How do you choose your next book?

[msrisotto]

I HATE being disappointed by a book so take quite some time to choose my next read. I have a friend who always recommends good stuff so I listen to her, I might look at the man booker long/short lists but look at amazon reviews too. I also look at the Mind prize winners as I like that sort of thing.

My method sucks though so i'd be glad to hear yours! Have already seen a couple of threads and have added "I let you go' to my wishlist.

I will look at 'People who bought this also bought...' on Amazon.

I look at this topic quitte often.

I do use my local library & as I go by car can take out quite a lot of books & then peruse them at home. I reckon 50% of what I borrow gets returned unread, but they don't mind as borrowing figures are what help to keep local libraries going.

I do find it hard when I have read something exceptionally good to find a new book to match it so then I will sometimes go for a re-read of something or a total change of genre.

I pick up quite a lot of recommendation so on the 50 Books Challenge thread here and on Goodreads. I like to read reviews on there and pick up recommendations from friends on there and Amazon, Book pixels winners - Man Booker, Costa Prize etc.

Autocorrect fail - should read Prize not pixels

This is a wonderful thread, filled with ideas:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/adult_fiction/2273818-Books-youve-read-and-loved-that-we-probably-havent-heard-of?pg=1

I often look on here and other book sites such as Goodreads. Also friends with similar reading interests are good for knowing you will probably be getting a great read.

But if I like an author, I tend to look for their next books. It doesn't always work out though. I bought 'Eeny Meeny' when it was on a kindle countdown - absolutely cracking read so I couldn't wait for the next book by the author. I bought it as soon as it became available and dived right into it. But I was completely disappointed and ended up abandoning it about a third of the way through.

In contrast to that, a friend of mine recommended 'Gods Inc' by Sarah King. I'd never heard of the author but the book was free on amazon so I 'bought' it and LOVED it. So when her next book, 'What Laura Saw' came out I bought it and wasn't disappointed. Loved that even more

I have read and enjoyed almost all of Stephen Kings earlier work, but haven't been in the mood for a horror book for a few years now. I like psychological thrillers the best.

A while ago, I gave up on reading only well known authors and have taken a chance on quite a few indies. I haven't regretted that one bit. I didn't realise what I'd been missing. Some are rubbish, obviously, but there are some real gems amongst them.

However, the one I really want to read right now is 'I let you go', but I'm waiting for the price to drop. £6.99 for a kindle book is too much IMO. I'm currently reading 'Gone Girl' because I want to read the book before watching the film.

I go to Waterstones several times a week to browse, pick up ideas from MN, Amazon recommendations and I also have certain authors I like and always buy their books. I also read book section in the times and the guardian.

I often pick books because of funky titles and that was at least in 2014 a bad idea as I made some poor choices.

I have a selection of authors that I usually stick to or my mum gives me books to read

Like booktroll, I read the Review section in the paper (I like the section in the Guardian on Saturday) - in fact it's the main reason I buy a paper rather than just reading online. The only disadvantage is having to make a note of books and then wait until they have them in the library!

Oh, I also always look out for the features 'books to read on holiday' / 'your best book of the year' - where they ask loads of authors to make suggestions, then I look for authors I like and see what they recommend.

I read most of what comes up on our book group list, which is usually pretty good.

Friends' recommendations - and not-recommendations - are also handy. If a friend recommends as brilliant a book which turns out to be a minger, I'll approach any other suggestions with caution.

Then, of course, there is the tried and tested method of sitting on the bookshop floor reading the first few chapters or, as it often is now, using 'See Inside' on Amazon.

I rootle through my four foor high stack of shame to-read pile.

^foot