I read huge, massive amounts of books. At least one a day. I have a data bank of books approaching 6000. This is a requirement for those that purchase books. I can't tell you the number of times I would get two or three chapters into a book and then realize I already read it. Now, if I have checked out the book from a library, I would just take it back and that would be the end of it. But if I bought it, actually PAID for a book, well, I would be very angry. Even though I RARELY buy a book new, even used books cost money and that is why I now keep a list of all the books I read and rate them to keep me from getting books from authors I don't really care for. That doesn't mean that I know the best authors in the whole world. That means sometimes I like some genre's and then I have to read something else for awhile. I hop from mystery to romance to suspense. I throw in a western and a bibliography every once in awhile just to keep things fresh. Some days I can't take a certain author and other days I adore them. (That's why my rating system is flawed. It depends on my mood.)
When I find a new author, I get very excited. This is one of the many perks of working in a library. I get to see the newest books and to see those that get requested a lot. This is how I found two of my newest favorites, David Rosenfelt and C J Box. If you haven't tried them, I highly recommend them. But here is where I tell you of the greatest assistance for an avid reader. This was taught to me by Cathy at work, so I can't claim that I found it on my own, but I love this site and tell lots of people about it at work. Now I am telling you.
There is a library called the Kent District Library. Their website is www.KDL.org. If you go there and scroll down you will see a small green box on the right hand side that says, What's Next. Click on that and it will bring you to a search site to find all the different series a particular author has written...IN ORDER. No longer do I have to open each book and check the copyright date. Or hope an author has their previous books listed on an inside page and that they are in order of when they are written. I can go to the site click on the proper series and then highlight and print selection and get all the books in order.
When you go to a used bookstore, you have to take the books as they come. And I can read books in this way, but I prefer to read them in order if I can. So, I print out the list and then request them from the library system and read them all in order in a gluttonous frenzy. Then comes the let down. They're all gone? But I loved them!
Next I go to the author's website, most have one. Just type their whole name as it reads on their books and add a .com. There you are. Check for upcoming releases and then you have to sit back and wait for the next one. Delayed gratification.
Hey! Wait a minute! Who's this? I haven't read HIM before. Sounds pretty good. I wonder what else he's written? Let me check KDL.org. Oh, man! He has a bunch! I better order number one and see if I like them.
And I'm off again.
That's so funny. Travy and I talk about how he doesn't like to read a book more than once. But I do it on purpose. There are books I've read 7x and enjoy just as much each time. Actually, I was thinking about re-starting a series.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you recommended a few authors. I'm in need of new things to read. I'll check them out from the library.