Challenge: 50 Books discussion
What you read...
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Megan
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Jan 15, 2009 01:42PM
How do you choose your books? I am feeling a little embarrassed, which I know is ridiculous, because I am not reading "quality" books right now. I have been reading a fantasy series "Sword of Truth," which is entertaining, but not great literature. I just finished a very busy semester at school, and I just haven't been into reading anything too heavy. How do the rest of you feel about what you read?
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I get a lot of recommendations from friends and people on this site. But I've also picked up many, many books just because they had pretty covers or intriguing titles.I don't worry in the slightest about whether I'm reading 'quality' books or 'literature'. I read because I enjoy it. If I don't enjoy a book, I don't read it - end of story. I refuse to allow other people to dictate what is worth my time and what is not.
I agree with Alycia...but I also am a junk food murder mystery reader. I choose many of my books by whether there is a dead body or not!I have branched out lately, because I am also a Trivia taker on this site. When I skip questions about a book, I get curious...I have read Time Traveler's Wife, The Book Thief, and Stephanie Meyer's that way. Not all of those are great literature, but I have gotten out of my murder rut a little!
I agree with you completely Alycia, reading is for enjoyment. I also read the "Sword of Truth" series, I found them to be very entertaining. A lot of the books that are considered "great literature" are very boring.
What I like to read are books that are both enjoyable to read AND great literature. Books that move me in some way or say something meaningful. These books do not have to be classics or even popular. There are many little-known gems out there. I read most of the Sword of Truth Series but as the series drew on I found it less and less entertaining in large part because I wasn't getting a lot of meaning out of it.
I enjoyed the Wheel of Time series much more because I was fascinated by the realism and complexity. It's a little too detailed for some people.It's been a few years, but the final book is coming out this summer so next year I plan to re-read the whole series from book 1 through book 12. I'd do it this year but the books are long and there's no way I could read 50 books if those were in the group!
In general, I pick books at random -- but I'm not afraid to put them down if I'm not enjoying them.
I love thrillers and mysteries. I also love Historical Fiction and spy stories. So I always have one of those going and then I have something heavier like a biography or a classic or history, which I read as the spirit moves me. That way I satisfy my junk food addiction while still challenging my brain to understand the heavier tomes. My ratio of junk to nutritional is about 4 or 5 to 1.
i use a variety of methods to choose my books.-i pick up a copy of BookPages at my local library, then go through and circle the ones that interest me.
-my mom belongs to Doubleday Book Club, and i think the Book of the Month Club. she passes on her mailings to me when she gets, then i go through those and circle what i'm interested in.
-i have a book, 100 Banned Books, that i use for more "academic" book suggestions.
-comments and suggestions on GR.
-going to B&N or Half-Priced and just writing down what looks good.
i keep a notebook of all of the books i want to read, then cross off as i get to them. i know i'll never read all of them, but it's a good way to keep track of what i have and haven't read.
Maria wrote: "i use a variety of methods to choose my books.-i pick up a copy of BookPages at my local library, then go through and circle the ones that interest me.
-my mom belongs to Doubleday Book Club,..."
My TBR list in Goodreads is even more useful. I can download the list into MSWord and then alphabetize by author for my forays into second hand book stores.
my way of choosing books:1. Genre, (for those who dont know, genre means style, or something like that). like if i want to find something i like, id search for fantasy, fairies, science fiction.
2. Authors. if i like a book by an author i usually read their other books.
3. When people i know mention a book they like. if they sound good i might read them.
4. Asking my friends for good books. ,i usually like books that my friends do.
I love to read reviews. One of my favorite sites is bookreporter.com. They send newsletters a few times a month and I have picked up a lot of good recommendations.I also read the New York Times book section on Sundays for reviews as well.
Then of course there are wonderful recommendations from friends on goodreads and a few of the groups that I belong to........then the real life friends.
My TBR pile is never ending.
As far as reading quality literature, I try to throw in a few classics and fiction during the year so I can keep a variety in my repetoire. Belonging to a group that does monthly book chats also helps me select books that I wouldn't normally read.
I'm very OCD about books. I have a list of authors that I want to read all of their books (examples: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jodi Picoult, etc.) And then I have a TBR list. So everytime I go to the library I get at least 1 book from each of those authors on my list and then I get one book from my TBR list. I know it sounds crazy but I always have a book to read. hahaIs anyone else like me?
