Around the World in 80 Books discussion
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How Do You Choose the Next Book to Read?
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I pretty much do the same thing you do. I also will join for the book of the month or read with a buddy group if they are books I want to read - all on my Goodreads groups. This year one thing I did was make an A-Z challenge by title all from books on my bookshelf.
Sarah wrote: "I pretty much do the same thing you do. I also will join for the book of the month or read with a buddy group if they are books I want to read - all on my Goodreads groups. This year one thing I di..."The A-Z is a really good idea and a good way to get those books off the tbr shelf. If only I didn't add them at a faster rate than I can read them!
My bookshelf at home - my preowned books - but my tbr shelf here on Goodreads is now over 600 books.
My bookshelves at home are a fright! My (current) rule is that once I read the book I will post in in a bookswap or give it to charity to get it off the shelves. I also try to cull the real books by substituting them with ebooks if I can get them for free or very on sale. My virtual tbr list rule is that I only put books on my GR tbr if I actually own them and I never let the tbr number exceed half of the number of books I have actually read. Gosh, why I do I feel it necessary to make all these weird rules for myself?
My tbr list is any book title I come across that I would like to read ... someday, hopefully. But this just continues to grow exponentially. I went crazy last year buying used books at Goodwill from my tbr list, but now I have got to clear up some bookshelf space. I also recycle my books, trade-in or donate - keep my favorites that I loan out to co-workers and friends.
I don't have a schedule and pick up the book I would like to read in that precise moment. It happens a lot of times that I say "the next book I'll read will be XYZ" and then I pick up another one.Challenges don't help me. On the contrary, I'm not very good with challenges because of my way to pick up books!
I choose books by looking at what's available in audiobooks from the online library, my mood and sometimes what is next in a series. I've chosen a few books that for one reason or another were just to tedious at the time so I return it, flag it and later check it out again; many times that book becomes one of my favorites.
I am glad to see others have the same problem that I have - deciding which book to read next, what to do with an every increasing tbr list, and how to get through the unread books on my bookshelf (and now my also my kindle).I am a list maker so have all types of lists and reading schedules. I guess I make that to make me feel good. Because it seems what book I pick up on any given day depends on my mood (and occasionally when I need to finish a book for review or BOM read).
But my downfall is like debut novels and new releases that I have been anticipating.
I too am doing the A-Z from my bookshelf (as it seems those are the books that nag me more than the unread books on my kindle.
But at the end of the year - when I look at how I have done with my challenges and other reading resolutions - I find it really does not matter and smile to myself as I had a very good reading year!
Beverly wrote: "I am glad to see others have the same problem that I have - deciding which book to read next, what to do with an every increasing tbr list, and how to get through the unread books on my bookshelf (..."I am a list maker, as well.
If we don't make these rules then our to-be-read piles would be crazy!
I tend to stay with my favorite authors, and always look forward to their next publication. Mainly, I will have a fiction and non-fiction book going at the same time, so that I can move from one to the other depending on my mood at the time. I enjoy these goodreads groups, but the challenges really don't work for me as they are pretty demanding. I taught literature all my life, and now I just want to saunter and ramble and wander through books.
Julia wrote: "I tend to stay with my favorite authors, and always look forward to their next publication. Mainly, I will have a fiction and non-fiction book going at the same time, so that I can move from one to..."Love your idea of just wanting to saunter and ramble through you reading.
I am a bit more disciplined, maybe because I didn't spend my life teaching literature. I have 2 or 3 challenges going, which I use as a guide. I am easily distracted, and always reserve the right to go off- track and read whatever shiny new book appeals to me.
I decide which book I will read next, based on availability, return dates on library books, mood, the weather....many variables. I am highly susceptible to picking up new releases. If it is new, it must be good, right? I know that doesn't make sense, but I am not a big fan of the classics. I do have 2 or 3 challenges to keep me focused and balanced.
I used to have a rule of no more than 100 TBR on my list. I am now running around 240 with no regrets. I do scrutinize what goes on the list.
I just choose which ever feels good. I have tons of books from library and of course those need to be read before I can read my own books, and every time that I'll go and return my library books, I end up borrowing new ones, so my own books just waits at the shelf. I have couple reading challenges, but I don't think that I'll ever finish those, cause I always choose books which can't be used for challenges.
Maybe I need to make a lists as well, but then I don't use those. For example I have 1 list and it's this Around the world 80 books in 1001 books, but haven't read books from that list in months, cause always something better comes along.
