I made a resolution about 2 years ago and stuck to it.
After years of neglecting my reading time due to raising twins, working, writing and whatever else life threw my way, I decided to make reading a priority again.
There were a lot of good reasons for this besides my love of reading, including helping to make me a better writer, and for stress reduction and well, general happiness!
The problem is in deciding what book to read next.
It’s a good problem to have and I’m usually continuously accumulating new books in my TBR pile on my Kindle. This has led to a plethora of books and for someone who is usually very organized, they aren’t well organized into what I’ve read or not, or even to remember that I added a book when it’s buried under the TBR pile. (note to self: organize Kindle better so I know what I wanted to read next!).
So how do I decide what to read next, or what I put in that TBR pile?
- Recommendation: This has been the most common way for me to choose my next book. My mother and two of my sisters are avid readers so we’re always recommending books. Our tastes are similar in stories, so this is usually a sure fire way to know I have a story I’m going to enjoy. I also get recommendations from friends, and fellow authors. This can sometimes allow me to explore something a little out of my usual read.
- Reviews: Love em’ or hate em’, I do check out the reviews if it’s an author I’m not familiar with or a book that I’m not quite sure will be my cup of tea. But I will say that I don’t base my decision solely on this because I know each person has a personal taste in their reading choices.
- Back to Basics: If I’m not sure what I want to read next, or I just want a book that’s comfortable in that I know it’s most likely going to be a good read, then I go back to a favorite author. Do they have something new out? Do they have a book that isn’t new but I have overlooked before?
How to Choose
Sometimes the recommendation or reviews listed above have me diving right into the story no questions asked. I don’t even read the blurb half the time, or at times I’m not even positive of the title. I just know it’s going to be good.
If I’m still on the fence I usually take advantage of the ‘look inside’ feature and read the first paragraph to see if I like the writing style and if the story hooks me from the start.
I asked my Facebook friends how they choose their next book and you can see some of their suggestions right here.
When It Doesn’t Meet My Expectations
I have to admit that I’m stubborn when it comes to a book—which is a good thing for authors. I refuse to give up until I’ve given the story multiple chances to pull me in. It’s very infrequent that I just don’t finish.
- If it’s an author that I’ve loved in the past, I forgive a multitude of things that might normally aggravate me. One recent book had me wondering just what the genre was for the first third of the book to the point that I had to go back to read the information about the story. I didn’t give up because I usually love this author. It wasn’t his best story, but the writing kept me engaged and hopeful.
- Another new author had so much backstory that I struggled to keep moving in the story until I got about half-way into the book. I didn’t give up because a family member recommended this book and I wasn’t disappointed once I got going. It was a great book, which I realized after had received many awards—despite a plethora of backstory and other ‘writer no-no’s’.
- My daughter recommended a classic that I’d never read. I struggled at first. A lot. The writing was so different than I was accustomed to, but in the end I enjoyed the story and we were able to discuss the book.
How Do You Pick Your Next Book to Read?
Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four
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