Choosing Your Next Book

[Dark Muse]

I noticed that someone had started the discussion, how do you orginize your books, well sort of along simillar lines, I had what I thought to be an intresting topic.

How do you choose the next book you are going to read?

Becasue I read several books at once, I have something of a complex system in which I choose the books I am going to read, also becaue I have books all over in my room.

For example, I have one book that I read from first thing every morning, and when I finnish that book I have a certain shelf I use just for choosing my morning books as I call them.

I am reading another book that came from the stack of books in my closet so when I finnish that book, I am going to choose another book from the stack.

And I started reading Stephen King, and so I have been reading his books in order, starting from the earliest work and moving down the line.

[aabbcc]

Most of my readings - excluded school-oriented ones - are not a product of a systematic approach to reading in which my next readings are predictable and are merely waiting to be read; most of it is, really, random.
If I really wish to read something, I get it and read it, without putting it on the list (though I do have some imaginary list of the things I should like to read sometime in future; but if something is really important for me, I get it right away without thinking); and a lot of books I choose simply because they caught my attention in the library, bookstore, friends' bookshelves, whatever. Sometimes the most interesting books you find happen to be found randomly ;)

[Simao]

I start reading an author's most famous novel and if I liked it I randomly pick any other work he has done and read it.

[Dori]

I'm not sure how I choose the next book I read. Sometimes I'm influenced by a book club (book-of-the-month) and sometimes I just have a sudden urge to read a certain book. Occasionally I will read several books from the same author (for instance, I've been reading a lot from Dostoevsky as of late).

[papayahed]

I have a pile so I try to choose from there. I tell myself that I'm not buying anymore books until I get rid of the ones I already have but that never works because either the book club picks something good or I read about an interesting book that I just have to read.

[Dark Muse]

I have a pile so I try to choose from there. I tell myself that I'm not buying anymore books until I get rid of the ones I already have but that never works because either the book club picks something good or I read about an interesting book that I just have to read.

I can relate to that, all my bookshelves are full and now I just have satak of books in my closed, and a stack in the corner, as well as bunch of books just on the floor between two book ends, so I tell myself I should not get anymore books but I always end up doing so.

I use to, back when I was inhighschool, choose my books by going to one of my bookshelves closing my eyes and then grab a book off the shelf

[bluelightstar]

I'll mostly read anything that I haven't read but that has appeared on the AP English exam. That's if I'm not rereading a work to prepare myself to teach it again.

[Phoenix Wright]

I read the summaries on the back of the books or try to find very general information on what randomly chosen books are about and I read them if I find the description interesting. I look for keywords such as "disturbing" or "dark" and if I find a novel I like, I try a different one by the same author.

Edit: I also sometimes ask my friends for books they've found to fit my criteria, though this method seems to be least effective.

[Fowles27]

I usually go for books that recently got good reviews or recommended by friends.
When I don't have anything specific in my mind, I pick one from a pile of unread materials and start reading the first few pages. If I like the opening, I keep reading the book.

[thelastmelon]

This month wasn't too hard to choose.
I've managed to become a member in four Book Clubs, so I am going to read those. I've read "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman and I am currently reading "The Old Man and The Sea" by Hemingway and I will go onto "Emma" by Jane Austen before I start reading "The Master and Margarita" for this book club at this forum. :D

And I have to read books for school as well, of course.

[Dark Muse]

I really want to read American Gods

[Dori]

This month wasn't too hard to choose.
I've managed to become a member in four Book Clubs, so I am going to read those. I've read "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman and I am currently reading "The Old Man and The Sea" by Hemingway and I will go onto "Emma" by Jane Austen before I start reading "The Master and Margarita" for this book club at this forum. :D

And I have to read books for school as well, of course.

I'm also a member of multiple book clubs, but only two. I will be reading The House of the Dead and perhaps Fathers and Sons (if it wins here; if not I will read The Master and the Margarita).

[LadyWentworth]

When I was younger I used to just read one book at a time. I seemed to have alot of time to finish that one book and go directly into another. I used to just zip through these books.

