One of the most common questions I get both from library workers asking for themselves and from readers is: With so many choices available, how do you figure out what to read next?
Personally, I am a very big fan of placing a library hold [or an Edelweiss digital ARC request] on every book I hear about that I might want to read. Then when the hold comes in, I commit to spending at least 30 mins really looking the book over and deciding if it then should be added to my potential to-read list [also whether or not I would prefer it on audio]. Then I return it to the library.
When I have an open spot in my reading life [remember, I have many "have-to" reads for review] I turn to my to-read list. But the key here is that I have already interacted with many of the titles, so I am not choosing in a vacuum.
But this is me. There are many different ways to pick what to read next, and since we are at the start of a New Year, and many readers are looking for ideas to shake up their reading life, I wanted to pass on this excellent post from the Tor.com blog, "New Year, New Books: Picking What to Read Next."
These ideas are not only good to help yourself, but they make a great conversation starter for RA Service. You can use these ideas to have conversations with patrons as they are browsing, asking people how they are choosing books. It is a great ice breaker and will open your patrons up to really chatting about what they like to read and why.
You can also post this list on your websites of social media channels and ask people to chime in with their own ideas.
Finally, you can send this post out to your fellow staffers [from across the entire organizational chart] and ask them how they picked the book they are reading right now and give the title. This can also be turned into a social media post or even a physical display. It is a neat twist on the whole Staff Recommendation list. Sometimes, people pick a book because they liked the cover-- library workers and patrons do this. Why not show your patrons the "secret" behind the library worker's choices. It will definitely engender more conversation when patrons see we are not that different from them. You might inspire staff who have never shared their reading choices before to join in the suggesting fun.
And the process will lead to better RA conversations which always leads to happier readers.
Back to the Tor.com piece before I wrap this post up. I especially like this advice from near the end of the post:
But when choosing is hard, it doesn’t help to force it. Take all the time you want. Read the first ten pages of a dozen books. Stack five options up in a pile and try to convince yourself to start the one on top; if it’s not right, move on, until you’ve found what you want. Distract yourself for a while with all those bookmarked articles you’ve been meaning to get around to. Allow for the process.
Ultimately, like me, the author comes down on the fact that you should stop worrying about how you pick what to read next, and just pick something to read next. If it doesn't work out, there are always more books. I love this idea of breaking the anxiety cycle when it comes to all the books you will never read. Just go with what strikes your fancy at the moment, but also, share that no-pressure attitude with others.
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