How do you decide what to read

I am continuously amazed at how may books and authors I've never heard of people in these groups just rave about. How do you decide what to read? Where do you get your ideas? How do you set your reading priorities?

A lot of the time I pick new books and authors based on world-of-mouth recommendations. Sometimes, if I see something that looks interesting and is fairly cheap, I'll just pick it up to read someday. And, ashamed as I am to admit it, a lot of my spur-of-the-moment, random library reading is based on how eye-catching the cover is.

I generally start with a genre that I like or an author that I know is popular and sort of branch out from there. I also go off of recommendations by some of my favorite authors. For example, I discovered the author Bentley Little through a review by Stephen King.

And other times, it's purely by chance that I stumble on to some of these books. Take Steve Alten. I'd never heard of him until my mom found a new release of his at the library called The Loch which she thought would interest me. And lo and behold, I loved it!

I tend to do pretty much the same thing as coloradogirl14. I go for my normal favorite authors and branch out from there, but I also am a huge book sharer... so my friends and I tend to trade the good ones back and forth.

Word of mouth plays a large part in my reading also. I also have certain topics I am interested in and will grab books in those areas. A catchy title at the Friends of the Library will always get me to pick up a book and I've found several great books/authors that way. I have an eye for the classics or books I read about in other books. I very rarely pick a book by its cover, but it could happen.

I love to wander through Barnes & Noble (or any other bookstore, for that matter.) I troll the tables and racks that are in the aisles 'cause that's where you can find the interesting off kilter stuff. Sometimes I buy books just because the title is quirky - Gun, With Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem, for example.

This seems to have shifted to buying rather than reading so I'll answer that. All kinds of reasons: favourite authors, topics that interest me, catchy covers, etc. I also sometimes buy books that I wouldn't normally buy - I got to the 3 for 2 table in Borders, notice which books I instantly reject and buy three of those. Make some good finds that way - and sometimes my instinct was right! (This is a book variation of a cinema strategy - in that case I arrive at the multi-screen cinema and go and see the next film to start. I got that one when I went I arrived once and could find absolutely no information about any of the movies on show apart from the posters - which said nothing much.)

How I choose what fiction to read next is by going to the pile of books I have waiting here and looking at the books in it until one calls out to me. So yesterday I finished Electricity and wanted something quite different - I picked out The Lords of the North. What follows that will probably be something a bit longer and slightly heavier. Non-fiction tends to be by need or current interest.

If I think something they talk about sounds interesting, I add it to my TBR list. Then, when I go to the library, I pick a few books off the list to check out. I don't mark down (or remember) where I heard of the books or what they're about, so it's kind of random.

And I read...whatever I feel like reading. Right now, because I'm really tired and stressed, I don't have the energy to read a new book. So I'm going through my older books, reading favorites that I haven't read recently.

A persistent curiosity and sense of adventure informs much of my reading; but occasionally a need for the familiar surfaces.

I decide what to read by what captures my interest at the moment I'm deciding. Mood also may play a factor. Certainly LT has added weight to particular titles in my TBR piles and has affected some of my purchases over the last six or more months. As do recommendations by friends and other book buddies. Still having some of my bookstore habits, I love trolling Publishers Weeklyand publisher catalogs (now some are available online). I love to explore the subtleties of literature, the different genres and literary techniques, a debut novel, a new author (to me), hidden treasures, neglected classics..etc. I enjoy enhancing my reading with informal study using literary criticism.

Admittedly, this curiosity and adventure sometimes has me nibbling at a dozen things at once, so it can be a bane as much as a blessing.

As already mentioned, I will start with favorite authors, or subjects, and go from there. Sometimes, a book review in the paper or a magazine will peak my interest in a book. Sometimes, I will roam the aisles at the bookstore and pick up things that way.

I am a member of an e-group that does monthly book discussions, so I've added to my list that way.

