Weird genre obsession

Roos · 03-10-2017, 09:06 AM

I can not help but notice that since i start reading Ebooks, i seem to have fallen into long spells of reading one single genre, used to be Detectives, followed by Fantasy, and now to almost total exclusion of anything else Military SF.

Anyone else with this erm, ehh, infliction?

Also the number of books read each year seems to go up and up, might be i am a tad addicted

fjtorres · 03-10-2017, 09:29 AM

It is perfectly normal behavior.
It's called bingeing.

You read one, like it, and go for more. And keep going until the mood changes or something else catches your eye. And since we now operate in an economy of abundance with ample supply of good, cheap books, it is easy to keep on bingeing.
You are not alone.
It is, in fact, the emerging new normal for avid readers. You find a new author or genre you like and you go back for more. And if the author has a deep backlist...

(When I was in college Ballantine reissued the entire Tarzan canon over a period of months so I had me a summer of Tarzan when I binge-read the entire series back-to-back-to-back.)

One of the least acknowledged effects of the online pbook and ebook disruptions is the changes they've fostered in consumer shopper behavior. Bingeing is one such change.

Another is the decline of hoarding. Where once consumers shopped based on what was available on the shelves and were trained to buy on sight anything that seemed interesting because it might not be available a month or even a week later, nowadays the expectation is that a book, once sighted, will be *easily* available indefinitely whether new, used, or in ebook form. So the pressure to pounce on sight is diminished.

Earlier in the mainstreaming of ebooks these ingrained habits led to hoarding of free books but over the past few years readers have been moving towards wishlisting and on-demand buying. Some of the reported decline in ebook sales is probably people wishlisting new releases and making their way through their hoards.

Other behavioral changes will emerge.

pdurrant · 03-10-2017, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Another is the decline of hoarding. Where once consumers shopped based on what was available on the shelves and were trained to buy on sight anything that seemed interesting because it might not be available a month or even a week later, nowadays the expectation is that a book, once sighted, will be *easily* available indefinitely whether new, used, or in ebook form. So the pressure to pounce on sight is diminished.

Now the pressure is to pounce on a discounted bargain on sight.

fjtorres · 03-10-2017, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now the pressure is to pounce on a discounted bargain on sight.

Even that is diminished, though.
$0.99 doesn't move ebooks as much as it used to.
If it's on sale today, it'll be on sale again in a few months.

But yes, the eternal availability is shifting the shopping pressure from new releases to sale priced backlist.

It even affects the big "name" pbook authors when people know that by waiting a couple of months they can get the paperback a lot cheaper or a used hardcover for even less.

theducks · 03-10-2017, 12:19 PM

Hey! I have been known to binge re-read a series when a loooooong quiet favorite series has a new title

Apache · 03-10-2017, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Hey! I have been known to binge re-read a series when a loooooong quiet favorite series has a new title

I am doing that right now.

Apache

Roos · 03-10-2017, 04:41 PM

Yeah, series, i hardly seem to read anything else anymore, the more parts the better. The only thing frustrating me is that Kindle (as in the app) does not warn you there is a new sequel available, yeah it should show up in the adds they send by email, but the times i had to check if it was a new one of a series i am reading is getting quite annoying.
Not to speak about the lack of oversight options, how the heck am i suppost to know what i have read when Amazon keep reshuffling my 'All' list, and shows updated books with a "New" sign [tears hair out].
But that is a bit O.T.
It is the series and following recommendation by email that get me into more new stuff, and i hate to admit i love it.
I just do not get why i am so fixated on one genre, with dead tree books i did a lot of genre hopping, but i get the feeling like i start to read some stuff and the recommend system draws me into a bubble containing nothing else. It seems to satisfy at the moment, not the least because most stuff is a reasonable price. Lots of the better Detective books cost more.
I do try to break out of the vortex by reading an occasional piece of steampunk or some such, but i just drift back to Testosterone Heaven (Military SF) where even the fighting woman have muscles on their muscles ;-)
I am in this for more then two years now, even re-reading Guards Guards! by Terry Pratchett did not do it, it seems i have to work my way trough this i am afraid..

tubemonkey · 03-10-2017, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Even that is diminished, though.
$0.99 doesn't move ebooks as much as it used to.
If it's on sale today, it'll be on sale again in a few months.

