I would consider most writer/bloggers avid readers, meaning we read more than the average American (66% read fewer than ten books a year). A lot of us keep a list or stack of books we hope to read. Some of the people I follow on Goodreads, and you know who you are, will sometimes add five or ten titles at a time they plan to read. I'm curious, though, how you decide what you're going to read next. Out of all those millions of books published every year (and all those that have gone before), how do you decide on the thirty or forty (or fifty or sixty, you freaks!) that you actually read?
As a sort of experiment, I made a list of the last ten books I read and made a note of how I heard of it or why I picked it up.
My last ten:
1. The Orphan Master: (Hardback) Found it on a National Public Radio list of best reads of the year. I read the reviews and thought I would like it. I would call this a word-of-mouth recommendation.
2. The Dog Stars: (Hardback) Found this one on the same NPR list, and it was set in my backyard (almost literally) which interested me. So word-of-mouth and personal interest.
3. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: (Paperback) This was recommended by a friend who can't confuse me anymore by calling me a "hoopy frood who knows where her towel is." Again, word-of-mouth.
4. Treasure Island: (Free e-book) A classic. Also, a friend and I were discussing Robert Louis Stevenson, and I felt guilty I'd never read it before. Is guilt a category? Maybe.
5. Finding Claire Fletcher: (E-book) Written by friend and fellow blogger Lisa Regan, so I knew a lot about it already. Read after featuring it on my blog.
6. Tough Girl: (E-book) Written by friend and fellow blogger Libby Heily. Saw lots and lots of excerpts of this one on her blog first. Read it to prepare for an interview with her on my blog.
7. The Night Circus: (Paperback) Okay, this one was everywhere. I think I first saw it on Golden Eagle's blog, The Eagle's Aerial Perspective. Then I saw it on a lot of people's Goodreads lists. Lots of buzz. Even the checkout girl at Target, where I bought it, recommended it to me. Definitely word-of-mouth.
8. The Mistaken: (E-book) Written by friend and fellow blogger Nancy Thompson. Also followed the progress of this one for a long time. Read it after featuring it on my blog.
9. Julius Caesar: (Already owned hardback) A classic. Hadn't read this one by Shakespeare before. I know!
10. Expect Civilian Casualties: (E-book) Saw this featured on Susan Roebuck's blog. Never would have heard of it otherwise.
So, five books were chosen based solely on word-of-mouth through mentions on other blogs, websites, or by friends. Two were classics I'd always meant to read, and three were part word-of-mouth, part "hey, I gotta read my friend's book!"
I'd say this is fairly typical for me these days. I'm not one to go to a bookstore or Amazon and peruse the back of a book for something that piques my interest much anymore. I used to buy that way, and with some success, but I find my habits have changed, and I go much more by recommendation than I used to.
What about you, why did you choose to read your last book? And do you believe authors can truly amp up that word-of-mouth factor by Tweeting, Facebooking, and blogging?
artwork by Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527 -1593)
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I read a lot of books by my blogger buddies, even if they aren't my usual genre. When their books come out, I buy them right away to support my friends. The others are authors I enjoy or whatever fantasy or science fiction book strikes my fancy.
ReplyDeleteAnd Nancy's book was awesome - best one I read last year.
Thank you for saying that, my friend! :-)
DeleteYes, I find books on NPR, too, as well as word of mouth and blurbs on the web, then check out reviews and such and make my list. It goes without saying that my list keeps getting longer, not shorter.
ReplyDeleteThey very last book I read was chosen because it was a sequel to another book that I really loved. And that book I read because I kept hearing great things about it everywhere I went.
ReplyDeleteI think 'guilt' really should be a category. It's the reason why I've read most of the classic novels that I have.
Alex - Nancy's book was awesome. I'm lucky I have such talented friends who write books for me to enjoy. :))
ReplyDeletemshatch - I try to keep my list manageable, but I'm very vulnerable to other people's excitement about books. If I see a "best read of the year" list, I'm gonna check it out.
