The first book you see in a bookstore

[Juanita]

The first book you see in a bookstore? That's a whole lot of pressure ...

[Sara]

I think my niece and I decided we are going to take turns leading the other to a section with our eyes closed. The first book we we on that shelf is the one!

[Katie]

Sara wrote: "I think my niece and I decided we are going to take turns leading the other to a section with our eyes closed. The first book we we on that shelf is the one!"

I love that idea!

[CarleyB]

Katie wrote: "Sara wrote: "I think my niece and I decided we are going to take turns leading the other to a section with our eyes closed. The first book we we on that shelf is the one!"

I love that idea!"

Ditto!

[Marisa]

I love that idea!!!!

[Nadine in NY]

I get almost all my books from the library, so I've re-interpreted this category as First book you see in the library. For the past few weeks, I've experimented with it, noting the first book I see each time I walk into the library ... and each time, it's been either a book I read already (therefore disqualified, for me), or a book I have NO INTEREST in reading (like, REALLY no interest, autobiographies of people I despise, that sort of thing). So ... I think I'm going to further reinterpret this one to be: First book you see in the library that you might want to read. How much do you think this is cheating?

[Tara]

I don't think it's cheating, I mean when I walk into a book store I see several books as soon as I walk in so regardless there will be some degree of choosing which one to pick. Also if you go to the library often then you could just choose the first one you see some day when you see one you like lol. OR go to a book store and have someone blindly take you to a section you like then choose the first you see there and get it at the library, nobody says you have to buy it :)

[Marisa]

I don't think it is cheating too because sometimes in my book store they have children books right when you walk in. I don't really want to read a ten page children book for this challenge so, if that is the case for me then I shall keep walking!

[Melody]

I've started a list for this prompt with the book, date, and bookstore. That way I'll have a decent number of books to choose from by the end of the year.

[Monica]

I was planning to get the first book I see in a library (not a bookstore), too. I've already asked a friend to go with me to the library, and while I wait in the lobby, she is to get me any old book she wants and bring it to me, and that's the book I'll read. I asked her if she knows who my favorite authors are, and she said, "Not really," which is good, because then she'll be completely objective in picking out a book for me. I hope it won't be a 7-day book or a really big boring book, but I'm not going to say anything to her. I'll just hope for the best.

[Melody]

So I flew from one major airport to another today. I ran across 5 different airport bookstores today. If anyone is flying home from the holidays, walk around your terminal and see which book first catches your eye! 4 of the books I first saw I would never read in like a million years (What is more Florida than having a Christian self-help niche bookstore in their airport across the way from a Disney Store?). However, one of the books that I saw first at one of those airport newsstands looks pretty interesting! Just thought this might be a helpful for people who don't necessarily go to bookstores often or are having trouble finding stuff they like for this prompt. :)

[Marisa]

Um the first book I saw in the bookstore was an adult coloring book. Not sure where to go from here....

[Katherine]

Melody wrote: "So I flew from one major airport to another today. I ran across 5 different airport bookstores today..."

Ah, that would have been a great idea! I was in 4 different airports yesterday and didn't even think about it. Good call.


Marisa wrote: "Um the first book I saw in the bookstore was an adult coloring book..."

A year of coloring sounds lovely. :)

[Joellen]

I am reading a murder mystery, The monogram murders. Its good! Looking forward to the year of reading, I joined late last year, this year starting right on time.

[Helen]

I think my interpretation will be - 1st book I see in a charity shop

[Kirsten]

Nadine wrote: "I get almost all my books from the library, so I've re-interpreted this category as First book you see in the library. For the past few weeks, I've experimented with it, noting the first book I see..."

That's what I was planning on doing. Either that or doing the same thing when I go to my local used bookstore. But they usually put the more expensive stuff up front.

[Rachel]

I don't go to bookstores very often, so I'm most likely going to visit a bookstore's website and pick the first book I see there, or at least the first book I see that I haven't already read.

[Kitty]

In my favorite bookstore the books that are right next to the entrance are coffeetable books with pictures, of books like 'wreck this journal'. The nearest shelf of fiction holds the best sellers (ever, so not the current bestsellers), which is also totally not that eventful (and I read most of them).

I think I will go to my library and pick a book from the 'new-in' collection. That's only about 20 books so still eventful, and a wide selection. But I am not going to choose randomly and end up with something shitty.

[Jillian]

I'm planning on using one of the books I get through the kindle first on amazon. I don't think I have read one of the book I have gotten so this will help me to read a one.

[Nadine in NY]

I'm rethinking my original plan - rather than choose the first book I see that I WANT to read at my library, I'm going to just keep noting the first book I see each time I visit, until finally I hit on one that looks interesting - this will add some randomness, which can be enriching (or it can be crappy - it's a gamble!!)

[Kristy]

Okay, I did it. I went to Barnes & Noble. Kept my eyes averted to the discount books at the beginning (I really don't want a book about origami) and the first book I saw was Saturn Run by John Sanford. Super sci-fi, which I really don't enjoy. But I'm going to do it. Because maybe this will be awesome. But I didn't buy it. Library to the rescue.

[Nadine in NY]

Kristy wrote: "Okay, I did it...."

Thumbs up!!! :-)

[Melody]

Nadine wrote: "I'm rethinking my original plan - rather than choose the first book I see that I WANT to read at my library, I'm going to just keep noting the first book I see each time I visit, until finally I hi..."

That's what I've been doing too! I'm very lucky in that I live in a city with a lot of bookstores. I figure eventually I will come across something good! I've also been using non-book stores that have a book section like Target.

[Elke]

Rachel wrote: "I don't go to bookstores very often, so I'm most likely going to visit a bookstore's website and pick the first book I see there, or at least the first book I see that I haven't already read."

That's a great idea! Website or email newsletter that I get.

