The best book I've read

Since talking to my brother, I’ve read 18 novels. I have enjoyed a few of these books very much: They felt they’ve been written with me in mind. A slightly larger group of books I didn’t like much. With these, their characters’ interests didn’t intersect with my interests, or the author and I shared interests I wished I didn’t have: I didn’t like feeling that what kept me reading past the initial pages of Nabakov’s Lolita was curiosity about a pedophile. With the rest of the books, I've liked enough to keep reading but found nothing gripping nor appalling in them.

To find these books, I have followed the strategy I happened upon the day I decided to read Siddhartha: I’ve taken recommendations from friends and family who tell me what their favorite book is. I’ve also gotten a few recommendations from the people who put a book at my eye level on an airport bookshelf and from the people who makes lists of the greatest books ever.

After reading these 18 novels, I began to wonder if I could do better in finding books I enjoy. I want to find the best book I’ve ever read. This blog is about that search.

I’m beginning the search by changing out my recommenders. I’m swapping people who tell me about books they like for recommenders—like librarians and Amazon.com—who, given some knowledge of me, could tell me about books I would like.