M.J. - I do feel guilty about certain classics I've missed. I tell my son he has to read them so he isn't an ignoramus, but I don't admit that there are several I haven't read yet. :P
I get an email every day from Amazon (should I hang my head in shame?) that tells me what books are at a special price for that day. I've read some great authors that way. But I also do read books after they've been recommended to me on blogs. So now I'll look for Nancy's book :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd ever read a book based on someone's recommendation, since I tend, both in books and films, never to like what masses and others like, I usually don't see what others see in certain films and books. This is why I always just trust my sixth sense about films and books :)
ReplyDeleteAnd the fact you bought most of the recent books because you heard about them from friends, just proves how Publishers should really focus a lot on blogs and sites and organize giveaways and marketing campaigns at our places :)
Like you, I'm getting many of my books by what I see written about on blogs and what my blogging buddies are saying about books. I still do browse Amazon and bookstores and get what tickles my fancy,though.
ReplyDeleteKaren
When I hear about a book I want to read, I try to add it to my tbr list on Goodreads so I can remember it next time I'm at the library. Although most of my reading is impulsive. Grab and go, whether at the library, the bookstore or on my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteSusan - I don't get that e-mail!! I'm on the wrong list apparently. Price can definitely be a factor in deciding to put a book on a TBR list.
ReplyDeleteDezzy - You are a maverick, my friend. I do wonder sometimes how you choose what to highlight on your blog. Sometimes the movies are blockbusters and sometimes very small films that aren't on anyone's radar. But I've watched some stuff based on what I've seen on your blog. And bought a few books that I saw were being made into films.
Karen - I've noticed I'm depending more and more on my friends to review books. I go by Goodreads a lot for recommendations, because I can usually tell who has similar taste to me in reading, and if they've liked something, I usually like it too.
Karen - The Kindle has definitely upped my impulse buying. Instead of simply putting something on my TBR list, I'll sometimes just hit the "buy" button and have it sit on my reader for months before I get to it.
I read 7-10 books at a time, just keep switching between them. Confusing but I get through my tbr like you wouldn't believe.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
You should make this into a bloghop! I want to do a post like this! Yeah, it's amazing how powerful word of mouth is! I think my choices are probably a split like yours but I may do a post like this just to see! I read about 50 books a year and if I had more time, the number would be a lot higher.
ReplyDeleteMood - That's crazy. I sometimes have two or three going at a time...one on the nightstand and maybe one on the Kindle, but ten is a lot to juggle.
ReplyDeleteLisa - Oh, crap. You're right, it would have made a good bloghop. Oh, wait, those are a lot of work. Nevermind. :P And, yes, do a post. I'm always curious about what people are reading and why.
I'm aiming to read thirty books this year. That seems so lame in comparison. :)
Hi Luanne .. I buy and will definitely be doing more of buying blogging friends books - to open my world to new genres and to reading! I really need to read the classics .. and again will do .. I see odd books reviewed in The Week - and note them for reference for when they're not so fresh! I have masses of books here I need to get through too ..
ReplyDeleteNew Year's here, new month is here .. and reading is on this month's to do list!! I'll take bloggers recommendations .. though occasionally I get swung if I'm travelling and get into a bookshop - such is life ...
My three latest purchases all at bookshops - were a Dorling Kindersley summary of history - looks excellent; and two historical cook books - A History of Food in 100 Recipes by William Sitwell - saw it in Waterstones and bought; and the one I went in for Consider the Fork - A history of Invention in the Kitchen by Bee Wilson - I'd heard snippets about this one on the radio and in The Week - delighted with them ... but will be pleased to get stuck in to friends' books and their genres ..
Cheers - happy reading .. Hilary
I'll try to explain how I find books in a way that makes sense. I call it rabbit trailing. I'll find a new author that I like, go back and get other books they've written and then search back to read the people that influenced them. This process leads me to 'build "branches" or "pathways" to ultimately divergent works.
ReplyDeleteI also buy a considerable number of books from bloggers. I don't write, but I read and have enjoyed finding my way into you guys circle.
See, more rabbit trailing via the blogoshpere!
Delete'Is guilt a category? Maybe.'
ReplyDelete:)
I don't think guilt could propel me through an entire novel. It's gotta be more than that. A lot more.
Have a great weekend, Lu.
Most of my last reads were a bit unusual in terms of how I picked them up.
ReplyDeleteOne was a new book by a favorite author. (I don't normally follow an author religiously and read everything they produce just because they produced it; I've done that for maybe 3 writers ever.)
About 6 were in a series to which a friend had given me the first book last year. I had read that book but hadn't felt driven to pick up the rest. I happened to bump across them in the library and decided there was no harm in picking up the second book, as I hadn't disliked the first one, and the rest of my haul that week was all quite iffy in terms of being unsure if I'd like them. The second book got me hooked and I completed the series in short order. So I suppose that's part recommendation, part serendipity.
