Picking The Next Book

The other day, somebody asked me how I pick my next book.  After careful consideration of this question I have found several different factors can be included in my book choosing process.

What Else Am I Reading? - I usually have about five books going at once, so if I'm already reading a dragon fantasy book, a short story collection and a reread, then I will probably pick something entirely different for my next book so I can keep a good variety going.  This actually helps me finish books faster because I am never bored so long as I keep the variety going.

What Did I Just Finish Reading? - A lot of the times what I have just finished reading will greatly affect my choice of next book.  If I loved the book I just finished, I will probably go for a similar genre, or something by the same author, or the next book in the series.  If I hated the book, I will probably go running to my favorite book shelf and quickly devour a book I know I love to get the bad taste of the icky book out of my brain.

What Am I Watching? - Movies, TV, video games, all of these will have an influence on what I am in the mood to read.  Am I watching a BBC show? Then of to a book set in England I go.  Did I just finish an awesome movie based on a book, well then I am probably downloading the literary version as we speak.  Playing a video game in space, well the SciFi shelf it is for me.

What Season Is It? - As I have mentioned before, I am a huge seasonal reader and tend to crave certain types of books depending on what season it is.  In fact I have a shelf of books that I reserve for reading only during certain seasons and will go to them whenever the weather changes.  On the flip side, I find it very difficult to read books out of season and may put off a book I'm excited about until the weather is right.

What Did I Just Buy? - Every trip to the bookstore results in some new exciting find that demands to be put on top of the TBR pile.  Sometimes it's a book I've been looking for forever, sometimes it's a book that just happened to catch my eye, and sometimes it's a book that just happens to be pertinent to something that is going on at that moment.  Regardless, these books tend to nudge up to the top of the list.

What Did I Hear About? - Sometimes I hear about a book from a website, a friend, or just randomly and for some reason must read it immediately.  I can't always pin point it, but something about the description, author, circumstances, whatever it is catches my attention and demands to placed on the top of the list.  I have had hit's and misses this way, but have learned to ignore this impulse at my own peril.

What Do I Want To Read Right This Instant - Every once in a while I just want to read some random book.  Sometimes it is a new one, sometimes it is a reread, sometimes it is just the book that is closest to me.  This impulse can strike any time, any where and involve any book. It doesn't matter how many books I am reading at this given moment, if the urge to pick up a certain book strikes it does no use to try and fight it, I just give in and read whatever it is that is stuck in my brain.  I have been known to wake up in the middle of the night and dig around my bookshelf in the dark to satisfy whatever insane literary craving has struck.  Trust me, it does no good to fight it.

These are all factors that go into picking the next book from my endless TBR pile.  It is messy, random, and usually has the result of a multi-personality list, but it gets the job done.  Now it is off to search my bookshelves for the next read. Happy Reading Everybody!