How do you chose what fiction book to read?

[ItsaCATnotalabrador]

I buy most of my fiction from a charity shop that sells books for 10p-50p so I go in every so often and stock up on ones with covers I like and titles that appeal. Sometimes I'll recognise the name of the book or the author. I dont put much thought into it because at 10p it doesnt matter if I give up after the first few chapters.

My friend however enjoys the process of picking a book almost as much as reading it. She puts a lot of thought and even research into each book she reads.

How do you select a book?

YANBU - Just pick one that appeals
YABU - I enjoy my reading time so want to get the most out of it as I can so no crappy books please.

I may be exaggerating ever so slightly for comic effect.

Generally the promise of spaceships, or aliens, or time travel, or weird tech is enough to get me over the line. The spaceship doesn't actually have to be on the cover.

And I do enjoy other genres as well, I read a lot of travelogues, the occasional non-fiction history thing, or a re-read of a childrens book I loved (Swallow and Amazons and Redwall being a couple of recent examples)

And of course the Discworld. But Discworld is a definite exception, generally I find fantasy intolerable.

But mostly it's the spaceships. I get through around 100 books a year, I reckon a good 70% of them have a spaceship on the cover.

This might be the feeblist comment ever. Some of us have enjoyed the discussion
fine, you do you. But I sometimes wonder why MN don't shut down all the other boards. Because, for some, MN is AIBU.

Am now imagining people sticking spaceship stickers randomly on the front of novels they give you as presents. So a Penguin Classics Edith Wharton with a cover portrait of a woman in a crinoline is now looking out the window at a spaceship, or a spaceship is hovering mysteriously over a landscape with an elephant train and Brits in pith helmets on EM Forster's A Passage to India.

Thanks. I will do me. I very rarely look at other boards on MN, so it would never have occurred to me to look at the book board, yet I have enjoyed this discussion.

I have collections of books, all the Stephen King books, and the classics. Otherwise I buy from charity shops and pass them onto friends, or donate them again. I easily read a couple of books a week, and wouldn’t pay full price for them. Local charity shop sells hardback fiction for 50p.

@VimesandhisCardboardBootsIt’s interesting how a lot of people who aren’t into fantasy at all love Discworld. Similarly, a lot of people who aren’t at all into science fiction make an exception for The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. I love the way humour and satire have the power to build those bridges.

I haven’t read anything spaceshippy for decades, and I don’t really know why as I’ve got nothing against the genre at all. If you have any recommendations for a really gripping way in, with really engaging characters and good world-building, let me know - I’d love to try some!

I didn’t read any fantasy for years and years and then suddenly got into reading a few very gritty grimdark series and some darker romantasy-ish stuff somehow about a year ago. If I can get into fantasy again in my late 40s I reckon I can get into sci-fi too 😁

I have a kindle and pay for kindle unlimited, l read alot atm, due to not working and other stuff going on in my life.
I will basically download anything if l like it l will get more from the same author. I like a dective series, or if chick lit and sometimes something more highbrow.

I'm currently just finishing the expanse series, and I've absolutely adored it. It's fairly near future so not too much almost magical tech, and it's all really well thought out. The characters are all absolutely brilliant as well. The first book stands alone fairly well as well so you don't have to commit yourself to a big long series. The first ones called Leviathan Wakes.

And yes, there is a spaceship on the cover

Thanks @VimesandhisCardboardBoots- that’s very helpful; I’ll have a look 👍🏻

Im pretty reliant on Amazon reviews to filter which books I read - if I see something I like the sound of I’ll check the reviews and it’s there’s not tens of thousands of reviews with an average of 4.5 stars I probably won’t bother. I can’t stand anything badly written and a lot of published books are quite amateurish in style these days I find! I’m not a book snob though - I will usually avoid prize winners as I don’t like anything pretentious, just needs to be written by someone who can write well 😂 I like Ken Follett, JK Rowling, Kristin Hannah, William Boyd, David Nichols - that kind of thing.

I head to the fantasy/ sci fi section, try to find something I haven’t read and check the blurb. Sometimes I look on Goodreads for books that are popular this week and check if they sound good then Kindle order them.