Oh, social media...
I don't know how much I'm actually affected by people tweeting about their books. Honestly I find it a bit annoying. There are a few people who only tweet reviews of their book or retweet people talking about it, and I find that extremely obnoxious. I have never bought a book based on people tweeting about it. I did pick up some free ebooks based on people tweeting about it, but with one exception I still haven't read them.
Facebooking is, in my experience, less annoying. People tend to make references to their book rather than straight-up selling it at you. I can absolutely say that I bought Jeffrey Beesler's book based on one of his Facebook posts and his other previous Facebook posts about writing and such that made me more interested in his stories.
Blogging is, at least for me, more effective. I tend to understand more about the book than you can convey via Twitter or Facebook, and that goes a long way toward affecting my decision to read it. I originally read books by Cherie Reich, Alex Cavanaugh, and Michael Offutt based on blog features about their books, on their blogs and on other people's blogs. So that seems very effective, and of course you can spread the word about those blogs via FB and Twitter. I'm just iffy about the value of FB and Twitter as primary selling-platforms.
This was unintentionally overly long. Apologies!
I read most of my favorite authors the second their books hit the shelves. DeMille, Koontz, King - the big hitters. Others I see recommended on people's blogs or from reading excerpts on blogs. My most recent purchases have all been downloads from fellow bloggers.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! Ok, you know I am a binge reader. I can go weeks without and then read like 5 in a week. It's pretty much how I do everything actually.ha But Goodreads is awesome because you plug in what you've read, and then what you want to read usually based on blogs, friends, and twitter conversations. Then you can use their recommendations tool based on what you have chosen. It separates the genres too and then you can filter by year or whatever so all the work is done for you.
ReplyDeleteThen I tab over to my local library website and input all of it there and they email me when it comes in for pickup. Yes, this process is actually exciting to me.ha I have a never ending list of books to read now. Oh, and only special ones are purchased for my bookshelf. The cost of buying them all was just out of control.ha
I only use Goodreads to mark books that I have an interest in. What comes to be read is very spontaneous. It usually has to do with finishing a book, and looking to see what I've purchased or what authors have given me for free. That helps out HUGE. If an author has sent me an email with his book in it for my NOOK, I usually shrug and just start reading it. I know that sounds like I have no organization, but honestly, I'm a lazy shopper. I like things to just magically appear on my Nook LOL.
ReplyDeleteHow I choose TBR books: Word of mouth, a mention by another author in a book I'm reading, favorite authors - Hem, Fitz, Gabaldon, etc., and blogger friends (this one has grown the most).
ReplyDeleteI will still peruse bookstores for bargains. Have ebooks on the KOBO, which came with it and which I've added slightly to. Don't do Goodreads or any other book reading service that suggests what I should read - I don't go by bestseller lists, either.
I would use a blogger's recommendation over a newspaper columnist's. Especially if the blogger isn't being paid for his opinions. The other day, I read a whining article by a newspaper columnist bemoaning the fact that bloggers who review books 'spurt' out whatever, never research, and we're killing the newspapers. The times they are a-changing, still.
Hilary - It's kind of true that blogging, and the internet in general, has altered the way I buy books. And I'm most fascinated by an historical cookbook. I hope to see some blog posts about that soon. :))
ReplyDeleteAnne - Oh, I totally get the rabbit trail. If I read something that really affects me, I will get online and do research, which leads to more books, and more books, etc...Totally guilty of that, but so fun sometimes.
Suze - Well, I wouldn't finish a book out of guilt. If Treasure Island had been a bad read I would have put it down, but guilt did work to get me to open it up. I'm easily swayed that way. :P
Callie - Overly long, but overly insightful. I feel the same way. I don't think Twitter has any effect on me as far as buying books goes. Most of it feels like one of those news crawls at the bottom of the television screen, only it's all advertising. Blogging and Facebook would seem the most useful tools, to me, for promoting books, just because you can go into more depth and show the cover and blurb. Much more influential with me.
Elsie - That's true too. If a favorite author has a new book, I'll want to read it. I guess there's a Loyal Fan category too. :)
Marsha - Well, hello my little reading freak. You do go through spurts of manic reading. LOL. And is there an integration tool on Goodreads with the library? If not, what a brilliant idea.