[Tara]

I'm nervous about the randomness but I think I'll just go for it and do the first I see that l haven't read

[Kirsten]

My library always displays a bunch of books up front. I'll probably pick the first one that catches my eye.

[Rachel]

Elke wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I don't go to bookstores very often, so I'm most likely going to visit a bookstore's website and pick the first book I see there, or at least the first book I see that I haven't alre..."

Thanks. It's a bit biased too possibly, since many of those sites tend to put things on the front page based on your search history. I would hate to read something I have no interest whatsoever in though...

[Katherine]

Summer wrote: "I walked in front of Chapters and grabbed the first book I saw and bought it. I'll be interested to see how it goes! It's called, "The Wildlings" and from what I gather, about cats who talk..."

Oh my god, that's hilarious. I applaud your dedication to the prompt and look forward to hearing about these talking cats.

[Christophe]

I did buy the first book I saw in the first bookstore I visited this year, and I'm reading it these days. So there, no cheating.

On the other hand, that was a museum bookstore, at the exit of the "Marc Chagall and music" exhibit at the Paris Philharmonie. And, figure that, the first book I saw was the catalogue for that exhibition, which I intended to buy anyway... Was that on purpose? That's for me to know and for you to guess! ;-)

[Lindi]

I went into Barnes & Noble today since I was in the area, averted my eyes and went straight to the YA section, since I figured I would most likely find something I would semi-enjoy...and the first book I saw was of course part of a series. So I left haha.

But then of course I just realized I live down the street from a Half Price...so I will try this again.

[Marisa]

Haha Lindi that is pretty funny. The first book I saw was an adult coloring book so, I will have to try this prompt again as well.

[Jillian]

I went to the library yesterday and the first book I saw was The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen. I hope it is good. (It also will work for a different group's challenge. I needed a book with a fruit in the title.)

[Keely]

Sara wrote: "I think my niece and I decided we are going to take turns leading the other to a section with our eyes closed. The first book we we on that shelf is the one!"

This is what me and my sister did, I got "A Thousand Peices of You" and she got "An Abundance of Katherines". Pretty happy with both of those.

[Nadine in NY]

Same here with the series! Several times now I've eyeballed books at my grocery store and on the front display at my library, and each time, the first I see is either a book I read already, or (more commonly) part of a series! I might just go w the Lee Child book I saw, I think you can read any book in his series?

[Rachel]

I like the idea I've seen a few people suggest, of making a list over several visits and picking from that.

[Joellen]

I picked up a cat, the devil and the escape. Its a good read so far.

[Rachel V.]

I just finished Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz for this prompt and it was amazing! My book store had it displayed at the door a few weeks ago and it caught my eye.

[Kitty]

It's a really hard thing to do. Yesterday I tried to go to the bookstore, but at first glance I already noticed several books. They featured a lot of selfhelp books in the window, because of new year's resolutions. The first book inside I saw was by Keri Smith, a new follow up to Wreck this journal, which is not really a book to buy and read, and then the first novel I noticed was a book I has already read. At second glance, I saw more than one book. So I didn't buy anything. Really hard prompt!

[Marta]

I have interpreted this as a random book that grabs my attention that I did not plan on reading. This happened when I saw Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was online but I do not remember where... now I own it and will read it!

P.S. I had a terrible experience trying to pick based on cover last year, that turned me off of completely random picks.

[Charlotte]

Walked into Barnes and Noble and the first book I see is Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson. Looks like a great read!

[Rachel]

I'm still really struggling with this one. I tried using my online method but I'm finding I either get books that I've already read or books that aren't out yet.

To be fair, I am completely biased with it because I'm only counting books that I see in a section of the website that interests me anyway.

[Juanita]

I am taking Melody's idea for this one and Goodreads to the rescue.

While at my local bookstore (an independent!), I used the GR Scan feature to scan the ISBN of the first book I saw. I then created a GR shelf for "first book you see in a bookstore."

Figure I can do this several times until I have a list to pick from.

[Alek]

I shop my books online, so I got the first book that I saw when opened the site of the publisher, but it should check few publishers before to find the right first look, because I take this challenge like something for pleasure, so don't want to spend money and time for something that isn't in my comfort zone. I'm very happy of my
choice

[Charlotte]

I am also making a list to choose from. I rarely go to the bookstore anymore because I'm trying not to buy all the books but I get B&N emails so I look at the first book (I haven't read) and put it on my list as well as the first book I see in the library when I go there. Though right now there's a lot of gardening books and I'm not going to read those.

[Sara]

Yesterday I was browsing through my local Barnes and Noble bookstore yesterday and the first book that my eyes really landed on (not glossed over, but actually looked at and read the title of) was How to Be a Heroine: Or, What I've Learned from Reading Too Much so I think I will go with that :) I will pick up a copy from my library though!

[Alice]

I had to "walk in" the bookstore several times. Actually have my husband put me in front of a bookshelf in the YA section. Each time though, the first book I saw, was something I already owned or already read.

At last, my eyes first landed on It seems like a very interesting book and the format is something I have only ever read once.

[Marisa]

So I walked into a library yesterday and the first book I saw yesterday was Runaway by Peter May. It's not usually my genre of reading but, I might give it a try! Has anyone read it before?

[Jackie]

I had my sister pre-select a bargain area for me and I saw Wicked Business. When I looked it up I saw that it was the second book in a series, so now I will have to read the first one too!

[Nadine in NY]

I checked every book display I walked past in stores and libraries until I finally "first" noticed a book that (a) I had not read, and (b) was not part of a series. I ended up reading The Past by Tessa Hadley. It was just okay. I was annoyed by the author's inexplicable aversion to using quotation marks to denote dialogue.

[Kirsten]

My library always have books up front and that's how I'm picking mine.