How Do You Discover Books???

bobcat22 · Feb 8, 2012

Publishers Weekly had an interesting article about e-books vs. paper
books. They included a survey on how people "discover" books. The
survey is a bit flawed (it comes out to over 200%), but the question
got me thinking.

How do you discover books?

I'm asking people on my blog the same question. There's a simple poll
if you have a minute to check it out. I have about 100 people who
have responded so far, and I'd love to get even more people. I'll post the results in about a week on my blog (and here...if you're interested!).

Thanks!

Check it out here!

bobcat22 · Feb 8, 2012

Personally...I look for a good book anywhere I can, but a lot of my recommendations come from friends. I also love NPR's recommendations and Printz award winners.

Stiger05 · Feb 8, 2012

Recommendations from friends, and I spend a LOT of time at Barnes and Noble just wandering aisles and skimming book jackets and opening pages, looking for something to strike my fancy.

Rhoda Nightingale · Feb 8, 2012

Mostly word of mouth. Recommendations from friends, family, fellow bloggers. The "what are you reading now" thread here is a good place too--that's how I heard about Divergent and Jellicoe Road.

In the actual bookstore I freely admit I'm swayed by the shiny, shiny covers.

Ari Meermans · Feb 8, 2012

Word of mouth
Shelf Awareness
Shelf Awareness Pro
Twitter: #FridayReads (I like to check out what everyone else is reading)

Stuff like that.

Sage · Feb 8, 2012

What YA are You Reading RIGHT NOW
Goodreads
Friend recs
Browsing B&N
Recs on Amazon

auriel · Feb 8, 2012

Goodreads is probably 85% of my new-book sources. Also I come across a lot in the literature our book supplier sends to advertise new books for our library to buy.

Smish · Feb 8, 2012

The What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW? thread.
The Talk about the kidlit you're reading thread.
Recommendations from friends.
Books written by authors I like.
Award winners (especially the Newbery and Printz winners).
Browsing at book stores and online.

SBibb · Feb 8, 2012

Browsing bookstores, and sometimes following blogs or noticing things on Absolute Write.

Opal · Feb 8, 2012

Goodreads/Amazon recommendations
AW YA Rec thread
Word of mouth (friends, AWers (What YA book are you reading now), top reading lists, etc.)
Browsing my libraries' shelves (rare that I'll find something I like going this route though)

strawberryblondie · Feb 8, 2012

What YA book are you reading thread
What are you reading thread in AW bookclub
Goodreads/Amazon browsing/recs
Recs from family and friends
Book blogs

eventidepress · Feb 9, 2012

This discussion inspired me to put up a poll on my blog... Come vote?

veinglory · Feb 9, 2012

I imagine the survey is over 200% because very few people use only one method. In the last week alone i have discovered books by: being sent review copies, reading blogs, surfing amazon recommendations, talking to friends, listing to the radio and going to a bookstore.

wyndmaker · Feb 9, 2012

I go to the book store or the library and just start leafing through. I find all kinds of great books that way. Years ago I worked next to a book store and would go out in thier dumpster when I was on my break and started picking up those that didnt sell and had thier covers ripped off. I also had a best friend that was a book buyer for a book store and I read the copies that came from the publisher that they were trying to sell.

SaronaNalia · Feb 9, 2012

I go to the book store and browse. Also the library. Often, if I read a book from the library that I really like, I will purchase it later. I always read new books by authors who I already know I like. Some of the authors I like post about books they like on their websites or blogs. If I see a book recommended repeatedly here on AW, then I can't resist looking it up. My friends and I have similar tastes, so sometimes I get recommendations from them. Usually I'm the one giving the recommendations though.

Purple Rose · Feb 9, 2012

Defnitely friends' recommendations but books reviews more than any other source. that's only because I read a lot more than my friend's do (I have more time to spare).

For the reviews, I tend to stick to ft.com weekend edition as well as their year-end lists for the various genres. With those I could have a list of books in just one year that would be enough to last a decade.

So, yes, reviews and a lot of short-listing and cross-checking with friends.

fredXgeorge · Feb 9, 2012

I think for me, it's just the internet in general, whether it be Goodreads, blogs, twitter etc. Choosing only one, though, I'd say blogs. I have a couple I visit regularly and have found a lot of books from their reviews and stuff.

tengraceapples · Feb 10, 2012

Goodreads is a great place for that. Also Amazon tends to make recommendations based on what other bought who share the same taste in books. And there is also the power of word of mouth.

The_Ink_Goddess · Feb 11, 2012

GOODREADS, always. I am so obsessed with Goodreads that I feel funny about buying books that I haven't already looked up. Like, oh, no, what if it's not good?!

bobcat22 · Feb 11, 2012

Thanks for sharing all the ways you discover books! I'm going to post my results on Monday...I have a few hundred people who took the poll and it's interesting to see the areas that seem to be working for a lot of people.

You can still take the poll this weekend, if you haven't.

I haven't used Goodreads that much, but I think that's a place I need to explore more!

scottprotege · Feb 11, 2012

I like amazon.com top sellers list. Surprisingly that is where I first heard about the Hunger Games series.

Brickcommajason · Feb 11, 2012

A great resource I've enjoyed lately is the blogs of authors I already like. They often talk about what they're reading. Christopher Moore is especially good about that.

WalpurgisQuill · Feb 12, 2012

I skim book jackets, flip through a few pages, if I'm looking on my own. I generally ask our pubic library's Teen Librarian if she recommends anything. She's great.

How Do You Discover Books???

bobcat22

bobcat22

Stiger05

Rhoda Nightingale

Vampire Junkie

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

auriel

Smish

Reads more than she writes.

SBibb

Opal

The Designated No-Stress Friend

strawberryblondie

eventidepress

veinglory

volitare nequeo

wyndmaker

SaronaNalia

Purple Rose

practical experience, FTW

fredXgeorge

I heart sexy elves and wizards.

tengraceapples

The_Ink_Goddess

we're gonna make it out of the fire

bobcat22

scottprotege

Brickcommajason

WalpurgisQuill