Daily Diary discussion
Reading Habits
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How do you decide what to read next?
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I'm catching up on a lot of series that have been out for awhile so I just move on to the next book. I always start a new book right away because I HAVE to have a book to read. If I've finished a series, I usually have a book on my shelf that I've been anxious to start. My TBR list is huge so picking a book is never a problem.
I am a huge book collector. I have piles of books to be read all over my house. Also I have a TBR list here. Whenever I hear about a book that sounds great, or someone I trust recommends a book, I either buy it or put it on my TBR list. Usually I don't like the endings to books so when I am approaching ~the last 40 pages I am already thinking about the next book I am going to read. I would say that there is about a 3 minutes lag between books.
Right now I am reading 3 books at once, so there won't be any lags.
I always start thinking about what to read next maybe halfway through. And that's a really bad habit because I don't focus as much as I should on what's in hand.
I've got my TBR list here at Goodreads, but since I work at a library I'm always reading magazines and newspapers for book reviews. If any strike my fancy, I check out an armful and keep them by my bed. Even before I finish what I'm currently reading I'll be gauging what kind of mood I'm in. Depending on my mood, I'll grab one of the books.
Lori wrote: "I've noticed that whenever I finish a book, I take a few days to figure out what to read next, despite my having said, "I want to read X (and sometimes there's an A, B, C, and D in there at some po..."Entirely arbitrary. At any given time it can have to do with whim, what's due back next at the library, what was referenced in the book I just read (or what it reminded me of), a random conversation, a press release, a book group, or any of a dozen other sources.
I sometimes browsing at the internet or at the bookstore. i also often go to the library and pick the books I am interested on.
I am always reading multiple books at once. Whenever a mood hits me, I pick something up and start it. Since my piles are huge, there is always something.Additionally, sometimes I have a group read I need to start/
I have review books, scheduled reads with my on-line book club and sometimes I'll do buddy reads. So those sometimes dictates what to read next. I do have over 2000 books throughout my house and I will just surf my bookcrossing list cause they are all listed and see what suits my fancy.
wow Cheryl, that's great!! Why don't you build a library?
Actually if my son ever moves out of the house one of his rooms will be my library, reading room. I have this lovely old leather rocker/recliner that I read in. My son's other room will be my husbands sound proof music room-he has a collection of guitars and plays them quite a bit. We're finally old enough where we can indulge in our hobbies. I have about 50 autographed books-I love going to author events now!!
I also get newsletters from bookreporter.com, anyone get that? They review books, authors etc. It is a great site and I have been with them for about 15 years.
I can't wait until I have a reading room/library!
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There's a bunch of newletters out there, I do get bookreporter and quite a few others. I really like Bookmark and subsctibe to their magazine too.
Wow Cheryl, it must be great! . I want to have a library at home. That's one of my dream..lol.
First I check out the library. Maybe someone gave a book I was waiting for. If there is nothing interesting I take something to read from personal library that I haven't read yet.
Through online newsletters, magazine articles, word-of-mouth recommendation, perusing the library stacks (new book section), and now Goodreads! I'm overwhelmed by book recommendations - and happy ;o)
hahaha.. I think everybody is happy here.. lol
I have a significant TBR list on here and an even larger one tucked in the back of my mind. I buy books faster than I read them, so I always have something that I can pick up and start. The moment I finish a book I generally go to my bookshelf and browse through the books I've bought and the books that I have checked out from the library at that moment ... and I just, pick one that sounds appealing.
Lori, This is a great question and one I often find myself pondering. I am like you, even though I own a lot of books and check out books every two weekes from the library, I find myself not wanting to let go of the last book I read, and I will often spend a day or so deciding what to read next. Sometimes I spread my 'choices' out on the bed and pick one, other times I will ask my husband or daughter their opinions.
If I'm going somewhere and I *might* finish a book, I bring along several choices in my bag or the car just so I'm not stuck without a good book. Maybe part of the problem is having too many choices.
