How to choose the best books?

[A.J.]

This week's Blog is all about Reading:

How do people read so fast?
How many books do you get through in a month?
How to choose the best books?
Plus my Top 10 Delicious and Divine (mostly Crime) Novels of 2013

http://awaines.blogspot.com/2013/12/l...

The Blog of A J Waines: author of Girl on a Train and The Evil Beneath:

[AngryGreyCat]

My children are grown now and I have more time to myself for reading. Being a teacher I have more time for reading in the summer than in the winter months. My reading speed depends upon the type of book I am reading. Little cozy mysteries, I can speed right through. The same with romance novels. More political or thriller type mysteries take a little more time.

I read across a variety of genres and so I have different criteria for choosing books. Sometimes I read about them on book blogs, sometimes I get book recs from Good Housekeeping for women's fiction, I read several for book clubs I belong to and I also read some just because they pop up as free or very cheap for my Kindle and sound interesting.

[Anna]

At this time of year I'm working lots of hours so it slows me right down on my reading plans! But come the new year I will have more free time and will be right on it ;) Love to relax with a good page-turner day or night, but I probably read most at the minute in bed until I can't keep my eyes open anymore!

[A.J.]

David wrote: "It's an interesting thought isn't it how fast we all read.
Some people are very good at skim reading whereas I prefer to read it fully and not just skim.

You then have to take into account peoples..."

Thanks, David - really interesting to hear other people's reading habits!

Alison

[A.J.]

Anna wrote: "At this time of year I'm working lots of hours so it slows me right down on my reading plans! But come the new year I will have more free time and will be right on it ;) Love to relax with a good p..."

I find the problem with bedtime reading is that whilst it's essential to my routine, it also signals to me that it's time to go to sleep and I often find the last few paragraphs/pages are a blank when I come back to the book the next day! Daytime reading is better - I take it in far more.
Alison

A J Waines: author of Girl on a Train and The Evil Beneath:

[Diana]

I rarely if ever watch TV. When my family watch TV I sit in the chair you can't see the screen from (always one no matter how you arrange your living room) and curl up with a book. I generally read two at a time, one indi/lesser known author and one best seller. On average I read one book a week. I'm fascinated when I see people read 400 books a year. I couldn't do that and give justice to the read. My brain is simply not big enough.

[A.J.]

Diana wrote: "I rarely if ever watch TV. When my family watch TV I sit in the chair you can't see the screen from (always one no matter how you arrange your living room) and curl up with a book. I generally read..."

Good for you, Diana, reading one indie/new author as well as a best seller at the same time. Do you find many new writers you like to follow, that way? One a week is pretty good to me!

A J Waines: author of Girl on a Train and The Evil Beneath:

[Pamela]

I am a very slow reader. I used to have an upstairs book and a downstairs book. These days most of my paper books are for research purposes and the upstairs book has been replaced by a kindle and my downstairs book is inside my phone courtecy of kindle.

[A.J.]

Pamela wrote: "I am a very slow reader. I used to have an upstairs book and a downstairs book. These days most of my paper books are for research purposes and the upstairs book has been replaced by a kindle and ..."

Hi Pamela

I love this concept! Upstairs/downstairs books.