It is not possible to read all the Sci-Fi books out there. So you must have a process for selecting what you do read. Reading a book is an investment in your time. Your time is valuable. No one wants to waste that time reading unworthy books.

I have never codified my criteria. And it has changed and evolved over time. I suspect it will continue to change moving forward, as who I am tomorrow is not who I was yesterday.

What is your criteria to date?

Mine is that it must meet ALL the following criteria, some objective and some subjective.

  • it must have at least 1,000 reviews
  • it must have at least 70% 5-star reviews
  • if after reading about it I get the suspicion that it’s a romance disguised as Sci-Fi, I automatically reject it no matter what
  • if it’s YA, it really needs to be exceedingly compelling to choose it
  • Space Opera also needs to be exceedingly compelling
  • if I get the feeling it’s trying to preach I’ll reject it
  • if i get the feeling it has (messaging, strong opinions, or political overtones) about today’s societal issues, I probably won’t choose it. Not judging; I primarily read for escapism.

I guess that’s about it. There’s probably more but I just haven’t put that much thought into it yet.

I’m very interested in how y’all decide to choose a book to spend your valuable time reading.

  • BrerChicken
    3•1 year ago

    You have very strict and specific criteria! I feel like there’s just not that much good writing out there, and that I really have to search for it. Of course by “good” I mean in the subjective sense, good to me. There are very well-received books that I didn’t enjoy at all, and some pretty awful light reading that I can’t stop thinking about, Reviews and ratings really mean very little to me, so I mostly ignore them. That’s especially true on Goodreads and BookWyrm where people seem to want to tell you that the book they liked wasn’t THAT great.

    I just read the blurb, and if it sounds interesting I’ll check it out from the library. It’s almost always available as an ebook or an audiobook, and even if I have to place a hold I can read a sample. I usually know within the first few pages if I like the style, and if I’m willing to continue. I drop many, many book, and I’m not worried about missing out on anything.

    If one of my friends recommends a book I usually give it a shot, but I’m not afraid to drop those either. There are a couple of people whose recs always work out (thank you Cristina!), and those I just jump into right away, but that’s only literally two people. Most of my friends don’t really read in order to discuss what they’re reading, and some don’t even read at all 🤷🏻‍♂️