Where do you get ideas for the next book you want to read?

Question

Friends, bookstores, websites?

Answer 1

Those evil marketers at Amazon.com do their job ... I often take their suggestions.  They say things like "people who bought [last book I purchased] also bought [suggested book]."  

Answer 2

I ask my friends and my sister, but we don't like to read the same kinds of things so the book descriptions never get me interested.

The three biggest things for me:

1) Randomly hearing about books on subjects that interest me. This could be something like seeing an author on TV talking about their book.

2) Whenever I'm doing an internet search on an issue/subject, oftentimes book titles pop up on the site, search engine or reference list.

3) I spend a lot of time on amazon.com. Sometimes, I end up there to look at the description or review of a book I found via #1 or #2 and find other related books in the process. Other times, I go there and type in key words in the amazon search and find books that way. Usually, I get interested by titles first. On amazon, when you're looking at the description/reviews for one book, they list other books on a similar subject as well as books others have bought after looking at the page you're on. Amazon also has user lists of books they like that includes the book you're looking at, most of the time. So this is, by far, how I come across most of the books I buy/read. Sometimes I have to make myself leave the site, because I go through so many interesting books and I know I'd spend too much money. You could probably go there and type in book titles/authors that you really enjoy and get good recommendations.

I've also been with several book clubs, and browsing their offerings sometimes have gotten me interested in books. Going to the bookstore has also worked, too, but books cost more in the bookstore than on amazon...plus, you can just sit at home, browse online and order what you want online vs going to the bookstore.

Answer 3

I either ask my friends or look around at reviews on www.goodreads.com .

It's a great site to read reviews and help you decide whether you'd like it or not.

Answer 4

All three.

Friends will tell me about books they have read.

I will be walking through a bookstore and see a book that looks interesting.

Or I will hear about something on the internet.

Answer 5

mostly i just see a book that catches my fancy and i'll buy it, even if i'm only half way through the book i'm reading. so at the moment i have like 12 books on my shelf that i am waiting to read. i also read a lot of series.

Answer 6

I generally ask my friends, or just browse through random books at the bookstore until I see something that catches my fancy. I also keep my eye on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Regular: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bests...

YA: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/books/...

Answer 7

I do have a few websites I go to for book recommendations, but I also go back to books I really enjoyed and look at the comments on the covers. Other authors usually read the book and make some form of commit so I check out their titles too. I also can spend hours roaming the stacks at the library. Just searching for new titles to read. Another way is by typing in the subject or phrase I'm interested in at the library or it's website and titles will appear. Another great way I find books is by coming here and reading the posts. It's how I found the Sophie Kinsella books and now I'm a big fan  of hers.