Book question. How do YOU find new books to read?

Question

Where do you hear about new books? Which sources do you trust for recommendations (like friends, book club, recommendations from a book seller online)?

If you just browse for books at a store or library, what makes you pick a particular book? The cover? The length? The title? Something else?

I'm trying to expand my range of books that I read (because I read too much fantasy-type books), so I want to know how other people pick their books... maybe that will get me to be a little more pro-active in finding new books.

Answer 1

I go to the library regularly...even got one of the 'friends of the library' book bags. (I get a lot of books at a time...it does no harm even if I don't read them all, though I often do.)

Sometimes I will read books by a particular author, usually because I found or heard about one I liked, and then found others by the same author...and read them all! Lately I've been reading Sherman Alexie, though someone else at the library is, too, so though he wrote a lot of books I've still only read a few. They're good!

Sometimes I read by genre, and for mysteries I have a friend who always steers me in the right direction. Lucky, huh?

For other genres I read the blurb, and if it sounds interesting I'll check it out. I wander through the sci-fi, mystery, fiction, history, biography and even children's aisles to check out books. (I've been known to spend a long time in the library:)

Sometimes I'll try a book that I know has been made into a movie, because (with one exception) I've found that the books [always the ones written before the movie!] are much better than the film. Plus, I'm always curious about what kind of books are made into movies. (and there's also the fact that I rarely go to the movies, unless I love the book and really want to see what film makers do with it)

Good luck on your book hunt, it can be fun.

Answer 2

Some of these are from female perspectives, some may be a little "girly girl" for your liking but others should be okay. I've left both genre on and you can decide. Meryll of the Stone (Brian Caswell) Picnic at Hanging Rock (Joan Lindsay) Stranger with my face (Lois Duncan) Playing Beattie Bow (Ruth Parks) My Sister Sif (Ruth Parks) Hitch hikers guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) Holes (Louis Sachar) Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit Eragorn trilogy Narnia The Golden Compass Interview with a Vampire (Anne Rice) Requiem for a Princess (Ruth M Arthur) Looking for Alibrandi (Melina Marchetta) Angels Gate (Gary Crew) Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants Pelican's Creek (Maureen Pople) The Diary of Anne Frank To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) The Shiralee (Dárcy Niland) Into the Wild (John Krakauer) Chocolat (Joanne Harris) Harp in the South; Poor Man's Orange; Missus (Trilogy by Ruth Parks) Where the Heart is (Billie Letts) My Place (Sally Morgan) Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) Rebecca (Daphne De Maurier) The 3 Muskateers (Alexandre Dumas) Anything by the Bronte sisters or Jane Austen Whatever you do don’t run The December Boys (Robert Noonan)

Answer 3

If I go to a book store or library I tend to get stuck in a rut and pick from authors I've read. To introduce myself to new authors I join a monthly book club for a few months at a time. Then I get a variety.

Answer 4

Sometimes I take a chance at a title that interests me and sometimes its a good thing but sometimes its a bad thing. I try to read reviews but you have to take them with a grain of salt. One man's ceiling is another man's floor they say. I like Fantasy. I also like Mysteries, Thrillers, Suspense, Horror. The Authors I tend to read are:
Stephen King
Dean Koontz
Clive Barker
Sarah Gruen
Sue Grafton
John Sandford
James Patterson
John Twelve Hawks
Joe Hill

Even these guys turn out a bad book every once in awhile. So its hit or miss even with my favorite authors.....

Answer 5

I pick my books according to subject matter and/or storyline. I read the description of what the book is about on the cover; and, if that appeals to me, I buy or check it out. I generally don't bother with books that do not give me a good idea of the subject matter, or storyline, on the cover.

I too read a lot of fantasy books, but I also like history of the non-fictional variety, although I also enjoy a good historical fiction novel as well.

Answer 6

I scan certain sections of the library where I know books that catch my interest will be seen. For me, it is all about the genre. If it is one of my favorite genres, I then read the brief summary on the back. If I think it's something that might make a good read, then I go ahead and give it a chance.

Answer 7

ask 4 good books on answers, look for similar books 2 the ones i like on amazon, browse a books store.

the titile, the cover, and what it says on the back.

Answer 8

Start with the free ones... some GREAT books in here

Answer 9

What should I read next?

Enter a book you like and the site will analyse our database of real readers' favourite books (over 32,000 and growing) to suggest what you could read next.

http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

http://www.gnod.net/

http://www.allconsuming.net/

Free e-Books

There are 19,000 free ebooks in the Project Gutenberg Online Book Catalogue.

http://www.gutenberg.org/

http://www.truly-free.org/

http://www.bibliomania.com/

http://www.readprint.com/

http://www.readbookonline.net/

http://www.fictionpress.com/

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/

http://www.free-ebooks.net/

http://manybooks.net/

http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/catalogs/bysubject-top.html

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/

http://www.baen.com/library/

http://www.ebooks3.com/

http://www.bookyards.com/

http://www.free-online-novels.com/

http://www.starry.com/novel/authors.htm

http://www.bygosh.com/thebestnovels.htm

http://www.bookspot.com/ask/

http://www.online-literature.com/

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/

http://www.infomotions.com/alex/

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/

http://www.literature.org/

Answer 10

Well sometimes I go to the librarie or a bookstore to d\see whats going on. Or you can search in the internet.
Hope I help!
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