I find books mostly through other people. I discovered fantasy through a friend with Robert Jordan and then attempted to find fantasy that was written in a similarly epic style. Some were duds, some were excellent. I very rarely buy a book that is not on my wishlist, and to get on my wishlist I generally have read reviews and determined that the book is probably worth my time. I'm a lot freer in the library or in used bookstores and tend to pick whatever looks or sounds interesting.

LT has helped immensely with widening my scope. The vast amount of reviews means that I can safely assess whether or not I'll like something much faster than I ever could before.

If I had no TBR pile whatsoever right now (HA!), I would start with lists of prize winners (Booker, Orange, Pulitzer, etc.).

I'm also in an online book discussion group, through which I've discovered authors I hadn't read before. Then there is LT which, as others have mentioned, has made me seek out books I'd never heard of.

Finally, I've recently become hooked on "reading challenges" sponsored by various bloggers. These help me set goals and search for books that fit the challenge i.e.; read 10 of the New York Times' 2006 notable fiction, read 5 non-fiction in 5 months, read across borders ... etc.

There are certain authors who, when they have a new book out, I want to get it as soon as possible, as I know I enjoy their work and have usually been anxiously awaiting the next instalment!

The rest of the time it's a combination of word-of-mouth, how I'm feeling at the time I'm in the book shop and lucky browsing. I spend hours hanging around in bargain book shops, raking for something that looks interesting, even if I've never heard of it or the author ever before. I've made some really decent finds that way.

I'm also taking part in several reading challenges at the moment - Classics, chunks and foreign authors, so I'm always on the look out for books that will slot into one or more of the challenges.

Hmm... I just grab whatever looks good or what is new in my area.

Ideas of what to consider come from everywhere - the web (amazon, LT etc), BOMC mailings, newspapers. Usually, I end up buying a book or renting it from Recorded Books. New authors usually end up borrowed or bought used. If I like them, then I invest in their product.

As far as what to read next goes, I try not to read too much within the same genre one after the other. If I do that, sometimes I mix up plots and characters. Things go stale for me if I read too much of them in a short time, too. Got to mix it up. So after reading a hardboiled crime novel, I might go for something more thrillerish or psychological studyish, and vice versa.

Apart from my favorite authors, i search for recommendations from lists of literary award winners and shortlisted authors (booker, friedenspreis des deutschen buchhandels, miles franklin award), also from friends with similar tastes, LT recommendations, browsing through bookstores, newspaper reviews...

i try not to read two books by authors from the same country, set in similar places or same time period in quick succession, since i tend to confuse characters this way... but usually i just pick the book from my tbr-pile that catches my eye...

I keep a running tab of titles that I want to consider, mostly at the library. I ususally run 18-20 months behind in my list, although right now, I am looking at books I noted in the first half of 2005. This means that if the library has it, it will be available, nad if it isn't available, it never will be. A major source is the New York Times, usually, but not always, the weekly NYT Book Review. I also subscribe to the New York Review of Books, and occasionally pick up a copy of Book Forum. Certain authors, my wife and I will buy when published, and then read. This would pertain to Harry Potter and Dan Brown.
- Bob Campbell

I've noticed that a lot of people here pick up random books at the book store, while I tend to check books out from the library and then buy them if I really enjoyed them. Anyone else have this same mentality? I'm just too afraid of purchasing a dud, especially since money's scarce for me! The only major exception to this rule of thumb for me is Harry Potter.

I have a bad habit of finding a good author and then reading everything (almost manically!) I can get my hands on by him/her. I am in the process of doing this with stuff by Markus Zusak.

But, my largest determinent is the public library. My county has a pretty good selection of books over seven libraries, so I put a lot of items on hold. When the books come in and when they're due largely influences what I will read.

I have problems deciding what to read among the books I have--I usually want to start a new book as soon as I get it, which means I end up with lots of books half-read. I tell myself that I'll finish these in the summer when I have more time.

