Discussion Post - Planning ahead or not?

Sorry about not doing the discussion last week. Believe it or not, these discussions take hours and hours to do and l have to plan how to set it all out so l have to have some free time which l didn't last week!

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Anyway, this weeks discussion is on planning. I know some people plan ahead what books they are reading and others don't at all.

My Thoughts
I have actually started to (finally) be organised and l now use gmail calendar with all the dates of upcoming books which l need to review. I usually read these books around 2 weeks before so l guess that is kind of planned but otherwise l will usually pick from around 5 books which need to be read soon. If l have time in-between reviews (very unlikely lately) then l can pick from my something like 300 books on what to read next .. which is hard!


Plan far ahead (month or so)

Review Books

A lot of bloggers who accept books for review may have a whole months schedule set out to ensure they get all the books read by their deadline (when the review is due.)
.
Karen said - With having so many review books to get through for certain dates I have to be organised.  I currently have my next 16 books lined up.
.
Sarai said - I have to plan ahead b/c I review books for authors that are coming out and 2 websites that ask for books to be read and reviewed by a certain date.
.
Yiota said - I schedule when to start a book, if there is review scheduled for it. That means tours, NetGalley or certain periods given from the authors.
.
Small Review said - I don't mean to, but I usually end up having the next month's reading planned out as a result of review books and library books.

..

.

Plan a few books ahead

Moonstar said - I have a little bunch of books that I have planned reading in the nearest future. Then I just have to choose which of them to read first.
Choosing when you have finished current book
.
Mish@ said I am planning ahead because i have to read my ARCs at first and next I can read my own books. 
.
Jules said - I like to plan ahead because it allows me to get a bit excited about what is coming next and I love reading reviews related to it or the author.

.

.

Not Planning

Library/borrowing -

I used to rely on my library a lot and just tended to read what l got from the library (even though l still had 200 at home to read!). The library is mostly unpredictable and sometimes you can pick up something which you wouldn't usually.
Caroline said - My friend and I usually borrow eachothers books, so if I've bought a new one, and she wants to borrow it, I make it my priority to read it first.

.
Book Circle -

I don't join in with these as l already have so much to read but l like the idea of a group choosing a book and you all reading it! If you are part of a book circle though it's impossible to always plan ahead.
.
Booketta said -  I don't know what book circle read will come through my letterbox and the group read is a group choice.

Mood

Everyone has times they are in a mood for a certain book and other times will fancy reading a totally different book! A lot of the people who filled the form out (80%) said that they are mood readers.

Lesley said -  I think I am a mood reader so the planning doesn't always work out.
.

Rebecca said -  I'm a mood reader through and through and therefore I can never really know what I'm in the mood for when actually having finished a book.

Genre's/Series

I totally agree with Jess! l love reading different genres so like to mix it all up!
.
Jess from Jess Hearts Books said - I don't like reading one book from the same genre after another I like to mix it up a bit or I find myself getting bored.
.
Caroline said - I started two series last month (Gallagher Girls and the Wolves of Mercy Falls), I now have the sequels, so I'm reading them next.
.
Lesley said - I try to alternate between a new book, a middle of a series book and an older book I have been meaning to read for ages.
.
Mish@ said - But first I am reading books from my favourite series like Anita Blake, Mercy Thompson an so on.

Do you like planning ahead?

Karen said - I don't actually like knowing what I'm going to (or have to) read next, but having to organise for reviews feels like a necessity to me.  
.
Yiota said - I hate scheduling books. There is no fun with it and feels like a chore. I've lost many galleys at NetGalley cause i couldn't put myself to read that certain book before the expire date.
.
Small Review said -  They both have deadlines, so they sort of force me to plan a little. 

How to choose?

Quite a few bloggers said they read the first few pages of a few books and see what catches their attention the most/first :


Caroline said - I'll check the synopsis again, and maybe check out the first page and decide from there.
.
Jules said - I really hate the few times where I finish a book and don't have one already lined up, that is when I usually start a couple and see what catches my attention first. 
.
Rebecca said - Often I read the first few pages of one to three books I find interesting at the time, and then stick with the one that appeals to me the most!
.
Yiota said -  i'm just staring at them and pick the one which speaks at me at the time. Sometimes is the cover,sometimes the story, sometimes excitement,etc.
.
Small Review said - If it's a book I've been dying to read, then I'll drop everything I had planned and read that book. 
.
Lesley said - Usually I have read something about the book which makes me want to read it like a good review or recommendation. I am also a complete sucker for a pretty cover. 
______________________________________
What do you think? Do you LIKE knowing what books you are going to read next? Do you HAVE to know what books you are going to read next due to review books?
______________________________________

Thank you

Booketta - Bookette's Blog

Karen - The Slowest Bookworm

MoonStar - MoonStar's Fantasy World

Mish@ - When You Can Life Forever

Jess - Jess Hearts Books

Caroline

Rebecca - Kindle Fever

Jules - The Great, The Good and The Bad

Sarai - Sara Is Reading What?

Yiota - Splash Of Our Worlds

Small Review - Small Review

Lesley - My Keeper Shelf