What kinds of books do you read?

[AnchorClanker]

I think ultimately, "classics" is just a filter, just like my "gay themed" books one.

The fact is, in this day and age, we are simply bombarded with countless books that no normal person would be able to read because there are just too many. So we devise filters to narrow down the number of books we should be reading. This may be based on theme, or a genre, or "what other people considered good" (aka classics) or a combination of the above.

Probably so

[garbon]

So we devise filters to narrow down the number of books we should be reading. This may be based on theme, or a genre, or "what other people considered good" (aka classics) or a combination of the above.

Maybe for those obsessed with what others think.  I don't usually justify what I'm reading or want to read.

[Martinus]

So we devise filters to narrow down the number of books we should be reading. This may be based on theme, or a genre, or "what other people considered good" (aka classics) or a combination of the above.

Maybe for those obsessed with what others think.  I don't usually justify what I'm reading or want to read.

How do you choose what to read though? There are like tens of new positions ever month. It's impossible to read them all, so you have to follow some sort of a filter - either writers you have already read (which is rather limiting, because it means you never read anything by anyone new), or books that are considered good by others, or books dealing with themes you like etc.

Your pose is amusing but unrealistic, unless you read every single book published in English. 

[garbon]

How do you choose what to read though? There are like tens of new positions ever month. It's impossible to read them all, so you have to follow some sort of a filter - either writers you have already read (which is rather limiting, because it means you never read anything by anyone new), or books that are considered good by others, or books dealing with themes you like etc.

Your pose is amusing but unrealistic, unless you read every single book published in English. 

I try to stick to one position. I'm rather...vanilla.

Anyway, I'm not really sure how you can leap from classics is simply a convenient filter that really means "what other people considered good" to everyone filters somehow!  The first part really has little to do with the latter as the latter is hardly support for the idea that classics are just what other people like.

To answer your most recent question, I stick to either writers I've read before and books with similar topics.   (Every so often I'll get a random book, but that's rather hit and miss.)

[FunkMonk]

"what other people considered good" (aka classics)

This is exactly how I choose the novels I read. If I ask around - well, that's not a good way to put it because no one I know reads much of anything..

If I happen upon a book on the internet that people on message boards sings songs of praise too, I put it on my list. Eventually I'll get to it. I honestly don't have the patience to pick up a random book I know nothing about and start reading because by the time I realize it's shit I'm pissed off that I wasted my time on it. I'll let other people do that for me.

[Martinus]

"what other people considered good" (aka classics)

This is exactly how I choose the novels I read. If I ask around - well, that's not a good way to put it because no one I know reads much of anything..

If I happen upon a book on the internet that people on message boards sings songs of praise too, I put it on my list. Eventually I'll get to it. I honestly don't have the patience to pick up a random book I know nothing about and start reading because by the time I realize it's shit I'm pissed off that I wasted my time on it. I'll let other people do that for me.

Yeah it's the same with me - I do the same, sometimes asking for specific themes I like, and ask around someone here and there.

I think the kind of "I read what I like, now what others like" pose that garbon seems to hold is unrealistic - I just can't be arsed to try some random stuff just to brave uncharted waters, and whatnot. Sure if whatever people recommend to me seems to my liking, I will pick up other books by the same author - if it doesn't, then I won't. But you just don't have enough time to try everything on your own.

[FunkMonk]

Yeah it's the same with me - I do the same, sometimes asking for specific themes I like, and ask around someone here and there.

I think the kind of "I read what I like, now what others like" pose that garbon seems to hold is unrealistic - I just can't be arsed to try some random stuff just to brave uncharted waters, and whatnot. Sure if whatever people recommend to me seems to my liking, I will pick up other books by the same author - if it doesn't, then I won't. But you just don't have enough time to try everything on your own.

It can be somewhat limiting, and of course there's no guarantee that what others like you'll like as well, but so far I've been pretty pleased with my book selections. And you're definitely right - There's just not enough time to read everything. I don't think I'd even want to do that.

[garbon]

I read everything! I don't ever sleep!

[Grey Fox]

Stories & Old ladies book.

[katmai]

Non-fiction pretty much.

[garbon]

Non-fiction pretty much.

Does reading the final cut pro manual really count?

[katmai]

Non-fiction pretty much.

Does reading the final cut pro manual really count?

I mean more along the likes of Military history or biographies.

Though the American Cinematographer manual is the last thing i've read recently :p

[Norgy]

To answer the question, about 75/25 in favour of non-fiction.
I usually read a non-fiction book and a fiction book at the same time, but I read fiction way more slowly than non-fiction.

Some people call it savouring, I call it falling asleep.

[jimmy olsen]

I have purchased Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Languish will soon know whether Grahame-Smith is a gentleman of good character or a knave.