As for how I choose which books to acquire, there are lots of ways. Often I see them mentioned here. In particular, I always read the group discussion books in Read YA Lit, and now I want to read the Green Dragon books as well, including all the ones for past discussions. I also sometimes get books that I read interesting reviews of in the paper, or that won awards, or are on various top 100 lists, or that a friend recommended. Plus I obviously get books by authors I like and books on subjects that I'm particularly interested in. My reading time is pretty limited now, so I already find more than enough books to read. But I still occasionally buy random books that I see at the bookstore, though I try not to get them immediately. I used to buy random new books a lot more often.

When it comes to used bookstores and especially to book sales, I just buy anything that seems interesting. This is when I end up getting 20 or more books at once and all hopes of reducing my TBR pile are destroyed.

My reading ideas come from many sources:

1. On line book groups (I have read many books that I normally wouldn't have because of book groups - and I'm happy I have done this!)
2. challenges - I like to join blogger reading challenges, especially those that get me to read outside my comfort zone.
3. Browsing in bookstores - Cover art gets my attention, and if I read the back of the book and it looks good, I can't resist.
4. Authors I love - if I find an author I love, I usually try to read all their works.
5. Friends or bloggers recommendations - many of the books I've picked up have been on the recommendation of readers who I have found like the same types of books as myself.

I have a stack (well 4 stacks actually) of TBR books under my nightstand. As soon as I fininsh reading a book I go through my TBR stacks and ask myself, "If I were to die this week, which one of these books would I regret most not having read?". Then that's the one I pick. No I'm not terminally ill or morbid by nature. My TBR stacks are always rather large and I can waste an hour trying to decide what to read next if I don't do it this way. It works for me!

How do books end up in my TBR stack? I have my favorite authors that I almost always buy their books unless they got really really bad reviews. I find some books while browsing websites or bookstores. Some I hear about on Public Radio or talk shows. Some are recommended/loaned to me from friends. And some I find reading book reviews in papers and magazines.

My TBR pile(?) is actually about four bookcases full of books (which will be added upon at least two or three or possibly four times a year). The saying "So many books, so little time" definitely applies to me. I read just about everything - classics, crime novels, horror, mystery, regular ole fiction, etc.

One of the local library branches has a twice yearly book sale. On the last day of the sale, you can buy a grocery bag (plastic) full of books for $5. There is no limit to the amount of books that can be in the bag - just as long as it doesn't break. I can usually cram about 15 or more books into it depending on the size of the book and whether they are hardback or trade paperback. (I don't go to the paperback room - I generally don't like them.) I go through the shelves at the sale and grab whatever catches my eye - a classic that I have never read but always (or think I should have) wanted to, recent fiction that I wanted to pick up, works by favorite authors, books others have recommended to me. I will also admit to picking some titles based on the cover and the title itself - if the blurb on the back seems like something I will like, I will grab it. I actually picked a book once based on the review blurb on the front: "If George Clooney had walked into the room while I was reading this book, I would have told him to hold on until I was finished." How could I possibly resist that?

I also read books that my two boys have read and recommend to me - such as the Harry Potter series (which I actually started reading to my oldest when he was only 6), Eragon, among a few. My daughters are younger so I don't have their recommendations yet. I also read the books that my two boys have to read over the summer - they have a worksheet that they can do by interviewing one of their parents who have read the book.

I also pass books along and swap books with a few of my friends and my MIL. There is also a used bookstore in our area which buys books as well as sells them. When they buy books from you, they pay you double the amount in store credit as they would in cash - I always take the store credit and use that to purchase still more books.

And, of course, I am now writing down books that I have seen mentioned on LT. I sometimes have images of myself as an old lady with a house so full of books that I have to arrange them so that I can leave a path for myself to walk through the house!

