07 - The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed

[Sara]

Oh this could be fun. You could go to a bookstore, a library or your own bookshelf to complete this one! I plan to use my own shelves as they are overflowing with books I keep meaning to read!

Once you've touched your book come back here to report what you selected!

No listopia for this one as it's a personal prompt

[SarahKat]

Jillian wrote: "I felt like it would be cheating on my own bookshelf since I have a pretty good sense of where everything is, and I was impatient and didn't want to go to a bookstore or library so I scrolled throu..."

I think that's a great idea!

We just moved and I haven't unpacked my books yet. Maybe I'll have my husband unpack them for me so I can do this without a good idea of where everything is.

[Lizzy]

This is one of my favorite kinds of prompts.

[Johanna]

Maybe I will write the names of books on my TBR list on slips of paper and randomly pick one out of a hat!

Otherwise I feel like I will lean towards something I know on my own bookshelf, or go to an area with a book I think I will like at the library or bookstore.

[Drakeryn]

Johanna wrote: "Maybe I will write the names of books on my TBR list on slips of paper and randomly pick one out of a hat! "

That's a good idea! I'll probably do that, since my TBR is all digital these days.

[Suzanne]

Jillian wrote: "I felt like it would be cheating on my own bookshelf since I have a pretty good sense of where everything is, and I was impatient and didn't want to go to a bookstore or library so I scrolled throu..."

I mostly read audiobooks and ebooks so I was thinking of doing the same thing: randomly touch with my cursor!

[Brandon]

I randomly pick books from my TBR with Excel all the time, so I will do that here unless I come across something amazing at the library.

[Raquel (Silver Valkyrie Reads)]

I could see doing this at the library, or a digital version using some kind of random number generator and then count down that many books on one of my TBR lists or books on my Kindle. Normally I'd just do it with my own shelves, but since most of my books will packed up when I do this prompt, that might work less well.

[Dani]

I loaded my TBR list and scrolled back and forth a ton, clicked on In Other Lands

Most of my reading is digital so that seemed fitting lol

[Linda]

I will do this physically using a library shelf. However... if I really don't like what I end up choosing I will allow myself to try again on a different shelf. I hope I don't end up getting kicked out of the library for being weird!

[Jenn]

I just did this and chose The Queens of Innis Lear

[Jackie]

Linda wrote: "I will do this physically using a library shelf. However... if I really don't like what I end up choosing I will allow myself to try again on a different shelf. I hope I don't end up getting kicked..."

If they kicked people out of the library for being weird, there would not be many people left at the library :)

Personally, I would like them to start with the guy who sits in a corner, not reading, just sitting and staring...though, honestly, he could be doing much worse. A librarian once told me she caught somebody (spoiler for adult content) (view spoiler)[jacking off in one of the study rooms (hide spoiler)].

[Karin]

Linda wrote: "I will do this physically using a library shelf. However... if I really don't like what I end up choosing I will allow myself to try again on a different shelf. I hope I don't end up getting kicked..."

I am either going to do this, or I'm going to set up a shelf at home with books I think I'd like to read and try it--that latter way has a good chance of success! I no longer want to read some random book found by chance.

I feel free to take a bit of literary license since this is supposed to be fun and I have already read a broad spectrum of books. If there is a genre I haven't read in my life it's because I have chosen not to read it, and there aren't many of those! BUT I won't be too picky, either.

[Karin]

Jackie wrote: "Linda wrote: "I will do this physically using a library shelf. However... if I really don't like what I end up choosing I will allow myself to try again on a different shelf. I hope I don't end up ..."

I thought this would be the spoiler. Ick!!! (for the place)

[Ruth]

In the early part of the year, I will be (hopefully!) finally getting my shelves in my reading nook, after the hubby finishes it off for me. Currently, most books are in boxes and bags. When I finally unpack them, I may just randomly pick a bag then grab a book, with my eyes closed. This will be a fun prompt!

[Megan]

I'll either go to the library or sort my goodreads to be read shelf to random!

