I honestly don't think that people understand what they're getting themselves into when they ask an avid reader to recommend them some new reading material. They can be stepping in very dangerous territory, and might have just gotten in over their heads.
I mean, this can go one of two ways basically...
One, the person walks away with a plethora of new books to seek out and get lost in.
Or they become increasingly overwhelmed by the list they are about to receive, and may think the recommender is a little bit crazy...
"You should read this, and that, oh, and this one too! This one is really great!"
The person being asked for book recommendations may think the one who asked is a little crazy themselves. Especially when the only way to describe a book is like this:
It honestly can get pretty ugly sometimes.
The first question readers have to ask is: "Well, what do you like to read?"
How else would we recommend a book if we didn't know the genre or some of the books the asker likes. The answer: "All kinds of things", doesn't really help narrow it down either. We need specifics--genres, book titles, author names, character descriptions, etc. Otherwise, this will turn into an all day conversation. Though, when it comes to bibliophiles and books... conversations could last for days depending on the topic--just warning you.
Many of us really do become giddy with excitement when someone asks us for new reading material. Especially after we discover that they have similar tastes in genres because it's almost like making a new friend.
So be prepared for our eyes to light up and our voices to fill with emotion when we discuss certain books. We just might go on a rant/rave about said book, doing our very best not to give any spoilers away (though it can be really hard sometimes). For a lot of us, books are a part of our everyday lives (why else would you be asking us for ideas?), and we tend to become extremely passionate when talking about them.
Then there are those who can become annoyed when asked for reading recommendations. This mainly happens when the person asking doesn't give enough context as to what they're looking for (see above:"What do you like to read"). Or the asker turns down much of what we recommend, and then we feel as though we're wasting our time.
With that being said, we really will try our best to give you a list of books that you would probably like, but be prepared for the overpowering amount of information we may just give you in the process.
I once gave someone who asked for book recommendations the list of every book I own...
Are you prepared for something like that?