Michael - You need the book fairy to bring you new reads on a whim. :P
D.G. - That's what research shows, that people will trust the advice of a friend over an expert's. Same with books. I think we're all skeptical of people who we suspect are paid or otherwise reimbursed for giving a positive review of a book or product.
Ah, yes. An excellent distinction. I have certainly picked up a novel out of something *like* guilt. :)
DeleteIt's kind of a curse, really. :P
DeleteI choose my books with about three things in mind. 1) obligations--I have friends who give me books for review or editing and those become a NOW project, 2) what ELSE I am doing--some books require a lot of brain power, some only a little. I do MOST of my reading while I walk, and nearly by definition, those are far better for lighter reads (which is okay, I like to stay on top of the YA market and mysteries have lots of light stuff) I only dig into brain probers when I actually have READING time at hand. and finally 3) mood. The last three books I read were RE-reads... I was feeling sort of down and nostalgic, so I reread the first 3 Harry Potter books--they are old friends and help me feel a little more secure.
ReplyDeleteJust got a book yesterday that I saw marked as one of last year's best on Maggie Steifvater's blog. And "My Side of the Mountain" was a friend's recommendation. No two-headed presidents of the galaxy in it, but plenty of wildlife and survival skills.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I didn't read Julius Caesar when I had it in class, but once I saw the movie I had to check it out. I guess you could call that word of actor. :p
You know, now that you mention it, I think I miss the days when I would go and just browse the book store for something that looked good. I'm pretty sure I was happier with my book selections back then. I say that because I read 4 of the worst books I've ever read in this past year (2 recommended, 2 self-pubbed); I didn't used to have that issue back when I never took recommendations. In fact, the very first book that I didn't finish reading was given to me by a teacher in high school with a "here, you'll love this." It was moronic. I gave it back to her without telling her that I quit half way through because I couldn't take it anymore.
ReplyDeleteI have some books of blogger buddies in my TBR pile. I tend to get on a kick where I get really interested in a certain genre or time period and buy those books because something shiny sent me in that direction. I read a little and then go in a different direction.
ReplyDeleteI am in the middle of reading Peter Pan to my little guy - then he watched the movie and has no use for the book (which puts him to sleep in 3 minutes - probably not good for a children's book).
I'm currently reading a very academic book on Post-Civil War Appalachia for research for my writing. I think that's the path I'll be on for a while or until something shiny catches my eye - maybe dark comedy screenplays. :)
(Back to work....)
I mostly pick YA Thrillers and Paranormals from bestsellers lists - but they just go on a big stack (or virtual stack). I choose what I actually read by starting it and seeing how long I last before I get bored. 99% of the time, I don't make it to the end of the first chapter. Now that I write, I'm jut way too picky - it's ruined my ability to read for pleasure. :P
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thank you Luann & Alex for your very kind comments about my book! That was unexpected. Second, as far as how I choose, that's totally changed in the last year. I used to read mostly popular titles, but now, I read a lot of books by my friends, and in genres I wouldn't normally read. Yet I found I really enjoyed them. It doesn't leave me much time to explore the more popular titles anymore, which is okay by me. How would I have ever discovered that loved Alex's book if I hadn't opened myself up to that possibility? There are so many undiscovered or little known titles & authors out there. I'm finding that Goodreads is an awesome forum to discover them, as is making friends through my blog. Lastly, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read The Mistaken. Can't tell you how much your support means to me!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post.
ReplyDeleteI'm another one who uses Goodreads for recommendations, and twitter. I definitely go by word of mouth. Otherwise I will scan Amazon for new releases by my favourite authors.
My method of choosing books has totally changed since I've started blogging. I now love reading books by blogger friends and also learn about most of the books I read through the blogger network, either on blogs themselves, Twitter, Goodreads, etc. I'm definitely a believe in word of mouth, or maybe word of keyboard is more appropriate now LOL.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend, LG!
I use a lot of the "best of..." lists to pick the books I read. I also tend to be swayed by advertising and book news. Since I read a lot of writing and publishing-related blogs, I also pick up books from there.
ReplyDeleteThe last 10 books I've read are either from my (failed) 40x40 book challenge list or my kids' school reading lists. Oh and there was The Hunger Games, which was just everywhere.
And of course, FB and Twitter are definitely ways for authors to build buzz about their books too.
DeleteHart - I'm a re-reader too sometimes. Haven't done it in awhile, been too busy, but I do like to give things a second glance to see how they change for me over the years.