[Karin]

Megan wrote: "I'll either go to the library or sort my goodreads to be read shelf to random!"

Now there's an idea!

[Nadine in NY]

I’m going to my library. They have all adult fiction shelved together, so there’s no choice of genre, it will be completely random. I rarely browse the physical shelves so I don’t even know which authors are on which shelves. I’ll just have my daughter lead me to a section and I’ll grab a book. I’ll do this early in the year, because I am going to dnf as often as needed until I get a winner.

[Pam]

I like your idea Nadine! I may try that with my three-year-old grandson. It will have to be something from the bottom two shelves, though. He will get a real kick out of that!

[Katy]

Nadine wrote: "I’m going to my library. They have all adult fiction shelved together, so there’s no choice of genre, it will be completely random. I rarely browse the physical shelves so I don’t even know which a..."

That's why I think I'm going to go off my personal book shelves. I presumably want to read everything that's on there anyway.

[Ellie]

I might still do this with a physical shelf but I used a random number generator to pick a number off my TBR and it came up with Puddin'. I do still want to read it but have no urge to read it immediately, and I don't think I need it for a tricky prompt, so that's a winner.

[Pepper]

I'm going to ask a friend if she minds me using her bookshelves, so it's a little more random than my TBR, but not quite as random as a library.

[Milena]

Is it OK if I pick the book in 2019, as long as I read it in 2020? My co-worker is hosting a book exchange on December 12th. I can go into her office, close my eyes and pick something. Yes, it will confirm to her that I am weird.

[Heather]

Milena wrote: "Is it OK if I pick the book in 2019, as long as I read it in 2020? My co-worker is hosting a book exchange on December 12th. I can go into her office, close my eyes and pick something. Yes, it will..."

I don't see why not. We're picking books for other prompts in 2019 to read in 2020. This one shouldn't be an exception.

[Milena]

Heather wrote: "Milena wrote: "Is it OK if I pick the book in 2019, as long as I read it in 2020? My co-worker is hosting a book exchange on December 12th. I can go into her office, close my eyes and pick somethin..."

Good point, I didn't think of it like that.

[Lisa]

If you want to use your own shelf but feel it’s cheating because you know your books so well then you could go to an online random number generator and pick numbers: once for which bookshelf to pick from, once for the shelf row, and once for the book on that shelf. Could even do it this way if you’re using your wishlist on Libby. Pick a number relating the the pages on your wishlist and then pick another number for books on that page.

[Brandon]

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski is what popped up for me. I hope it turns out well!

[Jeniece]

I love seeing all the unique ways people are picking because they feel like they know their own bookshelves too well. I called my sister and asked her to pick a series of numbers that I created which related to which numbered bookcase, number of the shelf on the picked bookcase, and then number to count from the start of that shelf to get my "blind" picked book. She ended up choosing The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America for me. I definitely am in agreement that this prompt is a lot of fun.

[Shannon]

What are y'all's thoughts on re-choosing? I'm mostly asking because I have several book series on both my TBR and my shelves, so I'm a bit worried I'm going to end up selecting something that's from the middle or end of a series!

[K.L.]

Shannon wrote: "What are y'all's thoughts on re-choosing? I'm mostly asking because I have several book series on both my TBR and my shelves, so I'm a bit worried I'm going to end up selecting something that's fro..."

I don't really see an issue with re-choosing if you end up with a book that's partway through a series you haven't read. Instead of reading the first one your finger lands on, you could consider that a series selection and read the first book instead.

I'm in the same boat (since I've got way too many series on my shelves), so I'm considering temporarily moving the first books of several series to one shelf, and then selecting my book from there.

[Claire (clairesneverlandofbooks)]

Instead of using my shelves my friend and I are gonna go to Barnes and Noble and do this there together. We feel that will be more fun.

[Milena]

What if we land on a book we've already read? Just re-choose?

