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Topic: Is there a trick to browsing here?

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DMSB avatar
Subject: Is there a trick to browsing here?
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 6:49 PM ET
Member Since: 2/10/2007
Posts: 51
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I can't quite figure out how to effectively browse this site.  Maybe you all can give me some old-timer pointers?    How do you identify new authors?   I've checked my recommendations, but I keep getting romance novels, which I don't really read, or books already on my list (ex:  I love Robert B Parker, and have read all his books.  So I keep getting recommendations for Robert B Parker books.  It's a bit frustrating.)

Is there a trick to this?   How are you all finding things to read?   At this point, if I don't already know what I'm looking for, I can't seem to find anything.   Help?

Oh, also, is there any way to set the "Members who requested this book also requested" tags to text, instead of those illegible bookcover thumbnails?   Scrolling over them and waiting for the pop ups to load is driving me up a wall.  

As always, thanks.

Donna B



Last Edited on: 9/4/07 6:58 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
Generic Profile avatar
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Date Posted: 9/4/2007 6:52 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
Posts: 26,510
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Go to the board for the genre you prefer.  Post a thread that you are looking for new authors and list some of your favorites.  You can search by genre and then read reviews of books.
DMSB avatar
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 6:58 PM ET
Member Since: 2/10/2007
Posts: 51
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Oh, what a great idea.  Thanks!

Donna B
grendelynn avatar
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 6:59 PM ET
Member Since: 8/15/2005
Posts: 4,469
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I find things I want on amazon--then look them up here by title.  Amazon does a decent job of making recommendations based on previous purchases, too.
DMSB avatar
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 7:11 PM ET
Member Since: 2/10/2007
Posts: 51
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Another great idea.  Thanks.   I just knew you all would have some tips for me.  :)

 

Donna B
Poncer avatar
Standard Member medalMember of the Month medalBook Cover Image Group medalBook Data Correction Group medalFriend of PBS-Gold medalPBS Cruise Attendee medal10th Anniversary PBS Cruise Attendee medalPBS Blog Coordinator medal
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 7:44 PM ET
Member Since: 10/23/2005
Posts: 7,720
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Besides the suggestions already mentioned here, I like to use FantasticFiction.com, click on Robert B Parker's list and you can see who and what he recommends. Then you can click on those authors and see what else they have written. Most of the books under each author have at least the book cover blurb, some have reviews.
Another cool site is StoryCode.com. They have a "What should I read next?" section that is helpful.
Then there is literature-map.com, another site that recommends similar authors. When I typed in Rober B Parker, it gave me about 50 other author names.
Gnooks.com is another that will match your tastes to other authors and they have discussion forums there too. Happy Hunting!



Last Edited on: 9/4/07 7:46 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
DMSB avatar
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 7:58 PM ET
Member Since: 2/10/2007
Posts: 51
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Cheryl, you're a genius.  Thanks for the suggestions!

 

Donna B
KarenLS avatar
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Date Posted: 9/4/2007 8:49 PM ET
Member Since: 1/4/2006
Posts: 1,486
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From the Help Center:

How to find books to request

You can find a book to request at PBS many, many ways! 

There are three main Search pathways:

  • Quick Search field   ...in the toolbar at the top of the site.

To use the Quick Search, enter any keyword in the field and click

  • The Search Area   ...click Search in the toolbar.

Click Search in the toolbar.  Tabs include Browse by Genre, Browse Member Books, Browse by Title.  Links include Advanced Search, Books Posted Today, NYT Bestsellers and award-winning booklists.

  • The Search Menu   ...that drops down under Search in the toolbar.

Mouse over Search in the toolbar and choose from the menu that drops down.

 Search Tips:

  • You can choose to view All Books, Only UnPosted, Only Posted, and Only Club Wish Listed, on any search result.
  • There is a link to the Advanced Search on each search result to narrow that search.
  • If a search result doesn't find the book you want, click "Don't see the book you are looking for?" on the upper right.
  • Click any author's name on a Book Details page to see a list of that author's works.


Examples of what you can do. (Click a link to be taken to details of how to do this)

 Examples of How to Find a Book: 

 

Looking for a specific book? (do you know the title?)

  • Do a Quick Search:
    • Enter a title into the Search field in the toolbar at the top of the site.
    • Click

 

 Looking for an author?

  • Do a Quick Search:

    • Enter an author name into the Search field in the toolbar at the top of the site.
    • Click

 

 

 

 Want to see ALL of an author's books in one list?

  • Do a Quick Search:
    • type the author's name into the Search field in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Click
    • When your search results come up
      • click the author's name under any book on the search result page
      • you will see a list of ALL of that author's books, with available books in green, and currently unavailable books in red!
      • You can also get to the list by clicking the author's name on the Book Details page for any book by that author.

 

 

 Want to Browse Books in a Specific Genre?

  • There is a Browse by Genre tab in the Search area:
    • Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Choose the Browse by Genre tab, second from the left
    • Choose a genre from the dropdown list
      • Then choose a subgenre (if you want ) from the list that appears to the right
    • Click
    • You can narrow your search results by choosing further sub-genres at the top of the page
      • use the boxes that appear to the right of your Genre/Subgenre choices to select further sub-subgenres from the dropdown menus
    • You can also "jump" to any other genre/subgenre from the top of any Genre search result

 

 

 

 Want to browse Popular Genres (Westerns, Homeschooling, Audiocassettes, AudioCDs, and Libros en Espanol)?

  • Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
  • Choose the Browse by Genre tab, second from the left
  • Click any of the Popular Genre links on the left on the Browse By Genre view

 

 

 Want to see only specific booktypes (audio, hardcover, Large Print) of a specific title or author or genre?