I've always felt that books sometimes "call" to me. It may sound dramatic, but sometimes I see a book and just know that I have to read it. It used to happen with Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. After reading the first one I didn't just rush out and buy the next. I saw it in a bookstore, considered it, then decided not to buy and left the store. But as I walked the mall I felt like I couldn't get it out of my head, almost like it was calling me to come back. Eventually I found myself in the same area, not intending to go in the store, but I walked in and bought the book anyway. Just like that. Same thing happened with Girl With a Pearl Earring. Only I left the book in the store deciding I couldn't spend the cash for it, only to encounter it at a friend's house a few hours later. I borrowed and read and loved it. Books that are meant to be read by me seem to come into my life through chance and serendipity.
Otherwise, I search places like LibraryThing and Amazon for reviews of books I may have heard of or read about somewhere. Then I decide if I want to take a gamble on reading them.
That's how it feels to me with books sometimes though, like a gamble. I never just buy books and put them down in case I might read them someday. For me, there always has to be a stimulus, some interest generated in the book before I decide to read it. There is always a hope that it will live up to my expectations, and a fear that it will turn out to be banal and uninteresting to me. More often than not my selectivity pays off though, as the books that really "call" to me tend to be the ones I love the best. I can find no other way than happy serendipity to explain my being instantly drawn to the only copy of Art across Time, Volume Two by Laurie Schneider Adams, buried under a heap of books, on a Logos ship crammed full of eager book seekers.

I have found Nancy Pearl's books, Book Lust and More Book Lust to be invaluable resources for reading suggestions, which are organised by theme, topic or 'mood'.

Of couse, LT has been great for me too, I love the 'Special Sauce Recommendations' feature :)

Regarding # 23, I've been known to buy a book at book sale because it was towards the end of the sale and I didn't think the book deserved to be delgated to a trash heap. And then I never read it. May still have it and don't know why!
- Bob Campbell

Responding to #18, I don't often buy books randomly, but I do note interesting books down in my shirt pocket list (not the N Y Times list I mentioned in Posting # 17), and will look at the library copy to see if it bears checking out.
-- Bob Campbell

I had my own favorite authors, I used the Amazon and B&N recommendations for other books I might like based on those authors. LT has obviously added many more to my list, from the works Recommendations, the tags and the forum discussions. I also would like to read all of the various award winners (NBA, Pulitzer, Booker, Stoker, Hugo, Nebula, Edgar, NBCC, etc.). Then I heard about the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I will never be able to read everything I want to read in this lifetime, but I know that I will never lack for something interesting to read.

One of the ways my reading is guided is by reading literary magazines. I read McSweeney's and The Believer pretty often, and I read the reviews in the New Yorker, and the stories and poetry published there are often published in collections soon after they appear in a magazine.

That, and what someone posted back a few posts about being a "completist," meaning when a new book comes out by an author whose work I already know and enjoy, I will buy their book. That's how I came to read The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, an excellent book, and Veronica by Mary Gaitskill, which wasn't quite so excellent, but well worth it.

Used bookstores are another thing altogether, because besides being always able to find something that interests me, I am also in something of a project of rebuilding my old library (which I sold a few years ago when I needed to move into a much smaller space). And, finally, I am re-reading some books to see what their impact on me is now. For me, the challenge (besides to read what I buy!) is always just trying to stay within my budget. I got a notice this week that my local library is having their annual book sale starting next Thursday. I'm looking forward to it.

I find non-fiction mostly through browsing the bookstore. I've usually got 2-3 big topics of interest at any given time. I feel confident picking out non-fiction without prior reviews or recommendations because I generally find I can learn something from it even if the writing style is lacking.

