Quick Summary
Library staff picked out books in accordance with my instructions. They were very efficient in doing so, and picked out some good books which I have, so far, enjoyed. I will definitely continue to use the service.
Introduction
Hello there, and welcome to another bookish post! Admittedly, I haven’t read much in the past few weeks – I have been keeping pretty busy. I have, however, been listening to ‘Tiny Habits’ by BJ Fogg and trying out some of the techniques in there for habit-building, and it has actually been going pretty well, so I am going to re-install a reading habit using the ‘tiny habits’ method. If all goes well, then you should hopefully be seeing more book reviews from me!
About ‘ready reads’
Anyway, where was I?… Oh right, the post! I recently used Hampshire Libraries’ ‘Ready Reads’ service for the first time, specifically through Eastleigh library. I’m not sure whether any other UK libraries have a similar service, but the ready reads service basically involves the library member (in this case, me) filling out a form saying how many books they want and how often, and what kind of books they want. A member of the library staff will then pick out books to match your instructions as closely as possible.
My instructions
I chose up to 6 books every month. While I am unlikely to be able to read 6 books every month consistently, I was worried about the possibility of having books I don’t like and therefore DNF, and that up to 3 (which was the next choice down) might not be enough to get me through the month. I also don’t remember exactly which options I chose for types of books, but I believe they were:
General Fiction
Romance
Sci-fi and fantasy
Non-fiction (business and personal development books)
The books I got
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour (General Fiction) – I am about a third of the way through this book, and currently enjoying it. It is about a dentist who has had difficulties when it comes to relationships and religion, and is now having to deal with someone stealing his identity. It is a little strange, but I am enjoying it so far!
This is How it Ends by Kathleen MacMahon (Romance) – Sadly, this is a book I DNF’d after just a few chapters, because I could not get into it at all (I’m pretty sure book blogging and writing has made me much fussier when it comes to reading and reviewing books…).
The Four by Scott Galloway (Non-fiction) – I actually already have this book and it is on my TBR pile, and so probably won’t read the library’s copy. But it seems super interesting!
Hired by James Bloodworth (Non-fiction) – The author goes undercover at different workplaces and reports on his experience. His first experience is at an Amazon warehouse, which is a very interesting insight into something that many of us may have wondered about, but that we rarely get to see. I haven’t yet got to the other workplaces, but it is an interesting read, and a lot of dedication must have gone into the book.
Early Riser by Jasper Fforde (General Fiction) – I haven’t yet started this book, and so cannot comment on it yet – but it looks interesting!
You Can Beat Your Brain by David McRaney – I haven’t yet started this book. I am a little sceptical, but I will be going into it with an open mind, as you never know!
What I think about the service
I really like it! I find it very difficult to choose which books to read, partly because of the huge selection of books to choose from, and partly because of a fear of picking the wrong book and feeling like I have wasted my time (weirdly, if someone else chooses a book and I don’t like it, I don’t feel like I have wasted my time). Ready Reads means that I don’t have to worry about having to choose which books to read, which getting a range of different books to read.
While there was the inevitable book that I didn’t like, I have really enjoyed two of the books, and the other three seem like they are going to be a good read, and so I can’t fault the books chosen by the library staff. I believe it also only took a couple of days (three at most) for them to pick out the books, so they were very efficient!
So, good books selected quickly by library staff – what’s not to love? I will definitely continue to use the ready reads service while it continues to run.
Summary
I appreciate that this particular service might not be applicable to many of you. However, if it is something you would be interested in, it might be worth checking if your local library has a similar service and, if not, suggesting it to your local library. After all, libraries are always looking for new ways to attract members and get more people reading, and so may appreciate the suggestion.
If you do live in Hampshire, I would highly recommend using the ready reads service!
TBT
Theodore's Bookish Thoughts (TBT) 