Help us improve the books site
This week, we'd like you tell us which authors' book lists you'd like to see
Last week R1cardo left this message in Tips, links and suggestions: "Isn't this the fifth time you've asked for suggestions on how to improve the books site in a month? How much help do you need? :p" Well, R1cardo, you make a good point.
When the revolutionary new books site went live back in April we launched Tips, links and suggestions (let's abbreviate to TLS) envisaging that it would be a meeting point, where you, our books community, could congregate and chat to one another, report any issues or bugs you found on the new site, and tell us exactly what you'd like to see here. So far it has been working well and some fantastic stuff has come out of it: the bookshelf Flickr group was an idea left in TLS by frustratedartist and the series of live webchats with various publishing professionals, which finished last Friday, came from an idea suggested by Degrus, UnpublishedWriter and RolandKempston - thanks to everyone who took part.
But, as R1cardo has indicated, it's probably time we moved it on a bit. So, from this week, TLS will have a bit more structure to it. A new TLS thread will still be posted on a Monday and be left open for a week for you to share interesting book-related links and report issues you find on the site, or books you're having problems searching for. But primarily, this is the THE place to tell us what we should be writing about, which authors we should be interviewing on the podcast and the next series we should be commissioning. I'll also kick each thread off with a question or idea on which we'd like your feedback. This week's subject is one! of the site's new tools: book lists. Which author would you like us to ask to create their book lists?
Anyone with a Guardian user account can make a book list. Here are Sarah Crown's lists, for example, this is what I'm reading at the moment, and here are the books being added to lists now. You can add up to 100 books to eight pre-titled lists:
To read
Reading it
I've read it
Favourite books
100 must-read novels
Overrated books
Books I've reviewed
Books to buy
Tell us the author and the list you would like them to start building, and we'll ask them and see what happens.
Updates - the list so far
Monday afternoon - Thanks to everyone who has posted author and list suggestions either in the thread below or via Twitter. Here's a selection of comments:
ewillse in the comments writes:
I would love a list of Books I've Read Over And Over. The books people come back to illuminate both books and people for me.
People I'd love to see lists from:
Iain M. Banks
Ian Rankin
Neil Gaiman
@spenserdavis on Twitter said:
@GuardianBooks David Mitchell- favorite books OR 100 must-read novels
@kalsnats retweeted @Guardianbooks and suggested:
Jasper Fforde, William Dalrymple, Helen Fielding RT @guardianbooks Which authors' books lists would you like to see? http://t.co/lAnGCaS
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