Do literary awards (Hugo, Pulitzer, etc.) influence your reading habits? - Page 2

Dr. Drib · 06-13-2009, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Those prices you mention don't come to our attention here (much). We have our own price list. And most of the books that do win those prices are horribly boring (or at least, I think so...)

So, yes, they do affect my reading habbits, I tend to stay away from those...

I think you mean "prizes."

Don

Gideon · 06-13-2009, 04:07 PM

I don't go out of my way to find prize winners, but if I stumble on an article or list of books that recently won one of the non-genre awards, I'll usually look into them.

The genre awards, less so, but I'll still often take a look.

But that's about it. I think Chabon has been the most recent author I've read who has awards under his belt. I ran across him via an NPR interview when Yiddish Policeman's Union came out.

Sweetpea · 06-13-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I think you mean "prizes."

Don

That's what you get when you're posting while also doing something else... And in Dutch it's the same word... So, I'm excused!

sirbruce · 06-13-2009, 05:22 PM

My primary buying influences are ranked like so:

1. The author. If it's an author I particularly like (Peter David, RAH, Ellison) I'll put it on the stack to be read, no question. If it's one I don't particularly like (LeGuin) I'm far less likely to give it a chance.

2. Word of mouth. If it's a popular book getting a lot of good mentions I'll be more likely to pick it up. This is why I started reading the Harry Potter books, which otherwise I probably never would.

3. Awards. Hugo and Nebula specifically; others far less so. The problem is virtually every book that falls under #3 falls under #2 also, so it's unlikely the fact the book was nominated or won a Hugo will nudge me over the edge since it's probably already a book I had heard about and was considering. But, it's a minor factor.

4. The cover. Back in the old days of browsing bookstores for something new, covers were very important; they caught your eye, and a good blurb could make or break a sale. Nowadays, though, it's almost a non-factor; thanks to the Internet we all know what books are coming out before they come out, and there's so many books that you can't read all the ones you want to read anyway. And now we can buy books and ebooks online, so the browsing experience of a cover catching your eye is almost gone. The last book I bought solely on the strength of the cover was 1991's Crygender by Thomas T. Thomas.

lmarie · 06-13-2009, 07:36 PM

I often use the list of Agatha Awards to find "cozy" mystery authors, since I prefer reading mysteries that are not explicitly violent or sexual. I've also used the Pulitzer lists to find book on topics of interest to me. In addition, the Caldecott Medal (American Library Association) for picture books has led me to some really stunning illustrators' works, such as those of Chris Van Allsburg.

Renaldo · 06-14-2009, 10:55 AM

I don't pay much attention to awards or best seller lists at all. I've read enough award winning books that I thought were terrible. The same goes for movies and music, really.

My tastes don't seem to necessarily run to everything that's popular, current or critically acclaimed. I think a lot of awards are really a reflection of what's happening today, and not necessarily a reflection of what's best.

tompe · 06-14-2009, 11:18 AM

I try to read all the Hugo nominated novels since it is a good way to keep up to date in the field and these novels will be mentioned and discussed at Worldcon. I also try to read the Clarke Award short list since it usually are very good books.

I do not read any non-genre books for award reasons.

Archergal5219 · 06-14-2009, 03:40 PM

I've found that many of the books and stories that are nominated for Nebula Awards are ones that I would like, so I do pay attention to those.

The Hugo Awards come behind that, since they tend to reflect popular opinion. (Not that there's anything wrong with popular opinion, mind you, except for mainstream best sellers.)

I've also found books worth reading on the Edgar awards list and the World Fantasy Awards list.

I don't look at awards outside the genre stuff very much, so I'm just the opposite of some of y'all.

I just tend to pick what interests me from non-genre titles.

queentess · 06-16-2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renaldo

I don't pay much attention to awards or best seller lists at all. I've read enough award winning books that I thought were terrible. The same goes for movies and music, really.

My tastes don't seem to necessarily run to everything that's popular, current or critically acclaimed. I think a lot of awards are really a reflection of what's happening today, and not necessarily a reflection of what's best.

This is exactly how I feel about awards. In the past two months I've read TWO books on the best seller list just because I have a Kindle (Lost City of Z and World War Z). I read a blurb about them and decided to get them, later found out they were on the best seller list.

I tend to read books because they're recommended to me or I think I'll like them from reading the synopsis. The award never comes into play until after I read it, at which point I either say:
1. Wow! This really deserved to win an award! OR
2. This book is terrible/mediocre at best. Must have been a thin crop of books the year this won.

astra · 06-19-2009, 08:36 AM

Awards hold no value for me. Along with all kind of bestseller lists. I know(heard of) only three names from the awards list.

I trust forums a lot more. After spending many months on a certain book forum, you might find a few guys with similar tastes you can trust.
Amazon's reviews might be good but.....if a reviwer has 1 review, I dismiss it.

