Because I get asked every time I share a picture, my “Please go away, I’m introverting” mug is from Etsy! 🙂
Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy posts a list of Kindle deals each and every day, and as I browse those deals each day, I’ve realized something about myself: I have a hard time choosing books based on their description alone.
When I choose a new book, even one that only costs $1.99, I want to know what real people thought about the book. Because I can’t help but read the negative reviews, a few thoughtful negative reviews is enough to make me doubt my purchase, even on a book with overwhelming positive reviews and 4.5+ stars.
On the other hand, if one person I know and trust says they enjoyed the book, suddenly all of those negative reviews lose their power.
So today I want to know…
How do you choose books?
Do you make a decision on the description alone?
Do you read through the reviews? (And if so, are you drawn to the positive or negative reviews?)
Do you have a community of readers who you trust for book recommendations?
Shannon
11 May 2015Lately, I have been picking my books on Goodreads. I used to solely pick books based on the best seller lists and kept being disappointed. Now, I find a friend on Goodreads who I think has similar interest as me. There has been less disappointment, plus I am reading a wider range of books. So, keep reviewing those books on Goodreads 🙂
Reidun
11 May 2015I get almost all my books from the library and read them first. Once in a while I feel like I want to own one after reading it, but usually if I wait long enough before buying it, that desire diminishes and I save the money and the space! I find certain reference books worth owning, if they are about a subject I use frequently. Other than that, I have stopped almost all book purchases in the past year.
Kim Garbison
11 May 2015The description….followed by the stars and then reviews….and the “cover” whether it’s a kindle book or a “real” book. 🙂
Sara Kilpatrick
11 May 2015I get book recommendations from trusted bloggers like you and Anne from MMD 🙂 Though I’m not always interested in the same books, I usually can find some good new reads!
I also like to check the “Customers also bought…” on Amazon for books that I have really enjoyed.
And I read reviews. I like to read some 4/5 star, some 1/2 star and some in the middle. Mostly I’m looking for people who have put thought into their reviews. What they liked and didn’t like, etc.
Mandi @ Life Your Way
12 May 2015Using the “Customers also bought section” is a great idea! Also, reading about how you make your choices made me realize that I’m a lot more willing to take my chance on YA Dystopian, even after reading negative reviews, than I am on other genres! I think it may be that I’m so familiar with the genre that I know I’ve enjoyed books with well thought out criticisms in the past, so they don’t “worry” me as much as they do in other genres where I’ve experienced more misses of my own!
Mandi @ Life Your Way
12 May 2015Ah, yes, the cover definitely plays a role!
Mandi @ Life Your Way
12 May 2015But how do you decide which books to get from the library? 🙂
Mandi @ Life Your Way
12 May 2015Ha, so true! I should just head to Goodreads to see if any of my friends have read the books I’m interested in; that seems like such a simple solution—duh! 😛
Mandy
13 May 2015I have very little time for pleasure reading, but I do have my profiles setup with ebook sale sites and I use recommendations and notifications of what friends are reading on Goodreads to help guide. I listen to public radio and our religious radio station. There I hear author interviews and anything that piques my interest goes on my reading list. The list is longer than I will have time to ever meet. Amazon and Barnes & Noble recommendations based on what I’ve already read/purchased/searched help guide my reading. I am a member of a team at work that also does group reads.
I am a librarian by profession, and so I tend to follow my needs and interests by searching online catalogs, etc., to identify what I need to be reading for work, for personal and professional development and also in the literature I read on current topics. The most difficult piece for me is prioritizing and then finding time to actually do the reading.
What matters most is that the books I need, when I need them are discoverable, findable, accessible, whatever you want to call it.