Last week we all shared what we’re reading at the moment.
Marketers and publicists and literary agents and everyone else interested in sales wants to know: how did you hear about it?
Also: where did you buy/borrow/acquire/steal it from?
Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing
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Nathan Bransford
Helping authors achieve their dreams
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Just finished K.K. Rusch's Duplicate Effort, which I learned about from my wife, who bought it for me.
I'm currently reading Zoe's Tale, by Scalzi. I heard about this in the endpapers of the previous volume, but it's been kept in my mind by the author's blog.
My friend gave me her extra copy, so…word of mouth?
I just finished The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman. I happened across the title when perusing Amazon's list of summer book recommendations. Being a fan of Hoffman I decided to go out and purchase the book from Borders (a rare occasion as I visit the library quite often) It's an emotional ride of ups and downs, but well worth the "visit".
The book I'm reading is last (at least I think) in a series of five related single-titles.
I heard about the first in the series on a reader's board I participate on. Or is that, participate in? 😉
🙂
G.
Since I've started reading lit/crit blogs, my reading list has grown exponentially.
Yates, Nabokov, and Wilfrid Sheed are topping my list now.
There are a few literary blogs whose authors' opinions I trust. I've been taking my cues from them.
What I'm reading.
Four Paulo Coelho books. The Alchemist, The Zahir, The Devil and Miss Prym, and The Witch of Portobello.
Where I heard about it.
Some lady at a garage sale pushed them on my husband. She said Paulo was her favorite author. I am reading them because they are lying around my house and taking up too much room.
Where I got them.
Garage sale. 4/$20. Great value retention for the seller. Used books usually go for $1-$2 each in this area.
What I'm reading.
Four Paulo Coelho books. The Alchemist, The Zahir, The Devil and Miss Prym, and The Witch of Portobello.
Where I heard about it.
Some lady at a garage sale pushed them on my husband. She said Paulo was her favorite author. I am reading them because they are lying around my house and taking up too much room.
Where I got them.
Garage sale. 4/$20. Great value retention for the seller. Used books usually go for $1-$2 each in this area.
Just finished Blood Knot by S.W. Hubbard. Got it on my Kindle after reading about a workshop at which Hubbard was to speak.
Now I'm onto Don't You Forget About Me by Janice Dunn, same reason, on my Kindle.
I often decide what the next book I'll read will be by looking at what the author of the last book I read has to offer (which is why I'm now reading "Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk, as well as why I've read all of Larry McMurtry, Stephanie Meyers, Dan Brown, Suzanne Collins, etc). If nothing is interesting or available on that list, I might read the picks on my local library page ("The Gone Away World" by Nick Harkaway); check out what is on the best sellers list (My Sisters Keeper); or ask around on Facebook for suggestions (Stephanie Meyers' books).
I'm reading books from trading with other readers on paperbackswap.com. I pick the books I swap for by reading the write-up presented on the page there or by looking them up on Amazon and reading about them there. Sometimes I look for authors I like, but I have also looked for book series I liked published by a house I like. Example: Harlequin NEXT books or Waterbook Publishing.
I have been reading books suggested in my reading club here https://www.barbsbookshelf.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0
And I tend to buy my books through Amazon or Borders.
I didn't hear about it, I just found it on the shelf in the bookshop, knew I'd enjoyed this author previously, realised it was in the 3 for 2 offer and picked it up.
I live in South Africa so books are really expensive (sometimes more then a days pay and I get paid a fair salary), so most of mine come from secondhand shops or sales tables.
If I love the book I will google suggestions for other similar reads.
I'm reading the graphic novel collections of Alan Moore's SWAMP THING run (which for the record is fantastic, and a must for any fan of comic books or really good spec fic in general). I had it recommended to me by a good friend, who also lent me their copies so I can read them all at a run.
I browse the library. Sometimes I'll read something based on a referral from a friend. But the book I just finished came from the library, as did the one I picked up today to replace it.
I heard of one of them from ALL over the internet (ok, the reading/recommending part of the internet) and I picked up the other two when I wandered into my local A&R. I have a thing about buying a completely new, unheard of book every fortnight just by browsing the shelves. It turns up some interesting reads.
I read blogs and get most of my book recommendations from book reviews.
I pick my books purely by instinct and then ask people on Twitter or find reviews on blogs.
I've just finished reading this https://www.thebookoflostthings.com/ and posted my comments about it to other bookworms on Twitter
"Never Say Die" by C.I. Crenshaw available at https://www.saydiemason.com
Most books I read based on the publisher or the author; for new authors, it's often something someone recommended, or the cover image.
