The Evolution of Science Fiction discussion

How do you choose what books to read next? Recommendations? Book club picks? A reading challenge? What's on your shelf?

If we are talking present times then about 3/4 of my reads are monthly reads in different groups (plus buddy reads there). The remaining 1/4 is a mix of recommendations, availability and curiosity (read the title, it called me to read more :) )

Most of the books I pick to read next, 75%-80%, come from my TBR shelf. Many of the rest, if fiction, come from recommendations and if nonfiction, it tends to be whatever I'm interested in at the moment. My book club reads are usually only the books that win the poll and I voted for.

I have a loose process to build a TBR for an upcoming year. I know I will read 110-120 books, so I have a bucket to fill. First off, my annual goal is to read 5% of the H/N nominee list each year, which is around 33 books, so I scope out where I can make a dent in the list, like something I always wanted to read but haven't, or those I need to finish series. There might also be books carried over from buddy reads or challenges with other people.

Then I use Worlds Without End, where users can create custom challenges & you can join challenges that others create. Once I decide which ones, I identify some books that go into the challenges I select. An example would be the 2026 Doorstop Challenge (books > 600 pgs), which I created because I had several fat books to finish out the H/N winners.

That'll get me to 90-100 books. Then I try to shape a few months ahead, obviously more solid as it gets closer. So I have a good idea of what a month will look like, but all of this is very loose. For example, I had July pretty much laid out, but I went to the library looking for A Talent for War and a couple other HN books caught my eye, Frameshift and Throne of the Crescent Moon. So I'll flex and fit those in. It's not rigid at all.

I do not really have a method other than what catches my eye at any given time. I have boatload of books sitting in piles and on my shelves waiting to be read. I buy books all of the time. I do group reads and I read for them, but it is not my driving reason. If I am given a book to read and review, that I get on quickly as a promise to the author.

I use Kindle Unlimited to hunt for promising self-published authors. I don’t find many, but I am always hopeful.

Papaphilly wrote: "I do not really have a method other than what catches my eye at any given time. ..."

That's me too! And I'm easily distracted to the next thing.

If I see something that I've always wanted to read in a little free library or other random place, it usually goes to the top of the pile. I like the little random prompts that the universe gives me.

I read a few group books, but the majority come from books I own, or ebooks I have. I generally choose a mixture of genres and have more than one book on the go.
I'm trying to read the books I've owned the longest first.
I also read books on a whim. Libby is great for that.

Libby is awesome. I have two major city libraries I can access, so there’s a huge variety I can choose from. Over time, I’ve built a TBR of different genres, both audio & e-books I can send to my Kindle.

I read most books because they are book club picks. I also check a few of my favorite book tubers to see what they suggest. I'm skeptical of best seller lists