How do you pick the books that you read?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
February 25, 2013 6:31am CST
Do you read books that your friends have recommended? Do you read reviews? Do you search the database of the library or the bookshop? Do you visit the library or the bookshop in person and browse the shelves? Do you find books in other ways?
I get most of my books from the library and I use their datebase a lot. I write some keywords about the topics that I am interested in and then I find books about those topics. I am able to find both novels and non-fiction books that way. Sometimes I also visit a Danish website where there are literature lists about a variety of topics. Some of those lists were written by librarians and the other ones were written by the library users. I have found some great books that way.
5 people like this
20 responses
@anuraa32 (2446)
• India
25 Feb 13
Well I usually have my genres that I would like to read from, like detective series, kids stories, animation comics like Archies, anything to do with Supernatural. It depends I mean. I usually spend a lot of time in the bookstore. I go around the store once. Then I go through the shelves of the genres I like. And then just take a look around. A book cover caught my attention, I take it out, I read the story gist written on the back cover. I find that interesting, I buy it.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 13
I also spend a lot of time in the bookstore. I prefer to visit the bookstore alone, because friends usually get impatient if we visit the bookstore together. When they are ready leave I don't feel like leaving because there are too many interesting books 
Like you I usually read the summary of the book on the back cover when a certain book catches my attention. If it sounds like an interesting story I might choose to buy the book. When I am at the library I do the same thing, because I want to find out if the book that I have found is interesting or not. If it sounds interessting I choose to borrow that book.
Like you I usually read the summary of the book on the back cover when a certain book catches my attention. If it sounds like an interesting story I might choose to buy the book. When I am at the library I do the same thing, because I want to find out if the book that I have found is interesting or not. If it sounds interessting I choose to borrow that book.2 people like this
@savire (204)
• Indonesia
26 Feb 13
While I'm always tend to buy books that suite my genre but if I found some interesting books in different genre I might as well buy them.
Peoples tends to visit Book store because they might happen to have newest edition. Also you can browse others type of new books there.
I do sometimes visit a library but here in my countries library tends to fall behind in the name of collections. Unless you are looking into old collection I think the option left are looking them at Book store.
2 people like this
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
25 Feb 13
I go to my local library and look in the right sections for my interests like travel. I found it hard to find a copy of Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring. So I looked at the library database and asked to reserve a copy of it. It isn't easy to find many travel guide books about Moldova. I like to read novels and biographies. Sometimes I buy books from a cheap online merchant called Amazon. I read reviews on Amazon. There is a bookshop called Stanford's and I adore looking around that shop in Bristol. Wow!
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 13
I have bought Europe on a shoestring. I used it during our interrail trip and I plan on using it again in the future. I think that it is a great travel guide book because it covers so many different countries. I have noticed the same thing about Moldova. I know that there a lonely Planet book called "Romania and Moldova" but that is the only one that I have seen. My local library had no books about Moldova, but I was able to make a reservation at another library and they sent "Romania and Moldova" to my local library. I would love to visit Ukraine and Moldova this year, but I am not sure that we can afford it, I guess we will have to wait and see. I hope that you will write about your trip when you return 
1 person likes this
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
25 Feb 13
I read reviews, and will often find something different to read from those. (Sometimes this doesn't work, as I might have different tastes from the reviewers(. My mom and my aunts read a lot of books, and so they will pass along things they think I'd like, and I often read my husband's books too.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 13
Yes, sometimes we don't agree with the reviewers and if they like or dislike a book there is no guarantee that we are going to (dis)like it as well. I get disappointed sometimes when I read a book which has received excellent reviews. I also experienced the opposite situation some weeks ago. I read a book that had received really bad reviews and I enjoyed it a lot! It is great that you are able to get suggestions from your mom and your aunt. My mother and my husband share books because they both like detective stories. I don't read detective stories, but it is nice that they are able to recommend books and share books.
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@andak2007 (3229)
• Philippines
25 Feb 13
Before when i was still at school i go to the libraries and can stay there for many many hours, almost all of my free time. Then later on i love going to bookstores, and also secondhand bookstore that sells cheap books. Then i stopped reading and just recently gotten back into reading, i know i have a lot to catch up and it seems that most of the movies coming out are based on the novel. Guess what? I am now reading Nicholas Sparks novels and i have 16 ebooks coming from him, then John Grisham, then Nora Roberts, i like to choose novels from popular authors first and after i have read all of them, i ask my friends for recommendations.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 13
The things that you wrote about the time when you were still at school sounds a lot like me. I can spend hours at the library or in bookshops. I visit the library very often and I usually borrow a lot of books. It is great that you have started reading again. You wrote that you read the popular authors now. I am doing the opposite thing at the moment. I have discovered some interesting Danish authors who wrote their books in the 1970's or the 1980's and I am reading some of those old books at the moment.
