Book comparisons have always disappointed me. I understand that publishers need to sell books and that marketing a book as "the next Percy Jackson" or as "The Hunger Games meets Hello Kitty" provides a short and easy way to grab the attention of readers. But too often these promises fall flat. The book proves nothing like Percy Jackson, except that it also is based in mythology. Or the comparison with The Hunger Games is based solely on the fact that both books can be classified in the same genre. I typically read these books and feel disappointed because I wanted a book like Percy Jackson--not just anything with a god or a goddess in it.
I no longer use book comparisons to guide my reading decisions because book comparisons, in my opinion, rely on superficial resemblances between books--and thus are not useful in finding stories that are actually a close reading experience. When I recommend books to people who ask for my opinion, I assume that they are asking for assistance because they do not simply want a book in the same genre. For years almost every middle grade fantasy was compared to Harry Potter (before references to the series became controversial), even if it did not contain a school of magic. It just had to be a fantasy for the same target audience. But if a person is merely seeking a fantasy, any fantasy at all, surely they would not be seeking recommendations; they could choose one at random from the shelf.
When I recommend books, I think of the reading experience (which is, admittedly, personal, but is typically what I, a as reader, want to recapture when seeking similar books). This could include things like setting (place and time), mood (disorienting, whimsical, quirky), tone (nostalgic, apprehensive), and the personal feelings the work evoked in me (wonder, inspiration, reflection, etc.). It bothers me when I see people recommend books like Little Women or Black Beauty to fans of Anne of Green Gables because I don't see these works as having very much in common aside from the fact that they are all older.
I think people recommend any classic as a comparison title for any other classic because readers of classics do, indeed, seem to read classics widely even though they vary greatly in terms of writing style, time period, themes, and genre-- and presumably an avid fan of Hemingway might not be as enamored of Spenser. Little Women is far more didactic than Anne of Green Gables. Black Beauty is narrated by a horse. While I have enjoyed all three works, if I am looking for a title similar to Anne, I probably mean something like, "Can you recommend a book with a spunky yet romantic protagonist that combines romance and humor, has a bit of ironic social commentary running underneath the surface, shows a great love of the local landscape, and suggests that the author takes childhood very seriously?" Little Women is one of my favorite books, but it is not, to my mind, like that at all. It doesn't matter that both books are children's classics with female protagonists--that resemblance is too superficial to make a really useful comparison.
Of course, using my reader experience and my personal emotions towards a book to make recommendations could prove tricky. I cannot be entirely sure that another person interpreted a book the same way I did or that they will experience the same emotions as I did. But I still find these kinds of descriptions more useful than the overly general ones used by publishers to make book comparisons. Almost every YA dystopian book since The Hunger Games has been compared to it and almost none warrant that description, in my opinion. Age range and genre cannot be the only criteria when trying to find a readalike. After all, an epic quest fantasy, a cozy fantasy, and a fantasy focused on political intrigue are not the same at all! We cannot simply say, "But they are all fantasy!"
Book recommendations can be a difficult prospect. So I only have what works for me in my search for readalikes to help me when friends or family ask for recommendations. And I find that thinking about aspects such as prose style, mood, setting, and tone are more useful than just using book comparisons.
How do you recommend books?
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