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Books Everywhere, Which One to Read?

In today’s world there is no shortage of books and writers, both of the published and self-published variety. With this deluge of books, how does a person decide what book to buy and read?

I have various strategies, depending on what I am looking for and the mood I am in.

When I am looking for a good read, I usually follow the tried and tested author path. If I like an author’s book, I generally buy everything that author writes—whether the second book lives up to the first or not. If I’ve liked the first book, I will generally like the second, and the third and fourth.

The other strategy I adopt is when I am out looking for a new experience. That means looking to read the back of the book blurb, reading a few reviews and dipping into the book to see if I like the author’s style of writing. Bookstores are a great place to browse and do this, and so are e-book retailers.

Finally, there are times when I just want the universe to literally hand me a good book. That’s when I look around briefly and pick up the book—any book that catches my eye—and purchase it. I have found some of the best books I have ever read that way.

What strategy do you follow when looking for something to read?

One reply on “Books Everywhere, Which One to Read?”

Unless someone directly recommends something to me, my default strategy is usually to go by the blurb and my gut instinct. Once you get the hang of the author from one book, then I would consider whether I would want to read more of him/her and check online to see what are his most highly rated books… then give them a shot.

But yes, in a bookstore today, where there are countless new names, I would fall back on the tried and tested names more often than not.

Also as a kid, the “New York Times bestseller” tag on the book cover meant a lot 🙂 I can’t explain it… it just gave more credibility to me and most were pretty good.

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