1 person likes this
@Liliac26 (557)
• Romania
25 Feb 13
I have three ways of choosing my books:
- I take recommendations from friends,
- I look around the bookshop and see what catches my eye and mind,
- I read classics that I've always wanted to read or have been on my reading list for some time.
The only reviews I read are those on the back cover of the book, and I always take them with a grain of salt, and never forget to browse through the actual thing. Reviews reflect the tastes of the critics, which may have nothing to do with my own. At least, when I take recommendations from friends, I know that our tastes are similar. And when I read classics, I know that a large variety of people have enjoyed them, so I stand a better chance of liking them myself.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 13
You wrote that reviews reflect the taste of critics, that is true. I sometimes get disappointed when I read books that have received excellent reviews. When we read reviews it is important to keep that in mind, and the fact that the critics enjoyed the book or didn't enjoy it at all is no guarantee that I am going to feel the same way.
I am not really able to get recommendations from my friends because we have very different different ideas about "a good book" and they like other genres than I do. I haven't read many classics so far, but I have a list of classics that I would like to read one day and some of them are from the book called "1001 books you must read before you die".
1 person likes this
@priyaxxx85 (108)
• India
25 Feb 13
I pick books only as per my interests. Apart from that a book which gets good reviews by readers or becomes popular also finds a place on my book shelf. Though I don't have any fav writers as such but if i like a book, I try to read other books too from the same writer.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 13
If I like a book I tend to do the same thing. I try to find out if he or she has written other books and if I discover other books by the same author I try to find those books at the library or in a bookshop. Sometimes I get really disapponted in the other books, because they aren't as good as the first one, but I think it is worth a try to read some of the other books. Sometimes the other books are great as well and the author becomes one of my favourite authors.
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@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
3 Mar 13
I rarely buy books these days as I have many to read already. I used to work in a book shop so I took advantage and bought lots to put aside for my old age. Sometimes though I will by something but it is usually from a second hand shop. Books are soooo expensive, I refuse to pay the prices asked for a new book.
If I'm selecting a book my eye will be caught by my favourite authors or well known authors. I tend to prefer books written by females.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Mar 13
Yes, new books are expensive. I buy new books sometimes if I find a book that I really want to read, but the books in the second hand shops are much cheaper. In one of the local second hand shops in my country used books cost less than a dollar, and when I compare that to the price of the new books there is a huge difference. It is great that you were able to buy a lot of books when you worked in a book shop. Like I said I buy new books sometimes, but most of the time I prefer to borrow books at the library, because there are some books that I only read once and there is no reason to buy my own copy of those books. I like to read books by my favourite authors and books written by authors that I don't know.
@veejay19 (3589)
• India
26 Feb 13
Once upon a time i was a voracious and avid reader since my childhood. My tastes started changing as i grew up to adulthood. Now i am a senior citizen approaching my 70's in 3 years time and my reading habits have dwindled as time passed. I have a goodly collection of books with me and nowadays i have started re-reading my books,those which i had read a long time ago. No, i don't go to any library nor do i browse for books online. If someone recommends a book i take it from him but i don't purchase it. Besides i have very little time to read as i have other things to do.I only read during my spare time.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 13
Like you I was a avid reader in my childhood. Today I have less time to spend on reading, because of my job and other responsibilities, but I still love to read and I read every day before I sleep. It is nice that you have started to reread your books. I also like to reread my books sometimes and some books are worth reading several times and you learn new things each time you read them. I have many different kinds of books and I read both fiction and non-fiction. Which genres do your books belong to?
@veejay19 (3589)
• India
27 Feb 13
As i told you my tastes changed as i grew up and matured. I too used to read all variety of books from comics to fiction and non-fiction. 20 years ago there was a dramatic change in me, i became spiritually awakened and my interests got focused on spirituality and spiritual books. Now this is the genre in which i am engrossed and i don't have interest in any other genre.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
27 Feb 13
That is true, I remember that we talked about the spiritual books in another discussion. I also read spirtual books and I have been interested in them since I was in my 20's. I have bought the ones I like the most. The rest of them I only borrow at the library. The big library on the neighbour island has a pretty large collection of spiritual books.
@celticeagle (166672)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Feb 13
I either hear of books on talk shows or on the news. I can go to the library occasionally if there is a book I want to read and it is there. I usually check online to see. My favorite way to find books is to go on Amazon and check them out. They have reccomendations and such that really help me alot.
