subject: Satisfying A Bibliophile's Hunger [print this page] Author: Gen Wright
Are you the one who has finished the fourth book this week, and is hunting all over bookstores for something along the same lines that hasn't been read already? If yes, I feel your pain. I used to suffer in much the same way, until the vast database called the Internet assaulted me with its range of books, neatly divided into lists and selections as if for my convenience. If you feel like you've exhausted all the books in your favorite genre, here are some things you can do to give your love a new life - 1. Find lists. Looking for genre-based lists just might yield a list of related books you have not read, or may at least lead you to a related genre you feel interested in exploring.2. Find the latest releases. Here's a tip: on the publishers' websites, the "Coming up" page is usually where the latest releases are to be seen. Subscribe to the catalogs of online bookstores, where you may also find books that will suit you.3. Read the readers' magazines. Reader's Digest, in spite of being one of the most popular magazines, doesn't really discuss books in the way a bibliophile needs. Subscribe to literary magazines on the Internet and off it, and you will find a wealth of reviews, discussions and debates to keep you busy. 4. Write for the magazines. If you are the first one to lay your hands on a book and read it, why not write about it too? You don't need to be the first to write about a book either - if your take is completely different from the others, people will definitely have something to sit up and take notice of.5. Read previews. The best way to read previews is to step into a large bookstore and start reading, but not everyone has time for this. Google Books carries previews of many famous books, while other reading sites also feature the first few pages of books they recommend. This will help you make a better choice when you finally choose to buy books.6. Join a library. The local library may not always be enough for you. In this case, you could join a larger library, especially one which allows you to issue books from a network instead of just from its own stock. 7. Look up references. If you like how your favorite author uses history, why not read up the history yourself? Sometimes, this can give a completely different perspective on the book - especially considering the fact that no two historians say the same things about the same events. If you feel you have exhausted a set of books, you have either chosen the wrong books or are doing something wrong. There are always new ways to look at books - what does it tell you about the author? What does it have to say about feminism? Does it comment on modern life(even if the plot is located in Na'vi!)? Explore these ideas, and you will not run dry for a long, long time to come. About the Author:
