I joined last week! I have so many books I want to read. You know how it is, you see it, you pick it up, you sit it on the bookshelf to be read. LOL. Well, I've officially added all my books to my to be read list! What do you do? Do you read the ones that are wishlisted first or do you read the ones that have nobody wishing on them to get them into the system (FIFO)???

I pay NO attention to which books are which.   I just read what interest me and post it.   

Yeah thats how I usually am too. But the boyfriend wants some of these books gone. He says I read too much and he hasn't picked up a book in 10 years (besides computer mags) LOL

I have no control over what Marilyn reads.  She also hoards the books she likes!  Can you believe that?

Member justloux, you're funny!  I sold some credits to you a while back via Money order.  Thanks for your trust in me.

Dan (for Marilyn)

Cindy,

If you really want to limit your choices like that... LOL

I would say it depends on whether you are in need of credits quickly or not.  I know a lot of people will read the WL stuff first to get some credits built up. 

There is also the post then read method.  I know at least one person checks out the number of copies of a certain book are already in the system (by putting it on her reminder list) and then posting the ones that have the most copies.  Then they are moving through FIFO while sitting on her shelf.  If she has not already read the book by the time it is requested, she picks the latest mail-by date and reads it then.  But she's a quick reader.  If you read more slowly, this might not be the best option for you.

LOL.I told him I'd get to read some of them, so this summer I can get the new releases I want. LOL.

Yeah thats probably a good idea about putting them on (FICO). I'm a fast reader, usually finish a book in one or two days. Maybe only up a few at the same time though, I don't want to fall behind! lol.

I do the FIFO thing.  Maybe it was me that you're thinking of :-).  I would not recommend posting more than 1 or 2 that you haven't read though.  I am a quick reader.  Sometimes I post several heavily posted books to my shelf and then go on vacation hold.  I do this when I don't need credits and just want to catch up on my TBR. 

I used to try and read the WL books first. But I have so many.  Now I just read what I feel like reading. If no book is really grabbing my attention and screaming "read me now" or they are all screaming "read me now" then I'll peruse my TBR and see if there's a WL book that maybe only has 1 or 2 wishers. Then I might read that one to post while it's still WL.  Sometimes having so many to choose from makes it hard to make a decision.

Last week I posted 3 heavily posted books to my shelf and then put it on hold.  The lowest one had 75 copies posted before mine.  I read all 3 over the weekend. It was kind of nice reading them without worrying about getting them read so I can post them to the WL.  No pressure.  Just reading because I felt like reading them. 

I think I might read a couple of Bodice Rippers next.  I want to host a Bodice Ripper swap.  But at the same time a WL out of print hard to find book is calling to me so maybe I'll read that and make someone's day by posting it soon.

Yep I agree. Think I'll just start having to read whatever I feel like at the moment. lol

Just wondering,  when you go on vacation hold do you keep your place in the FIFO line or do you go back the end of the line?

You keep your place in the FIFO line while you are on vacation hold. Same as you keep your place in the WL line. :)

thanks for posting this question - i'm a newbie too and picking up the nuances of what and how to do this stuff is not easy!! For example: I WL'd a book, second in series, and posted the first in the series to my shelf, even though I knew I'd want to refresh/reread before I got the second one. Now the 2nd is on its way to me and I need mail out the first in series before Saturday! So I'd better quit playing on PBS and get to reading. Sometimes it'll work that way...but I'm learning as I go!

Man, that brings up a point - new WL vs. vacation hold - what happens??  Does that go away, too?  With FIFO I feel secure, without it I'm really going to have to read a lot faster!

Ruth

just wanted to pop in and say Lou your signature "bug" totally got me! my hand reached out to swat the screen!

I keep my TBR books which are wishlisted on a separate shelf, and try to choose from them first.  I'd never really thought about getting first on the FIFO list before.

Cheers,

Catt

I read what I am in the mood to read.  I post when I am halfway finished,  as I am not a real fast reader.  Anywhere from 3 days to ... ?     lol.

What I read can be determined by how low my credits are getting.  But now I am getting a nice healthy credit supply so I'm not as concerned about reading WL books vs FIFO books.  I also have a hefty bunch of WL books that I need to post (they were keepers that I lost interest in) but I'm only posting a few at a time to save on postage.  So at this point in time I'm reading whatever the heck I want.  :)

It is perfectly acceptable to occasionally base your reading habits on the red W, but I would strongly recommend changing things up constantly.

