Reading Lists
I want to talk about reading lists - or, more specifically, the abstract notion of a "to read" list.
How do you decide what to read next? Do you have a physical pile, or a space on your shelves, specifically designated for unread books?
Do you keep a physical (or digital) list? Do you keep to whatever order they're in, or do you pick and chose depending on external influences, such as your mood, the time of year, whatever you've just read? Do newly purchased books get bumped up the list? Are there any you've been putting off for weeks, months, years?
Personally, I pick my next book (or sometimes several in advance) based on whatever I've just read. I try to alternate between light and heavy reads, but sometimes a theme will grab me, and I'll roll with it - for example, I read The Collector recently, which lead to Camus' The Fall, which lead to A Kind of Intimacy.
So, now I'm reading The Dubliners to keep things spicy. Next on my list, however, is A Confederacy of Dunces, as a friend sent it in the post and I want to read it nice and quickly so I can give him some appreciative feedback.
So, how do you read yours?
How do you decide what to read next? Do you have a physical pile, or a space on your shelves, specifically designated for unread books?
Do you keep a physical (or digital) list? Do you keep to whatever order they're in, or do you pick and chose depending on external influences, such as your mood, the time of year, whatever you've just read? Do newly purchased books get bumped up the list? Are there any you've been putting off for weeks, months, years?
Personally, I pick my next book (or sometimes several in advance) based on whatever I've just read. I try to alternate between light and heavy reads, but sometimes a theme will grab me, and I'll roll with it - for example, I read The Collector recently, which lead to Camus' The Fall, which lead to A Kind of Intimacy.
So, now I'm reading The Dubliners to keep things spicy. Next on my list, however, is A Confederacy of Dunces, as a friend sent it in the post and I want to read it nice and quickly so I can give him some appreciative feedback.
So, how do you read yours?