma: 26439330 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Near Austin, Texas Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard	I generally read reviews--and I also like Amazon's recommendations. Other sites use the technique too. Here's a couple of review sites that I've mentioned before. This first one really breaks down a book into the why and why not: http://redadept.wordpress.com/ Then there's Books on the Knob: http://booksontheknob.blogspot.com/ and one of my favorite reviewers because she reviews a bit of everything: http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/ (She's a librarian.) Maria

09-08-2009, 09:59 AM	#24
Format C: Guru Posts: 753 Karma: 1496807 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: The Third World Device: iLiad + PRS-505 + Kindle 3	I'm just trying Book Lamp, but there are really few books to start with... I tried 1984, and the closest match I got is "Patrioct Act" by the U.S Congress.....

09-08-2009, 10:13 AM	#25
rahlquist Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 60 Join Date: Sep 2005 Device: Nook Color (ICS)	This goes back to some of the same concepts I was referring too (albeit not clearly) in the thread I started last month on how the next big successful reader will have social networking built in. Pandora for books would need the same level of interaction as Pandora for music. Which means the best reader will be the one that lets you rate a book when you read it and through some type of connection to a central database builds your recommendation/taste listing.