How to Shop Books Like A Pro: Buying Books You'll Not Regret

Don't always follow the best selling lists

Book lovers love to go on a book scout, looking for the books that have been recommended to them. When the new book hits the shelve, we can’t wait to lay our hands on them and consume the goods therein. We always want to have something on our table because our reading list never gets empty.

In a conversation with a book lover recently, he asked me; “How do you know which book to buy and where do you get them?” We will all have different answers to this question because we acquire books differently. So, I’m going to take my time to discuss the various ways one will know which books to buy and buy them without any regret and also where to find what to buy.

HOW TO KNOW WHICH BOOK TO BUY

#1. Follow book recommendations from your favorite writers or bloggers.

Sometimes, it’s not easy to know which books to buy. There are a lot of them at the shelves and there are so few you could buy so you want to ensure you buy the books that would serve you well in the end. This is where recommendations become very important. To get the very best recommendations, subscribe to the mailing list of writers and book bloggers. These people read a lot of books and they recommend the very best of books they’ve read based on genre. Depending on how many mailing lists you are subscribed to, you are assured of getting a lot reviews that would inform you on the next book to purchase. You can follow my book list here 

#2. Don't always follow the bestseller list.

People are mostly tempted to buy the books tagged as bestsellers. I’m guilty of that and most times I’m left disappointed. The fact that a book is listed as bestseller doesn’t mean you’ll enjoy reading it. Remember, the book you will enjoy reading are books that solves a problem in your life or a book that answers a question for you. Such books are not necessarily bestsellers. So, when buying books, stay off the temptation of buying books just because it’s a bestseller. Shop around your best interest. That way, you wouldn’t have any reason to regret your purchase.

#3. Follow book boards on Pinterest

That’s what I use Pinterest for. All the boards I follow are boards that talk about books. What happens is, you get the opportunity to read book list from people from all corners of the world who have different tastes and interests when it comes to book. You see a photo that says “11 top books that will make you cry.” If you are in the mood of crying, you just tap on the photo and click “Read.” Pinterest will take you to the site where the book list is curated so you know which ones are worth the buy.

#4. Join a book club

Book club is also another avenue to get intimate with books that you love. In Ghana, there a lot of them and they all have their schedules and their book of interest. Some book clubs are formed around fiction and none-fiction. Others are formed around classical books and literature. Depending on your interest, find one of these book clubs and join. They usually pick a book for members to read and at some point, in the month, they meet to discuss the book. There’s one that I join. It’s called Kadi Book Club  and it’s centered around non-fiction and self-help. Most of the books I buy are recommendations from Kadi club so I hardly regret a purchase.

#5. Be friends with readers on social media

Book lovers usually share what they are reading on the timelines. The share quotes and snippets of their current reads on their timeline. Some even go the extra mile to review what they are reading. When you find yourself with these people on social media, apart from the fact that you are motivated to read and join the conversation, it also gives you the opportunity to know the kind of books to buy the next time you visit the shop. Find these people on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. But find me first…wink!

Where to shop the books

Our aim is to shop on a budget and when it comes to books, we look for places we would get the books we want and at cheaper prices. Below are some of the ways to get the books you want;

#1. Second-hand shop

The number one place to buy books at cheaper prices are the shops that sell second-hand books. These shops are scattered along the streets of Accra and many places in Ghana. And they sell all genre of books.

The only disadvantage here is that, you usually don't find the titles you want and if you find, it's through serendipity. It takes a lot of patience and search to finally get what you want since books from these shops are hardly categorize.

#2. Book Hawkers

I love the book hawkers. Though they carry a very little stock, if you are lucky to find the title you want, you can trust that you will have it at cheaper prices. When you see them, don’t be lazy, ask them to unpack so you can go through their titles one after the other. Chances are that, you might find what you are looking for. If not, you might find an interesting title to buy. Either way, you win.

#3. Bookstores

Bookstores usually hold a very large stock of books and as such, it’s easy to find what you are looking for. If you have a list of books that you want to purchase and you want a place you can find them, then a bookstore is the place. There, you can check out all the aisles and find the what you came to buy. Chances are, you can even stumble on a title you didn’t plan for but have interest to buy. The only cons with the bookstore is that, usually the prices aren’t cheap as compared to the two places above but you’ll get what you want anyway.

#4. E-books from online

 No matter what people say about e-books, they are not going to go away. It’s now an entrenched category that a lot of people love to read from. I love e-books for its handy nature and for the fact that I can carry thousands of them around at a time. I’m never short of books because of e-books. Also, when new books arrive and most bookstores haven’t stocked them, you can buy the e-book online. It’s cheap as compared to the paper counterpart and you can buy in the comfort of your sofa and read it instantly. Buy eBooks.

About Nesta

Nesta Jojoe Erskine is an author, blogger and social media manager who helps businesses and individual entrepreneurs manage their digital presence and also builds an audience for their brand leading to more engagement and online sales. He blogs on www.nestaerskine.com and you can follow his works on…

Facebook: @nestajojoeerskine

Twitter: @Nesta_J_Erskine

The Miracle Morning Review + My UPDATED Morning Routine

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Hello world!

I know! I have been MIA since December, but do not worry, I am fully back to work. So much went on in the last couple of weeks, and that is how life is. There will be ups and downs.

So, I am back.

I just finished reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and after reading it, I realized mornings are taken for granted. Yes. A lot of things can be done in the mornings which can help us have a great day ahead.

Reading this book has made me improve upon my morning routine. I do have a morning routine, but reading this book has helped me improve upon it.