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@celticeagle (166672)
• Boise, Idaho
27 Feb 13
Yes, Amazon is wonderful. I wait until books are of the best sellers list so they are cheaper. Yes, my local library has a great amount of books too. They also can send to another library if they don't have for one that does.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
27 Feb 13
Amazon is a great place to find books. I like to read the descriptions of the books and sometimes it helps me choose a book. Some of the books that I am interested haven't been translated to Danish so I buy the English versions of the books on Amazon. I often check the library first unless it sounds like a book that I want to keep and read many times. My local library has a database where I am able to able to search books by a certain author or books about a certain topic. I am also able to see if the book is available or how long the waiting list is. That is very nice and it makes it easier to plan the visits to the library.
1 person likes this
@alottodo (3056)
• Australia
26 Feb 13
I read a lot actually I read every day some books are given to my and some I chose I never go to the library I search in old books stores and mainly chose a book for it's title and some times I look at the end of the page in this way I have found some really good books. Some books I keep because I like to read them again and others I just give them away I started reading when I was 10 years old and never looked back reading have taking me to other worlds and cultures and places I would never visit I can read in Spanish and English and Portuguese.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
Yes, I prefer to read books in their own language. Sometimes the translated version are the only versions that are available in country, but I am usually able to find the English versions online. Some of the books that have been translated to Danish are poorly translated and I prefer to read the original version of the book.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
27 Feb 13
It is great that you can read in both English, Spanish and Portuguese. I can read in English and Danish and I understand some German but not enough to read German books. I do the same thing as you. I keep some books because I really I like them and want to read them again. The other books I sell or give away to other people or to one of the shops that sell second hand things and donate the money to charity. I love reading. I started reading when I was a child and since that time it is one of the hobbies that I have never given up. I read many different kinds of books. I love non-fiction books about travelling, other countries and cultures, but I also read many novels and short stories.
@ifa225 (14461)
• Indonesia
27 Feb 13
I used to read some reviews in blog or using search engine
or i just go to the bokstore and read the tittle first and the picture in the cover
these last two things are interest me so much in picking a book
but I hope some bookstore allow me to read the whole book so I don't need to buy it
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Feb 13
Are you able to read books in the bookshops in yout country? In other countries I have seen bookshops where there are tables and chairs and where you were able to read inside the bookshop. In my country you can't do that. Instead of chairs there are a sign say: "Please don't read the books before you buy them. This is not a library!" and the staff would stop you if you try to read the books in the shop. The title and the front page are also the first things that catch my attention when I see a book. I like to read the summary on the back, too.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
28 Feb 13
Most of the main bookshops here they allowed us to read the unsealed books.(^^)
It's great and I can use some time to read the books but never finish the whole book. I just read it for my reviews. If I found it interesting I will buy and finish reading it at home.(^^)
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@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
7 Mar 13
In general, I tend to be the kind of person that will follow the books that are written by authors that I already know that I'm a fan of. However, I have also noticed that frequently there are titles of other books that are of a similar genre that are printed on little order forms on the back of paperback books and I've used those lists several times in the past to try out new authors. More recently, I've also been following recommendations that my little sister has been giving me as well.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Mar 13
It is sounds like a good idea to use those lists to find books from a similar genre. When I have read the books written by my favourite authors I often try to find new authors from similar genres. There is a local site from my country where librarians write about books and sometimes they mention new authors that are similar to the popular or wellknown authors. I have found some interesting authors that way. I had never heard about those authors before so it was interesting to read about them.
@jricky1 (6800)
• China
25 Feb 13
I keep the book for the writer and whether the plot attracts me.While i read reviews sometime to make sure that i love the book.I'd especially notice the one that my friends recommended.So reading is such a good hobby to keep.Really good for you,porcospino.Being in a book store is so comfortable.And wish you all the best.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 13
I agree with that. I also think that reading is a good hobby. It has been one of my hobbies ever since I was a child and today I am 36. I visit bookshops and the library very often, and I usually find some books that I would like to read. Like you I look at the plot when I decide if I want to read a certain book or not. I like to read the summary of the story on the back of the book, because that summary gives me a chance to learn more about the book. When I have read it I decide if I find the book interesting or not. I also look at the authors, there are certain authors that I like a lot and when they publish new books I like to read them.
