Help me get out of a reading rut!

[charminglife]

I need some help breaking out of my reading rut! I tend to read the same kinds of books and am looking for ways to branch out. I usually use Goodreads to suggest new books - but because they suggest based on what you've read and liked, I feel as if I'm getting the same thing over and over! Another problem I have is that I tend to read entire series of books at once - I started Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series in February (loved it!) but read all 7 books without picking up a new one in between - and after reading 7 mysteries in a row, I feel as if I should pick out something different, but I dont! I just end up starting another series in the same genre.

So tell me - how do you find books? What gets you out of your genre comfort zone?

[angnshaun]

I go to b&n.com and look through just about every category...

[bluelikejazz]

Usually when someone else gushes over a book (even if it's not in a genre I usually enjoy) I'll give it a shot.

Maybe go back and read the "favorite book of all time" thread and look up some of those on goodreads to see if they look like something you'd enjoy (or go in blind and just pick one).

Also, for me, having someone to talk about it will help. I'm usually intimidated by the Classics, but knowing we're all reading Wurthering Heights together makes it easier, and I'm sure I'll love it when we start talking about it.

[secretlyevil]

Have you thought about joining a book club? Maybe you could even start one. This is how I stay out of a "rut." My book club started when I met my friend, peripoem, on our local knot board. Ahhhhh memories.

[PinkSquirrel]

May 17, 2012 10:08:42 GMT -5 charminglife said:

I need some help breaking out of my reading rut! I tend to read the same kinds of books and am looking for ways to branch out. I usually use Goodreads to suggest new books - but because they suggest based on what you've read and liked, I feel as if I'm getting the same thing over and over! Another problem I have is that I tend to read entire series of books at once - I started Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series in February (loved it!) but read all 7 books without picking up a new one in between - and after reading 7 mysteries in a row, I feel as if I should pick out something different, but I dont! I just end up starting another series in the same genre.

So tell me - how do you find books? What gets you out of your genre comfort zone?

I just won the new Inspector Gamache book on Goodreads. Now I'm really stoked to read it since they've sucked you in for a few month.

You could always try looking at some of the other Goodreads lists ie books that were nominated for Goodreads awards last year, or user created lists of the best of x genre. I tend to find a lot that way

[mollymoe]

I recently got some good book ideas from listening to a history podcast--Stuff You Missed in History Class. One of the podcasts mentioned the Lost City of Z. It is about an explorer in the 1900's who vanished while trying to find a mythical city in South America.

Reading it got me interested in other explorers and books on survival. I recently finished Into Thin Air about climbing Mt. Everest. These people are nuts!

[mdgirl]

Read a few weeks worth of the NY Times Sunday book reviews. That should give you lots of ideas!

Reading it got me interested in other explorers and books on survival. I recently finished Into Thin Air about climbing Mt. Everest. These people are nuts!

You have to read Blue Latitudes by Tony Horwitz! It's both a biography of Captain Cook and the author revists a lot of the places "discovered" by him, so it's a bit of a travelogue, too.

[charlatti]

Usually a re-read or something classic will get me out of a reading rut. Re-reads are nice because I know I won't be disappointed.

I'm super excited there are other Inspector Gamache fans here.

[aurora]

Hang out here with us as a start! I've definitely added to my TBR list in the past week.

[mollymoe]

May 17, 2012 11:13:49 GMT -5 mdgirl said:

Read a few weeks worth of the NY Times Sunday book reviews. That should give you lots of ideas!

Reading it got me interested in other explorers and books on survival. I recently finished Into Thin Air about climbing Mt. Everest. These people are nuts!

You have to read Blue Latitudes by Tony Horwitz! It's both a biography of Captain Cook and the author revists a lot of the places "discovered" by him, so it's a bit of a travelogue, too.

Ohh, I have to add that to my wishlist! I'm getting so many good suggestions just by reading this board.

[PinkSquirrel]

May 17, 2012 10:41:22 GMT -5 mollymoe said:

I recently got some good book ideas from listening to a history podcast--Stuff You Missed in History Class. One of the podcasts mentioned the Lost City of Z. It is about an explorer in the 1900's who vanished while trying to find a mythical city in South America.

Reading it got me interested in other explorers and books on survival. I recently finished Into Thin Air about climbing Mt. Everest. These people are nuts!

I loved Thin Air and just DL'd Lost City of Z from my library. If only I didn't have a meeting after work I would probably get started on it today. Thanks for the rec

[charminglife]

Thank you for all of the suggestions - this is helpful! PinkSquirrel - I'm SO jealous you won that giveaway! I enetered it too - I cant believe I have to wait until August to read it!

[BravoBravo]

When I want to try something different I look at the NYT bestsellers and top 100 B&N lists. If I cover looks interesting I will check it out. Yes, I judge a book by its cover.

[PinkSquirrel]

May 17, 2012 12:48:08 GMT -5 BravoBravo said:

When I want to try something different I look at the NYT bestsellers and top 100 B&N lists. If I cover looks interesting I will check it out. Yes, I judge a book by its cover.

I fully support choosing a book by its cover. I do this on a fairly regular basis. It's also how I choose which Goodreads giveaways to give a closer look at before entering.

[imoan]

What I do in situations like this is go onto Facebook or something and ask everyone and anyone to send me the title of their favorite book.

[dorothyinAus]

When I'm in a rut, I will head to the bookstore and pick a different genre to what I have been reading and pick up every book cover that looks interesting. If the book is cheap enough, I'll give it a go. I hate to spend more than $10 on a book on spec. I loved Borders "Buy Two Get One Free Tables" for this, because I could usually find one book i really wanted, and then two on spec.

Usually I hit fiction/literature because I read mainly mysteries. But I have explored Christian Fiction, self-help, science, and history/biographies and found some great things.

Don't be afraid to step outside your preferred genre. You can usually fins a book in your comfort zone in any section.