Book recommendation is an art...an art that's impossible to master. I've always avoided recommending books to people I know, unless the person is truly desperate to find a book and is close to begging. I dislike recommending because...there are always some people who hold a strong opposite opinion and are not afraid to remind you, or other people that your both know, over and over again. There's nothing more discouraging to see someone else trashing the book that you truly enjoyed reading. It's almost like being told that your child is ugly. No matter what people say...the books you buy, the books you read, and the books you like, can be used to judge you. Recommending books sometimes makes me feel...exposed and vulnerable.
I always think book reading is a fairly private business. We like certain kind or genre of books due to upbringing, culture, life experiences, work and education. There are no two people exactly alike in this world, that's why it's so hard to find someone who reads similar books as we do. I'm envious of people who stay in the same reading group for years. I think they have found their literary soul mate. Rating books is also a very subjective matter. Some people give 5-stars to everything they like; others are reluctant to give even a 4-star. I have a friend who constantly gives 2-stars to books she hates and 3 to books she likes. On the other hand, I have a friend who always gives 5-stars, as long as she likes the book. So much for comparing ratings...
If I really have to, I will recommend books that are well known to be accepted and loved by many different demographics. For example: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, DaVinci's Code by Dan Brown...or even YA favorites like The Hunger Games. Those books never fail me. I can hide among millions of people who also favorite the books and be invisible...
