[ookey]

When you glance at your huge to-read list or pile (list for me), how do you determine what next? Do you try to sample the best books from many authors? Try to find a good author and read everything by them? Do you read primarily in a genre such as fantasy? or do you just read whatever strikes your fancy at the time? I'm just curious.

[Rob B]

To-Read Pile
Since the pile is currently pretty big, what I do is pick a few, maybe 3 or 4 that I want to read, but can't quite decide. I'll then ask my wife to pick out of those 3 or 4. It's a little game we play, may be corny, but whatever.

The List
I usually have 1 or 2 specific books whenever I go to the bookstore with books that are "floating around" in my head that I want to read. I just started a list of books I want to buy.

[Nimea]

I have a to-read pile and a list . . . both way too big/long. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

I take up whatever book catches my interest, that way sometimes my pile doesn't get smaller . . . but my purse gets lighter.

[DarthV]

I usually read through entire series and then read a couple single novels then back to series. Right now I think I have about 60 books that are in completed series...which gives about 15 or so choices. So it's not too tought to pick.

Then again my choices for what's up next will be difficult... John Marco's Tyrants and Kings, Donaldson's Gap, Stover's Iron Dawn & Jericho Moon, Roberson's Cheysuli or Gemmell's Drenai. Not to mention Zelazny's Great Book of Amber or Gentle's Big Book of Ash. And in anticipation of the massmarket release of Sea of Silver Light re-read the first three Otherland books!

Maybe I should have a poll to have someone else choose for me. Hmmmm ! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by DarthV (edited February 21, 2002).]

[Qin]

I'm insanely picky about what I read and I look only for the literature that is of the finest quality. I can't say there's a strict rule that determines what will and won't appeal to me - my library if filled with both the classics and modern works, ranging from Allan Bloom's Closing of the American Mind to Marcus Aurelius's Meditations to Idylls of the King by Lord Alfred Tennyson.

Generally, my rule of thumb is: Why read something unless it's of the finest possible quality?

I do have my masochistic moments, as everyone does, where I surrender an hour to read a bad Dragonlance novel, or something by Dennis McKeirnan. And that's almost to be expected. A little frivolous eye candy never hurts.

[This message has been edited by Qin (edited February 21, 2002).]

[Hobbit]

How do I choose what to read next?

Hmm....look at the pile.....close eyes....stick hand in.... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

Actually I tend to rotate them round a bit though not strictly so. As i'm reading a Honor Harrington novel now my next one will probably be a Fantasy novel, then a horror, but usually something different to the one before. I rarely read whole series through in one go, but try to remember not to leave it too long so that I've forgotten what happened before (unless they've got a really good summary at the start - well done, Tad Williams!).

Apart from that, it'll vary - I usually mix 'good' with 'quick fixes' or even 'bad' (know your enemy...how else will you know what's good?) Mood is important - after a 'heavy' novel I often follow up with something a lot shorter and lighter. Ultimately I will go on which has the prettiest cover....... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

(Joking, of course....or am I? http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif )

Hobbit

[jbcohen]

Do you prefer a stand alone novel or a series of books? For example: The Spellsong Cycle.

[BigBadMick]

I used to think there was nothing better than getting my teeth into a nice big series of books, such as the Wheel of Time, or David Eddings Belgariad, but now I tend more towards single novels, simply because you can get the whole story in one go, without having to digest a whole lot of other novels in the series.

I like series of single novels where each book is a single, self-contained story, yet all the books in the series are set in the same, familiar world. L.E. Modesitt Jr's Recluce series is a good example of this that I'm particularly fond of at the minute.

[JohnH]

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[Qin]

I much prefer stand-alone books; the great literary works were rarely exceeded one tome, the writers new what was necessary to the text and what was not.