Lately, I have noticed that many books are over hyped (such as The Time Traveler's Wife or Nation or Catch 22 or The Name of the Rose). One must be careful when choosing what to read.

sakura-panda · 06-19-2009, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmarie

In addition, the Caldecott Medal (American Library Association) for picture books has led me to some really stunning illustrators' works, such as those of Chris Van Allsburg.

This is about the only one I pay attention to -- and the Newberry Medal too.

Gideon · 06-19-2009, 05:21 PM

World War Z was brilliant. It's hard to imagine it was even ABOUT zombies.

06-14-2009, 10:55 AM	#21
Renaldo Addict Posts: 294 Karma: 250590 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	I don't pay much attention to awards or best seller lists at all. I've read enough award winning books that I thought were terrible. The same goes for movies and music, really. My tastes don't seem to necessarily run to everything that's popular, current or critically acclaimed. I think a lot of awards are really a reflection of what's happening today, and not necessarily a reflection of what's best. Last edited by Renaldo; 06-14-2009 at 12:15 PM.

06-19-2009, 08:36 AM	#25
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	Awards hold no value for me. Along with all kind of bestseller lists. I know(heard of) only three names from the awards list. I trust forums a lot more. After spending many months on a certain book forum, you might find a few guys with similar tastes you can trust. Amazon's reviews might be good but.....if a reviwer has 1 review, I dismiss it. Lately, I have noticed that many books are over hyped (such as The Time Traveler's Wife or Nation or Catch 22 or The Name of the Rose). One must be careful when choosing what to read. Last edited by astra; 06-19-2009 at 05:14 PM.

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06-13-2009, 04:07 PM	#17
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	I don't go out of my way to find prize winners, but if I stumble on an article or list of books that recently won one of the non-genre awards, I'll usually look into them. The genre awards, less so, but I'll still often take a look. But that's about it. I think Chabon has been the most recent author I've read who has awards under his belt. I ran across him via an NPR interview when Yiddish Policeman's Union came out.

06-13-2009, 05:22 PM	#19
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	My primary buying influences are ranked like so: 1. The author. If it's an author I particularly like (Peter David, RAH, Ellison) I'll put it on the stack to be read, no question. If it's one I don't particularly like (LeGuin) I'm far less likely to give it a chance. 2. Word of mouth. If it's a popular book getting a lot of good mentions I'll be more likely to pick it up. This is why I started reading the Harry Potter books, which otherwise I probably never would. 3. Awards. Hugo and Nebula specifically; others far less so. The problem is virtually every book that falls under #3 falls under #2 also, so it's unlikely the fact the book was nominated or won a Hugo will nudge me over the edge since it's probably already a book I had heard about and was considering. But, it's a minor factor. 4. The cover. Back in the old days of browsing bookstores for something new, covers were very important; they caught your eye, and a good blurb could make or break a sale. Nowadays, though, it's almost a non-factor; thanks to the Internet we all know what books are coming out before they come out, and there's so many books that you can't read all the ones you want to read anyway. And now we can buy books and ebooks online, so the browsing experience of a cover catching your eye is almost gone. The last book I bought solely on the strength of the cover was 1991's Crygender by Thomas T. Thomas.

06-13-2009, 07:36 PM	#20
lmarie Dilettante Posts: 148 Karma: 132 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Philadelphia area Device: EB1150, Cybook Gen3, Kobo Touch	I often use the list of Agatha Awards to find "cozy" mystery authors, since I prefer reading mysteries that are not explicitly violent or sexual. I've also used the Pulitzer lists to find book on topics of interest to me. In addition, the Caldecott Medal (American Library Association) for picture books has led me to some really stunning illustrators' works, such as those of Chris Van Allsburg.

06-14-2009, 11:18 AM	#22
tompe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,452 Karma: 7185064 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Linköpng, Sweden Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW	I try to read all the Hugo nominated novels since it is a good way to keep up to date in the field and these novels will be mentioned and discussed at Worldcon. I also try to read the Clarke Award short list since it usually are very good books. I do not read any non-genre books for award reasons.

06-14-2009, 03:40 PM	#23
Archergal5219 Semi-retired semi-hero Posts: 64 Karma: 768 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Palm Zire71, EEE PC901, Sony PRS-505	I've found that many of the books and stories that are nominated for Nebula Awards are ones that I would like, so I do pay attention to those. The Hugo Awards come behind that, since they tend to reflect popular opinion. (Not that there's anything wrong with popular opinion, mind you, except for mainstream best sellers.) I've also found books worth reading on the Edgar awards list and the World Fantasy Awards list. I don't look at awards outside the genre stuff very much, so I'm just the opposite of some of y'all. I just tend to pick what interests me from non-genre titles.

06-19-2009, 05:21 PM	#27
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	World War Z was brilliant. It's hard to imagine it was even ABOUT zombies.

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