Those of us that do not read NY Times Bestsellers - Page 2

Lemurion · 04-25-2011, 05:25 PM

Like most here, I don't look for "Bestsellers," I look for books that interest me. If said books are or become bestsellers I don't stop reading them; it's just not an important criterion for me.

Quexos · 04-25-2011, 05:39 PM

I am not sure which books are on those lists and which are not. I never check those lists. If a book catches my fancy I will get it and read it because it caught my fancy regardless of the lists it is or is not on.

khalleron · 04-25-2011, 06:36 PM

Quote:

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

You should make an exception for Terry Pratchett.

Really, you should.

(and it's 'must have', not 'must of'. The contraction is 'must've' - sorry for the grammar police, I'm seeing more and more of that one and it bugs me. Move along now)

Ron. · 04-25-2011, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khalleron

You should make an exception for Terry Pratchett.

Really, you should.

(and it's 'must have', not 'must of'. The contraction is 'must've' - sorry for the grammar police, I'm seeing more and more of that one and it bugs me. Move along now)

It's not a strict rule, I do make exceptions

Honestly I can't say why I read what I do there is no logic to it, if you click my signature you'll see what I have read so far this year and it's an odd mix of old and new.

GreenMonkey · 04-25-2011, 10:19 PM

I read mostly Fantasy and some Sci-Fi (with a smattering of other books).

The me, bestsellers tend to be mainstream stuff that I'm not a huge fan of.

For example, I can't stand crime procedural shows or medical procedural shows on TV (OK, except House maybe). Not my thing. I find bestseller books tend to be the same thing - lots of Tom Clancy and whatever. Don't get me started on drivel like Dan Brown's Angels and Demons which I had to read for a history class. (It was to talk about whether it's OK to use bad history as fiction).

Anything I do read that is a bestseller tends to be one of the more popular mainstream fantasy authors that happens to make the list (Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore, etc). Rarely there is something that I think is actually really good for non-fantasy-genre-readers on the lists (G.R.R. Martin)

caleb72 · 04-26-2011, 01:55 AM

To be honest, I've never seen the NYT bestsellers list - ever.

*popping off to look at it now*

EDIT: OK - had a look. A couple of those books I've been vaguely interested in. Bought Water for Elephants for my mother a year or so ago as a present. I think she liked that one so the author is on my radar anyway.

Quite a few of those authors I'm just not that interested in and others I've never heard of. I'm not against reading any book per se. But as I'm clearly not someone who looks at the NYT best sellers the answer to the question is that I'm largely not aware if I'm reading these particular books.

Regards
Caleb

Frida Fantastic · 04-26-2011, 03:04 AM

Yeaaah I don't look at NYT lists either. All the fiction I read falls under Science Fiction and Fantasy and there's not many good SF/F books that make it to the NYT list anyway.

HarleyB · 04-26-2011, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caleb72

To be honest, I've never seen the NYT bestsellers list - ever.

*popping off to look at it now*

EDIT: OK - had a look. A couple of those books I've been vaguely interested in. Bought Water for Elephants for my mother a year or so ago as a present. I think she liked that one so the author is on my radar anyway.

Quite a few of those authors I'm just not that interested in and others I've never heard of. I'm not against reading any book per se. But as I'm clearly not someone who looks at the NYT best sellers the answer to the question is that I'm largely not aware if I'm reading these particular books.

Regards
Caleb

Like Caleb I don't live in the USA so the NYT best sellers list is rather irrelevant to the books I may have available to purchase or borrow. I wouldn't know whether a book was on it or not.
I don't read the books on any Australian best sellers lists just because they are on a list either. I read books that I find interesting or that friends recommend.

Sweetpea · 04-26-2011, 03:57 AM

Wouldn't even know where to find that list without googling. But, like most here, I don't care about any list. I read what I want to read and not because it's on some sort of list.

Besides, I don't particularly like fiction that is taking place in the here and now, with the problems of the here and now. I read enough of that in the newspaper...

On that list, there are two books I already have (A Game of Thrones, naturally, and Land of Painted Caves) and the rest isn't interesting... (the last on the ebook list sounded nice, but it's not about wolves, but werewolves...)

Frida Fantastic · 04-26-2011, 03:59 AM

I agree with Sweetpea. I take a pretty time non-sensitive approach to books. I feel like all books published in the past 100 years (some times more) are clamouring for my attention. Ones that are published more recently don't necessarily get special treatment.

Tome Keeper · 04-26-2011, 05:51 AM

I don't generally even know what's on the list. I read books that interest me, not just the ones that are selling loads.

For example, I do not read Sophie Kinsella books because they aren't my cup of tea, yet millions read them and some have made it onto the NYT best-seller list.

AlexSno · 04-26-2011, 06:17 AM

I am in generally one of those persons that like to make their own list of what and when to read.

Shimarenda · 04-26-2011, 10:48 AM

I don't look at the bestsellers list because I have no need to read something simply because a lot of people are also reading it. I read what I find interesting and useful.

