What factors do you consider before starting a new book or series? Is there an "x" factor that decides what your next read will be?

Submitted by jebodiah93 t3_10nm3lt in books

I'm very new to fiction and there is obviously more to read than could be accomplished across lifetimes. So I'm trying to gather what other experienced readers use as guides on how to use their limited reading time.

Our local library has a weekly book sale and I am overjoyed to have gotten all of these ( https://imgur.com/a/3PeW3Dz ) for $20. They are mostly well rated online and are from many genres, styles, and authors.

The problem is, I am now like a deer in headlights. I have so many options (on top of what I already rent from the library) that I don't know how to decide where to start.

So, what do you all consider before picking up a new read? I'm sure genre, author, style, mood, and setting play all play a role but is there and "x" factor that helps you begin?

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timiddrake t1_j69izai wrote

I read almost exclusively from the library so it usually comes down to what's available at that moment.

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Trudi1201 t1_j69lh6l wrote

Whatever gets me interested by reading the backcover.

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sekhmet1010 t1_j6a5hi0 wrote

Earlier i used to agonise over which book to read, and i loved planning my reading schedule months in advance.

Now, however, i just pick up books at random. Whatever i am feeling like, i just pick up.

As for how to pick my next book, i let anything at all decide it for me...an attractive cover, heard a song which reminded me of a series, time of the year, some random readalong on Reddit or Insta, just anything.

Just pick up one and try to persist with it. In fact, put the others completely away from you so that you don't get distracted.

And then just read and read and read.

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jebodiah93 OP t1_j6bgv9l wrote

I appreciate the solid input. I think part of my issue is simply owning them rather than renting them, so putting the rest away while focusing one at a time is a good idea.

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minimalist_coach t1_j69peca wrote

Choosing what to read is my biggest reading challenge, I suffer from decision fatigue so I do a couple of things to narrow down my choice and to allow myself to have to make decisions less often.

I rarely buy books. I used to love to browse both new and used bookstores and pick up things that looked interesting, but I ended up with hundreds of unread books and multiple large bookshelves in my house. So I purged my books and now only buy books I know I want to read and that I can't get at my local library. I'm down to a single small shelf and I'm committed to not outgrowing it.

Now when I see a book that looks interesting, I just add the title and author to a list I keep on my phone.

I like to choose themes, set goals, and join challenges. Last year I wanted to explore new genres so I joined a community that had a genre of the month club and I set a personal goal to read 2 books from the 12 genres I selected. This year I want to explore authors from other countries, so I set a goal to read fiction and nonfiction books by authors from 195 countries, this should take a few years.

I like variety and I have a few favorite genres, so I like to mix things up. I like to read a few challenging and emotional books each year, so I make sure I have something easy and lighthearted to read after my harder books.

Because I get the vast majority of my books from the library I'm happy to give a book that sounds interesting a chance. I'm also fine with DNFing a book if I'm not enjoying it. Exploring genres last year helped me get a feel of what to expect by reading the descriptions of books, I've also discovered that there are some books I enjoy in genres I didn't think I liked.

I envy people that have a defined taste in books. For me books are a lot like my fashion sense, I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it.

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jebodiah93 OP t1_j6bhax8 wrote

I rarely buy books as well but so many for so cheap was impossible for me to turn down.

I think trying new genres sounds great, so far I have tried to branch out a couple times with mixed feelings on the result. I am hoping to find some other genres that may surprise me and become a favorite, I think your method of switching it up sounds great.

The one area I do struggle with is choosing to not finish a book. Right now, I am reading "Player of Games" as I have heard endless praise for the series. It really is not resonating with me after about 120 pages (which was just the first chapter) but I have a hard time quitting a book that people say is so well written. How long do you give it before quitting usually?

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minimalist_coach t1_j6bnsw9 wrote

I rarely read reviews, but there are a lot of books that others love and they just don't work for me at this point in my life. There are books I read when I was younger that are a slog to reread. A book can be a masterpiece, but not right for you right now. I have DNF'd books a few pages in, I've DNF'd books nearly to the end and everywhere in between. I recently gave up on a series after book 4, which was nearly 4000 pages.

My reason for reading is to enjoy some time getting a glimpse into a world different than my own. Sometimes I'm in the mood to read books that are filled with a lot of characters and unfamiliar worlds and sometimes I want something that is more familiar and less complicated. The 2 things I don't want are to be bored or annoyed, and most times I don't want to be stressed.

Sometimes if I'm reading a book I feel like I "should" finish, I'll do what I like to call a slow read. It becomes a secondary book, I'll read a few pages a few times a week and it may take me months to finish it. I'll read other books at my normal pace for the rest of my reading time.