[Linda]

Shannon wrote: "What are y'all's thoughts on re-choosing? I'm mostly asking because I have several book series on both my TBR and my shelves, so I'm a bit worried I'm going to end up selecting something that's fro..."

I am very open to re-choosing. I don't really like this prompt. I'll probably use a book shelf at the library, and if I pick a book I really don't want to read, well... I won't want to read it!

I don't own a lot of books, but I don't want to use my shelves at home because I have a lot of books I wouldn't want to read - like travel guide books to different countries or other reference books, or old textbooks, or books I've read already. On the other hand I know my shelves and I am sure I could easily pick out one of the few books on there that I do want to read with my eyes closed. That feels like cheating though.

[Ellie]

I think it's fair enough to make a list of books you do want to read and then pick randomly off that. Not everyone has physical shelves after all.

[Lorrea - WhatChaReadin'?]

Ellie wrote: "I think it's fair enough to make a list of books you do want to read and then pick randomly off that. Not everyone has physical shelves after all."

I picked off the list of ARCs I have to read and it happens to be on my bookshelf as well...

[Judy]

Jillian wrote: "I felt like it would be cheating on my own bookshelf since I have a pretty good sense of where everything is, and I was impatient and didn't want to go to a bookstore or library so I scrolled throu..." That's similar to what I did. I used a random number generator online, entered the number of books on my TBR list, and it gave me the randomly selected book number.

[Rachel]

My books are not on shelves currently since I'm waiting to figure out which bookshelves to buy, and it would be hard to move things around so everything is within reach. I think I'm going to go the random number generator route, but only for books that I own that would be "on my shelves."

[Jennifer]

I pretty much know my shelf, so when my daughter comes and visits, I'm going to have her choose my book.

[Darci]

My bookcase is overflowing with books stacked everywhere, so I just blindly reached in and grabbed one. The Canterbury Tales it is.

[SibylM]

I set my Goodreads want-to-read shelf to random sort and I will be reading Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout for this prompt.

[Charlotte]

I like the idea of making a list off of my TBR on goodreads, numbering them and then doing a randomizer to pick. My IRL shelfs are next to my desk in my office and I'm always looking at them (and they are alphabetical by author) so I know where things are and I feel like it would almost be cheating.

I also really like the going to a bookstore idea and picking there.

[Nadine in NY]

Milena wrote: "What if we land on a book we've already read? Just re-choose?"


That's what I will do - on the slim chance that I pick a book I've already read, I'll just do it over. And if I pick a series book (the kind of series that has to be read in order), I'll see if I can find book#1 in that series on the shelf. If not, I'll do it over.

[Michelle]

Fat books definitely have an advantage lol. I got The Invention of Hugo Cabret which I've been meaning to read for ages, so that worked out better than expected.

[Rachael]

The Luminaries is my book for this prompt

[Zo]

I think I'm going to wait until Valentine's day to choose this one, it might be fun to choose a blind date with a book so even if I can't refrain from peeking ( very probable) at the shelf, peeking won't help.

[Nichelle]

Decided to do the Random setting for my TBR. First one listed was The Wide Circumference of Love.

[Heather]

Zo wrote: "I think I'm going to wait until Valentine's day to choose this one, it might be fun to choose a blind date with a book so even if I can't refrain from peeking ( very probable) at the shelf, peeking..."

I love that idea!!

[L Y N N]

I'll definitely save this one for the end of the year! :)

[Christine]

Megan wrote: "I'll either go to the library or sort my goodreads to be read shelf to random!"

THANK YOU for the idea to sort my Goodreads TBR by "random." I have very little desire to spend time on totally random books when I have 1200 waiting on my TBR!

This worked really well too, because it returned Malice Aforethought, something I indeed put on my TBR and am interested in, but that I probably wouldn't have picked up anytime soon otherwise!

[SadieReadsAgain]

I didn't use my actual bookshelf as I know where certain books are and obviously my Kindle titles aren't on it. So I used my spreadsheet instead - looked away, scrolled up and down randomly and then pointed at the screen!

I got The Night Circus!