Anyone Else Practice "Random Reading"? - Page 2

kennyc · 10-06-2010, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidRM

I used to proudly state that I finished every book I started reading. (I can be proud of the oddest things.)

Now, though, I proclaim, "Life is too short to waste it on a bad book."

"Merrily abandon with extreme prejudice" is my modus operandi. You have a few pages. Maybe even a couple short chapters. If the book doesn't click with me by then, out it goes.

-David

FlorenceArt · 10-07-2010, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laz116

Instantaneous entertainment or get out of here?

That certainly is a principle, but it also dismisses a lot of great literature.

I too have stopped reading bad/uninteresting novels to their dire end. But still a lot of books doesn't deliver instant gratification. They work in a different way. And in my opinion you have to come quite a long way in a story before you can actively dismiss it as not for you.

This may be true, if the story is what you enjoy in a book. I enjoy a good story, but I have read many wonderful books with no story at all, or a story I didn't understand. What I enjoy in a book is the writing, and more recently the characters. I usually know within 3 pages or less if the writing is good or not. The characters may take a bit longer to develop. But if the writing is really bad, the best story in the world will not make me enjoy it. A good example of this is The Kite Runner, which everybody says is a great story, and I believe them, but I'm just not interested in suffering literary torture in the name of a good story.

It's all about priorities. There is no one way to enjoy (or hate) a book.

Angst · 10-07-2010, 01:38 PM

I like your idea of "random reading."

I lived in a small town as a youth. A local big city University had a program where they would send me eight "random" books, (based on my choice of genres), every two weeks. I would read about half the books before returning them, although sometimes I read most or all of them. I found many books I liked that I never would have "chosen" had the choice been mine.

I haven't tried this approach as an adult reader though. Based on your experience, I may just download some of those "free" books and try "random reading" again!

DavidRM · 10-07-2010, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angst

I like your idea of "random reading."

I lived in a small town as a youth. A local big city University had a program where they would send me eight "random" books, (based on my choice of genres), every two weeks. I would read about half the books before returning them, although sometimes I read most or all of them. I found many books I liked that I never would have "chosen" had the choice been mine.

I haven't tried this approach as an adult reader though. Based on your experience, I may just download some of those "free" books and try "random reading" again!

That sounds like a really cool program. I wonder if any universities are doing anything similar any more?

My current random read, via something a friend of mine said, is "The Devil's Broker", nonfiction history about a 14th century mercenary.

-David

FlorenceArt · 10-08-2010, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidRM

That sounds like a really cool program. I wonder if any universities are doing anything similar any more?

My current random read, via something a friend of mine said, is "The Devil's Broker", nonfiction history about a 14th century mercenary.

-David

Sounds fascinating! Let us know how it goes, maybe in the What are you reading thread?

GraceKrispy · 10-08-2010, 04:43 PM

I have always been a somewhat random reader. I would just grab books if the spine looked remotely interesting (which I guess isn't totally random). I do always do a preliminary interest check on any book I get- ebook or otherwise. I randomly find them, take a very quick peek (not a sample reader, but I do flip through pbooks) and if it looks good, I grab it.

I "found" Margaret Atwood that way, and well as some other fantastic (and some not-so-fantastic) reads.

FlorenceArt · 10-09-2010, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

I have always been a somewhat random reader. I would just grab books if the spine looked remotely interesting (which I guess isn't totally random). I do always do a preliminary interest check on any book I get- ebook or otherwise. I randomly find them, take a very quick peek (not a sample reader, but I do flip through pbooks) and if it looks good, I grab it.

I "found" Margaret Atwood that way, and well as some other fantastic (and some not-so-fantastic) reads.

I do (or did in the past anyway) pick up books in bookstores because of their cover, but I checked the back cover and read a few lines before buying them. And that goes for French books only. U.S. book covers are much too ugly, I prefer to ignore them

GlenBarrington · 10-10-2010, 11:47 AM

I read a wide variety of material and most of my new stuff is selected in the manner you describe. But once I find something I like, I try to get more of it. (Apparently, I have an addictive personality.) And I gorge myself on that something until I am sick of it.

One advantage of this approach is that I see the good and the bad of that something very quickly. I don't go through large periods of my life thinking I like something when in actuality, I don't.

Now that I think about it, I've done this with religion, education, politics, business, art, marriage. . . A big part of the spectrum of human endeavor, I guess. Some of that stuff I still like, some of it I don't!

Crusader · 10-12-2010, 08:08 AM

I normally only focus on the genres I like the most. Recently I've read most of the genre books in my small local library. Now I struggle to find something new to read and it takes ages to choose books from the library.

That caused me to resort to randomly grabbing an interesting looking book from the shelf and reading that. I've discovered quite a few authors I've never heard of and in the process also explored some genres I wouldn't normally have read.

10-10-2010, 11:47 AM	#23
GlenBarrington Cheese Whiz Posts: 1,986 Karma: 11677147 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Springfield, Illinois Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Tab A 10.1(2019), Pixel 6a.	I'm a bit more compulsive in my approach. . . I read a wide variety of material and most of my new stuff is selected in the manner you describe. But once I find something I like, I try to get more of it. (Apparently, I have an addictive personality.) And I gorge myself on that something until I am sick of it. One advantage of this approach is that I see the good and the bad of that something very quickly. I don't go through large periods of my life thinking I like something when in actuality, I don't. Now that I think about it, I've done this with religion, education, politics, business, art, marriage. . . A big part of the spectrum of human endeavor, I guess. Some of that stuff I still like, some of it I don't! Last edited by GlenBarrington; 10-10-2010 at 11:52 AM.

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10-07-2010, 01:38 PM	#18
Angst Cannon Fodder Posts: 2,878 Karma: 52253556 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Probably a library Device: PRS-350, Kindle DX, Kindle Paperwhite	I like your idea of "random reading." I lived in a small town as a youth. A local big city University had a program where they would send me eight "random" books, (based on my choice of genres), every two weeks. I would read about half the books before returning them, although sometimes I read most or all of them. I found many books I liked that I never would have "chosen" had the choice been mine. I haven't tried this approach as an adult reader though. Based on your experience, I may just download some of those "free" books and try "random reading" again!

10-08-2010, 04:43 PM	#21
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	I have always been a somewhat random reader. I would just grab books if the spine looked remotely interesting (which I guess isn't totally random). I do always do a preliminary interest check on any book I get- ebook or otherwise. I randomly find them, take a very quick peek (not a sample reader, but I do flip through pbooks) and if it looks good, I grab it. I "found" Margaret Atwood that way, and well as some other fantastic (and some not-so-fantastic) reads.

10-12-2010, 08:08 AM	#24
Crusader Space Cadet Posts: 1,180 Karma: 4030536 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: South Africa Device: Sony PRS-T1, Cybook Opus, Kobo Glo	I normally only focus on the genres I like the most. Recently I've read most of the genre books in my small local library. Now I struggle to find something new to read and it takes ages to choose books from the library. That caused me to resort to randomly grabbing an interesting looking book from the shelf and reading that. I've discovered quite a few authors I've never heard of and in the process also explored some genres I wouldn't normally have read.

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