The only price point that moves me on ebooks is free; and even then, I'm very selective on what I'll download. Audiobooks are the only books I'll spend my own money on.

fjtorres · 03-10-2017, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roos

I do try to break out of the vortex by reading an occasional piece of steampunk or some such, but i just drift back to Testosterone Heaven (Military SF) where even the fighting woman have muscles on their muscles ;-)
I am in this for more then two years now, even re-reading Guards Guards! by Terry Pratchett did not do it, it seems i have to work my way trough this i am afraid..

Why fret?
If you enjoy it and it doesn't bankrupt you, why would you want to stop?
Are you afraid of what others might think? Afraid that you might be missing out on good stuff elsewhere? (Hint: yes, you are. We all are. There are more good books coming out each day than anybody not named Barry Allen could possibly read.)
Just go with the flow and enjoy the ride.

It's not as if you get the shakes when you're not reading, right?
Right...?

KevinBurke · 03-10-2017, 05:25 PM

Not, really , the only series , I finished , were the three freakonomics themed books.

I read alot of math books, currently, if that counts.

Seriously, I avoid fiction, not because I have aspergers, but because it is the easiest kind of book to read, generally, so it tends to ingrain lower level reading bad habits and I don't gain as much knowledge and understanding.

I only read non-fiction and if I want to be entertained I will go to a Broadway play or watch a movie.

ZodWallop · 03-10-2017, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roos

...i get the feeling like i start to read some stuff and the recommend system draws me into a bubble containing nothing else...

That, I think, is the answer right there.

I still hop genres, like I did with paper books. I'm also not a fan of series, though they are hard to avoid.

FizzyWater · 03-10-2017, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roos

I just do not get why i am so fixated on one genre, with dead tree books i did a lot of genre hopping, but i get the feeling like i start to read some stuff and the recommend system draws me into a bubble containing nothing else.

Speaking for myself, when I had piles (or shelves) of TBR books and was ready to start a new book, I'd wander over to the stack/bookshelves and scan for something to catch my eye.

Since the ebook reader will only display 10 titles at a time in list view (not sure how many in thumbnail view), I don't tend to just "browse" like I did. And the monotone grayscale cover in list view don't catch my eye like the pretty covers lined up on my bookshelves.

I tend to read more of one genre over another most of the time, even then, but a pretty or interesting cover could tempt me away from my comfort zones more easily when I was scanning physical books I own rather than what I've already loaded onto the reader.

Cosimo · 03-10-2017, 07:25 PM

I'll read the same genre for months and months, switch, repeat.

Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

Cinisajoy · 03-10-2017, 08:57 PM

I binge read too. Right now it is cookbook/biographies.
I do the same thing with various crafts, although right now I am trying to finish a variety of projects.

Roos · 03-11-2017, 05:30 AM

Good to hear i am not the only one, @KevinBurke i read fiction to get away from things, life is crappy enough with good distractions, let alone without.
I think what attracts me in a lot of M-SF is the winning, wars, fights, battles.. As i hate the Dystopian crap that seems to rule the SF roost at the moment (see my remark to Kevin) at least this genre shows things to come are not always bad, there is enough of that in the real world.
I occasionally grab some old SF pulp from the 50's and 60's full of hope and ideas for the future, today's stuff is filled with nightmares and misery. Even Fantasy is sliding down that path, look at the blood and gore Game of Thrones is pushing in your face.
But i digress, reading is fun, if it is not, you read the wrong stuff.
Oh there is another genre i love to read, but they are rare like gem-stones in a garbage dump, Detective SF, you know like how the Asimov Robot series started out with.
Anyone has some good recommendations?

03-10-2017, 09:06 AM	#1
Roos Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 2371918 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Almere, Nederland Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Scribe, Phone	Weird genre obsession I can not help but notice that since i start reading Ebooks, i seem to have fallen into long spells of reading one single genre, used to be Detectives, followed by Fantasy, and now to almost total exclusion of anything else Military SF. Anyone else with this erm, ehh, infliction? Also the number of books read each year seems to go up and up, might be i am a tad addicted

