How to Choose Your Next Book

All of my recent posts have mentioned my reading slump. But really, I don't feel bad about that, because that's what my reading life's been about lately. And in the past week or so as I'm pushing through the end of it, one of my biggest dilemmas has been deciding which book to read. Everything sounds mildly appealing, but nothing really stands out or sticks when I try the first few pages.

That's why I've been thinking about the various ways in which we can choose our next books. My usual methods of choosing simply haven't been up to par. So I've been getting creative and changing things up a bit. I think I'm getting somewhere, but it's been fun going through the possibilities. Here are the things I've been trying.

1. READ THE BOOK YOU WANT TO READ MOST. This assumes (at least for me) that there's one book that stands miles above all the rest, and nothing else will do. Sure, there are plenty of books that I'd like to read, but that unmistakable feeling of one book screaming above the others READ ME NOW is pretty hard to ignore. Recommended for: people who've just had their most anticipated release come out, people who generally have their life together, and people with strong, sudden whims.

2. READ THE BOOK YOU'RE ON A DEADLINE FOR. This could be any kind of deadline: release date for an ARC, due date for a library book, or any kind of self-imposed date that you absolutely have to have finished a certain book by. Look at all of your deadline books, and whatever's soonest (or most overdue - we've all been there) is what you're reading next. Recommended for: habitual procrastinators and the unorganized.

3. MAKE A FRIEND PICK A BOOK FOR YOU. This is what I've been doing lately - if your own choices have failed, maybe it's time to let someone else take charge for a while. Make sure it's someone you trust, though. You don't want someone to insist you read what turns out to be your next least favorite book. Recommended for: indecisive people, people who want to read something a little different, and people with friends who have great taste.

4. EENIE MEENIE MINEY MO. When all else fails, there's good old random selection! Depending on how dedicated you are to true statistical randomness, you can do anything from assigning each option a number and using a random number generator to just closing your eyes and pointing. Recommended for: people with too many good options.

Of course, you can combine these methods, too. Figure out which books have deadlines coming up and make a friend pick one for you. Get a list of books you're super excited for and pick randomly from those. Or do something else entirely! Because really, the best way to choose your next book is the way that works for you.

How do you pick what you're going to read next? Do you switch that up when you're in a slump? Any good methods that I haven't listed here? Tell me in the comments!