For fiction, personal recommendations from livejournal friends, groups here or possibly amazon reviews are essential. I do really enjoy fiction, but find that I am more often disappointed with novels than with non-fiction works. That's why I very rarely buy fiction impulsively, although last week I selected the letters X, Y, and Z and browsed those shelves at the used bookstore. It was surprisingly fun not to read exclusively from my wishlist for the first time in ages, so if I liked the books I picked out, I'll try again with another letter.

i get recommendations from friends or family when they've read something that they think i'll enjoy; i also get the ny times book review and peruse that weekly

In addition to the suggestions already mentioned, I also find new authors/titles through NoveList. I get access to this database through my public library. In the 'for readers' page, they have a section on author read-alikes. This mostly covers popular authors, and it's great when you have read everything written by one author, and desperately want to read something similar. I take the info from the list, and check out a few books that they suggest, and see if any of them are interesting.

Also, I recommend the website http://www.stopyourekillingme.com, which is a resource for anyone who likes mysteries, thrillers, spy and suspense titles. They have a read-alike section as well. More importantly, they group works by characters as well as authors, so you can find all the titles on a particular character, including the order of the books.

This is great for the 'completists' like myself.

Before Myspace and LT I used to go by the recommendations Amazon gave to me. Now I mostly just go by what looks interesting on Myspace and here. Before joining these book groups I never even had a "TBR" stack (stacks now).

I use Amazon recommendations and reviews and the threads here on LT. Sometimes, I'll just go to the bookstore to browse and figure out that way but most times I check beforehand online.

Back when I was a grad student I started keeping a systematic list of books, particularly non-fiction, to check out. This is filled by looking at the New York Review of Books, Journal of Military History, Journal of American History, etc; though I tend to purge two-thirds of the titles I write down.

As for fiction, and for me that mostly means SF and fantasy, those come from my reading group.

These days I'm trying to be a little more spontaneous when loitering around the public library.

I've occasionally bought books because of their quirky titles (as someone mentioned above). The one I'm thinking of is Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith.

Other than that, I usually get my books from the library. I have to admit that catchy covers and interesting titles are usually what perk my interest. After that, I read a few pages to get the feel for the book, and if I don't want to put it down, then I sign it out.

I prefer to read books, not authors. By that I mean that I don't usually go to the same author over and over, but prefer to read a book about a subject I haven't ever read about, or at least not for a long time.

I tend to spend a lot of time reading about books - on LT, Amazon, blogs and newspapers, as well as lists of recommended books like 1001 Books to read before you die and listsofbests.com. I note down anything that sounds like it might really grab me.

Then I'll go into the bookshop and browse around, looking at the new releases and picking up anything I've noted down to see if I'd like to read it. Plus I look at things with interesting titles or covers. I have been known to refuse to buy a book on the basis of its cover! I don't have many favourite authors, but will buy new books in a series I've been reading. I do also read by theme, usually when travelling (Vernon God Little when I went to Texas, Arabian Nights and Days when I went to Egypt, etc).

Once it's all home, I stick it on the TBR pile. When I'm choosing a new book I usually listen to my "little inner voice" for what I'm in the mood for. Sometimes I'll read a page or two to see if it's the right fit. I do try to keep to a spread of fiction/non-fiction, light reading/heavier reading.

Most of my reading is topical. I read a lot of non-fiction and study a topic going through book stores and reading reviews. I have favorite authors that I read and reread. I also try to pick up new authors through reviews. My TBR pile stays at ten to fifteen books and then sometimes I just go through my library pulling out books from my stock of things I haven't read. My biggest problem is not getting overwhelmed by all of the possible choices and I just signed up with audible for the times I'm too tired to turn a page.

Here are the criterias for a book to be included in my reading list. They should atleast satisfy one of these conditions.

1. Included in the list of "1000 Greatest Literature of all time" . The list is found in EditorEric's website.

2. Included in the book "1001 books to read before you die"

3. Any book that was adapted into a movie.

4. Any book that became a finalist ( shortlist and longlist ) or winner in any book awards like Pulitzer, Booker, Whitbread, Hugo, Nebula, NBA, NBCC and others.

