I’ve been thinking a bit lately about how grateful I am for the plethora of interesting, cool and just plain neat stuff you can find on the internet. I was looking back at my reading log from a few years ago (before I discovered book blogs) when I found new books by randomly stumbling across them at the library or bookstore, or by the occasional recommendation of a friend. I did a lot of re-reading back then, because I just wasn’t finding a lot I wanted to read.
Nowdays my to-read list is ginormous (really, I’d be ashamed if I weren’t so happy there are so many great books out there), and much of that is thanks to hearing about books online, from friends and from the various book blogs I follow (yay for Google Reader!).
Anyways, I was thinking about why it was that certain books end up attracting my attention. Is it a cover, a cool premise, a favorite author, an award, a glowing review or a ranting diatribe? Are they books with a huge buzz I just have to read?
Here’s a few books on my to-read list, and how they got there:
THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss – Adult fantasy. I keep hearing raves about this one from friends and strangers, and even though I don’t remember any of the details of the plot off the top of my head, it’s permeated my reader-brain sufficiently to lodge there, waiting to be read.
SILKSINGER by Laini Taylor – I started reading the author’s blogs before I actually picked up her first novel, the delightful BLACKBRINGER. After reading some of Laini’s inspirational, vibrant blog posts and sensible, wise writing advice I knew I had to run out and read anything that she published.
MORIBITO, GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT by Nahoko Uehashi – I first read about this one on the blog of the editor, Cheryl Klein, and was immediately intrigued. Seeing the many positive reader reactions around the internet has confirmed my desire to check this book out.
SCONES AND SENSIBILITY by Lindsey Eland – I stumbled upon this one on Goodreads while looking at other books coming out in 2010, and the title made me click to learn more (I am a big Jane Austen fan). And honestly, my first thought was “somebody wrote a book FOR ME”: a modern girl who loves Anne of Green Gables and Jane Austen, who works as a delivery girl for her parents’ bakery, in a seaside town, who starts playing matchmaker. Just knowing those details is enough for me to know I must check this book out when it is available.
THE TEASHOP GIRLS by Laura Schaefer – I read a positive review of this on Kidliterate and it sounds delightful. I love a good “nice” book, and I love tea!
CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins – This is the sequel to THE HUNGER GAMES, which was one of my favorite books read last year. I read the first chapter online, and it hooked me instantly, enough so that I actually marked the pub date on my calender so I could get a copy as soon as possible. Having started to hear the positive reactions to the sequel percolate through the blogosphere, I am quite possibly even more excited for book two. This series got my attention due to buzz, but it kept it due to an utterly engaging story.
What about you folks? What makes you pick up the books you read? Have you picked up a book recently just because of the cover, or because of the buzz, or because of a review?
Tags: reading
