How on earth do you choose which books to buy?

[MyMomLovedViolets]

I have ADHD and have tried to get back into reading.

My anxiety is high right now and have just been to several charity shops.

I didn't buy a single book. I don't know what I like. I don't know what books are good. The range and sheer number of books made my heart race.

I know I'm at the extreme end of the wedge here but even without anxiety how do you choose your books?

Do you see what's rated well and keep an eye out for them?

I used to live Jodie Piccoult books many, many years ago. I just read Where the Crawdads sing and enjoyed that.

I need a plan because I really want to read but just froze!

Do you have a local library? You can sit and flick through some and it might take the pressure off too if you don't have to buy anything

You could start with a classic? Google 'best novels of all time' or similar & see which you haven't read?

Perhaps try to look for another book by authors you’ve read before. Once you’ve read one book, you’ll get a bit more confident and will naturally branch out a bit more.

I got back into reading by getting a kindle. I took advantage of free kindle unlimited for a couple of months. I looked for authors I’d enjoyed previously. I now buy 99p kindle deals and read just about every evening.

Not really, it's quite far away and I don't really go places socially.

Fellow ADHD reader here. It’s hard! Give yourself full permission to give up on something if you start it and it doesn’t grab you, you don’t need to commit to the whole book from the start. Knowing this might help you give things a go.

Library is a good shout. Or have a scroll on TikTok #booktok and see what people are recommending that grab you

Are you comfortable going into Waterstones and asking for a recommendation based on the two you’ve read and enjoyed?

If not, join BorrowBox via your library and it will have sections dedicated to latest releases, most popular, award winners, or ‘thing of the month’. No risk because if you don’t like it you can just return it.

I have found some real gems via Kindle .99p offers and it has pushed my reading boundaries, whether fact or fiction. How about picking a book by the colour of the cover, letter of the alphabet, or genre. Don't foget the classics either, many of which are very much worth re-visiting. Goodreads is excellent for suggestions that match authors read / genres liked and might be worth a visit.

I follow a couple of #booktubers who read a lot of books and give their reviews on youtube. Leena Norms and Jack Edwards are a couple who I like to follow. They usually have year round ups of books they've read that year and I make a list of suggestions based on if the story intrests me or not.

Give yourself permission to stop reading a book if you're not feeling it and I find that sometimes I pick somthing up and I'm just not in the mood for a particular style or type of story but will come back to it weeks or months later and not want to put it down.

After the title (I am drawn to unusual titles) and blurb, I always read page 99. I feel as though the first few pages and chapters are designed to hook you in, but reading a random page in the middle gives a much better idea of the style and vibe of the book.

I was going to say library too, but if charity shops are the easiest for you I think you just need to get over the hurdle and buy something for the first go, then you will be less anxious and can perhaps spend a bit more time deciding next time.

Perhaps just find a way of narrowing the choice down so ut doesnt seem so overwhelming? So go in, find 3 books by authors you've heard of, then read the blurbs and pick whichever sounds the most interesting out of those three. Or pick a colour, then grab 3 books in that colour and pick the best of of those three. Or books that there are more than 1 copy of, books or authors names that start with the letter "T" or whatever etc.

Obviously if none of the three appeal then try again or a different category. But I think that's a better shout to just get over the initial anxiety than going in with a list and trying to see if they have any of the books there.

I browse through goodreads: If you have certain topics or genres you're interested in, you can find lists or groups and browse from there.

I don't follow any GR reviewers opinions blindly, but if you do find someone's reviews fun or relatable, browsing their shelves can also be a good jump-start.

You should be able to borrow free ebooks and magazines from your local library for reading on your Kindle. If you are not a member of your nearest library join up now and you will be able to borrow books immediately. You can read a short extract from each book before you borrow. There are thousands of books and hundreds of magazines available all free. It's brilliant! Have a look at your library website if you want more info.

U can do online at ur library. Download the Libby app and add ur library card.

I have a Pinterest board called "books to read". I read the weekend papers which have book reviews and add books that sound interesting, I also add books when people recommend them, when I see them in book shops and am drawn to the cover or blurb, when an author I like has a new book coming out, when I see there are sequels or other books by an author I like, that I fancy reading. I also get emails from Waterstones and Persephone Books and when I see a book I like I add it on.

Then I place some of the books on my list on order from the library, so there is always something on its way, ask for others for Christmas and birthday, and buy the ones that I feel like I might want to own or might take longer than I can have them out of the library for to read. And if I see them in a charity shop I buy them.

Also I am in a book group so we read one book a month anyway.

Goodreads.

I’m not on TikTok but much of the BookTok content ends up over on Instagram too. Search up some books you have liked and you will start getting suggestions for other novels.

Depending how much you have to spend, our charity shop paperbacks are 50p, so I'll often buy £2.50 worth (still a good price compared to even one new book) totally at random. One I like the cover of, one with an interesting synopsis, one from an author I recognise, one absolute wildcard, one with an intriguing title.

I'll try them all, just a few pages. If they don't grab me then they go straight back to the charity shop, if they do, great! I've found some of my favourite books that way.

I found this site from a recommendation on here

https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com

Put in a book title you know you like and (hopefully) it will show you some others you might enjoy. Not all books are on there but the recommendations are solid.

I have online access to ebooks at our library and also have a Kindle - Amazon suggests books for me and I often find gems through that.

I also struggle with anxiety and find I have to discount a lot of books that deal with difficult subjects as they make it worse. If you Google Goodreads they have mental health fiction books which are specifically chosen for people with mental ill health.

If you’re looking for a recommendation then Claire Chambers is really good.

I get most of my book recommendations from the 50 book challenge threads on MN. We post brief reviews about the books we've read from all different genres so you can see if something takes your fancy.

Borrowbox from your local library is great - I use it mainly for audiobooks but also ebooks when I’m in the mood. If I see a book I like the sound of I tend to search for it and borrow/reserve it there and then. It’s saved me a lot of money, especially if I don’t like the book.

If your nearest library isn’t that near I think it might be just what you need.

I have kindle unlimited and it's worth every penny for me. I read a lot. Plus as I pay a monthly fee I don't feel guilty if I don't finish the book if it's rubbish.

Thankyou so much, there's some great suggestions here.

I told my husband about my attempts today and on the way home he stopped at the charity shop and bought me this, so I've got something to try for now.

He doesn't read at all and chose it because of the watch on the front 🤣

I have 300 books in my tbr and around 150 on my kindle.

Choice is everything 😅

Meant to add this

I usually base my reading on what is free on kindle when I’m looking for something new.

Maybe have a look on Amazon at the books you liked - they do a ‘people who bought this also bought’ section. That might give you some ideas.