I figured it was about time I share how I choose books to read. I am a librarian after all; lucky for me, books happily occupy much of my day. I’m always reading some book, often two, and I usually have an audio book that I’m listening to as well. I try to expose myself to different genres, read outside of my comfort zone, and dabble in both young adult and adult works. Basically, it’s my job to read, and I make sure to only read good books, so with that I want to share how I choose books: I use Goodreads.com.
Goodreads
I rely heavily on Goodreads.com–a social website platform based on readers sharing the books they’re reading by reviewing and rating those books with a 5 star system. Mainly I value the star score our of 5 that each book receives. Not only do I use that score when deciding what I will read, but I also use it when I order books for the library I run. Aside from the score, I depend on the friends (some in real life friends–others just great readers) I have on Goodreads–I value what they have thought of the books they’ve read. Goodreads’ algorithm will also create a list of books that are similar to what I have liked. And finally, one super cool part of Goodreads is seeing and connecting with the author themselves right there on the platform.
Here’s the system I use with Goodreads.com to ultimately read a book: first I browse through the shelves, take note of any recommendations, and create a big pile of a dozen books or so. Then, I enter each book title into Goodreads to find the book’s score out of five stars and write that score on a little post it note. Once the books have all received their post it notes with their ratings attached, I start making more piles: anything over 4.0 is automatically put to the good side, and well, anything below is probably going to be sent back to the shelves.
Once I have a stack of 4.0 or higher rated books, I begin to browse those titles again. If I’m stuck this is when I might read a review or two. I count on the readers I follow to see what they thought of a book. Primarily when I do sit down to read a book, I usually have three books right in front of me. I begin with some acts of admiration for the three that have made the cut. I examine the the cover, touch the flaps, look at the first few pages, and then somehow one out of those three becomes the book I will read. The other two books that didn’t make the cut might or might not ever be read. If they make it in to the pile of three again, they’ll have a chance, but sometimes they don’t.
Ultimately, the main thing I rely on is that score from Goodreads.com.
Here are the titles featured in this post with their scores from Goodreads:
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates, 4.31 (I’m listening to this book.)
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, 4.40 (I gave this book 5 stars. I loved it as I love anything Colleen Hoover writes.)
The Dazzling Heights, 3.98 (This book is the sequel to The Thousandth Floor–which I gave 5 stars, yet it didn’t make the cut. It was put back on the shelves.)
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