Common Questions
Lost and confused? Don’t worry. Here's a list of answers to the questions we are most frequently asked. If you are stuck or confused about something on the site, then hopefully this will help.
If you are new to this site the fastest way to learn how to do most things is to join the
new members group where everyone is clever, lovely and helpful and will try and answer any questions you have. When you register with bookarmy you automatically receive an invitation to this group.
If your issue isn't covered on this page, then please
email us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Registration How do I register?
Joining bookarmy is easy. All you need to do is click ‘Join’ on the homepage and then follow the 3 step registration process- it’s very quick and easy so should take less than a minute.
I've forgotten my password!
Click the 'Login' button from any page and in the window that opens press the 'Forgot your username or password?' link and follow the instructions.
If you are still having problems, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
How do I change my password?
Login and go to your profile page by clicking ‘Home’. Next, click ‘Update Profile’ and enter your new password into the ‘New Password’ box and again in the ‘New Password confirm’ box. Then press ‘Submit’. The next time you login you will have to use this new password.
Profiles
How do I create a profile?
When you have registered you will have a profile page. If you want to update or change it, simply click the 'Update Profile' button which can be found on your profile page. You can get to your profile page by logging in and clicking 'Home' or by clicking on your username in the top left hand corner.
How do I delete my profile?
Click the 'Update Profile' button on your profile page. Click 'Remove account from website'. Your profile will disappear within the next few days and you will be automatically removed from our mailing list.
How do I edit my profile?
Go to your profile page by clicking 'Home' and then click 'Update Profile.' Edit all the information you wish to and then click ‘Submit’
What do the pictures next to the usernames mean?
These icons show everyone at a glance how many books you have on you read book list.
You have read 50 -99 books – you have just started adding books and are a Learner.
You have read 100 - 149 books – you’re an Avid Read
You have read 150 - 199 books – you’re a Book Lover.
You have read 200 - 249 books – you’re a Librarian
You have read 250 + books – you’re a Bookworm!
Books
How do I find a Book?
You simply click on 'Books' and type in the title of a book into the search box. (You don't have to be logged in to do this.)
We are still working to improve search, and in the meantime, if you can’t find the book you are looking for, try searching for the author and then looking for the book in the author’s bibliography.
You don't have the book I want!
Our database contains every English Language book with an ISBN number, but if you can’t find what you are looking for please contact us and let us know, including the book title and author’s name.
How do I recommend a book?
You need to log in before you can do this. Search for the book that you wish to recommend and click 'recommend.' This will open up a new message. Fill in the subject and who you want to recommend the book to, and press 'send'.
Another way to recommend a book is to go to the profile page of the friend you want to recommend a book to and then you can click 'Recommend.' This will open up a new message. Fill in which book you wish to recommend and the subject of the message and click 'send'.
The final way in which you can recommend a book is to send someone a message by going to ‘My Mail’ and click ‘Create New Mail’ the fill in who you wish to send the message to, the subject and the book which you wish to recommend.
How does the site decide which books I might like to read?
Our clever recommendations engine uses several different factors to calculate which books to recommend to you. For example, we take into consideration your top rated books. We also compare your reading list to other people's to find the member who has the most similar reading taste to you. We then see which books they have enjoyed but you have yet to read and then feed that information into the equation – so the more you tell us about which books you love, the better the site will become at recommending books you will love.
However, bookarmy is different from other book recommendation sites. Unlike most other book recommendations engines, our suggestions rely principally on our book-loving community sharing with us their vast knowledge about books and authors.
On every book page we ask users to suggest up to three other titles which are in some way similar to that book, and in the same way on an author page, we ask users to suggest other authors who share literary characteristics. These suggestions from real book lovers, along with the other factors, are fed into the recommendations engine and the product is a book you will hopefully enjoy.
How do I suggest similar books?
Go to a book page and click ‘Help us suggest similar books’. This will open another window with a search box at the top and spaces for three similar titles. Type in a similar title in the search box, select the correct title from the options, and it will be displayed in the first box. You can then repeat the process up to three times. Your suggestion will then be sent for approval and will be displayed on the book page shortly.
How do I add a book to my profile?
Find the book you wish to attach and click on the ‘Rate it!’ icon to the right of the title. Clicking this will bring up a menu with four options:
1. Rate it. If you have read the book here is where you give it your star rating out of 5. After you have selected your rating a further menu will appear, where you can change your rating and/or write a review. Once you have finished click either ‘submit’, or ‘submit and recommend’ if you want to tell a friend about the book. If you don’t want to add a review just yet, you can skip it by clicking the ‘close window’ icon in the top right of the box.
