I do this too, particularly for audiobooks and ebooks. I have shelves for books in different formats. So I will go, select my audiobooks shelf, then sort by random order. I love doing it this way.
I search my bookcase till something grabs me. I saw a thing for a book jar the other day though that I thought was cool. Basically you fill a jar with your TBR on post it notes then when you finish a book you take one out and whatever is on there is what you read next. Not sure how this would work with a series though.
With great difficulty and I tend to doubt my choice ? Not in the sense whether I should read that book at all, but in the sense that I wonder whether that book is right for that moment?
I fall in to the category of @Nichole. It works for me. I love reading the NYT Book Review on Sundays & listening to Maureen Courigan’s review of books , on NPR.
I look in a bin where I store my “to read” books. I pull out a few and maybe read their first lines. I always look for a book that is quite different from the one I just finished.
I scroll through goodreads and see what other people read and of I like the description I go for it, unless my calendar informs me for a arranged release I was waiting
I’m a theme reader. I get in the mood for a certain place or subject matter and look for books on my shelf that pertain to said subject or place. Right now I am reading YA books with realtionships that have an unusual or supernatural aspect to them. Just finished Everyday by David Levithan. It’s about a boy who changes bodies everyday and in love with a girl that he has to convince that he is the same person but in a different body. It was really good.
Kevin Kerfoot a friend of mine chooses one author in the “A” section. Then chooses one author in the “B” section etc. until she gets through the alphabet. Then she starts over again. I like this idea. Methodical but a bit mixed up.
I wait until the night of a full moon, go across the street to the basketball court, draw a summoning circle with sidewalk chalk, and ask a minion of hell what to read next.
Or I look at what’s due back at the library soonest and just read that.
Just go through the books I have at home and pick one that feels right. If none do, I’ll go to the library and get some books I’ve been thinking about recently
I know people’s inscriptions tend to devalue books but it’s one of very few triggers that’ll prompt me to buy / read a book. For instance, this inscription in a copy of Green Mansions is the only reason I’m currently reading it.
I have an entire bookcase of TBR’s and my husband picks out every one of my next reads. It’s a great system, I never know what’s coming and I don’t have to try and decide ???
I use Pickster, which is an app on my phone. It randomly selects the next book from my list of TBR. Makes the decision process a whole lot easier for me.
Usually my mood, but I tend to go in a cycle of a fiction, a classic, a non-fiction that will inspire me or make me a better person, and then seem to be ready to go back to a fiction and do it all again! ?
Sometimes I have specific books I want to pick up. Though normally I just pick up something that I just want to read. My library is my TBR list, and I’ll know I’ll get to them all at some point. And sometimes I’ll go out to the library to pick up a title, especially if I’ve been thinking about one story I’m wanting go read.
First I choose the genre at goodreads and then I go to books I have read from that and look at the recommendations
I poke around in my bookshelf and pick out some contenders, read the first paragraph or so and go from there.
I cannot say ? when I finish a book, I just let my head decide, how the decision is made is a mystery to me ?
Each of my bookshelves has a “genre”. I pick one book from the first shelf and then when I finish I pick a book from the next shelf…and so on.
Depending on how I feel
I bring a wide variety of books home from the library so I always have many to chose from then I start reading one or two that strike my mood.
The randomize button on goodreads 🙂
@Amanda what is this magical button you speak of!!!! ?
@Danielle you have to access your GR account from a computer and it’s on the right ha d side.
I do this too, particularly for audiobooks and ebooks. I have shelves for books in different formats. So I will go, select my audiobooks shelf, then sort by random order. I love doing it this way.
Just look through my To Read list on Goodreads
I search my bookcase till something grabs me. I saw a thing for a book jar the other day though that I thought was cool. Basically you fill a jar with your TBR on post it notes then when you finish a book you take one out and whatever is on there is what you read next. Not sure how this would work with a series though.
Maybe just write the first book then
I really like this idea.
@Jade good thinking now that’s sorted I will have to spend time on the weekend doing this.
With great difficulty and I tend to doubt my choice ? Not in the sense whether I should read that book at all, but in the sense that I wonder whether that book is right for that moment?
