"I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us." Franz Kafka
For any author who would like his/her book to be reviewed, contact me. Poetry books too are solicited for reviewing. However, there are some genres I tend to avoid. Feel free to ask me.
gautami.tripathy[at]gmail.com
I must mention here that I read at my own pace and depending on my mood. Don't ask me to hurry.
This week's Weekly Geeks asks us to talk about how we determine what we read next and also link to spreadsheets if we have any.
It is really very simple. I never plan my reading. Not even for challenges. I simply stand in front of my TBR pile and pick up the book which calls out to me. It can be anything, of any genre. Poetry too. As I prefer to read heavy stuff, it is very rare to find light stuff in my TBR pile. Yes, occasionally I do give in to romance novels but not too often.
I also re-read certain books although not as much as I used to. Nowadays, I mostly re-read poetry mainly because one can just pick a poem one likes from anywhere without worrying about anything else.
I like to read for my own pleasure, not to be constrained by anything, not challenges or the likes. I only join those challenges which give me flexibility of reading at my own pace and own choosing.
Talking of spreadsheets, I never felt the need. The day I do, I will go for it. Until then, I am happy just blogging about the books I read. I truly feel that I don't have to prove anything to anyone other than myself and why do I need to give reasons to myself for reading and spreadsheets? Thats how I feel.
What about you? Do you agree? Disagree? Or neutral?
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21 comments:
I like your method. I wish I could implement it more into my own reading.
This is how I used to choose my books and still do if I don't have review books to be read. The only lists I keep is an Office One Note file of what I read and when. I also keep a list running on a friends message board as a back up just in case I lose my file.
I do the same thing unless I'm doing a tour or have agreed to review a book on a specific date.
I choose the next 3 I plan on reading, but a spreadsheet sounds like a bit much doesn't it?
I pick the same way as you, but I do envy the people who have such organized methods!
I do the same as you about 60% of the time. I alternate between reading a book that speaks to me out of the pile and reading one for a challenge or an ARC.
Lately, I've been doing the random reading challenge by rolling a handfull of dice, adding them up and counting down the TBR stack to a random book. It's been kind of fun.
BTW - I like the Kafka quote on your banner. Is it new?
I think you've got a good system going, and it's much like I did until these last few months. It's just that now, I've got a few more reading commitments.
I can't plan my reading. I tried when I signed up for the LibraryThing 999 Challenge, but I just couldn't stick to the books I'd planned to read. It's as if writing it on a list automatically (a)reduces my desire to read it and (b)guarantees I'll find something else that I want to put right at the tippy top of the TBR.
I keep a basic spreadsheet of stuff I've read - title, author, when I read it and whether I liked it - but never of current or future reads.
What you do is "my dream". I long to just stand in front of my shelves and read the book that calls me, but instead I'm feeling pressured to read review books and library books. I do plan to get better in 2010.
I agree with you - I like to be able to read whatever I want, when I want. The rest of my life is all planned and filled with "must do" stuff and reading is my leisure activity which means no plans. I have a database of books I have read (I'm old and would forget otherwise) but it has nothing in it about books I am going to read.
I can't determine my reading ahead too much, although as you'll have realised from my blog post, there are many determinants of what I read each month that are almost beyond my control. My records are almost a defence mechanism to help me remember what I've read, but I do find with books coming in to be reviewed, I have to be a bit more organised - although it doesn't really help me get them read.
I don't really plan my reading either.
Happy Weekly Geeks :)
Once upon a time I had a need for a spreadsheet. It served its purpose and now I don't need it. My post is here.
I totally agree. No plan here either. Spreadsheet reminds me too much of a work task. Reading is a pleasure.
I don't usually plan my reading, but this week I realised I was going to have to, if I planned to complete all my challenges by Christmas.
I only plan in so much as I have a pile of review books in the order in which I received them. When I've finished a book I decide whether to read the next on the review pile - or I stand in front of my all too large - yet still growing - TBR pile and pick a book to read for fun!
I don't plan my reading either! I used to do challenges and things like that, but they didn't work for me. I read whatever feels right at the time, or whatever matches my bookmark. No, seriously, sometimes I do select books based on whether they color-coordinate with the bookmark of my choosing.
I'm with you. I read whatever reaches out to me from my TBR pile. Sometimes it gets too genre heavy though. I'm afraid anyone who follows me over the next couple months is going to think I'm only a sci-fi/fantasy reviewer. That's just not true!
http://oohbooks.blogspot.com
Good for you! a no-plan is the best plan, sometimes. :)
I'm actually kind of the same way. I have a TBR stack, but that's mainly because I can never buy just one book and I get a bunch sent to me. I'll just look at it and whatever catches my eye is generally the next one to get read (unless there is a review deadline for a certain book).
The only reason I have a spreadsheet is because of all the books I come across. When I first started reading UF/PNR, I didn't know that many authors, so when I went asking for suggestions, I received a TON. My TBR list at the time was around 90 novels; now its over 700 and there's no way I would remember them all.
I've joined challenges, but purely for fun. I never take them serious and I rarely finish all of them. I know this year I'll be lucky to finish one and I'm even hosting one.
CB James - I like the idea of rolling dice. Do you use a 6d or something else? I could probably use a 20d to help with my stack. I may have to implement that.
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