When I was doing the genre of the month challenge and my own genre challenge I had an expectation of exploration. I wasn't expecting to find great books but was reading to see what other types of stories were out in the world and how to understand how to decipher book descriptions. I will say I read some crap books early in the year and became more selective as time went on. I did decide to DNF a few books about 1/2 way through the year, I feel I'd moved far enough outside of my comfort zone and I didn't need to torture myself.

I love goals and joining challenges, but I also reserve the right to change them when they stop working for me.

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[deleted] t1_j69ta15 wrote

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jebodiah93 OP t1_j6bhtxn wrote

I do not think I could handle several books at once. That being said, I tend to finish a book in 2 or 3 days anyway so I can shift from one to the next pretty quickly. I have a tough time remembering details from one story to the next, I do not think I could keep it straight over several!

Do you read from several different genres to help keep everything straight?

Buying fiction never made sense to me before as it can get so expensive. I have a home library of theology and philosophy that were useful for my studies and job but fiction seemed one use. But now that these used books are available all the time, it will take work to be selective.

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gardenomette t1_j6a09mm wrote

I just pick the one on top. All the books I have on my list are books I want to read, so there's no pick that's more wrong or right than any of the others.

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jebodiah93 OP t1_j6bi2wk wrote

That is how I started with library checkouts. But I have found that my list is only from one genre essentially so my list is a bit stale after 30 or so now. I am hoping that breaking out of the comfort zone will expand the list but there are a lot of choices and even more recommendations.

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inscopia t1_j6a6lw5 wrote

If I’m browsing a bookstore or alike, the cover is huge for me. I rarely look at title names, rather the cover and colours. If a cover strikes my interest, I’ll read the back and very rarely the first page. I often confirm my feelings on the book by a quick goodreads check to view the star rating and see whether any of my friends have rated the book.

I also use goodreads a lot to create a list of To-Read which includes real-life recommendations and those I come across on goodreads.

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jebodiah93 OP t1_j6bigyp wrote

Goodreads ratings were really helpful for me today as I was looking through the book haul and deciding what to do first. I am definitely a sucker for colors and cover marketing. There was a book called "Here I Am" that had a great cover and caught my eye from across the room. The description did not grip me but the cover was top notch.

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[deleted] t1_j6b53rp wrote

when I'm about to choose what to read is one of the best parts.the second is to go to the bookstore to look for something that suits me.I am a big reader of novels, I also like travelogues a lot.Me is usually like being hungry for something, if that ever happened to you. It makes you crave pizza.I say to myself...

damn I would like to read A NICE MISTERY BOOK but in a noir style set in ,...And I look for what I need. Obviously, if it's something easy, I go to the bookstore, if it's something complex, I first search online.Then I take a few books, I compare them.....FOR AN HOUR...and I take them BOTH! :D

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jebodiah93 OP t1_j6bj6uq wrote

I have never seen the term "travelogues" and did not realize genres got so specific. Cool to look into.

I do know what you are saying about getting a craving for one style. I do not think I have enough fiction under my belt to really understand what I am looking for all the time.

For example, early on I was asking about books similar to "Children of Time" and I got tons of sci-fi set in space. But I don't really care about far future or space as a setting, it was the feeling of seeing the growth of characters and cultures throughout generations.

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[deleted] t1_j6d3bos wrote

if you like sci fi try something by Asimov.
If it doesn't work then try the expanse. they are lighter and more current. then there is a lot of action.
Every person is different and thinks differently, you will find your habits ;)

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boxer_dogs_dance t1_j6b6qef wrote

Before I found reddit, I browsed shelves in bookstores and libraries. I read best books of the year articles. I paid attention to award winners.

Now I still do all that, but I also spend time on r/suggestmeabook, r/fantasy, r/printsf, r/historicalfiction.

Other people use r/romancebooks and r/horrorlit.

But every book is a bit of a gamble.

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jebodiah93 OP t1_j6bjgnz wrote

Libraries are great since a gamble is simply the time it takes to travel back and forth, thankfully for me I am within walking distance.

Thank you for the sub recommendations. Even searching for books I already like has yielded a ton of possibilities. Sometimes finding a book I want to read is more fun than actually reading it so I have a feeling I will lose some time on these subs.

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JustNoNoISaid t1_j6c7mtx wrote

High/Dark Fantasy + zero romance = Giving it a shot.

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fourstarlasagna t1_j6ghgxl wrote

You start with the one with the best hats.*

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*Go Dog Go by PD Eastman

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