Welcome to Writers Talkback. If you are a new user, your account will have to be approved manually to prevent spam. Please bear with us in the meantime
I have a really bad time finding good novels and the two latest ones I found was because I was researching for competitions: Tess Gerritsen (Transworld) and Susan Hill (Longbarn).
Last year I bought books based on hype. The Thirteenth Tale was excellent, but The Meaning Of Midnight was seriously over hyped, the author was more interesting than the book.
So how does everyone else choose to pick up a new author?. Media hype or by recommendation?.
Never go by hype, usually if a book is hyped I avoid it completely, I hate being told what I will like. Usually I go onto writing sites, read interviews with authors, go onto their blogs and then go from there. I've discovered two great authors in the last week by doing that - John Green who wrote teenage novel Looking For Alaska and Alice Hoffman who wrote the Ice Queen.
I tend to go either by friends recommendations (well those who know me well anyway) or lurk around the horror/fantasy shelves until something jumps out at me.
Im having an Edgar Allan Poe/Wil Self week this week!!
I never ever go for anything that has been hyped, its usually a dissapointment
you're not going to believe what we do ... we haunt the second hand book shop and buy old books with no dust jacket so we don't know what the story is about. I usually spend abut £20 once a month, come home with 2 carrier bags of books, and we dive into them. Disappointed? Only once and that was an author I knew, no less. It went out to the charity shop immediately. It was only £1 so I didn't mind too much. The others have been gems, even if we don't keep them, we have had a good read. Other than that, I tend to buy authors I know if they are new books, I have been disappointed too many times not to want to take a chance on a modern writer.
Delve through the book shelves and see what interests me, or I think might interest me. My favourite authors I will usually buy their new book, rarely disappointed.
Many of the latest praised novels quickly get onto Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. Latest is Blake Morrison's, it's okay, although it is abridged, but I did fall asleep during one slot, but I was still able to follow the rest.
Would I buy it? No.
A book has to stand out and catch me in the first chapter. So far the books that have done that best for me are the late Dennis Wheatley, Isaac Asomov. And there was one recommended by my late mum. Written by a former (I think former) radio presenter from radio Picadilly or Radio Manchester. Set in Manchester in the grip of a new drug epidemic, wish I could remember the details excellent book. Written in the last 15 years, possibly
You could argue 'mustn't have been that good' as I can not remember the details, but honestly it was.
Sorry I've not been around much but this looks like an interesting thread :0)
I usually buy books on recommendation. Being an undergrad student means I get lots of 'recommended reading' lists so I sometimes choose from those. Other than that, fellow students often recommend authors. Sometimes I agree with their choices, sometimes I don't, but it always gives us something to talk about.
I'm sad to say that I also get sucked in by 'pretty cover syndrome' when browsing in bookshops. I have a 'to read' pile as high as my ceiling but, if you have any recommendations..... :0)
I couldn't agree more with Dorothy about contemporary authors. I'm a book-aholic and have been known to spen £100 in one go in Borders (they were how-to-write books plus The Thirteenth Tale, I remember). But everytime I pick up a modern writer I am always so disappointed. The great thing with Susan Hill, is that I would never have picked up one of her books otherwise. The problem with crime fiction is one name is just as good as another, and there are so many they all get lost in the shelves, and are easily missed.
Love the idea of buying coverless books Dorothy. I think I might try that one, seeing in a few months I will be limited to the charity shops and the library.
I m an avid library user and I have printed my own book mark containing my favourite auhors. I try and find three books from this list trhen select one book purely at random. The reason for this is to try and break a cycle of reading a limited range of books I know I will like. Hopefully this will keep my horizons expanding. Let's face it when you get as old as I am you have to make a bit of an effort.
That's a great idea, Crazy Horse - I do the same with wine! Buy a bottle of what I know I like, and something I've never tried before!
With books, I tend to wander around bookshops, picking up books at random as they catch my eye. It may be the title, the author, or the jacket, but then I read the blurb and often dip into it and see if it is readable. Some books have all the right things but when you open them and start reading, you give up! I often find some gems on sale tables too, and if the books aren't too expensive, it means you can take a chance on an untried author.
I'm currently reading A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and boy could I learn from this author! her writing is incredible. I am sure it is coming straight out of her childhood, everything is too vivid to be otherwise, the poverty level has to be lived to be written about, but it is more than that, it is the writing. material in 'arranged disorder' speaks volumes about the stall outside the shop. My daughter recognised the title, I didn't. I'm coming to it fresh and it's fantastic. Then, apparently, there is the book about the Mexican village I have to read next ... such finds!
Comments
Last year I bought books based on hype. The Thirteenth Tale was excellent, but The Meaning Of Midnight was seriously over hyped, the author was more interesting than the book.
So how does everyone else choose to pick up a new author?. Media hype or by recommendation?.
Im having an Edgar Allan Poe/Wil Self week this week!!
I never ever go for anything that has been hyped, its usually a dissapointment
Many of the latest praised novels quickly get onto Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. Latest is Blake Morrison's, it's okay, although it is abridged, but I did fall asleep during one slot, but I was still able to follow the rest.
Would I buy it? No.
You could argue 'mustn't have been that good' as I can not remember the details, but honestly it was.
I usually buy books on recommendation. Being an undergrad student means I get lots of 'recommended reading' lists so I sometimes choose from those. Other than that, fellow students often recommend authors. Sometimes I agree with their choices, sometimes I don't, but it always gives us something to talk about.
I'm sad to say that I also get sucked in by 'pretty cover syndrome' when browsing in bookshops. I have a 'to read' pile as high as my ceiling but, if you have any recommendations..... :0)
Love the idea of buying coverless books Dorothy. I think I might try that one, seeing in a few months I will be limited to the charity shops and the library.
Richard
With books, I tend to wander around bookshops, picking up books at random as they catch my eye. It may be the title, the author, or the jacket, but then I read the blurb and often dip into it and see if it is readable. Some books have all the right things but when you open them and start reading, you give up! I often find some gems on sale tables too, and if the books aren't too expensive, it means you can take a chance on an untried author.