For those of you who know me well, you'll know I am a book-aholic. And of course, Amazon is one of my favourite internet sites to while away odd minutes (which can, almost magically it seems, turn into hours!!!)
You know those lists they provide on Amazon of recommendations based on what you have bought, added to your wishlist or viewed? I am slightly addicted to this list.
As I was browsing, seeing what gems they recommended for me today - I came upon a book called Optimal Thinking. (I wont give the details here, it's not relevant). I clicked through and read the online reviews - which I often find quite useful when I cannot actually touch the book and make a tactile decision. In this case, something prompted me to see if there was a website based on the book. Google search. Yup - there it was at the top of the search, and as I clicked into that result, something caught my eye further down the results page. Steve Pavlina's name.
Now I know Steve's name from my blog surfing. . . I've enjoyed his writing from time to time. And here was a link to a review of this book he did on his blog (back in 2004!). No contest - this was where I clicked through to. And because I have already read his blog before, and respect what Steve has to say - I read his review, then went back to Amazon and clicked Not Interested next to this book in my recommendations list.
I am going to google any unknown books BEFORE I add them to my Amazon wish list in future (and will look for blog posts in particular) - this could save me a fortune!
And any way of culling my reading list has got to be good. At the moment my reading list is so long, I think I'm not going to finish all these books before I'm 90 - let alone all the wonderful books yet to be published!
So, how do you decide what books to read and which ones to avoid? And, especially, which books to spend your money on, and which ones to leave on the shelf?
HI Karen,
In my younger days i would go through pretty much a book a day and would never entertain the thought of reading more than a book at a time. Now that i am a lot older ;) i quite often have 3 - 4 books going at a time if not more! Being surrounded by books myself picking a title is NEVER easy. I find that what helps me make the decision is how i am feeling at that moment i am picking the book. Thankfully the self help period has passed :)Now it seems to be business/marketing, biographies and prestigious book award winning titles known more for their winning style of writing than the story itself. I avoid the 'chick-lits' but adore those thick rich recipes books and home and garden ones and feng shui ones and...i guess theres not too many i avoid! Must mean i am quite emotional...hhhmmm maybe i should get back to those self-help ones!...BTW looooove the colour!
Posted by: Marjorie | March 12, 2006 at 06:11 PM