The influence of others...

Since joining librarything a few months ago I have come to know those members who have similar tastes to mine. So, if one of them endorses a book I haven't read, I'll put it on my list or move it up the list. And, if one of them dislikes a book I'll be less interested in reading it.

Recommendations (and condemnations!) of books have influenced my choice of what to read next from the TBR pile. For instance, I've had On Beauty for several months now, but haven't gotten around to reading it as most people seem to have had a luke-warm reaction to it at best.

I had never heard of Jasper Fford before LibraryThing but I have now read three of his books. Seeing the overall reaction to certain books can indeed move them up or down on my (mental) list of what to try next.

It has caused me to look back at an author of a series and say I missed that book and go back and pick it up and read it.

I have some new names of authors to read.

Library thing has introduced me to new authors. I would never have discovered Allison Brennan. Her book Playing Dead was the first book I won from the ER program. Plus there are many more books that I have found from recommendations from members and also from all the challenges I have joined in since I joined a year ago.

Finding new authors, or books on a similar topic to one I already have, is much easier. Recommendations are sometimes useful, sometimes not. The "will you like it?" feature sometimes is right and sometimes isn't for me - I'm not entirely sure why - maybe my range of books is a bit odd. Very handy way to find out which books I am missing in a series, or haven't read from a series.

LibraryThing keeps me up to date on new books.