Kathy the book I have just finished Holly Fox by Jane Gardam was one I picked up at a church sale because I had enjoyed her Old Filth which we had some discussion on here a while ago. The 'beside the bed' book has been Slow Boat to China by the late journalist and travel writer Gavin Young. Again picked up very cheap as a rather yellowing paperback.

I no longer buy new books, preferring to just buy 'second hand' and then pass them on to friends or hand them in at charity shops.

Sometimes they are not worth reading, but at other times I have hit gold.

I no longer buy new books, either. We have so many rummage sales in my city that I can pick up quality copies, some of which look brand new, for less than a dollar, often. I just finished "The Girl in Hyacinth Blue" by Susan Vreeland, which I found in mint condition, cover intact, at the Unitarian Church rummage sale. It is a gem of a novel, in my opinion.

We also have several "miniature libraries" in our neighborhoods, where folk drop off unwanted books and can take one if they fancy it.

As the title of the book that I'm reading now implies, The Sea House by Esther Freud, takes place by the sea. I had a hankering to read something with a marine setting. So I checked the multiple TBR piles and found this one, which has not disappointed with descriptions galore of walking, sitting, eating, etc, by the seashore.

Most of the time, I choose what to read next depending on my reading mood. Do I want to read something light, something serious and well written? with a particular setting, about a particular topic? It depends also on the first page of the book, if it grab me right away.

Where do I hear about the books? Most of the time, browsing at new and second hand bookstores, reading blogs about books, and here at RP.

As Vee and Woodnymph, I do not buy new books (with few exceptions, I never have). Some books come from the library, from book sales, some from the clearance rack of Half Price Books (which unfortunately closed in April), and many from the unmarked book shelves at the library (they are not in the library system, so you take them with you and return them when you are done.... if you want to).

Kathy, I read several books in a row that would be considered action/thriller types, and I was looking for something lighter. I thought Sandra Brown wrote romances. This one did have a couple of steamy sex scenes but turned out to be a good story, too. :)

I tend to go back to authors I have read and enjoyed before, though I do sometimes try ones I see mentioned on the forum. I also like historical stories. Sometimes I pick books that are set in places I like.

Donna

Vee - I also have a copy of Slow Boat to China in my TBR stack, a nice hardback purchased for a dollar at a library book sale. The "Friends of the Library" group in my town is very active. They collect used books from donors all year and hold very large semi-annual sales, charging $1 for hardbacks and 50 cents for paperbacks. These tend to be the best place to pick up good used books in our town. We have one large university and two small colleges here, which I think improves the quantity, quality and variety of books donated. Those academic folks move in and out of town frequently, leaving us to snatch up the books they don't care to move in their wake. Very nice.

Kathy, that sounds like an ideal situation for any reader. Our library no longer accepts donated books . . . i can't think why not as the county is always short of funds, much more so since the 'financial crisis' which never seems to get less critical. We have no bookshops in our small rather 'one-horse' town, 'though it is possible to pick up romance/thriller type p/b's in the newsagents and charity shops, nor are there any academic centres/universities/colleges within the area. We do have a number of annual fêtes where books are sold very cheaply; usually three paperback for £1. The C of E and RC churches pass books between each other, the Methodists don't seem to read at all but the one held by the local hospital has a good selection.

"the Methodists don't seem to read at all." Vee, that tickled my funny bone, as we say in America. :-)

I was cleaning off a bookshelf and boxing up some books to donate when I happened onto a stack of books that I hadn't read. Chose Tales of the South Pacific out of the stack because I was just finishing up D-Day and TOTSP seemed to dovetail. Almost certainly came from a rummage sale. Most all my books come from garage sales or book swaps or used from Amazon.

I still buy new books by a few authors, but I have always read library books. I have a Word document called "Book Recs" on which I keep lists by author of books that you all, the Fodor's Travel lounge section, and real life people recommend as good reads. When I get low on reading material, I go through the list and request books from the library. I will never run out of suggestions because the list is already long and continues to grow. I try not to read straight through a series in order not to overdose, but sometimes the books are so good that I can't resist, e.g., the Frieda Klein books. I've just found the Bruno books by Martin Walker and thought the first one, which I just finished, was delightful. (Bruno is the only policeman in a small town in the south of France.)

I normally rely on the Stopyourkillingme newsletter for new mystery publications. However they haven't mentioned some books by L.C. Tyler, an author whose books I enjoy. I only found that he has written more when I checked his homepage. There were three later ones so I immediately requested them from my library. I am reading them now.

I also rarely buy new books as I have plenty of borrowing power being a member of three different libraries run by local Councils. They draw on stocks from the State Library but also have their own budgets to buy special interest books or to add additional stock of a particularly popular author.

I also have many op-shops run by charities and church groups in my area.

I'm now reading Nightingale. It was recommended to me by a woman who is always sitting under a dryer when I get my hair done. I always have a book with me so I suppose she thought I needed to know about this book she enjoyed so much recently.

Carolyn - Is that the one about the two French sisters during WWII?

Excellent timing, Netla!

Kathy, yes, it is. Someone on another site said she didn't like it at all, but I do.

Just finished The Late Show -- Michael Connelly fan. I was trying to find appropriate music, so I went to Amazon Music. I found a whole soundtrack with the music from Bosch.

I am currently in the middle of Silent Hall by N. S. Dolkart. It was a complete impulse while bookstore browsing. I certainly have several deserving books awaiting me on my bedside nightstand.

I've just started The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova. I chose it from recommendations by other readers who also liked The Historian.

Y is for Yesterday -- new Sue Grafton. Have been reading the Kinsey Milhone series forever, always looking forward to the next one every couple of years. I'm enjoying Y a lot. I wish the alphabet had more letters -- Z will be the last one.

I chose my current read, Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan, when an older friend told me that when she read it, she felt she was reading a book written about herself. She wondered how a male author could be so insightful about the details of an elderly widowed woman's life and thoughts. When I expressed interest at her reaction to the book, she went into another room and came back with a copy which she then handed to me. So I felt somewhat obligated ... but also truly interested. As I'm reading it, I'm visualizing my friend starring in the movie, which is kind of a comical novelty. I'm also wondering how literal the similarities to her life are. I'm sure we'll have another interesting discussion after I finish.

By the way, I kind of wish I had not borrowed her rather pristine copy. It's paperback and I fell asleep reading it the other night, and later awakened to a seriously bent cover and curled corner. Do you think I should buy her a new copy?

Kathy, yes, I think so, or at least offer to, although she might say 'no' when she means 'yes you should'!

Cacocobird, I too have been waiting for the Y to come out for the last two years. I have expressed my opinion on the September reading thread...

X holds a happy memory as I bought it when I was on holiday to read on the return flight but I didn't after all. It was a consolation for that after-holiday let down feeling to read it later.