I just pick up. Book.. .
I’m slowly working on this stack. Not pictured is my current physical copy read which is adventures of Huck Finn
I sit and stare at my bookshelf until something catches my eye. Total impulse book picker!
I skim over the stack I have and then order more from ThriftBooks
I’m more of a mood reader. I tried to have a set to read pile for the month. It’s too much stress for me.
Hang my TBR list on the wall and throw a dart.
@Teresa that sounds like a good idea. Or write all of them down and put the pieces of paper in a jar and pick from them that way
@Teresa love it!
I fall in to the category of @Nichole. It works for me. I love reading the NYT Book Review on Sundays & listening to Maureen Courigan’s review of books , on NPR.
When I’m about 3/4 the way through a book I start looking at my book shelf and see what calls to me
I just pick one but I go in alphabetical order. So it’s a system but not really lol.
Usually I go by which book is due soon at the library lol.
Depending on my mood
What’s due back next from the library!
I look in a bin where I store my “to read” books. I pull out a few and maybe read their first lines. I always look for a book that is quite different from the one I just finished.
I scroll through goodreads and see what other people read and of I like the description I go for it, unless my calendar informs me for a arranged release I was waiting
I go and stare at my TBR shelf and see what grabs me.
I saw this and thought it was cool
I really like this idea
@Jade Currently looking for sticky notes to fill the mason jar I bought at target ?
I do this. Used to spend ages staring at the bookcase. So much easier.
I’m a theme reader. I get in the mood for a certain place or subject matter and look for books on my shelf that pertain to said subject or place. Right now I am reading YA books with realtionships that have an unusual or supernatural aspect to them. Just finished Everyday by David Levithan. It’s about a boy who changes bodies everyday and in love with a girl that he has to convince that he is the same person but in a different body. It was really good.
Work my way down my author TBR list alphabetically ?
Kevin Kerfoot a friend of mine chooses one author in the “A” section. Then chooses one author in the “B” section etc. until she gets through the alphabet. Then she starts over again. I like this idea. Methodical but a bit mixed up.
I wait until the night of a full moon, go across the street to the basketball court, draw a summoning circle with sidewalk chalk, and ask a minion of hell what to read next.
Or I look at what’s due back at the library soonest and just read that.
Just go through the books I have at home and pick one that feels right. If none do, I’ll go to the library and get some books I’ve been thinking about recently
I was literally just staring at my TBR pile agonizing over what to read next ?
It’s really just a gut feeling. In my mind I have an idea but you never know where one book will take you and how you’ll feel at the end.
I know people’s inscriptions tend to devalue books but it’s one of very few triggers that’ll prompt me to buy / read a book. For instance, this inscription in a copy of Green Mansions is the only reason I’m currently reading it.
Usually I pull out around 10 of my TBRs and then I read the first paragraph of each one and then decide which one I want to keep going with.
@Andrea I thought that was only me!
My mood
Whatever sounds good at the time or the latest book I’ve purchased. Lol
I have an entire bookcase of TBR’s and my husband picks out every one of my next reads. It’s a great system, I never know what’s coming and I don’t have to try and decide ???
It depends either on my mood and I check out what’s in my TBR bookcase or what comes in from the library as a hold.
I use Pickster, which is an app on my phone. It randomly selects the next book from my list of TBR. Makes the decision process a whole lot easier for me.
My TBR is divided into separate piles and I choose a book from each pile in turn.
With great difficulty……
Whatever strikes my fancy at the time. Lately I have been alternating between fic & nonfic in kids, teens, and adult books.
I tell my husband about the ones on the top of my list, and make him pick. ?
Usually heavy then light reading
Usually my mood, but I tend to go in a cycle of a fiction, a classic, a non-fiction that will inspire me or make me a better person, and then seem to be ready to go back to a fiction and do it all again! ?
Sometimes I have specific books I want to pick up. Though normally I just pick up something that I just want to read. My library is my TBR list, and I’ll know I’ll get to them all at some point. And sometimes I’ll go out to the library to pick up a title, especially if I’ve been thinking about one story I’m wanting go read.