How do you pick your books????

[MrFranklyShankly]

Hi folks,

Just wondering how some of you pick books, is it by finding ones that are related to a certain theme you like, the front cover! Or recommendations?? I have picked a few by front cover recently as reading the back for a description sometimes can put me off what can be an otherwise good book, so got 'every last one' & 'before I go to sleep' this way and they were really good but then I got a crap one so I've scrapped this method of selection!!!! Recommendations here are always really good....so just curious as to how everyone else picks theirs????

F

[JeanSeberg]

I like to have a browse in Waterstones then reserve them on-line in the library.

[MrFranklyShankly]

Good idea jean, might start doing that.

[JeanSeberg]

And best thing is it's free!

(Love your user name by the way.)

[TheWanderingUterus]

I went to the library and tried lots of different genres, stood in front of a section and picked two books that appealed and two that I wasn't sure about. Read a lot of crap books so instituted the fifty/hundred page rule, if I was struggling to care after fifty pages I gave up. I discovered lots of gems though and I used the Amazon 'people who bought this, also bought' section to find similar books to the ones I loved.

I haven't liked any modern fiction I have tried, but zombie novels, post apocalyptic fiction, romantic fantasy and books about madness turned out to be my favourite genres.

[waycat]

I like to read the first few paragraphs of a book - I can generally get a good idea of whether I'll like it from doing this, although it doesn't always work and I've ended up giving up on some books that I've selected using this method.

I also flick through and look at how the chapters are structured. For example, if the book seems to alternate alot between different time zones, or if the story is told in the first person and that first person keeps chopping and changing, then I know I shall have trouble keeping track of the story line. I found that with Khaled Hosseini's latest, but I did actually finish it at the second try.

Of course, recommendations from friends are always a good way. I also look at my Amazon page, because they will draw your attention to books similar to those you've previously bought. Armed with this information, I then head to the library and borrow for free!

[Lunaballoon]

The last few books I've read have all been MN recommendations, some that I've sought (historical fiction) and others simply because of glowing posts by others. I have to say I've loved every one of them and have been introduced to writers that I probably would never have chosen myself!

[MrFranklyShankly]

Cheers jean, it's from my fave smiths song, only backwards!!! Loving the idea of utilising my free library, by using recommendations from here or elsewhere.

Waycat I'm a big khaled hossines fan, the kite flyer is one of my all time fave, and liking the recommendations from amazons pages...keep the ideas coming ;-)

[Louise1956]

I browse around bookshops and on amazon, hoping to find something that will interest me.

[17leftfeet]

My dad is working his way through the library in alphabetical order of the author

The only thing he won't read is anything occult

He's up to C

[JeanSeberg]

MrFrankly Have you read the Reluctant Fundamentalist?

[Cherrypi]

Recommendations from newspapers, twitter, goodreads, mumsnet. Read the free sample on my kindle. If I like it add it to my wish list and buy when it's cheap or get it when I see it in the library.

[DuchessofMalfi]

What Cherrypi says :)

[MrFranklyShankly]

Yeah cherrypi, I do that as well, forgot to mention that, the free sample is great on the kindle, although sometimes I love the first few chapters only to find a book boring or off putting in the middle! I was I love with a book called the glasshopper up until the middle of the book and then totally abandoned it!

:-) at 17leftfeets dad!

Yeah browsing on amazon is a good tip.

Tell me more jean, haven't heard of it????

[CoteDAzur]

Avoid books aimed at women, written by most women authors, with pink/pastel covers and fluffy fonts.

Avoid books called "life-affirming", "warm", or said to make the reader cry.

Avoid Bestsellers and books everyone talks about like 50 Shades Of Grey.

Take recommendations from like-minded people in RL & on MN.

Check out Amazon's Kindle deal every day.

And when I like a book, I usually read every book by that author.

[JeanSeberg]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reluctant_Fundamentalist

There's also Morrissey's autobiography of course!

[hackmum]

I have particular authors I like, and always look out for when they've got a new book out.

I also look at the review sections of newspapers (particularly Guardian and Observer). I often buy prize-winners, and will often read some or all of the books on a shortlist. I occasionally go on recommendations from friends or places like Mumsnet.

[MrFranklyShankly]

Oh that looks good jean, have you read it??? Could be my next purchase! have read moz's book, a great art of saying very little over 400 or so pages, and saying it beautifully of course, as he does, but I think I prefer him cloaked in a bit of mystery!

Totally agree cotes, avoid any of the candy looking stuff, although my mil knows I love my books and insists on buying that sort of thing to me every birthday and Xmas!

Yeah hackmum I was doing that as well, reading everything by authors I liked, but sometimes they all began to blend into the one book, so have stooped it!i read gone girl recently and was tempted to read a few more of that author but they sounded a bit the same (and i thought gone girl was a bit tedious after a few chapters!)

[JeanSeberg]

Yes I've read it and I'd like to see the film too.

Other books you might like MrFrankly:

www.dannyscheinmann.com/BOOK_CLUB.pdf

www.goodreads.com/book/show/9013.The_Long_Walk

www.amazon.com/City-Thieves-Novel-David-Benioff/dp/0452295297?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Sorry, but I feel the need to talk about flatulent pains in the arse. Great name. :)

GoodReads can sometimes be good for recommendations. Otherwise, I tend to just go to the library and browse. I'm reading more and more non-fiction, and tend to pick certain 'topics' for those.

For fiction, I tend to look for writers I've liked before, or occasionally pick according to the cover/blurb. And if I don't like something by 30 pages in, I don't bother. This is why I use the library for fiction!

So much modern fiction is just awful...I must speak frankly!

[bishbashboosh]

I have a kindle and go on every dAy to get the daily deal at 99p and buy them, then whatever tickles my fancy. I have about 300 downloaded at the minute

[VerySmallSqueak]

Recommendation on threads discussing the genre I like on MN.

Looking on Amazon and checking out the customer ratings on other suggested books.

I only read post apocalyptic/zombie fiction though.

I am more adventurous with non-fiction (of which i read a lot more) and often search on ebay under my particular interest.

[TheOneAndOnlyAlpha]

I joined a book group. I've read so many good books I would never have picked up. Plus I love the library and have a look at the returns trolley.

[TheOneAndOnlyAlpha]

verysmallsqueak have you read 'Z for Zachariah' or 'The Last Children'?

[VerySmallSqueak]

Z for zachariah,yes (excellent book)

The last children,no (so I'm scribbling a note to look it up as we speak )

Thanks!

[asandwichshort]

I use www.literature-map.com. Put in an author's name you've found that you like and a springy map appears with names of authors who write similar types of books! S'easy - the nearer the names appear to your chosen author (which will be in the centre!) the more like THAT author they will be! Sort of if you like this one, here's others you would like!! Its very entertaining I don't get out much though! I have found some good books though!!!