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Friday, February 24, 2012

Decisions, decisions.

One of the biggest problems I have with a Kindle TBR pile of 100+ books  is deciding what to read next once I have finished a book.  First world problems, I know....but I tend to agonize over it, scrolling back and forth through my home page and archives, waiting for lightning to strike when I see just the right book.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately if you're standing under a tree on the golf course), lightning rarely strikes.  I end up with several possible choices that I debate with myself about.  I try to keep the debate internal, as this usually happens on my commuter train, where talking at all is a major breach of etiquette and talking to myself would lead to people abandoning seats.  It would be so much easier if I were the sort of reader who liked to rip through books in a series one after the other, but at least for me that leads to diminishing returns. 

I recently made an exception by reading the first three books in Chris Grabenstein's John Ceepak/Danny Boyle series in order after getting them for 99 cents each.  I was so caught up in Grabenstein's Jersey shore world and in the interplay between Ceepak and Boyle that I did not want to stop reading.  I adored "Tilt a Whirl" and "Mad Mouse," but by the time I got to "Whack a Mole" I had become so accustomed to Grabenstein's plotting style that I knew very early on who the culprit was.  I still enjoyed it, but if I had waited a couple of months to read it I probably would have enjoyed it more.

Sometimes the easiest thing to do is to put off the decision by reading a short story or two.  Mrs. MRM got me a digital subscription to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine for Christmas, and it has been perfect for those times when I can't decide what book is next.  Of course then I have to choose the short story, but somehow it is easier when the time commitment is shorter.   Sort of like a one night stand instead of getting married (but don't tell her I said that!).

But then the short story is done and I am back to square one.  Should I choose something different than the last book I read?  That is what I usually do, as I like to mix things up to keep it fresh, but sometimes I might prefer a similar author so I have a fresh basis for making comparisons.  Should the book match my mood or possibly change it?  Do I want an escape, some gritty realism, or perhaps a bit of both?  An author I know, or take a chance on someone new?   Sometimes it comes down to just randomly tapping on one of the many choices and heading off on a new journey.  Maybe next time I'll go with the parent-of-young-children dartboard approach and let my 2 year old pick for me...ha! 



Decisions, decisions.

Leave a comment and let us know how you decide...

4 comments:

  1. Unlike you I do like to find a book/series I love with a long back-list and I love to read them one after another. I feel a stronger connection to the character reading the series in a "clump". On the other hand, waiting for the next entry in a loved series is delicious, also. And so exciting when the new book comes out. The way I decide what to read next is often dictated by the books that come in for me via my "hold" list at my free public library. Also, if I have somewhat new books that I know the author would appreciate a review of (on amazon, barnes and noble, shelfari and goodreads) then I will bump those books up the list. Therefore, if I have been given a copy of a new book I give preference to that. After all that, I enjoy finding new-to-me authors, so I will dip into my free e-books collection, which is now staggeringly huge. When I buy e-books I usually read them immediately after acquiring them.

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    1. Mrs. MRM here...Nancy, I read just like you do! I much prefer to read series back to back and have an almost painful reaction to realizing that I skipped a book. I love to see both the character and the series storylines develop together. I have several series "on hold" until I get the book I need to fill a hole. While I'm waiting I will often turn to some of the Kindle freebies or 99 cent books, but only after I check to see that they're first in a series! :) It is a nice way to be introduced to new characters and to get to enjoy the anticipation of the next book.

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  2. I try to stay up-to-date with my series book and then play catch up on those series. It's a whim with what I read first. Sometimes I go by the number of pages or if it's a favorite author or whatever hits me. I also like to read books in the month of their publication, but sometimes that doesn't work out. I need more hours in the day to read all the books that I want.

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    1. I think I need to clone myself to catch up on all the books I need to read! I rarely get to a book in the month it is published unless it is something I am absolutely dying to read or if I have an ARC and have promised to review the book. Otherwise, I tend to be way behind. I have not read, for example, the vast majority of this year's Edgar nominees, though I have gotten around to most of last year's.

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