I just finished Under the Ivy, a biography of Kate Bush; it was interesting and should prove useful in my own activities. After a couple of days to cogitate on that, I'll probably start Chesterton's Outline of Sanity to see if there is, as I suspect, a third way in economics.

idraw22 · 04-27-2011, 12:17 AM

IMO, the NYT bestsellers list, is like a ruler. You keep in line with it, and you're supposed to be really well-read, I guess. But if I browse a book, or read a synopsis and I like it, I'll read it. Or if I look at a list recommended by other people who read science fiction fantasy or other genres that I read, THEN I take a look.

wyndslash · 04-27-2011, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idraw22

IMO, the NYT bestsellers list, is like a ruler. You keep in line with it, and you're supposed to be really well-read, I guess. But if I browse a book, or read a synopsis and I like it, I'll read it. Or if I look at a list recommended by other people who read science fiction fantasy or other genres that I read, THEN I take a look.

i think that would be a common perception. i don't look at NYT bestseller lists apart from entertainment, but i generally do look at lists just as a guide. then i branch off from there.

04-26-2011, 01:55 AM	#21
caleb72 Indie Advocate Posts: 2,863 Karma: 18794463 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Kindle	To be honest, I've never seen the NYT bestsellers list - ever. popping off to look at it now EDIT: OK - had a look. A couple of those books I've been vaguely interested in. Bought Water for Elephants for my mother a year or so ago as a present. I think she liked that one so the author is on my radar anyway. Quite a few of those authors I'm just not that interested in and others I've never heard of. I'm not against reading any book per se. But as I'm clearly not someone who looks at the NYT best sellers the answer to the question is that I'm largely not aware if I'm reading these particular books. Regards Caleb Last edited by caleb72; 04-26-2011 at 02:02 AM.

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04-25-2011, 05:25 PM	#16
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	Like most here, I don't look for "Bestsellers," I look for books that interest me. If said books are or become bestsellers I don't stop reading them; it's just not an important criterion for me.

04-25-2011, 05:39 PM	#17
Quexos Member Retired Posts: 1,999 Karma: 11348924 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Limbo Device: none	I am not sure which books are on those lists and which are not. I never check those lists. If a book catches my fancy I will get it and read it because it caught my fancy regardless of the lists it is or is not on.

04-25-2011, 10:19 PM	#20
GreenMonkey DRM hater Posts: 945 Karma: 2066176 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Michigan Device: Nook ST glow, Kindle Voyage	I read mostly Fantasy and some Sci-Fi (with a smattering of other books). The me, bestsellers tend to be mainstream stuff that I'm not a huge fan of. For example, I can't stand crime procedural shows or medical procedural shows on TV (OK, except House maybe). Not my thing. I find bestseller books tend to be the same thing - lots of Tom Clancy and whatever. Don't get me started on drivel like Dan Brown's Angels and Demons which I had to read for a history class. (It was to talk about whether it's OK to use bad history as fiction). Anything I do read that is a bestseller tends to be one of the more popular mainstream fantasy authors that happens to make the list (Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore, etc). Rarely there is something that I think is actually really good for non-fantasy-genre-readers on the lists (G.R.R. Martin)

04-26-2011, 03:04 AM	#22
Frida Fantastic SF/F book blogger Posts: 270 Karma: 502030 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Kindle 3	Yeaaah I don't look at NYT lists either. All the fiction I read falls under Science Fiction and Fantasy and there's not many good SF/F books that make it to the NYT list anyway.

04-26-2011, 03:57 AM	#24
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	Wouldn't even know where to find that list without googling. But, like most here, I don't care about any list. I read what I want to read and not because it's on some sort of list. Besides, I don't particularly like fiction that is taking place in the here and now, with the problems of the here and now. I read enough of that in the newspaper... On that list, there are two books I already have (A Game of Thrones, naturally, and Land of Painted Caves) and the rest isn't interesting... (the last on the ebook list sounded nice, but it's not about wolves, but werewolves...)

04-26-2011, 03:59 AM	#25
Frida Fantastic SF/F book blogger Posts: 270 Karma: 502030 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vancouver, Canada Device: Kindle 3	I agree with Sweetpea. I take a pretty time non-sensitive approach to books. I feel like all books published in the past 100 years (some times more) are clamouring for my attention. Ones that are published more recently don't necessarily get special treatment.

04-26-2011, 05:51 AM	#26
Tome Keeper Addict Posts: 355 Karma: 1001201 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3 Keyboard, Surface Tablet, Android Smartphone, Laptop, Netbook	I don't generally even know what's on the list. I read books that interest me, not just the ones that are selling loads. For example, I do not read Sophie Kinsella books because they aren't my cup of tea, yet millions read them and some have made it onto the NYT best-seller list.

04-26-2011, 06:17 AM	#27
AlexSno Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 330 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: none	I am in generally one of those persons that like to make their own list of what and when to read.

04-26-2011, 10:48 AM	#28
Shimarenda Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 68186 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Athens, Georgia Device: Kindle 3, Nook Tablet	I don't look at the bestsellers list because I have no need to read something simply because a lot of people are also reading it. I read what I find interesting and useful. I just finished Under the Ivy, a biography of Kate Bush; it was interesting and should prove useful in my own activities. After a couple of days to cogitate on that, I'll probably start Chesterton's Outline of Sanity to see if there is, as I suspect, a third way in economics.

04-27-2011, 12:17 AM	#29
idraw22 Zealot Posts: 115 Karma: 1094380 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: arkansas Device: Jetbook Lite, Kindle 3, jetbook mini, sony clie, sony prs-T1	IMO, the NYT bestsellers list, is like a ruler. You keep in line with it, and you're supposed to be really well-read, I guess. But if I browse a book, or read a synopsis and I like it, I'll read it. Or if I look at a list recommended by other people who read science fiction fantasy or other genres that I read, THEN I take a look.

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