Sometimes I read all wishlist books, like when I happen to have postage money and I want to clear out my bedroom a bit. It's nice to know the books will be gone soon.  Sometimes, I read what inspires me.  Sometimes, like right now, I crack down on myself and put together all those books that I'm half way through and try to finish up at least half of them before hitting the rest of the pile.  Sometimes, I discover that I have a couple books that are first in a series and I have more from that series either in my TBR pile or on my WL.  I realize that I need to read the first book to find out if I even want to bother with the rest of the series.  I think I have 3 or 4 of these sitting on my dresser waiting to be read.  Sometimes, I read the stuff that has been on my list the longest.  Or that is on page 5 of my booklist notebook (because I've read the fewest books from that pages).  Most of the time, I read what inspires me, but sometimes, I am just not motivated to pick a book, but I read so much that I NEED to read, so I have to use alternate methods to pick the next book.

Kerry

There's three ways (and probably more--I'm only on my first cuppa coffee this morning--) to look at reading and posting strategy:

1) Read wishlisted books, post them and hopefully get a credit soon. (Of course, it may take awhile, depending on how many people the book has to cycle through before you find one who actually wants the book!) I would not use this strategy for books that only have a couple of people wishing for them...the book may just end up on your bookshelf.

2) Read non-wishlited books, post them and get that book into FIFO (Some books on your shelf probably has anywhere from a few copies already in the system to MEGA copies in the system.) The quicker you read these non-wishlisted books and post them, the quicker you get into the FIFO line. I don't post books that I intend to read "soon" just to get in FIFO--remember, even though you may be #32 in line when you post it, if someone orders another book from you and looks at "order more from this member" they could choose that book and then you'd need to decide whether to cancel the order or go ahead and send it out--and have to REorder it for yourself when you want it.

3) Don't worry about either way. Read what you want, post the books when you're done and let the chips fall where they may. That's my strategy and it works for me. By not worrying about it, I end up doing a nice blend of #1 and #2 strategies. It's sort of like a financial plan where you're doing something to get money now (posting wishlisted books) but investing long-term also (posting books with copies already in system). It's a nice way of justifying my system of "I read what I want." :-D

Edited for formatting...erk!

Cheryl

Yes your books move up FIFO while you are on vacation.  You just get skipped over if you are at the top. But if you are lower in the line you keep moving up a notch as books get requested and posted (WL).

I usually only do the FIFO thing when I'm putting my shelf on hold.  If I'm going out of town or just don't want any WL offers coming in-I'll post 2 or 3 heavily posted books and then read them while I'm hold. It probably doesn't make a big difference but I figure at least they are starting their move up the line-and maybe I'll get lucky and they'll be requested with the Order More From Member button when I come off line and post some WL books.  The only time I do it when I'm not on hold is if my library has several copies and I"m on the fence about reading it anyway.

Don't set yourself up for trouble by posting a bunch of them that you really want to read when you aren't on hold. 

I usually hold off on posting WL books until I have 2 or 3 read then I see if I can find someone who has more than 1 that I can post to and save on postage.  Sometimes I will peruse people's WL and if I see that I have 2 books in my TBR on one person's WL-I might read both and then ask them if I can post both to them. 

But I find letting what's WL be my sole determinator of what I read just sucks the fun out of PBS for me.  I read what I feel like reading whether it's a book that has 300 copies posted or 100 people on WL.

Well I just posted 3 Nora Roberts books that I haven't read yet-they all have over 1,000 copies posted to PBS!  Those might end up going to the thrift store or the library sales rack. 

I forget the name of the trilogy but its Blue Dahlia, Black Rose and Red Lily.  Anyone have these at one point and were they eventually requested?  I even looked one up over on Bookmooch and there were a lot of them posted. 

Well I just posted 3 Nora Roberts books that I haven't read yet-they all have over 1,000 copies posted to PBS!  Those might end up going to the thrift store or the library sales rack. 

I forget the name of the trilogy but its Blue Dahlia, Black Rose and Red Lily.  Anyone have these at one point and were they eventually requested?  I even looked one up over on Bookmooch and there were a lot of them posted. 

Mary, I had the same with her Chesapeake series. They were on my shelf quite a  while, and then someone took all 3 by asking for a deal, which I said yes to.

I got them in a BOB trade.  I'm not a huge NR fan but I was exchanging heavily posted books for them so I figured it was an good trade. I don't dislike her but she's not one of my favorites.  I'll read them.  Maybe I'll get lucky and can do a bob for them. Or maybe after I read them I'll put in my siggy that I will send all 3 for a credit.  I just never expected them to have that many copies posted. 

This is why I usually get Nora Roberts, James Patterson and other mega-authors from the library.