LOL. Once I find a particular author, I tend to do the same thing - especially if s/he is writing a series. I spent several weeks last summer reading all of Kathy Reichs' Bones series. And this site is just a goldmine ... my TBR list is longer now than it ever has been, and organized to boot! Speaking of which, I need to go look up the Sword of Truth series now and go add it.
Christine wrote: "What I like to read are books that are both enjoyable to read AND great literature. Books that move me in some way or say something meaningful. These books do not have to be classics or even popula..." i will have to try the Wheel of Time series. I have never been much of a fantasy reader, but I think that is mostly b/c I haven't been reading good fantasy novels.
I know...My TBR list has grown alot too and I'm much more organized then ever before...
I recently joined Goodreads and I am now reading a lot more than I ever used to - I really like mystery, thriller and horror books.
I would definately say that you should just read what you enjoy.As for where I find my 'books to read' - I get recommendations from friends and family. I also find recommendations on NPR or the New York Times book section. I've also been known to pick up sale/clearance books either because I liked the cover, the author, or the summary on the back.
When you pick out a batch of books get a couple from an author/series you follow, a couple new author/series from the category you like. A couple from categories you never read from before. Read to enjoy and try something new. When I go into a book store I always stop by the "classics" section and pickup one or two.
ditto on everything said - my book club, best sellers, recommendations...what hasn't been mentioned is amazon. Whatever formula they use to recommend things is pretty good for me. I rate a lot of things that I like/dislike so they can give me recommendations. You can even tell it not to use things for recommendations (like that stats book i bought in grad school).
I definitely agree with Erin..Amazon is my lifesaver when it comes to choosing books to read. I especially like their "Author Spotlight" on the front page of the book section...I've found Hunger Games, Graceling, and the Janet Evanovich series that way. Jeff is also right..if I really like an author or series, I'll look around to find others who are similar. For example..I was reading the Into The Wilderness series by Sara Donati and LOVED it. Then I noticed a lot of people had compared her to Gabaldon..so now I'm queuing up to read the Outlander series (I'm going to need lots of free time for that one!).
And obviously, friends and family are a great source, as well. Nobody I know really has the same tastes as I do when it comes to books, but I have definitely been recommended a gem here and there.
A friend of mine follows this philosophy...read two fiction followed by one non-fiction and follow the pattern. I'm sure you could mix that up if you want to try reading something with "quality". I try to read "quality", classics, books I should have read in high school, or non-fiction but miss the thrill of the fantasy, crime/thriller, and, my guilty pleasure, YA.
I also enjoy reading through authors or a series. I'm currently reading through Mary Higgins Clark, the Chocoholic mystery series, Sandra Brown, as well as the monthly selections for my book club. Amazon has been a great resource for finding a new series that I might enjoy. It suggested the coffee house mystery series, and a few other "light" mysteries that I have really enjoyed.
I found Bookmarks magazine to be very helpful. I read it at the library and then go to see if the books are on the library shelves. Sometimes I will just go to the library and browse the titles on book spines. I'm amazed how many books I come out with.I also look up books that I like and have read on Amazon.com. I go to the "People who liked/bought this book also bought..." section. This gives me an idea of what other books are out there that are close to the genres that I like.
You could go for the gusto and ask a complete stranger what they would recommend. They may look at you strangely bu sometimes it's a good feeling to tell the world about one's favorite book.
Kasi wrote: "I'm very OCD about books. I have a list of authors that I want to read all of their books (examples: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jodi Picoult, etc.) And then I have a TBR list. So everytime I go to ..."I do the exact same thing. I'm trying to read through all of a few authors' books, so I get one from each, as well as a new one or one from my book club. I'm only averaging 3-4 books a month, 2 of which are book club selections.
YAH!!! there's finally someone like me!! hehe
Esther wrote: "I would definately say that you should just read what you enjoy.As for where I find my 'books to read' - I get recommendations from friends and family. I also find recommendations on NPR or th..."
These are also two of my favorite sources--plus there are a lot of great book blog sites out there. I read a lot of reviews. When I find someone who has read books that I've read and we agree for the most part, then I'm likely to pick up other books they've liked.
i enjoy crime thriller, mystery books, but i like a good true story, or chic lit occasionally.i'm lucky we have 4 charity shops in our town centre, and one of them does books for 50p each, and every few weeks buy one get one free..lol
i come out with bags full.
i then get home and realise i've bought something like #6 in a series, so i have to buy #1 if i like that then i get the rest lol
i have a book which is always in my bag, of authors i've got later books of, i write the ones before in it, and when i see them in a charity shop i get them.
i end up with #3#5#7# half the time, but i get them all eventually. i just got the first ten books, brand new in the rebus series by ian ranking for 2.50.