5. Any fiction and non-fiction/historical book that became a bestseller.

6. Anything recommended by the Time Magazine and New York Times book critics.

7. Aviation books, fiction or nonfiction.

As well as Book Lust, More Book Lust and 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, people might be interested in The Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide and the Good Fiction Guide. Both of the latter two books recommend works you might enjoy based on authors/works you have previously enjoyed.

Depending on your interests, the following special interest books might be worth looking at:

100 Must-Read Crime Novels
100 Must-Read Classic Novels
100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels
The Rough Guide to Cult Fiction

I visit bookstores quite frequently. I usually pick up a book with a cover and/or title that catches my attention. I always read the summary at the back of the book as well as the first few pages to find out if I like the writing style or not.

There are a few authors that I like and so I keep an eye on their latest works.

I also get ideas from book-related Web sites and blogs, e.g LT and Amazon.

Lately I've just been browsing bookmooch.com for other users in Japan...

I often use the publisher as a way of choosing. For example, I go for the Penguin Classics that have silver covers (at least they do in the UK). This has introduced me to books like ragtime and The Good Soldier Svejk. My partner always looks for Canongate works as he enjoys slightly weird American stuff. If I'm in a secondhand bookshop I always seek out the Virago Modern Classics and Women's Press publications. But I've realised that this method doesn't always help when I go book shopping in other countries - I couldn't find a Virago anywhere in Los Angeles!

My other method is that when I'm in another country, I buy books written by authors from there. For example, after being in LA I've now read my first Raymond Chandler and will be buying more of his work.

I start with authors I know, and then branch out. I've used Amazon.com's recommendations as a jumping off point.

I'll also wander around a bookstore until something catches my eye. Coverart can go a long way there. I'll pick up the book and read the blurb on the back to see if it's something I might be interested in.

I should also add that I belong to several email lists which offer worthy suggestions every now and then.

From Powells.com I've signed up for the Reviews and Daily Dose (user recommendations). For the Daily Dose, if they choose your recommendation, you have until the end of the day to respond to claim a $20 gift certificate. If the winner does not claim by the end of the day, the $20 is added to the following day's prize. The highest I've seen it grow to is $80.

Also, I subscribe to the Shelf Awareness email list (Monday through Friday). It's geared towards the publishing and bookselling trade but I have found some interesting titles to add to my TBR list. It can get heavy on the "chick lit" at times, if that's what the publishers are pushing, but a few titles (non chick lit) sound interesting now and then.

Edited to add that the Shelf Awareness list can be found at Shelf Awareness

One book I've read about on all 3 lists recently is The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall, which sounds like something I'd like. I'll probably wait for the paperback or get a review copy from Strand.

Another title I found out about through these lists is The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig, which is a modern day take on Hamlet, told through the eyes of a 12 year old boy.

Just to mention that in 2003, the BBC polled the British nation to find out people’s favourite books. It might be useful to have a look at them. See http://www.book-path.com/2007/05/17/the-bbcs-big-read/

Unless I've gotten a great recommendation from a friend, I go to Borders and walk around the 3 for 2 table several times, reading the backs of those books that I think would interest me. When I've checked them all out, I choose. I don't go anywhere else in the store, because then I'd never be able to make up my mind! I haven't been disappointed with but one choice so far.

I am curious - how do I hook up with a blogger reading challenge?

Since I joined LT and my TBR list has grown by leaps and bounds, sometimes I go to my profile page and look at the random list and pick the first one that pops up - fiction or nonfiction, whichever I'm ready for.

I speak four languages so I tend to choose books that have something to do with those languages. If something isn't originally in English or Spanish, I read it in French. And in France, there is a huge reading culture of books outside the country so I get a lot of my ideas from there. I love going to this one bookstore (La FNAC) and perusing the books.

For books in English I go towards books about war 'cause I find the English language to be perfect for war stories.

Anyway, I was a Japanese major as well so I read a lot of Japanese fiction so I get a great feel of Japan. Then I also speak Spanish and I'm currently living in Argentina, so I'm reading in Spanish again and am picking all Spanish-writing authors.