ReplyDeleteMC - She had a post up on NPR too about her favorite books. I did glance at that, but I'm kind of out of touch with YA anymore. I'm curious which one you picked up. :)
Andrew - I think it's the rise of the internet combined with the closing of my local Borders. My nearest bookstore is ten miles away now, and it's in crowded Boulder. It's much harder to run to the bookstore on impulse because I'm feeling like reading something new. And browsing on Amazon is a joke. It's overwhelming.
Tonja - Oh, yeah. I don't have any examples on this list, but research is a big reason I read a lot of books. Actually, The Dog Stars, because it is a post-apocalyptic story, was also sort of for research. Or as a comp you could say.
Lexa - Isn't that the truth. I think that's partly why I wait and see reviews on books now before I pay for them.
Nancy - Were your ears burning? LOL. But, yeah, you follow friends on their blogs and know about their struggles, and it makes you want to read their book.
Donna - Goodreads is one of my favorite sites ever. I'm so nosy, I love seeing what people are reading and what they think of it. Love it.
Julie - I know! It's weird when all your friends are writers. I don't think other people have this "problem" when choosing books. :P
Mieke - You know, I've read books off my kid's reading list too. I'll see one and say, "Ooh, I get to read that after you're done." Ha! And I think that's how I first read The Hunger Games!!
Love this post- a great thing to take a look at. Made me curious about why and how I pick what I read (and I've got a list a couple miles long). It certainly isn't what Amazon believes I will like (or Goodreads either but I'm just starting there so it doesn't have much to go on). Most of what I have read lately is a direct result of suggestions of friends and blogs. There also is a sort of domino effect- I read something and it sparks an interest in something related then that leads to another book and so on. It's an enjoyable journey. "Tough Girl" is on my To Read list. Hmm... so is your Bards and Prophets trilogy :D (no pressure...).
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
Oh, yeah, I don't try to browse online, either. I've just been avoiding the book stores for a while, because, if I go in, I come out with something, and I'm sort of under orders to cut my TBR pile down before I buy new books unless it's something I'm going to read -right then.- It makes it a little difficult. Maybe I should take a week for just reading...?
ReplyDeleteOur Borders closed, too...:(
I liked it much better than B&N, which is really the only thing left.
Almost all WOM for me these days. I don't have time to browse, and being connected to the book/reading industry the way we are, there's never a shortage of great books being thrown at us.
ReplyDeleteI read books like other people pop peanuts. Always have. I used to bring home (and read!) six books a week from the library... on top of buying books from the book store that our library didn't carry. Used to be, I looked for books by favorite writers. If I read one and liked it, there was no rest in my body until I read everything that writer ever produced. Non-fiction books were selected more by topic than by writer, with only a few exceptions. But NOW, since I started blogging, and since I have a Kindle, I've been reading a lot of books written by or recommended by other bloggers. (Know what's worse than a woman with a serious reading addiction? A woman with a serious reading addiction who has a big fat Amazon gift card... and a Kindle sitting right next to the computer.)
ReplyDeleteLexie - Woot! I have at least one reader lined up!! And I LOVE Goodreads. They make it really easy to organize by whatever category. And there are reading groups, reviews, quotes, all the things I love about, well, talking about books. :)
ReplyDeleteAndrew - Book buying almost rises to addiction with some of us. And that damn Kindle! You don't even have to enter any information, all you do is hit buy and the drug of choice is sent straight to you in under thirty seconds. Barely even feel the hit of the price at all...until opening the credit card statement.
E.J. - Yep, as writer/bloggers we tend to have friends with benefits. :D
Susan - I have a handful of authors I feel that way about. I have to read everything they write. Bacigalupi is my latest one. But isn't it true that blogging and the internet have changed our book buying behavior? I had to buy the Kindle so I could read all my friends' books. Now I'm an e-book addict.
Loved Night Circus (was so excited about prepub details that I bought and read it the day it was released—so good!) I read 8 or 10 books at a time, so for me it's "what book do I want to work on today?" I finish about one or two a week. I buy most of my books on Amazon or HPB, and they're usually impulse buys. If I have one in mind and I make a point to seek it out, I will usually consume it in huge gulps (see Night Circus example above).
ReplyDeleteIt's the best when you're excited for a book and can't wait to dive in. I need to dedicate more daytime hours to reading. I always put it off until late at night, and then I don't last more than about twenty pages before I fall asleep.