I decide on a whim. Challenges help if there aren't too many. But adjusting to challenges means some books are delayed. Not kinda a great idea. :/
I like to alternate fiction and non-fiction books. However, if I'm reading a book that is particularly challenging I'll often have an extra book (fiction and non brain draining) that I'll keep by my bed to read right before I go to sleep. That means the other book gets read while commuting and during lunch. I try very hard to buy maybe 5-6 books at a time off Amazon (although I pick up books randomly when I visit charity shops as well) at a time and only order new books when I've started the last one. Recently this has not been working at all. Now I actually own about 20 books that need to be read and I'm so excited to tuck into all of them that I find myself just blindly grabbing whatever book my hand touches first.
I love the idea of challenges but I haven't actually done one yet. I don't want to fail one and it seems like they wouldn't leave a lot of space for reading tangents. Like when I started reading the Game of Thrones series. I've had my husband hide the last two so that the wait until the next new one won't seem so long.
What would be a good challenge that isn't timed? Just maybe something to introduce new books or expand the type of history that I tend to read?
Hello everyone! As a debut author, I hope you don't mind me asking you these related questions... Do you follow book blogs and choose books based on good reviews there? Would you choose a book that an author has posted in the promotion areas of this group (if you like the synopsis of course)?
As for me, I tend to choose rather randomly so I'm not a very good example!!
Any comment is most appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Adria, I'm a debut author as well; just joined Goodreads. So...I have to say I tend to choose randomly as well - not that there's anything wrong with that!
Hi Rita, Welcome to Goodreads... It's a cool place for writers! Thanks for your comment. There are so many ways that people go about selecting books it seems. I guess that gives us writers a variety of ways to have our books discovered by readers! At least, let's hope :)
I visited Paris for the first time last fall, and loved it! I will of course be getting your book!
Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip to Paris. Hope you will come back again... There is so much to discover here! And thank you for reading my book. Hope it will transport you to Paris :)
This is a first for me. For once I am reading for me and not my students. That is why I join several book clubs on Goodreads. I start there and the piles are growing on my table! I have my fiction and nonfiction piles and begin several books, and read what interests me. I have to say I haven't found a book these past two months that I just couldn't put down. But I am reading books that I probably would not have tried, so thanks!
Yesterday, April 5, 2014, Peter Matthiessen died. Here is the NY Times article about him: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/boo...Several of his books are already on the shelves, but in his honor I've added a few more. I remember teaching my students a phrase: In the Middle Ages, pilgrims traveled for holy days; today, tourists travel on holidays.
Peter Matthiessen was always a pilgrim, seeking wonder.
Whatever relates to my bible studies or traveling interests.
I choose the next book based on my mood. Of course I have a very long To-Read list, but I never read them in any order. Sometimes I need something uplifting or light-hearted, but I may want to follow that up with something very edgy.
There's a big element of chance with me. Years ago, I lived in a country where Arabic was the first language, French the second and English a very poor third, so when I found a small shop with some secondhand paperbacks in English, I just read the lot. They included what became my favourite book, Bright Dayby J.B. Priestley. Today I plan my reading more, but I'll still pick up a bargain in a charity shop or a cheap Kindle download, and I'll often be pleased I did.
It is totally random based on my mood. I have a list of interesting potential reads, usually based on recommendations, knowledge of the author or things I have read about the books. Like most people I also have a pile of books which I have been given or have bought but not got round to reading. I'll pick one that seems right at the time!
The other scenario is that I don't have anything with me but find myself with some unexpected reading time and head to a bookshop or charity shop and make a completely spontaneous buy. These are sometimes the best!
I'm definitely a mood reader. If there is a challenge then I will read that book, but for my side reads I randomly pick books based on my mood. Sometimes I finish and sometimes I don't. I can usually remember the events in a story so coming back isn't a problem for me. I buy books faster than I can read them, so finding a spot for the new books is a definite priority.
One of my bucket list items is to read every book in my home library. Nevertheless, my Kindle is actively downloading new ones! I like recommendations from friends but when that is lacking I look for books that have some depth and provoke thought, be it a novel, spiritual texts, natural science, or a good play.
It's easy to tell that many of you read the way sharks eat!I always have stacks of books around, but really I just read whatever I feel like at the time. Some I read fast, others I slowly nibble to death.
Around the World in 80 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Bright Day (other topics)Authors mentioned in this topic
J.B. Priestley (other topics)Peter Matthiessen (other topics)
How do you decide which book will be the next book you read?