So, basically, cultures are what motivate me to read a book 'cause I want to immerse myself in that culture as much as possible.

Otherwise, whatever my grandmother or mother recommends, I read. ^O^

>48 emaestra:: emaestra,

You might be able to Google "reading challenge," but an easier way would be to use a blog created by LT member writestuff, called A Novel Challenge. This lists many of the active and pending challenges with links to the sponsoring blog.

Any and all are welcome!

I like quite literary novels and also some crime fiction. I tend to take note of reviews in the weekend broadsheets plus clue up on who have won prizes like the Mann Booker and the Orange Prize. There are also some authors I'm always looking out for like Ian McEwan

In the same way, with non-fiction I look at the reviews of books on history.

Only lately, since joining this site, have I ventured into recommendations as was often let down in the past by real life friends. This seems to be working as I know the subscribers I can trust.

#48 emaestra: I also have a Yahoo group for those readers who are addicted to reading challenges. You can find the group here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ANovelChallenge/

Books make it into my TBR pile in two ways. The first are works by authors I'm already familiar with, either a new subject or the continuation of a series. The second is more word-of-mouth, either by friends or by authors I already read. I actually discovered Ovid through Anne Rice and James Joyce through Andrew M. Greeley.

I usually purchase books, rather than check them out of the library. If it's something I don't particularly love enough to keep, I chalk it up to experience and pass it along to a family member or friend who will enjoy it.

I usually know what I'm going to read next before I finish a book. It usually works it way up my list if it's been sitting on the shelf for a while. Also it depends on what sort of mood I'm in? Am I in a horror mood, romance, historical or laughter mood?

Atm, I'm trying to read books by authors I haven't tried yet, although my next book I'll choose to re-read HP & the half blood prince, to refresh my memory for the new one coming out in July.

Usually I stroll in the local bookshop and see what strikes my fancy.

Someone in the list mentioned the Penguin Classics collections - I like these editions very much, so I'm always on the lookout for authors published there that I haven't read yet.
(I do that as well with the Folio paperback editions, for books published originally in French). Since there are plenty of classic authors I still have to read, the list never shortens!

Actually, I've gotten some ideas from going through the catalogs of other LT'ers.

Since I already have a huge pile of unread books at home, I usually just pick whatever I feel like reading from there.

The last book I read I picked up because I thought it was something I would not be interested in at all or rather I thought I would drown out the ideas of the author with my own set of ideals. This didn't happen though and I feel I gained another persepective of the topic. why do i love these people

I decide what to read partly on a language sequence - I make sure I read in all my languages regularly, so I rotate them, otherwise I'd get stuck in a rut of one or two languages and neglect the others. Which book I read depends entirely on my mood. Sometimes it's sparked by something I've read or seen or heard about, sometimes I revisit old favourites (like my current book: Virgil's Aeneid), sometimes it's on recommendation...

Like most people, I get my ideas of what to read next from recommendations of friends and the occasional review if it is from a writer or publication I trust. But one thing that often happens to me is that the books themselves lead me to other books. Reading Pat Barker's novel Regeneration lead me to poetry and books about the poet Wilfred Owen, who is a character in the story. Reading Wilfred Owen led me to Edith Sitwell, who was kind of a patron of his. That sort of thing happens to me a lot.

I started with books that I didn't read in school when I was supposed to. I'd look in the back of some of them to the suggested reading. I would then look the subject up on Amazon.com and it would give me tons of books on related topics.

I also have a book buddy that reads similar things to me. She can't ever go into a B&N without buying half a rack, so she always has good selections.

I am more a buyer of books than a borrower. I like to be able to read back as a reference. I mostly buy non-fiction because that revs my engine.

I have a wishlist that goes on forever. It has so many different kinds of books, such as feminist theory, philosophy, history, literature, etc.