I'm reading Donleavy's Wrong Information Is Being Given Out At Princeton, but that's because a friend got me into his Ginger Man. Found in a used bookstore in Boulder.
I just got Ajvaz's The Other City from the local hipster bookstore, Atomic Books. I trust most Dalkey Archive books, so I figured I would give it a go.
I'm also reading Gospodinov's And Other Stories. I'd already read his Natural Novel (also Dalkey Archive), so I chased this down using the internet, I think.
I was curious about the break down and did a Very informal tally. What is probably valid is not the count but the weight of each category.
Friends (including book clubs) – 78
Blogs (including author blogs) – 62
Bookstores – 45
Websites/reviews sites – 33
Library – 22
Amazon recommendation/reviews – 22
Twitter – 19
Book tours/met the author – 11
Blog promotion/contests – 5
Read other books by author – 4
Other (ezines, book fairs, TV, Radio, book reviews, podcasts, cover/jacket – 29
I'm currently on Dead Souls, by Gogol, which was referenced in The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, by Nabokov (my last read). Next is O Lost! by Thomas Wolfe- the unabridged version of Look Homeward, Angel. I picked up The Real Life at the public library and I can't remember where I heard about the Wolfe book- I might've just picked that up off a library shelf too at first. I bought it about a month ago at the local Barnes & Noble because I didn't get to finish it before.
I most recently heard about Slaughterhouse Five in my English class a few semesters ago. One of the other students did their "book report" on it. I purchased it at Barnes & Noble. I buy almost all my books from either there or Borders, and rarely buy a used book at Amazon.com.
THE SNOWBALL Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder—I read about it on the New York Times web site and purchased it at Books-A-Million.
Reading The Vagrants by Yiyun Li because she is one of my former writing professors. Bought it at B&N.
I pretty much always read books based on recommendations from:
a) Goodreads.com
b) drunkenly enthusiastic conversations with friends
c) my mom
Started reading The Pleasures Of Sin by Jessica Trapp. I've been trying to find her books for a long time and while on vacation happened upon it in Borders. I didn't hear about her from anyone, I was just looking for new authors and found her website. It is pretty great.
I live in a town with no paved roads and a population less than 100. When I'm hungry for a snack that can't be found in the house, and the family car is missing, I walk a 1/2 mile to Good's Gas Station. On some evenings, there is a certain high school student working there instead of the semi-retired. This high school student is reading A DIFFERENT NOVEL EACH AND EVERY TIME I VISIT THE STATION. So, this is how I get a list of YA novels to read and find out that "the truth about forever" is a novel and not a theological reference.
I usually find my books at the public library. Sometimes, I'll see them at the bookstore, and look for them again at the library. If I really like it, I'll buy it.
The last book I read was The Forest of Hands and Teeth which is a YA zombie novel. I heard it about through Sarah Rees Brennan's journal.
I'm reading Their Eyes Were Watching God. It was referenced in an essay by Alice Walker. In her essay, Walker stated that this book could be held up to Chopin's The Awakening as the black equivalent of a women's journey toward independence. Well, I couldn't resist that. I got the book through a broker through Amazon.
I just bought The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay from Pegasus Books in Berkeley.
Reading: Your Heart Belongs to Me, by Dean Koontz, where did I hear about it? Ummm…. I dunno, I read all his books. Got it as soon as it came out.
Also reading: Odd Hours, by Dean Koontz, same reason as above.
Also reading: The Devil's Code, by John Sandford. A friend of mine was moving and getting rid of a LOT of paperbacks, I went to her house, read the dust jackets and took like 30 books. This was one of them.
I am a little late on the uptake of getting my word out there. What am I reading…? I read a lot of books at once, but as of today I pulled out a good chunk of PRIDE, PREJUDICE, and ZOMBIES. It truly is a quirk classic! Surprisingly I did not hear of it other than by word of mouth during my advanced Latin Class.
I am a murder mystery-romance book reader. Did a Yahoo search, looking for, "murder mystery romance suspense book".
Became intrigued with one of the website descriptions in top ten. It stated:
Murder • Mystery • Romance • Suspense • Thriller Book Warning
Just wanted to know what the "Warning Notice" was about.
Ended up reading a blogger's book review I found on author's home page.
Watched author, Gale Laure, reading chapter one from her book, Evolution of a Sad Woman.
It is a good, no, a great book to read. Had a hard time putting the darn novel down.
The clues through out the story leads you in one direction. The author presents you with a surprise ending to the story!