How Do You Choose Your Summer Reading List?

Here at World of Books we have oodles of great fiction that will have you set for Summer, tick off a few titles on your ‘to-read’ list; but how exactly do you choose which book is going to be next?

Well, here are a few possible answers, but be sure to share your own tips in the comments section below:

Best Sellers

Sales always generate interest (and vice versa of course). Even if you’ve been fighting the temptation to pick up a copy of the hugely successful Dan Brown books, sometimes intrigue can get the better of you. After all, if a book is a bestseller, it has to be good – right?

Part of a Series

We all love a little familiarity. Whether it’s Harry Potter, The Hunger Games or even 50 Shades, getting, the next book in a series is no longer optional – it is mandatory. So whether you’ve just discovered an old classic (Lord of the Rings being a good example) or are waiting for the next Jack Reacher novel with baited breath (only a couple of months now), there’s no time like the present to get up to speed.

Author

Rather than following a character, some of us enjoy the works of a particular author. Whether current or classic, exploring a whole new body of work can take time, especially if you’re not concerned with chronology or popularity. But we all have our favourites and as long as you haven’t exhausted every title, there will always be something else to tempt you.

Recommendation

Of course one of the ways in which we all add to a growing list of must-read books is through recommendations. Whether from a friend, colleague or just a person whose opinion you value, a good book is much easier to find when you know what you’re looking for.

Genre

If you’re a risk taker, you may decide to take a chance on a book based solely on genre, albeit with some form of supporting information – such as a blurb or critical review.

Front cover

Then of course you could really take a risk and literally judge a book by its cover. You may have to take the rough with the smooth with either of these strategies, but it could pay dividends

Hype

Don’t believe the hype? Or, perhaps you only believe hype. It’s worked pretty well for some authors/readers, so why not get involved in the latest trend in fiction. Maybe you could be the first to discover the next big thing; or at least the first in your group of friends.

Stab in the Dark

Whether it’s the title, the overall look or just a random moment of inspired intuition, your summer reading list might be made up of nothing more than a few hunches. Of course the advantage of second hand books is that you won’t end up spending a fortune and this kind of risk taking becomes a whole lot less risky. But there are few better feelings than taking a chance on a book and being rewarded with an unexpectedly good read.

So there are a few ways in which you could potentially amass a ‘to-read’ collection for the summer ahead. But of course we’re all different and have our own methodologies. As always, we’d love to get your thoughts, so let us know what it takes to get on your essentials list and share some of your best and worst choices.