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Jan. 4th, 2015 09:42 pmLast December meme post!
ambyr asked me how I prioritize the books I read next.
There are a bunch of factors that I tend to juggle in terms of book prioritization, including but not limited to:
- what is due back at the library in the immediate future?
- what are people waiting for me to read so I can talk about it with them?
- what has been sitting accusingly on my shelf that I can no longer ignore?
- am I feeling kind of sad and in need of something fluffy that I know I'll like?
- am I feeling like I've been reading lots of fluff lately and should switch over to something more serious?
- when was the last time I read something nonfiction? ... seriously, that long ago? come on, self, get on that!
- how desperate am I to find out what happens next in this series?
- do I need to read the sequel before I feel ready to have opinions about this?
- do I feel like this may result in a really hilarious DW entry?
- how heavy a book do I feel like lugging around for the foreseeable future?
If you put all these factors together you could probably figure out some kind of complex algorithm for why I read what I read when, I guess. I do have a to-read shelf comprised mostly of library books and new or borrowed books at the ready for me, and mostly I just grab stuff from there as I'm running out the door. I tend to be a serial monogamist when it comes to literature -- I don't like reading multiple books at once, jumping around between books confuses me -- and I also don't like leaving books unfinished because then I feel like the book has BEATEN ME. So when I pick something, I have to be pretty sure that I'm going to be OK sticking to that book until I'm through with it. This is why I'll often go through the shorter and lighter books on my to-read shelf first, and the books that require more commitment tend to wait until I've winnowed down the competition.
(I do often read books on Kindle also, but unless there's a reason to prioritize them immediately -- like it's a digital library book, or lots of people are already talking about it, or I really need that particular piece of comfort reading right then -- I'll usually wait and save up Kindle books so I have them ready when I'm going on a trip and don't want to pack physical books with me.)
This is an interesting question! How do you guys pick the books you read next, what factors tend to be relevant?
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There are a bunch of factors that I tend to juggle in terms of book prioritization, including but not limited to:
- what is due back at the library in the immediate future?
- what are people waiting for me to read so I can talk about it with them?
- what has been sitting accusingly on my shelf that I can no longer ignore?
- am I feeling kind of sad and in need of something fluffy that I know I'll like?
- am I feeling like I've been reading lots of fluff lately and should switch over to something more serious?
- when was the last time I read something nonfiction? ... seriously, that long ago? come on, self, get on that!
- how desperate am I to find out what happens next in this series?
- do I need to read the sequel before I feel ready to have opinions about this?
- do I feel like this may result in a really hilarious DW entry?
- how heavy a book do I feel like lugging around for the foreseeable future?
If you put all these factors together you could probably figure out some kind of complex algorithm for why I read what I read when, I guess. I do have a to-read shelf comprised mostly of library books and new or borrowed books at the ready for me, and mostly I just grab stuff from there as I'm running out the door. I tend to be a serial monogamist when it comes to literature -- I don't like reading multiple books at once, jumping around between books confuses me -- and I also don't like leaving books unfinished because then I feel like the book has BEATEN ME. So when I pick something, I have to be pretty sure that I'm going to be OK sticking to that book until I'm through with it. This is why I'll often go through the shorter and lighter books on my to-read shelf first, and the books that require more commitment tend to wait until I've winnowed down the competition.
(I do often read books on Kindle also, but unless there's a reason to prioritize them immediately -- like it's a digital library book, or lots of people are already talking about it, or I really need that particular piece of comfort reading right then -- I'll usually wait and save up Kindle books so I have them ready when I'm going on a trip and don't want to pack physical books with me.)
This is an interesting question! How do you guys pick the books you read next, what factors tend to be relevant?