2. Currently Reading Select this if you are currently reading the book.
3. I’d like to read this: select this if you plan to read the book .
4. Not Interested: select this if you don't want to read the book and would like to add it to your blacklist. Selecting this will mean that the book no longer shows up in your recommendations section.
Clicking one these options will attach the book to your profile in the appropriate section.
We remember all these decisions and tailor your recommendations accordingly.
Authors
How do I find an author?
You do not need to be logged in to do this. Just select 'Author' from the top menu and type the author's name into the search box.
I'm an author, how can I get involved?
Please, contact us, we'd love to hear from you! Please include your username in your email, this will speed things up.
Groups
How do I join a group?
Click 'Groups' on the top menu and then click on the group that you wish to join and then click 'join group.'
How do I start a group?
Click on 'Groups' on the top menu and then click on 'Create a new group.' A page will then open that will allow you to create your own group by typing in a group name and what the group is about. You can also upload a photo and attach a book and a category.
How do I leave a group?
Simply click on the group you want to leave and then the red ‘x’ where it says ‘leave group’.
How can I talk to a group?
You can post a message on a group wall by clicking on the group and typing your message in the 'Posts' box, and pressing 'post.'
You can also send everyone in a group a message by going to the group page and clicking ‘send group mail’.
Forums
How do I start a forum thread?
Anyone can join in with an existing forum or create a new one. Click 'Create a new forum' which is at the top of the 'Forum' page, and follow the instructions.
An inappropriate comment has been posted!
Please let us know by clicking the 'exclamation' (!) next to the comment. The text will immediately disappear from the site and we will be alerted. If you press this icon by mistake, don't worry we check these messages and will republish any that are not deemed inappropriate.
Events
What is an event?
An event enables you to share the experience of reading a book. Each event has its own forum where members can discuss the book as you read it together. Events always have books attached to them and are live for a set amount of time. Why not have a look at our current bookarmy book of the month event to get started?
Live, Future and Expired events!?
There are three different types of events 'Live,' 'Future' and 'Expired.' 'Live' events are happening at the moment, 'Future' events will start soon and 'Expired' events have already happened and have now finished.
How do I create an event?
Click on 'Events' on the top tool bar and then click 'create an event.'
How do I join an event?
If the event is public, anyone can join by simply clicking ‘join’. If it is a private event, click the same join button, but you will have to wait for the creator of the event to accept your request before you have access to the event.
How do I delete an event?
You can only do this if you are the creator of the event. Simply go to the event and click the red 'Delete Event' button.
How do I extend the dates of an event?
If you created the event you can extend the dates by going to the event and clicking ‘Edit Event’ and then changing the dates on the calendar under the ‘event duration’ section.
Can anyone join an event?
If it is a public event, then anyone can join by simply clicking 'Join.' However, if the creator has decided to make the event private then you have to get their approval to join. This is done in the same way: click on 'Join', but you have to wait until the creator has accepted before you can write on the event wall and see the event page.
How do I stop receiving reminders about an event?
You have to leave the event.
How do I leave an event?
Click on 'Home' on the top menu and then click 'My events' and finally the red 'x' 'Leave Event' icon on the event that you wish to leave.
How do I delete an event I've created?
As the creator of an event you are able to go into the event and click the red 'x Delete Event' button.
How do I create a private event?
You need to be logged in to create the event. Click on the 'Events' button on the top menu and then 'Create a New Event'. This will open another box. Within this box there is an option to select whether or not it is a private event.
If you want to make an existing event private, click ‘Edit Event’ and under the ‘Public or private’ section select ‘bookarmy members must apply to join.’
Other
What is an ‘Alert’? 
Your Alert feed is a list of alerts that are relevant to you. It can be found in the top left hand corner next to the mail icon. Next to the ‘Alert’ box is the number of alerts that you have. Alerts include someone requesting to be your friend, a friend wanting to read a book with you, a friend finishing a book and someone recommending a book to you.
How do I read my mail? 
To read your mail, click the small blue envelope in the top right hand corner or on your home page click ‘My mail.’ If there is a number by the envelope, this is how many unread messages you have.
What do the smiley faces mean?
Your friends are represented by smiley faces. This means that when you go one of your friend’s pages there will be a smiley face next to their name. Similarly if you go to a book and there is a smiley face next to it, it means that one of your friends has read it or is reading it. Furthermore, if you go to a group or an event and there is a smiley face this means that one or more of your friends is a member.
What do the red, yellow or grey doughnuts next to people's names mean?
If someone is online the doughnut will be red and if you hover over it with your cursor, it will tell you what time they logged on.
If it's yellow, this person has recently logged off and if you hover over it the time which they logged off will appear.
If it's grey the person is now offline.
What does the red 'e' mean?
This indicates that there is an event about this book.