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Topic: Other Books We Recommend feature

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lionrose avatar
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Subject: Other Books We Recommend feature
Date Posted: 11/18/2016 1:31 PM ET
Member Since: 6/30/2007
Posts: 3,476
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Not that I use it a lot, but it is helpful sometimes. When I look at a book data page the 'Other Books We Recommend' usually gives other books by an author or similar genre or some other association. Scrolling through can help me find new series and authors, Today I'm only seeing the same set of books no matter what book page I'm on. The books shown are not particularly relevant and some seem to be just random. 

Anyone else seeing this? I wonder if it has to do with the formatting changes we're seeing. As an aside, I've noticed that trying to click the upload button for book images is not working, at least on my iPad.  I wanted to check this stuff out on a different computer (is it just my old iPad?) and see if anyone else had the same issues before I report it to PBS.

Patouie avatar
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Date Posted: 11/18/2016 2:15 PM ET
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Can you give the URL (web address) for a couple of pages where you are seeing this?

BlackPanther avatar
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Date Posted: 11/18/2016 4:28 PM ET
Member Since: 4/2/2007
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When you're on the description page of a book, just look below the main data and the picture. You can scroll thru them left to right.

Patouie avatar
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Date Posted: 11/18/2016 6:01 PM ET
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Yes -- sorry I wasn't clear. I'm still seeing a variety of books offered under "Other books we recommend". I'd be interesting is seeing whether a page where Linda sees only one book offered would show as several books being offered when I look at it. That's why I asked for a couple of URLs.

lionrose avatar
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Date Posted: 11/18/2016 10:11 PM ET
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No matter what book from my WL I check, I see the same group of eight books, they can be scrolled to the right but the top ones never change.  Usually I'll see other books that match the book, e.g. same author, same series, same genre or other similarity. Used to be two sets there: the ones on the left were similar to the main book and I think the ones on the right were books that had been ordered by people who had also ordered the main book. Obscure books often had weird selections but popular books always showed other popular books.  Now I'm just seeing the exact same 8 books regardless of what book page I'm on. The group changes when I change login sessions; tonight I'm seeing different ones than I was seeing when I posted earlier. 

The eight books I'm seeing now are:

A Buccaneer at Heart/Bedding the Heiress/The Five Minute Scarf Arranger/The Martian Race/Erotic Power/Asperger’s Syndrome/Star Trek Emissary/Celebration

 

The first example is on the page for Harry Potter & the Cursed Child/Jack Thorne-J.K. Rowling

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Harry-Potter-Cursed-Child-Bk/book/1338099132/

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Harry-Potter-Cursed-Jack-Thorne-John-Tiffany-JK/book/0751565350/

 

The second example is Cold Dead Brew/Cleo Coyle

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Dead-Cold-Brew-Cleo-Coyle/book/0425276112/

 

The third example is The Nightingale/Kristin Hannah

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Nightingale-Kristin-Hannah/book/1447283074/

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Nightingale-Kristin-Hannah/book/0312577222/

 

Always the same, no matter what book, no matter what version of the same book. 



Last Edited on: 11/18/16 10:12 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
Patouie avatar
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Date Posted: 11/20/2016 3:34 AM ET
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Okay, that helps. I see what you mean. My books are different from your books, but they don't seem to be related to the book I'm looking at, and my recollection is that I used to see books that were similar to the one I was looking at.

I believe that the books I'm seeing now are the same as the "Books Available to Order from Club Members in..." books showing on the Home Page -- the ones that are tied to my genre pics on the Home Page.

Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 11/27/2016 6:07 AM ET
Member Since: 6/30/2008
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When I look at a book in a search the 'recommended' books are the same no matter what I have searched for and no matter what the searched book is. I can look up several books but the recommended books are always the same books and have no relation to the books I have searched for. This feature is essentially worthless as it is now.

lovejaneeyre avatar
Date Posted: 11/27/2016 9:22 AM ET
Member Since: 3/25/2014
Posts: 2,793
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Other Books We Recommend:

When I use the "Other Books We Recomend" feature it shows me this:  

Books Available to Order from Club Members in    ----- Show All ----- 

Books Available to Order from Club Members in    ----- Show All -----   Is what I see on the front page when I log in.  So something is out of sync.  

 

lionrose avatar
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Date Posted: 11/27/2016 1:19 PM ET
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It is still showing eight (different) books, same group no matter what page I use, same as the main account page as well.

I sent in feedback to find out why it was changed.

I prefered the original way since having books with the same author, series or genre was very helpful. So was the second part showing books ordered by others who had ordered the main book.