Deciding what book to read next

[Nik Houser]

I usually try to have what I'm reading be something that will inspire my writing, which can make it a pain in the ass when I over-complicate things by trying to find just the write book to inspire me. It tends to work out much better if I just use some common sense and grab what sounds best to the reader in me, and that usually helps the writer in me way more than any conscious choice of inspiration. I just finished Shipbreaker by Bacigalupi and immediately picked up The Five by Robert McCammon, which I couldn't wait to read. No deliberation necessary there, as he's probably my current favorite writer.

Hey, Kadaddy, did you read Lansdale's Dread Island? So fun!

[TerryE]

I have 3 overflowing bookcases and boxes of books in the back of the basement. If I haven't been thinking of a title that I'm ready to read, I try to rotate through the bookcases. The first is all of my Stephen King and Neil Gaiman, almost all of which has been read at least once. #2 is Bradbury, Joe Hill, some SF and Fantasy series, and other misc. horror. #3 is general fiction and literature. I also try to switch between novels and story collections. Most times I working on a novel at home and a graphic novel collection of some sort at the office. I'm working on "Heart Shaped Box" right now, and I'm determined that the next one will finally be "Frankenstein". I have a copy at home and work, and on my Kindle on the phone, so I won't have to carry it around with me.

[srboone]

Lotsa love and lotsa hate for Lisey's Storey in this forum; but I finished it and now i must weigh in:

Put me in the "Lotsa Love" category. LS is the only SK story that made me shed a tear; it also triggered the biggest gag reflex in me (those who have read it know what I'm referring to).

King's statement at the end is telling: "...much here is heartfelt, very little is clever...". But his heart has never been more evident than in LS. Clever or not, LS is an absolutely stunning novel. Though I prefer his early works (Carrie through Pet Semetery), LS is in my top 5 favorites of King's works.

And I've already decided my next book (actually, I decided as Scott Landon was disposing of his father--I decided before finishing LS!):

Gerald's Game--a re-read for me, but one I remember as one of his best from the 1990's.

[frik51]

Glad you like Lisey's Story so much. It's clearly one of my absolute favorites as well.
Did you read Bag of Bones? That one made me shed more than just a tear...

sk

[srboone]

Glad you like Lisey's Story so much. It's clearly one of my absolute favorites as well.
Did you read Bag of Bones? That one made me shed more than just a tear...sk

Read Bag of Bones when it came out. I was moved, but not to tears. It is very good though. It's not in my top five, but it's up there.

[PaulB]

Generally speaking, given the size of the TBR pile, I just grab whatever happens to be on the top. However at times will go through a phase of 1 particular author (at the moment in the middle of an Edward Lee stint) and will spend 5-6 books devoted to books from them.

[hamount]

Yeah, sometimes it takes me hours to pick a new book, and I'm forced to sit on the floor in front of my colorfully bound books, and try to make a decision, though sometimes its not that difficult because I'm almost out of reading material. I've read around 70 books this year. Working it around school and writing can be difficult, but it's summer now so reading only has to contend with writing.

[bsaenz24]

For some reason, I have always found it easier to have the next book picked out before I finish the current read. If I wait until I'm done with the current read, it seems to take much longer to pick the next one. Weird, I know...