Nowadays, it is kind of difficult for me to just sit down and read a book. I generally read at night before bed now. I have gotten into the habit of reading more than one book at a time (mainly because I have joined a book club - so I have to read that book and my own).

So, based on the books that are my own choices (the non-book club ones), I go through phases. Either I read novels that are all the same genre or I decide to read something different than what I have just read. Right now that is what I have been doing. So, if I have just read a "ghost" story, I may go into a romance or biography. If I decide to read a specific author's work, I, too, will read his/her writings in chronological order.

I have such a ridiculous amount of books to read, though, that I think I will have to read at least 3 or 4 at a time now or I will never catch up!

[rgdmalaysia]

Well often for me it is based on availability....

I live in a country where it is sometimes hard to find the books I want. I currently have quite a large "to read" list.

The good news is my father is sending me an early birthday present that includes a book I've been looking for for a number of years.

A DARK NIGHT'S PASSING BY SHAOYA NIGA....Awesome Japanese literature from the "I school" sub genre.

As far as how I hear about books....Well, different ways.

Through the lists of books for sale by the same publisher either at the beginning or the end of the book I am currently reading

Through similar books listed in Amazon and other sites selling books.

Through books on literary criticism.

Sometimes I will seek out all the writers from a specific country if I find I like one a lot.

I went through a period where I read Nobel Prize winners and went down the list....I am currently doing the same with the Tanizaki prize (Japanese version of the Booker prize and Pulitzer prize) but some of the books are hard to find.

and finally, through forums like this....

[*Classic*Charm*]

How do I choose books that I will eventually read? As I scan the threads on this forum, I keep a list as I go of books that I think I should read/ sound interesting.

How do I choose my next book? I Have so much to read right now that I'm trying to pick a theme for the year. Last year, I read alot of epic poetry, and I'm devoting 2008 to Russian authors. I'm sure I'll read other books in between if I get excited about something in particular, but that's what I will read for the most part.

So much to read, so little time...

[Dark Muse]

So much to read, so little time...

So very true

[amalia1985]

I choose them in alphabetical order. It's the only way for me...

[Old Crow]

Well, when I finish one book I usually go through a one to three day period where I don't start reading anything, and just think about the book I've just read, but I consider my next choice during this time as well. Right now, for instance, "Herzog", "Gravity's Rainbow", "The Ruined Map", "Moby Dick", and "Cancer Ward" are all contending with each other in my mind, and there's not really anything systematic about the way I choose which one wins.

[Tosca]

I also do mine alphabetically - by the last name of the Author, and then the title of the novel.

[LadyWentworth]

I choose them in alphabetical order. It's the only way for me...

That actually sounds like a good way to do it! I think I just might give it a try. I have a question, though. Do you read them in alphabetical order by author or by title?

[grace86]

I really should come up with a system of how I choose which book to read next. Right now it seems to be pretty random (and messily so), so that whenever I go to a bookstore and wander through the fiction section, I start alphabetically and am reminded of practically every novel that is on my list, not to mention of all the other ones I find to add to it.

I try to read a different genre than one I've just finished. After reading Heart of Darkness, I went on to a contemporary mystery novel. Right now I seem to be wandering through the classics. I feel like I will never be satisfied with how many I read. But really, I just wander randomly through the genres...I never finish one author by a particular author and then immediately go on to the next one by that author...I'd feel like they would blur together.

I do record which books I read though and which ones I definitely should read by the same author. Really I try to read one major work by an author and tend to go next into the lesser known of their novels.

Haha I have a sweatshirt that says "So many books, so little time," and then I just got an early Christmas present - a t-shirt that says "Lead me not into temptation, especially bookstores."

But recently I got as a gift this book called A book lover's diary. It has sections for me to write down books I plan to read, books I've lent out, books borrowed, a section for favorite passages etc....really awesome diary, I hope that it could help solve this messy randomness I have when attacking the next book to read.

[Nightshade]

heh Ive devloped a system, its called find out what someone else is reading and offer to read with, thats for the heavier type books , otherwise its just drift and read whatever.