How do you decide which book you're going to read next?

I just started reading (passionately) about a month ago. I picked up Cosmos by Carl Sagan and it made me realize how enlightening a book can be.

However, after reading that book (which I enjoyed very, very much) I wasn't sure where to go next. I ended up buying and reading Pale Blue Dot and Dragons of Eden by the same author, and though they were good, I'm looking for a bit of a break from science non-fiction books.

I'm currently reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig, and I was really enjoying it but I started to get burned out about 2/3 of the way through. I'm probably going to force myself to finish the book (it is a really great book, just not the type of book I need right now), but I'm a bit worried that I will keep on buying books that I won't be able to finish...and more worried that I will lose a sense of direction in my reading and stop reading books altogether!

My question is, how do you decide what your next book is going to be? Is it good to stick to one author, or one genre, or to keep it varied?

I just go by what I'm interested in. I will sometimes get into a particular streak in regards to an author. I read four consecute Stephen King and Kurt Vonnegut books before I got a little tired of both authors. Ditto Chuck Palahniuk. I will also find obscure works by famous 19th century authors and I've found those to be very much worthwhile. Just read what interests you-can't go wrong there.

I got burned out on vampire novels last month. I still don't think I can pick up one for awhile...

I try to vary my reading material so that I don't get burned out like that though. Lately I've been trying to read books that were laying on the shelf for a year or more. So I usually have one romance and classic lit title read each month in addition to the other genres, which vary between mystery, historical fiction, non-fiction, fantasy or whatever.

Well, honestly, a lot of times I simply slip in here to see what others are reading, or I'll go to my local Library's website and see what others recommend. Generally, I follow SFG75's advice and just go for what I'm in the mood to read. Right now, I'm in the mood to read modern books, that take place in modern times. Usually I'm always thinking of the past, or of fantasy worlds, so its a change for me to read something modern.

I'm similiar to Bluraven because my favourite genres were/are sci-fi/fantasy/animal fiction and for a lot of years I rarely strayed into the harsh reality of today! A few years ago,though,I decided to consciously read more general fiction,and even read Thomas Hardy's Jude The Obscure! It's quite a mental leap from Terry Brook's magical world of druids and elves or David Clement Davies' wolf pack to 21st century lives in England/U.S/The World!

I keep an intended-reading shelf. Books find me, the way weeds find a garden. People give me books, I belong to a book exchange, I inhabit local library book sales, I get "paid" sometimes for lectures with B&N gift cards. Just as gourmet cooks (not me, but among my relatives) always have interesting/unusual foods in their kitchens, I always have books.

When I'm ready to start a new book I stand in front of my shelf and let it speak to me. A book I have forgotten about will suddenly say Here I am, and we go off together.

Even though I like to read off the works by certain favored authors, it is really true that you can get overload if you read too many consecutively. So space them out, and you will always have something to look forward to.

Well put, SilverSeason! Your taste in books evolves over time so what might interest you now will be different in a few years. I follow certain authors and pick up anything that looks interesting. One thing I have leaned, over time (much time!) is that if Im 100 pages in and its boring me....I dont finish it! Theres too many more interesting things out there to read.

I have things that I intend to read, but it largely boils down to my mood when I've finished one book and am about to pick up another.

I keep a list of all the books on my shelf that are waiting to be read. Sometimes I'll go down the list and pick out what hits me, or if I can't decide, I tell my husband to pick a number between 1-40 and read what he picks.

Sybarite said:

I have things that I intend to read, but it largely boils down to my mood when I've finished one book and am about to pick up another.

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Mood and availablility are definately top motivators for me too. I just finished my last library book, so I'll be checking my own shelves for what to read next, while I plot out what to request from the library for the next few weeks. Once the ILLS start arriving-sometimes several at a time- I usually put them in order of due dates..unless one stands out as a must read first..again, mood and interest take over then.

Just whatever I feel like usually. Right now I am really into non-fiction. A few months ago I was obessed with Stephen King and read all of the dark tower + Salems Lot and Hearts of Atlantis. Right now I am reading For Whom the Bell Tolls and I have realized I'm not ready to go back to fiction yet.

I grab all of the books from my TBR piles, lay them all out on the floor, consider each title, then go to the bookstore and buy something else.

sparkchaser said:

I grab all of the books from my TBR piles, lay them all out on the floor, consider each title, then go to the bookstore and buy something else.

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If I had the money....

I usually have a 'to read' shelf on my bookcase and when I have finished my current book I will go through them until I find the one I can't put back down. Sometimes it's a re-read that won't wait despite there being new ones right next to it. With series where all the books are already published I like to read them start to finish.

I was faced with a similar predicament to yours, David. My solution was to trawl through these threads for peoples 'top 10' or 'best of' lists and then go from there. If I see the same title a few times I'll check that out. I don't buy books as I'm never sure what i will like - and never read a book twice. My library has their catalogue online so I make a list then check to see if they have it. I take out about 5 books at a time and usually find 2 or 3 among them I like. Then I go back and look up these titles here and often people will have recommended something similar. My taste is probably very different to yours, but my recent favourite reads are: Life if Pi: Yann Martel, Remains of the Day: Kazuo Ishiguro and Atonement: Ian McKewen. I also follow the advice of a post I read somewhere; If I'm finding it difficult to get into a novel I will read 100 pages and then decide whether or not to keep going.

I try to vary my reading choices, as I too get burned out with too much of the same. I rarely read the same author or the same genre back to back. I like to break things up by reading some heavy-ish drama, then a fast-paced thriller. Variety is good.