03-10-2017, 09:29 AM	#2
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	It is perfectly normal behavior. It's called bingeing. You read one, like it, and go for more. And keep going until the mood changes or something else catches your eye. And since we now operate in an economy of abundance with ample supply of good, cheap books, it is easy to keep on bingeing. You are not alone. It is, in fact, the emerging new normal for avid readers. You find a new author or genre you like and you go back for more. And if the author has a deep backlist... (When I was in college Ballantine reissued the entire Tarzan canon over a period of months so I had me a summer of Tarzan when I binge-read the entire series back-to-back-to-back.) One of the least acknowledged effects of the online pbook and ebook disruptions is the changes they've fostered in consumer shopper behavior. Bingeing is one such change. Another is the decline of hoarding. Where once consumers shopped based on what was available on the shelves and were trained to buy on sight anything that seemed interesting because it might not be available a month or even a week later, nowadays the expectation is that a book, once sighted, will be easily available indefinitely whether new, used, or in ebook form. So the pressure to pounce on sight is diminished. Earlier in the mainstreaming of ebooks these ingrained habits led to hoarding of free books but over the past few years readers have been moving towards wishlisting and on-demand buying. Some of the reported decline in ebook sales is probably people wishlisting new releases and making their way through their hoards. Other behavioral changes will emerge. Last edited by fjtorres; 03-10-2017 at 09:36 AM.

03-10-2017, 05:25 PM	#10
KevinBurke Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 40000 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: State of New York Device: Kobo Aura HD	Not, really , the only series , I finished , were the three freakonomics themed books. I read alot of math books, currently, if that counts. Seriously, I avoid fiction, not because I have aspergers, but because it is the easiest kind of book to read, generally, so it tends to ingrain lower level reading bad habits and I don't gain as much knowledge and understanding. I only read non-fiction and if I want to be entertained I will go to a Broadway play or watch a movie. Last edited by KevinBurke; 03-10-2017 at 05:28 PM.

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03-10-2017, 12:19 PM	#5
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,802 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Hey! I have been known to binge re-read a series when a loooooong quiet favorite series has a new title

03-10-2017, 04:41 PM	#7
Roos Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 2371918 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Almere, Nederland Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Scribe, Phone	Yeah, series, i hardly seem to read anything else anymore, the more parts the better. The only thing frustrating me is that Kindle (as in the app) does not warn you there is a new sequel available, yeah it should show up in the adds they send by email, but the times i had to check if it was a new one of a series i am reading is getting quite annoying. Not to speak about the lack of oversight options, how the heck am i suppost to know what i have read when Amazon keep reshuffling my 'All' list, and shows updated books with a "New" sign [tears hair out]. But that is a bit O.T. It is the series and following recommendation by email that get me into more new stuff, and i hate to admit i love it. I just do not get why i am so fixated on one genre, with dead tree books i did a lot of genre hopping, but i get the feeling like i start to read some stuff and the recommend system draws me into a bubble containing nothing else. It seems to satisfy at the moment, not the least because most stuff is a reasonable price. Lots of the better Detective books cost more. I do try to break out of the vortex by reading an occasional piece of steampunk or some such, but i just drift back to Testosterone Heaven (Military SF) where even the fighting woman have muscles on their muscles ;-) I am in this for more then two years now, even re-reading Guards Guards! by Terry Pratchett did not do it, it seems i have to work my way trough this i am afraid..

03-10-2017, 07:25 PM	#13
Cosimo Groupie Posts: 160 Karma: 3337854 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: Kobo Glo HD	I'll read the same genre for months and months, switch, repeat. Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk

03-10-2017, 08:57 PM	#14
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	I binge read too. Right now it is cookbook/biographies. I do the same thing with various crafts, although right now I am trying to finish a variety of projects.

03-11-2017, 05:30 AM	#15
Roos Groupie Posts: 182 Karma: 2371918 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Almere, Nederland Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Scribe, Phone	Good to hear i am not the only one, @KevinBurke i read fiction to get away from things, life is crappy enough with good distractions, let alone without. I think what attracts me in a lot of M-SF is the winning, wars, fights, battles.. As i hate the Dystopian crap that seems to rule the SF roost at the moment (see my remark to Kevin) at least this genre shows things to come are not always bad, there is enough of that in the real world. I occasionally grab some old SF pulp from the 50's and 60's full of hope and ideas for the future, today's stuff is filled with nightmares and misery. Even Fantasy is sliding down that path, look at the blood and gore Game of Thrones is pushing in your face. But i digress, reading is fun, if it is not, you read the wrong stuff. Oh there is another genre i love to read, but they are rare like gem-stones in a garbage dump, Detective SF, you know like how the Asimov Robot series started out with. Anyone has some good recommendations?

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