Guidelines for Reading Books

How to Choose a Book:

 * look at the cover – picture, title, author
 * read the blurb (at the back or inside front cover)
 * look at the size of the writing
 * try out the first page then skip to a middle page
 * 5 Finger Test (read a page and if less then 5 words you don't know that's ok, more than 5 words you don't know, it's too hard)
 * look at topic based section of your interest
 * look at the size of the book
 * look at the “Young Adult” section if relevant to your age
 * choose another book from the same series of one you have enjoyed
 * choose another book from the same author of one you have enjoyed

Abandoning a Book... Why?

 * Too easy
 * too hard
 * too long to get into action
 * boring – not interesting
 * not enough explanation – too confusing
 * not appropriate – insulting
 * print is too hard to read
 * designed for a different gender
 * too specialised – jargon
 * too sad, heavy going or scary
 * don't like the characters
 * monotonous
 * too similar to another book
 * too distant
 * expected something different from this author
 * don't like the author's point of view