I read very little non-fiction. I do like reading fact-based fiction, however. There are lots of fictionalized biographies and historical fiction novels available, and I find those interesting to intersperse among the mysteries, fantasies, and science fiction that comprises the majority of my reading.
Like DG, my reading it recreational. That's why my criteria for an electronic reader weren't as exacting as some others. That's also why I don't enjoy reading on my computer. Inside my computer is also the corporate e-mail client and administrative applications. If I try to relax with a novel on the computer, the work things are sitting there nagging at me.
I always have several books going at once. I sample several books and then settle on one which gets most of my attention until it is finished. I also make sure that at least one of the books I'm reading is a paper book. That's for two reasons -- so that I have something to read during takeoff and landing when the Kindle is supposed to be powered down, and because I'm in a book swapping group and need to keep up my obligations.
When I discover a new author -- if I'm enjoying the books -- I'll often read back-to-back through the series. I don't always exhaust the available books in the series. For example, I've read three of the Honor Harrington novels by David Weber, but took a break to read other things and will go back to the HH series in a while.
My YTD statistics:
Books read: 79 -- 31 on Kindle, 45 on paper, 3 audio
By genre:
Chicklit: 5
Classic: 3
Fantasy: 9
Historical: 4
Mainstream: 5
Mystery: 32
Romance: 2
SciFi: 19
Electronic by source:
Baen free library: 6
Purchased @ Baen: 3
Free from MobileRead: 2
Free from Feedbooks: 3
Purchased from Amazon: 9
Free from Amazon: 3
Purchased from Fictionwise: 3
Free from TOR: 1
Self-made: 1
On my computer, I keep a list of the books I've completed and the pertinent statistics. At the end of each quarter, I post this list on my LiveJournal blog at
http://gee-elsi.livejournal.com/
I only "read" audio books when I must drive myself somewhere and I'm alone in the car. Therefore, it might take me several months to complete an unabridged book. Yesterday, I inserted the 10th disk (out of 12) into the CD player in my car.
So, what are my current reads?
- The Nerd Who Loved Me by Vicki Lewis Thompson (paper)
- The Old Man's War by John Scalzi (eBook)
- Earth Has No Sorrow by Michelle Blake (paper)
- The Onuissance Cells by Steve Jordan (eBook)
- Love Over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith (audio)
There are a lot more books that I've started reading -- usually less than two chapters -- and set aside for a while.
I'm not sure there's much "method" to this madness. I read what strikes my fancy. Some of the book choices are made based on keeping up my obligations in my book swapping group. But if I'm swapping a book that I really am not enjoying reading, I'll just mail it without completing it and hope that I might read it at a later date.