Those of us that do not read NY Times Bestsellers

[taming]

There is a difference (at least to my mind) between reading a book because it is on the NY Times or any other list and reading a book that ends up on the list. I read a whole lot of fairly mainstream fiction so reading a "bestseller" surely happens.

[bear4hunter]

Originally Posted by Ron.

I'm strange about it, when looking at a new author I look to see how many books they have written. If its over 20 or so I wont read them, if I see they have only written 5 or 6 books I think they must of put a lot of time in them and they are really good!

Like I said not very logical

Quality goes over quantity, I know.

I tend to read bestselling books, but some authors seems to mass produce them. James Patterson writes several at the same moment, if not, I can hardly explain how he manages to write 5 or more a year. Haven't read any of them though

Reading Stieg Larsson right now, at last
I'm still reading both the german as well as the english translation, they're quite different in fact....

[patrickt]

Best seller lists are irrelevant to me and so is the NYT. Even if they try, best sellers lists say nothing to me. So, a foo-foo book club picked the book. Big deal. So, Oprah Winfry mentioned the book. Big deal. So, the publishers paid the stores to promote the book. Big deal.

If actual readers recommend the book I care. If I've read other books by the author and liked them, I care, but they've bit me a few times. I even sometimes pay attention to positive comments from other authors.

[bear4hunter]

Originally Posted by patrickt

So, a foo-foo book club picked the book.

I'm confused . At least I think such a list should reflect what people are reading (buying) and not what a few elitarians thinks we should read... IMHO if lots of people read the same book, it's a recommendation of some sort...

Is the NYT Bestseller list not based on actual sales?

Though I can see a point if Oprah or the like are promoting crap, and everyone runs to the store buying it, causing crappy books to appear on bestseller lists... Like I said, a recommendation of some kind, not the most convincing one

[patrickt]

I'm old but do you remember The Book of the Month Club. They sold books. If they picked a book and promoted it, thousands of copies zipped out--sold--and the book rose.

A lot of strange things effect the sales of books. So, even is a "best-seller" list were scrupulously honest, and I don't believe they are, it would not influence me at all. For me, it would make even less sense to read a book because it's on a best seller list than because one of the NYT critics praised a book.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

I read almost exclusively science fiction and fantasy and few of these make the best sellers list. I never look at any best sellers lists for recommendations, mine come from friends, picking a book up from the library and forums like this.

This is me, too.

[pagansoul]

I don't even look at a best seller list, NY or anywhere. I tend to read by author. If I happen to like something I buy that authors other books and sometimes I follow links that say if you like so and so you may also like X. This is easier because I tend to read fiction fantasy and romance. I have tons of ebooks that are in series.

[Pomtroll]

I've been known to read a book that has ended up on the list...If I think to look what is on the list. My criteria for buying a book is not what is a best seller, but what interests me. Often the books that interest me don't make it to that list.

[Janette55]

I don't bother with looking at the best seller list. Some of the authors I read end up there and I wonder why, their books definitely aren't the best written books.
Not bad, but not great.

Since I am hungry (lunch time) I'll use food as a comparrison, salad, steak and baked potato are the classics, pizza would be the from well known and good authors, D. Koontz type, have some substance, but not "great" books. Then the hot fudge sundie, the romance, mainly paranormal.

I see on the covers remark, so and so has been the on the NYT best seller list, and I wonder how in the world these authors ended up on the lists. Some put out five and six books a year, there is no way they can put out a really decent book. Okay, but not decent, just fun book to read. Some do write only one or two books a year and their books are good fiction.
So, I want excellent, satisfying I read classics, I want really good, decent, fairly well-written I read Koontz, Nice, good I read N. Singh, L. Adrian's series, I want just something to satisfy my "sweet-tooth" I will read Leigh, Sands or other.

So, NYT best list, nay, I don't bother with it, I go with what my taste buds are craving.

[bZkindle]

I've never even glanced at one but I'd venture to guess that it's full of Oprah picks and Donald Trump books... not interested.

[sakura-panda]

I didn't vote in the original poll because I have no idea whether or not the books I read are or have been on any bestseller lists. I don't check -- I'm working through a backlog of a couple of favorite authors (from the years between cancelling my book club membership and aquiring an ebook reader), some PD classics, and freebie Kindle books -- and expect that it will be a long time before I need to look to popular lists to get ideas for new books to try.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I do not actively avoid NY Times Bestsellers, I just don't pay attention to lists. Its nothing more than that.

I find my reads by word of mouth, Amazon's free offers, and this site. I am a member at GoodReads, but right now I use it more for tracking my own reads than for finding new ones.

This is precisely the way I go about finding new books as well. My sentiments exactly.

[Love.Forever.]

I usually go with what interests me, seeing a bestseller list doesn't really draw me in ...

[DuskyRose]

I'm like the others, in that I don't pay any attention to lists.

Unless I know the list maker likes the same things I do, why do I care what other people are reading? I'm busy making my own lists of what I like and what I want to read next.

And since books are usually bought before they're read, a huge run on any book just means someone has some high expectations that's it's going to be good. Doesn't mean that it will turn out to be any good. So I don't see it as measuring much of anything except maybe salesmanship on the book seller's part.

[thrawn_aj]

I've read the kinds of books that appear on those lists as a teen. Those genres no longer interest me (with the exception of Stephen King, who is apparently a genre by himself ).