Choosing a good book in five minutes
1.Hold the book in your hand to get a feel of it and to know if it will last for the whole weekend.
2.Read the cover for a précis to see whether the subject interests you.
3.Ignore blurbs. Blurbs can be written by friends, and many writers have famous friends.
4.Read the first page of the book. Skim the second page. You should feel that the author is in command of the situation.
5.Then open the book at random, but not too far back - because you don’t want to ruin the ending - and read three paragraphs for style. After you’ve done this two or three times, you’ll have a pretty clear idea whether or not you will enjoy the book.
Happy reading.
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May 24th 2007 at 3:33 pm
I read the spines and then a few lines in the middle of the book first; -)