I think you are right, having too many good choices can/is part of the problem for me. There are so many books on my TBR, that I cannot decide which to start, and I am still thinking of the last book - which makes it harder.
It's a zen thing, the right book needs to present itself to me. Sometimes I pick up a book I think I want to read, and just can't.
For me it depends on the mood or if its something that has to be read for my reading book club.
I hate it when a book doesn't strike my fancy because of my mood. I tend to put the book down for way too long and regert not reading it when I first started it!!
Sometimes my choices are made for me...ex: when a book comes in at the library that I had on hold. Then I'm "forced" to read it.Other times I'm reading a continuation of a series so obviously the next book in the series is the next book to be read.
Most times I go to my stash and start looking at book covers and reading the back and seeing what tickles my fancy. Sometimes I end up putting the book back after a few pages because it just wasn't working for me at the time (ex: Reading Lolita in Tehran - I want to read it, I liked what I read when I started it but it just wasn't what I wanted to read at the time). Went for a more fluffy book.
I usually am reading 2-3 books at a time although now I am mired in WAR AND PEACE thanks to Meg and her around-the-world-idea but have read over 900 pages and hope to finish by Easter whenever that is.I choose at leat 1 book that has something to do with the current state of affairs in some part of the world/our culture/trends and 1 book that's a mystery/humorous for a change of pace as well as some classic that I've never read
I've been trying to read series books but then find other non series books along the way that look interesting. I have a disease, I cannot leave a bookstore without buying something. I simply can't it's awful
I've got a long list of books that I want to read and I'm trying hard to read every position, but I'm still adding new books to this list.
I find that I get caught up in a genre and that'll be it for awhile..that is unless I've ordered a book from the library that happens to be something completely different... then I'm off and running in a new direction. Sometimes I just get hooked on an author and won't stop till I've read everything he/she has written.
I also collect NY Times book reviews ( I have baskets throughout my home with piles & piles of NY Times reviews).
I copy out reviews from magazines and of course there are unlimited resources here on the web.
I swear I won't live long enough to read the multitude of books on my TBR list.
I used to have a library, well actually it was half the living room that had two walls of floor to ceiling bookshelves.
I really loved the look of it but realistically it become just too expensive to maintain.
When we moved I sorted through them all, keeping those very close to my heart and donating the rest to a senior residence nearby.
Now I live at the library and I absolutely love it. I feel like a kid in a candy store.
Pooky Girl - like you, I'm sure I will never live long enough to read all of the unread books I have at home - especially since I will constantly be adding to them!As far as choosing what I will read next, I love looking through all of my books, maybe reading the first page, just seeing what grabs me. It's always so exciting to choose a new book to read - so many choices! So I have no guidelines, other than enjoying how many I to choose from and seeing which one strikes my fancy at that moment.
I usually have from three to six books...fiction/non-fiction mix...going at any given time so when I finish one I just let one of the books in my 'to read' pile meander over to the 'reading' pile of its own accord.
Diane wrote: "As far as choosing what I will read next, I love looking through all of my books, maybe reading the first page, just seeing what grabs me. It's always so exciting to choose a new book to read - so many choices! ..."I feel exactly the same way, but the only problem is that I have too many choices!
I have many many choices, so many in fact that I worry I won't live long enough to actually read everything I'd like. I think there's always something to read.When it comes to what to read next most of the time I have it all planned and listed so there aren't any problems, but sometimes, like now for example, I have different choices and when I try to decide what I want to read next I find myself with a huge question mark over my head.
so I've come up with an original solution. I narrowed down the number of possible choices to six books (which much easier than trying to pick juust one!) and numbered each. Then I cast a die and the nuber that came up was my next read.
I know that some people have a list that says what's to be read next. But what I'm wondering about it all of the other methods to pick the next book. How do you keep from wasting a couple of days deciding? And for those of you who do follow a list, how do you make yourself stick to it? Do you just start and eventually you love it or does your list really not work (it's OK. I won't spoil your secret).