  • Use the Advanced Search:
    • Place your cursor over Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Click Advanced Search in the menu that drops down
    • Enter the title or author or genre you are interested in
    • Click to place a checkmark in the box beside booktype(s) you are interested in
    • Click

 

 

 Want to see only books about a certain subject (ie, quilting)?

  • Use the Quick Search:

    • enter your keyword in the Search field in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Click

 

 

 Want to see Award-Winning Books?

  • See the current New York Times Bestseller Lists
    • From the toolbar at the top of the site:
      • Place your cursor over Search in the toolbar
      • Click NYT Bestsellers from the menu that drops down
    • From the Search area:
      • Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
      • Click the "NYT Bestsellers" link at the top of the page
  • See Pulitzer Prize Winners or Newbery Medal Winners
    • Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site
    • Click the link to "Pulitzer Prize Winners" or "Newbery Medal Winners"

 

 Want to browse members' bookshelves?

  •  Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the site

    •  Click the Member Book Search tab
      • Enter PBS Nickname OR City and State OR PBS User Email into the appropriate field
      • Click
      • Click the link to "Posted Books" next to any member's name in the search result to bring up his or her bookshelf (links to member Wish Lists are shown too)

Once on a member's bookshelf, you can:

  •  
  • Browse by genre:
    • Click at the top of the page
    • Choose a genre to see only items in a specific genre on that bookshelf
    • Sort the bookshelf to display by title, author, or date posted, in ascending or descending order.
  • Do a keyword search:
    • Click
    • enter author, title, subject, booktype, publisher, etc. into the Keyword search field that pops up

 

 

 Want to see books that have been recently posted? (Books Posted Today):

  • place your cursor over Search in the toolbar and click Books Posted Today in the menu that drops down

Want to Browse Member Book Reviews?

  • Place your cursor over Search in the toolbar
  • Click Member Book Reviews in the menu that drops down
    The most recently-written book reviews will be at the top

 

Related Links:



Last Edited on: 9/4/07 8:51 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 9:08 PM ET
Member Since: 1/29/2007
Posts: 3,365
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I usually just search for specific books. If I'm in the mood to browse, I have a few sellers who I've ordered books from that seem to read the same types of things I do so I just browse their bookshelves to see if they have anything I want.
Mistry avatar
Kim (Mistry) -
Standard Member medal
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 9:30 PM ET
Member Since: 6/23/2006
Posts: 4,135
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  I also like to browse in my favorite genre threads and ask around.  I also check the wish lists of the members posting in there. I've added tons that way!

 One of the sites I've found that is pretty cool is www.gnooks.com   Select Gnod's suggestions.  You type in 3 of your favorite authors and they give you suggestions for other authors!

 
royaltech avatar
Member of the Month medalBook Cover Image Approver medalBook Data Coordinator medalFriend of PBS-Gold medal
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 9:40 PM ET
Member Since: 11/14/2005
Posts: 6,421
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Check out Literature-Map. You can input your fav author and it will give you similar authors. Then you can take one of those author names and go to FantasticFiction (listed above) or here, or Amazon, to find books by that author.

You can also put the name of books into either of these sites, and they will suggest other books for you:

Reader2 This site seems to be very young and not a lot of authors and books are listed, but it was very good in what it does have. I went to the bottom of the home page and clicked on the FULL author cloud. Which gave me all the authors listed. I clicked on Dan Brown, then one of his books. I got a review and then clicked "hat book to read next" and got a whole list of books that have similar tags (like comments or remarks) that are similar to the ones given to the book I had look at by Brown.

StoryCode is another site basically like Reader2. I don't think it has much more than Reader2, but it is another place to find similar books to ones you are familiar with.

Stop, You’re Killing Me! is a great resource for mystery, crime, thriller, spy, and suspense books. With "over 2,200 authors, with chronological lists of their books (over 26,000 titles), both series and non-series" you should be able to find titles you like if you know the names of authors that write the types of books you like.

Of course, if you like Robert Parker, that means you probably like mysteries and can always just go to the Search button here on PBS, in the grey bar at the top of the page, and click the All Books link. Then select the tab Browse by Genre and using the dropdown go to Mysteries or General and browse to see what's here.

But I think there are way to many books to do it that way. I highly recommend using a more review based site to find authors and then titles that you might like, then come here to see if they are posted, and WL a few that are not and order some that are!

Hope that helps!
Nighteyes555 avatar
Date Posted: 9/4/2007 11:57 PM ET
Member Since: 6/10/2006
Posts: 861
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Donna,

  I just click on the "search" tab and then click on "books posted today" or I go to Borders and find books I want and then get them here.
DMSB avatar
Date Posted: 9/5/2007 5:59 AM ET
Member Since: 2/10/2007
Posts: 51
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Karen S. thanks for going to the trouble of reprinting that.    I've actually read the help pages.  :)    The problem I have is that the search results are always WAY too broad and numerous, and the same book comes up in different bindings and languages...   I haven't had any luck with the search function.  It's kind of like trying to find out the name of a dry cleaners in cincinnati by Googling "Ohio" and trying to sort through the results.   Ok, without the porn links.  :)   Unfortunately.  :)

Denise, thanks for the advice!   I always look through the bookshelves of people I order from - it never occurred to me to check back.   Good idea.     And Misty, thanks.  I'll try Gnod's suggestions.    I'm getting the idea that mostly, people tend to come here already knowing what they're looking for, rather than poking around the site browsing what is available.    That's good to know.

Thanks, guys!

 

Donna B

 

 
Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 9/5/2007 8:48 AM ET
Member Since: 11/8/2006
Posts: 871
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I like to search by publisher.  Eack book description has a publisher link and youwill find that you have certain publishers come up again and again.  For me, I see Penquin and Vintage often.

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