DeleteWell, I'm rereading Sense & Sensibility, because it was a great release while under deadline. I'm reading Slipstream, because it's by Michael Offutt. I read Libby's book, because I adore her writing. Christine Rains, Cherie Reich, Laura Eno, Angela Brown, Gwen Gardner ... all because they're fabulous people and writers. Hannah's Dream because I met the author here in town years ago and have always wanted to read her book. White Noise by Don Delillo because I need a lit fix now and then.
ReplyDeleteWe do have our favorite comfort reads we go back to again and again, don't we? Jane Austen and Shakespeare do it for me. I have both of their complete works in HUGE books that, for some reason, give me great pleasure to lug around. :)
DeleteI'll have to give this one some thought. I think a lot of my recent reads have been things I've heard about. Maybe a blog post after all....
ReplyDeleteI wish I had the answer on how authors could do better in the social media arena. If you figure it out, that would be a bestseller for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the retweet, sweet lady :).
Jeff - it's kind of interesting to take inventory and see if your habits have changed any.
ReplyDeleteIsis - You are welcome, and I still say the very best any of us can do is write awesome stories that people want to read. And then blog, blog, blog. :)
All the books I have read this last year were either books written by Blogger friends or ones that my friends gave me to read. I do believe in the power of social media and word of mouth!
ReplyDeleteI read a mix. Probably 60% of the books I read are by blogging friends. The rest are by longtime favorite authors. I wish I had more time to read - I'm very lucky if I get through a book a month.
ReplyDeleteTracy Jo - Isn't it funny how our reading shifted to become somewhat blogger-centric after joining Blogger? Facinating *raises Spock-like eyebrow*
ReplyDeleteCarol - Oh, I'm with you on that. I've got to dedicate more daytime hours to reading or I won't live long enough to get through my TBR list. :)
My TBR pile is out of control! SEND HELP!
ReplyDeleteI picked up a book from a fellow author. I'll admit I'm always nervous when I do that, but in this case I was ecstatic I did. Loved the story and can't wait to read his next work.
ReplyDeleteJen - The possum army is on its way to help!! You know, they'll bring you sodas and bananas while you read. :)
ReplyDeleteCiara - I have read more self-published, independent books this year than ever before. And some have been very pleasant surprises.
I read maybe a dozen books a year -- if I'm lucky. I'm a s-l-o-w reader, and with all my students' papers and my own writing, my eyeballs get bloody tired!
ReplyDeleteFabulous list, L.G. And what the devil is a "frood"? Please do enlighten me. I recently posted a recommendation about a book a got from a "free library". Do you have those in Wales? Anyhoo, it's on the Nut-tree, which incidentally I now always type as "Nit-tree". I may have to change the name...
ReplyDelete"I had a little nit-tree, nothing would it bear. But a dozen lice eggs, stuck to my hair..."
Always fun to visit your blog.
~Just Jill
Great List. I have Treasure Island and The Mistaken on my Kindle Fire. Also read Hitchiker's Guide.
ReplyDeleteI have a question for you but do not see email info on your profile. Can you email me at stephen.tremp@yahoo.com
Milo - I"m a slow reader too, which means I really do cherish each book I choose to read. But I've challenged my self to read thirty books this year. Last year it was only twenty one or twenty two. Doesn't include those book critiques though. :)
ReplyDeleteJill - A frood, and especially a hoopy frood who knows where their towel is, is someone who's got it together and knows which end is up.
Also, I only live in Wales in my mind. Relocated there about three years ago when I started writing these novels. :D
Stephen - Aha! Someone else who hasn't read Treasure Island yet. It's a pretty good read still. RLS is a master at finding the exact right word for every situation.
I certainly buy blogger's books but I don't always read them straight away. It's usually because I'm already reading five other books at the same time and don't want that list to go any higher. Word of mouth helps, but I will always read the sample chapters first and if the story pulls me in then that's the book I read next. It heavily depends on mood also. Sometimes I want light fluff, other times I want beautiful writing and other times I just want a great story.
ReplyDeleteLynda - Oh, I know. I've got half a dozen fellow blogger's books I need to get to still. And a bunch of other novels too. Like you said, sometimes it is a matter of what mood I'm in that determines what I'll read next.
DeleteI have some of the same bloggers on my TBR list, and I also go by word of mouth. If only I were able to read faster! Great title and picture!
ReplyDeleteJulie
I sort of love that painting. I can stare at it for a long time. It's kind of like a puzzle in a way. :))
Delete