For fiction books I simply browse bookshops, new and old and read a lot of blurbs. I'm fortunate in that there are all kinds of niche and speciality bookshops alongside the more mainstream chains around me so I can spend an afternoon perusing a few favourites on the lookout for my next reads. I'll tend to buy a few in a go and then repeat once all are read. Rarely do I seek out or encounter reviews for books and I do no tracking or analysis, other than mental notes of authors I've enjoyed etc.
For non-fiction books my approach is markedly different and I seek out a lot of online and peer reviews. With non-fiction books being a more significant investment (time and cost vs expected advancement of knowledge) I can spend weeks deciding which books will be useful to me.
Comments
For fiction books I simply browse bookshops, new and old and read a lot of blurbs. I'm fortunate in that there are all kinds of niche and speciality bookshops alongside the more mainstream chains around me so I can spend an afternoon perusing a few favourites on the lookout for my next reads. I'll tend to buy a few in a go and then repeat once all are read. Rarely do I seek out or encounter reviews for books and I do no tracking or analysis, other than mental notes of authors I've enjoyed etc.
For non-fiction books my approach is markedly different and I seek out a lot of online and peer reviews. With non-fiction books being a more significant investment (time and cost vs expected advancement of knowledge) I can spend weeks deciding which books will be useful to me.