I usually pick my books for pure entertainment. They are my "get away" from real life. So, I do enjoy those silly murder mysteries, I love fantasy, I love a good crime novel, anything that may pique my interest on that given day. I have read classics too, and enjoyed many of them. I get that guilty feeling sometimes when Ive been reading "brain junk" a lot. Then I remember who I am reading for, and that is me. If I enjoy it, then its the perfect pick for me.
I read all the Sword of Truth books, too, and loved them. Enjoy!
Megan wrote: "How do you choose your books? I am feeling a little embarrassed, which I know is ridiculous, because I am not reading "quality" books right now. I have been reading a fantasy series "Sword of Tru..."Hi Megan: I read anything and everything no matter how big or small - I just enjoy reading! If you are enjoying what you are reading then that is 'Quality'!!
For those who love mysteries, and have already read lots of different authors (all of their books in order, like I do) I also have found the Odyssey Bookshop website to be a great place to find new mystery writers. They have a section just for mysteries and it was there that I first found several authors that I had never run into before - great for adding to that TBR list!
I was brought up by a "literary snob" mother so I've always been in the habit of reading good writing. I did develop one guilty pleasure when I was in high school - the gossip girl series. Some of the worst writing I've ever read but you can knock one over in a couple of hours and I use them when I get myself out of the habit of reading (quite recently) they're a good warm up. Mostly though I just don't enjoy things outside of the "literature" section and I definitely agree with everyone who's said you should read what you enjoy.I get a lot of good recommendations through my mother, review sections in my favourite newspapers and magazines and from peers, lecturers and classes in my course of study.
What I read depends on my mood. Sometimes it's literature, sometimes it's non-fiction, sometimes it's stuff that requires half a brain cell (like some chick lit or Harry Potter :P). My to read list is huge, I have a lot of books here that are still unread and I work in a library. So, I always find something to read that fits my mood :)
I was an English major in school, so I have read a lot more "literature" than most people I know. However, I do enjoy picking up something from that pile sometimes.Lately, I've gotten into the world of "chick lit". It is a different world for sure!
How I pick my books though:
1. Suggestions from friends - this is huge for me, especially this year. This includes people in this group, because sometimes you guys write amazing reviews (or it is on EVERYONE'S list) so I pick it up!
2. My own list of books I would like to read. This is usually where the "literature" comes from, because that's mostly all I know!
3. Authors - if it is a favourite of mine, I will usually pick up the book
murder mysteries!!! Junk food for the brain, although there are a few authors who write some of the loveliest prose I've ever read...J.L. Burke and Walter Mosely...Also like picking up 'books w/out bodies' from y'all here!
Read what you enjoy. Don't worry if it's considered "literature" by someone. I love travel essay books. I devour them. If I can't go there, I read about it.Also read a lot of nonfiction...biographies, political topics, etc. Whatever makes you happy and helps you keep learning about this great world and the people in it.Nancy B.
Luckily, I have book-lover (or officially bibliophiles) friends. Even better, they like the same kinds of book and can spot a remake from a mile. ;)
Erin wrote: "Luckily, I have book-lover (or officially bibliophiles) friends. Even better, they like the same kinds of book and can spot a remake from a mile. ;)"That's awesome!!!! I wish... well that's why I'm in this group!!! :D
I am a pretty eclectic reader. I like to read a lot of different types of literature, but if you looked at my list of books read, you would see a preponderance of mysteries. I do love mysteries, especially of the historical variety. Those set in ancient Egypt or Rome are special favorites, but I like the Anne Perry, Ellis Peters types as well. Just within the last year, I finally got around to starting Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and I find that great fun and very diverting, although I wouldn't care for it as a steady diet. It's like popcorn for the brain.
I don't think I will live long enough to read everything I want to read! So, what I do is listen to the "fun" ones, on audiobooks! Then, I can read the more serious/meaty ones.I have favorite authors that I read everything by. I have favorite subjects, like Oregon history that I will read anything that adds to my knowledge.
I'm one of those people who has to "make" myself do things just for fun, for no good reason. So after studying/reading indepth 2 books on Oregon history, I grabbed a fiction mystery.
I miss being intelligent, lol, so I am purposing more. I think to stretch my brain, I need to read a variety, that includes FUN.
Also, I like Goodreads friends for this, as i choose ones that I dont' have anything in common with.
the 1001 list is great too, because it helps me read what I wouldn't choose on my own.
