That Awful Between Books Feeling

[BookCat]

Does anyone else hate being between books, not knowing what to read next?

I'm in that position at the moment, having just finished Wilkie Collins' My Lady's Money. The book I read before that was Victoria by Daisy Goodwin. So I want a break from Victorian era or based novels, to something modern and it's taking me ages to decide what.

Is this a common phenomena, or does everyone have a predetermined list which you read through?

[Uncle Robin]

This is one of the things I love about The Storygraph - that they offer "moods" in the recommendations, to help find a book that suits at the time

[Sirtel]

I don't have a predetermined list, but I usually know what I'm going to read next. So it's rare for me to feel what you describe, but I can't say I've never felt it. A few times, perhaps.

What I certainly don't want, though, is someone else's recommendation, even if it's based on my personal tastes. This includes algorithms and such. No way. I want to browse my library and decide myself, without any outside interference.

[Aleron Ives]

I'm more strongly affected by the malaise over having finished a book than trying to pick a new one. Even if it was good and had a satisfactory ending, I still feel a sense of loss over the inevitably transitory nature of the experience.

I'm trying to not build up a massive TBR list, so I generally pick my next read by looking through my list of purchases, oldest first, until I find something that catches my eye.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

I'm more strongly affected by the malaise over having finished a book than trying to pick a new one. Even if it was good and had a satisfactory ending, I still feel a sense of loss over the inevitably transitory nature of the experience.

Yes, this feeling is more familiar for me too.

[Quoth]

I've a huge TBR pile

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I've a huge TBR pile

My TBR pile is at least 200 years long, so I'll never read them all, unless they invent how to stop aging.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Does anyone else hate being between books, not knowing what to read next?

I'm in that position at the moment, having just finished Wilkie Collins' My Lady's Money. The book I read before that was Victoria by Daisy Goodwin. So I want a break from Victorian era or based novels, to something modern and it's taking me ages to decide what.

Is this a common phenomena, or does everyone have a predetermined list which you read through?

I recently read a really good book I can highly recommend.

Gravity by Tess Gerritsen

A NASA doctor is in a deadly race against time to destroy a lethal microbe as it multiplies in the International Space Station.

Dr. Emma Watson’s lifelong dream of working and studying aboard the International Space Station has finally come true. But it quickly becomes a nightmare when a culture of single-celled organisms begins to regenerate out of control—and infects the crew.

Emma must contain the outbreak and prevent as many deaths as possible while, back on Earth, her estranged husband is frantically working with NASA to bring her home. But with a contagion threatening all of humanity, there will be no rescue.

[Calenorn]

Oh, I just LOVE that between-book feeling!!!

I'm like a kid in a candy store. So many possibilities!

[Cactus Chef]

I've usually got a couple books going at the same time to try to avoid burnout/fatigue on a single book. Typically it's one main book (usually fiction), one collection of short stories, and maybe a third book of non-fiction.

The only unease around starting a new book is looking at my giant backlog of unread books, starting to pick one, glancing at the total reading time, and then deciding whether I have the energy to begin another 20+ hour book or if I want something shorter.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

What I certainly don't want, though, is someone else's recommendation, even if it's based on my personal tastes. This includes algorithms and such. No way. I want to browse my library and decide myself, without any outside interference.

Why? It's a recommendation, not a threat.

Realistically, there are so many books out there, you need some sort of guidance to find anything. If you like Lord of the Rings, you will likely enjoy the Shannara books. But how would you even know they exist without recommendations?

Maybe I'm taking recommendations too broadly for your taste, but it's all the same thing, whether its book stores deciding that mysteries, science fiction and westerns won't all be shelved together or your neighbor recommending the latest James Patterson thriller.

[haertig]

If feel excitement between books. Choosing the next book to read is something I look forward to. Sometimes, choosing the book turns out being more fun than actually reading the book. I welcome recommendations.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Why? It's a recommendation, not a threat.

Realistically, there are so many books out there, you need some sort of guidance to find anything. If you like Lord of the Rings, you will likely enjoy the Shannara books. But how would you even know they exist without recommendations?

Maybe I'm taking recommendations too broadly for your taste, but it's all the same thing, whether its book stores deciding that mysteries, science fiction and westerns won't all be shelved together or your neighbor recommending the latest James Patterson thriller.

I just want to decide and search myself, both when shopping and when browsing my library for my next read. That was true for paper books too. I browse the genres I like, read synopses, look inside; I don't want others' opinions what I should buy or read, be it my neighbor, other readers or store algorithms. Why, I can't actually explain, I've just always been that way. Perhaps it's part of my generally antisocial personality.

[Deskisamess]

I almost always have 2-4 books going at the same time, so there is rarely a lull or gap in what to read next. My TBR pile/list is large, so I don't struggle much with what to read next.

A lot of my lite fiction reads are parts of a series, so I'll start the next one. Or I'll switch to a different genre or spend some time on whatever non-fiction I'm reading at the time.

I am planning ahead for my beach reads during vacation. But I found 3 years ago when we did the family beach trip that I didn't get as much reading done as I had expected. Watching the kids on the beach and just absorbing the surroundings was much more enjoyable. I can read almost anytime, but I don't get the 5 grand kids in the same place for extended times, so tended to focus on that. But I do have a couple of books set aside for that week.

[Desertway]

I hate that feeling as well. I normally start my next book when I'm about 90% finished with the one I'm currently reading. I'll just read a chapter or 2, enough to know I'm interested, then go finish the other book.