If you are friends with me on Goodreads or follow me on social media such as instagram, you’ll know that like most writers and authors, I LOVE to buy books!!
I love a good 99p (or less) deal on Kindle, but my favourite thing to do is buy books from charity shops. As a result I always have a VERY large TBR (‘to be read’) pile. Though I have the odd romance, YA or literary fiction novel in there, the vast majority are crime/mystery – mostly psychological thriller, though also police procedural and dystopian/apocalyptic.
Whilst I’ve written before about reducing your TBR pile, now I’m wondering how OTHERS tackle theirs. So, without further ado, here’s mine:
Route A: I’m very specific about what I like, which is *generally*:
- High concept stories
- Female protagonists preferred
- Diverse casts preferred
- As many new authors as possible
That’s not to say I don’t read books outside my above remit, but the ones on my TBR list like the above get preferential treatment, ie. ‘bumped up’ the list quicker.
Route B: If everyone is talking about a book (ie. on Twitter, via my friends in Goodreads, or in groups like THE Book Club on Facebook, or it has a big presence online, trains stations etc), then I’ll read it too. This means new books often get read before older ones.
Route C: If I’m friendly online with an author and/or meet one in real life and/or hear him/her speak at an event, I’ll read their book. I also like to try and read other Devonian authors. I try and read as widely as possible, so even if I think someone’s book may not be my ‘cup of tea’, I will still give it a go.
Over to you, now:
- Do you have a system, or do you pick books at random?
- If you have a system, what’s yours?
If I have met an author and they have read my book then I feel it’s only fair to read their book.
I know exactly how you feel Jack!
My passion, obsession is both book and DVD. While this reply is not spot on, you ask about systems readers follow. I have one annoying tendency and its seasonal. I to DUMSTER DIVE….LOL shop at second-hand shops. As to books ( I’m more non-fiction oriented) However I force myself to hold back by pledging… no more purchases until after I have read what I have.