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@Keynote (399)
• India
25 Feb 13
i also have this habit of reading books and it is my interest which is deciding factor behind choosing the particular book.Few years back i have great interest in astrology and some other similar arts and have read all best books on these things.Now my interest is in self help and suspense related books.So i often try to find good books on such topics.As i am not a great reader,so it takes me long time to complete the books and yes friends ,family and i do my own search to pick the book for myself.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
25 Feb 13
I share your interest in self help books and suspense. I have bought some of those books because I want to read them more than once. I usually borrow the books at the library at first and if I really like them I might buy them. Do you have any favourite authors of self help books? Or favourite topics? When I pick out books I also tend to look for books about the topics that I am already interested in and at the moment those topics psychology, self help, history, other cultures etc. I also read a lot of novels and short stories, and when I visit the library I borrow fiction as well as non-fiction.
1 person likes this
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
26 Feb 13
I sometimes go through a topic. Once was neanderthals, one was Nazis. Or I'll get into an author and read all of their stuff. Friends will also recommend books to me or I'll just go pour over the shelves until I find something appealing. Sad to say I judge books by their covers at that point.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
27 Feb 13
I do the same thing. If I get interested in a certain topic I read a lot of books about that topic. Recently I have been interested in true crime stories and historical books about events from the past. If I read a great book I usually try to find out more about that author and I check if they have written other books. Some months ago I discovered a local author from my country. Most of his books were published during the 1970's and he is not alive today, but I managed to find many of his books at the library. I have read every book he was written and I like them a lot.
@sizzle3000 (3036)
• United States
26 Feb 13
I only read one genre which is Indian Romances. My daughter on the other hand...I would love to know how she picks. I mean she has romance and horror and mystery all in her library. No one else in the house reads really. She is the only one obsessed with her books. No one can even touch them without her going beserk
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 13
I like the same kinds of books as your daughter (horror and mystery) You can also find many other types of books in my book shelves for instance books about travelling or books about psychology. If you asked my husband he would probably also say that I am obsessed with books I have so many books that it is impossible to keep all of them in the living room, so some of them are tucked away in a closet upstairs.
I have so many books that it is impossible to keep all of them in the living room, so some of them are tucked away in a closet upstairs.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Feb 13
hi Porcospino I love mysteries and who dun its so have my list of favorite Authors like Sue Grafton, Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins CLark and Stephen King too, plus Agatha Christi and Arthur Conan Doyle plus a good many other authors. I worked for 23 years in our local library so I got to know which Authors I loved and which I did not.And no I did knot re a d while on duty as my job was to shelve media not sit around reading it. That I did at home in my spare time.
shelve media not sit around reading it. That I did at home in my spare time. @Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 13
I like Steven king, too and when I visit the library I often look for some of his books, but they are not easy to find because they are very popular. In the past I read a lot of books by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. I recently rediscovered Arthur Conan Doyle when I bought a collection of horror stories. I think that his horror stories are excellent and they often have a twist in the end.
When I was younger I wanted to have the same job as you. I love reading so I thought that it could be interesting to work in a library. I ended up working other places instead, but I am still a very, very active library user.
@Iriene88 (5343)
• Malaysia
26 Feb 13
This is definitely a great way to source for great books to read.
I normally went to the bookshop to browse the shelves on the topic
that of my interest. I normally love to read self motivated books.
I will read the summary and comments at the webs too. If I love that
book I will buy it and read at my leisure. If is is really good, I
would passed it to my son, husband and my sister to read once I have
finished reading them.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
26 Feb 13
I love to browse the shelves in the bookshop. It is great way to find interesting books about the topics that I am interested in. I think that it is great idea to share the good books with your family. I am interested in books about psychology, self help etc and I have shared some of those books with my husband as well, but the rest of my family doesn't read that kind of books. Like you I like to read the summary and the comments about the books. I often use a Danish site about literature. On that site I am able to find short describtions of the books and that way I can learn more about the books before I decide if I want to buy them or not.
@gelooo5 (113)
• Philippines
2 Mar 13
I pick the books I read through researching about reviews regarding the books on the internet. I look for best 100 books of all time, or top 10 books of a current year or anything related to that. I also read books by preference, usually I go for classic books/novels which are recommended by some book review sites. Lastly I also go for books which are currently trending are becoming mainstream because I sometimes want to get into what's new or current also.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Mar 13
I like the lists where you can find the best books of all times or the best boos of the year. Some time ago I borrowed a book at the library and it was called "1001 books you must read before you did" I didn't read all of the descriptions in the book but I did find some books that I would like to read. On the internet there are also plenty of lists that can inspire us when we look for new books. Reviews can be a good way to find new books. There is local site from my country were librarians write reviews and make lists of books according to the genres. I have found many interesting books there.
@Pegasus72 (1898)
•
7 Apr 13
I pick my books by reading a little bit, or if it is by an author I already read, and sometimes on recommendations for friends.
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