The Tricky Business of Recommending Books

Hey all! It's been a while since the last post. I'm currently in California, visiting family for the holiday, and a thought came to mind as both my sister-in-law and I AND my sister and I had conversations about books. The question I'm pondering is this: Do you recommend books to friends and family?

Here's where I'm coming from. I myself recommend books with high-flying praises, usually. I find joy in things even if they weren't "my kind" of book. Even books I haven't liked at all *coughcoughThePoisonwoodBiblecoughcough* will get a recommendation from me because they are thought-provoking and enough people around me liked it to not trust my judgement completely.

The issue I find is this- occasionally, I've recommended a book (or a series) and either offended the reader or embarassed them. Has this ever happened to you?

Furthermore, doesn't what you read kind of say a lot about you? I've always thought the phrase "You are what you eat" was wrong- it's "You are what you read". Assuming this is at least a little bit true, what does it mean when I recommend a book and then a friend doesn't like it? In extreme cases it's hurtful, but at best it can be mildly embarassing, right?

So I pose all of these questions to you- Do you recommend books to just anyone, or are you selective? Do you recommend everything you like, or do you keep a few favorites locked away, afraid that someone will dislike it and change your opinion of the book? Am I ridiculous? Have you recommended something with an amusing or interesting result?

Also, a thought to end on- I refused to read Harry Potter until a good friend told me to shut up, stop being a snob, and read it already. I owe her a huge debt! Thanks to everyone that's recommended things to me! What was the best book someone ever recommended to you?

Happy Reading!