So Many Books, So Little Time

I know you’ve seen that lighthearted statement on a coffee mug or t-shirt somewhere, and it’s true.  For many of us, selecting a book from the zillions available can be a weekly or even daily challenge; it helps to have some way to narrow the field.

I’ve been wondering about the role of book awards in helping us choose what to read, after the Commonwealth Club last week announced the winners of its 80th annual California Book Awards.  Looking over the list of medal winners, I decided to check out the criteria for selecting them, but I found only a general statement about honoring the exceptional literary merit of California writers and publishers.  I tried another one; the website for the Man Booker International Prize states that it highlights “one writer's overall contribution to fiction on the world stage” rather than a single work of literature. 

OK, that doesn’t really help very much, unless you want to Google-stalk the judges and try to figure out their preferences. You might get some help from award programs for particular genres, like the Hammett Prize given by the North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers.

I know some people who rush right out and purchase the winners of the Booker, Pulitzer, or Independent Bookseller awards.  Then there are the contrarians who refuse to read whatever everyone else is reading; they won’t be caught reading anything that sports the sticker of a certain television personality’s book club.

My own strategy is not especially consistent.   If I’m in a hurry, I might simply stop at the new arrivals rack in the library and grab a couple of books that look interesting.  Or I might note a few titles from the New York Times Book Review  or a passing reference in a magazine article, and hope I’ll remember them when I get to the bookstore. I even look at Cal’s Summer Reading List for incoming students; it’s always provocative.  My husband helps – every year he gives me a selection of books I probably wouldn’t have found on my own, and his taste is terrific; almost every one is a winner.

When I’m stumped, I know I can count on Orinda Books to give me pointers in six or seven different ways, including book talks, staff pick lists in the store and on the website, book club lists and new arrival tables, and best of all, personal recommendations from the helpful and knowledgeable staff. (So far I haven’t asked Ginger the cat for a recommendation, so I can’t be sure about her taste.)

And back to the library: if you haven’t checked out the Contra Costa Library website, you should do so.  Among the rich resources there, you’ll find a page they call “readalikes”.  As they put it: If you like these popular books, click to get more suggestions for reading.

So readers, what are your strategies?  Do you pay attention to major book awards?  Ask your friends and family?  Troll the aisles and pick a cover that jumps out at you? Which book-related websites do you trust? (More on websites and blogs in a future post.)