I had heard so much of this book, I did not know where to get it, so I asked a bookworm, Nesta whether he had it and he “lend” it to me. Thank you Nesta!

The beginning of the book was quite tragic. Reading about an accident that happened, and how bad it was. It might make you want to stop reading, honestly. Reading it further made me realize, life is a big painful thing we are all passing through. The author of the book went through certain things that made life seem cruel.

Apart from that, this book was easy to understand, interactive and easy to follow. Most reviews were talking about the writing being so cringe worthy, but I liked it. He wrote it like he was talking to you one on one, and I think that is what we all need.

The book gives you easy step by step ways we can make our mornings exciting, fresh and fun. I recommend this book to everyone.

I give this book 4 out 5 stars.

Now unto my morning routine…

I have made some changes to it. I am currently trying to live life more fully. Not just by going places and having fun, but also, adapting habits that will make me happy, that will help me get closer to my dream life.

Since my alarm goes off at 4:44am, I will extend it to 4am, so that I can enjoy the miracle morning to the fullest. A few new things I would be adding are:

5 minute silence

Affirmations

Visualization

These are the few new things that I would be adding to my morning routine.

If you are finding ways of trying to have a perfect morning even if you are not a morning person, I recommend reading The Miracle Morning.

Let’s Chat: What do you dread most about mornings? What do you think about the book if you have read it? What would you like your mornings to be like?

Daily Gifts (An Excerpt from Christmas Stories for the Heart)

Another blogmas post is coming your way this morning. How has your December been so far? Mine has been full of work, work, work, and I cannot complain much. Between being a student and a worker, I have seen the difference. As a student, you get a little break but as a worker. There is nothing like break.

Anyway, I have been trying to enjoy every little moment I have to spare. I have been super busy, but I try to live life at peace.

For a minute, I didn’t know which blogmas post to write again, but as I was reading this festive book of mine, I read page 104 and it really touched my heart.

It looks so much like the Light the World initiative I am involving myself in, but it has more options and simple and daily things we should be practicing.

The book says we can call these daily gifts “our Christmas Projects.” We could practice one of these little projects, one moment/day/period at a time.

They listed some suggestions in the book and I will list some here

Mend a quarrel

Seek out a forgotten friend

Write a long overdue love note

Hug someone tightly and whisper “I love you so.”

Forgive an enemy

Be gentle and patient with an angry person

Express appreciation

Gladden the heart of a child

Find the time to keep a promise

Release a grudge

Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more

Play some beautiful music during the evening meal

Apologize if you were wrong

Turn off the television and talk

Treat someone to an ice-cream cone (yogurt will be fine)

Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt

Encourage an older person

These are some of the many things they listed in the book. You can try and do some as time goes by.

Merry Christmas!

Book Review: Christmas Stories from the Heart

Every December, I do a festive book review and this year’s own is a book I bought in the middle of the year and I am so glad that I bought it. It is one of the best festive book ever. It is filled with miracles and sweet little nuggets which you can keep and cherish in your hearts all year long.

One thing I love about the book is the foreword which was written by Avalon, an award winning singing group. I totally agree with the foreword and I can read it over and over again.

They said Christmas seemed so much simpler when I was a child……in fact it seemed like pure magic. It’s true and the foreword reminded me of the cartoon movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas, where Charlie Brown complained of the way Christmas has been commercialized.

This book can be a perfect gift, for people who love reading and treasure little stories and poems that touch the heart.

Get a copy, and thank me later.

Book Addict Q&As

Hello world!

So I was reading my blog (yes, I normally do that) and I realized it’s been a heck of a long time since I wrote a book/novel review. Also, as I was scrolling through my Goodreads account, the last book I had read was the Power, by Rhonda Byrnes.

In the world of reading, I have failed totally.

I know, it is not the end of the year yet, but we are almost ending the first half and it sucks.

Today’s post is some questions I am answering in relation to books and my reading pleasure.

Honestly, I do not remember where I got these questions from, but it will be fun to blog about it. I wrote the questions and answered them in my writer’s journal, so I just thought I should share it.

Where do you like to read?

Mostly in my room, or at a cozy part of my home.

Bookmark or random piece of paper?

Bookmarks. I usually make my own. They are not really pretty ones, but I’ve been doing them as long as I can remember.

Bookshelf or box

Definitely bookshelves. I have library dreams. I can even make the under of the bookshelf my bed.

Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop at a chapter?

I have to stop reading at a chapter. I just can’t stop reading at any page. If I do, then I start the chapter all over again.

Do you eat or drink while reading?

Not at all. If I do, I normally do it when I am done reading a chapter or on break.

E-Reader or physical book?

Real book! I want to feel the pages and smell the book. Once, I read John Grisham’s The Litigators. The smell of the book made me feel like I was working in a law firm.

Music or television while reading?

None. I tried it once, it did not work. At the end, I was singing along and creating music videos in my head.

One book at a time or several at once?

One book at a time. I want to feel the moment of one book before moving to the next.

Reading at home or everywhere?

I prefer reading at home but it depends. I tried reading in a public transport. It was quite uncomfortable but I was able to read 5-6 chapters. I still prefer reading at home.

Reading aloud or silently in your head?

I read silently in my head most of the time, but I read dramatic conversations out loud, especially when I am alone. (Confession time)

Fiction or non-fiction?

Both! But, most of my books are fiction.

Do you read ahead or skip pages?

I read every line ahead. I like to picture scenes in my head. So, I read everything, including the dress she wore and how it looked good on her.

Break the spine or keep the book as new?

It depends. If it’s an old book I bought, I break the spine. If it’s freshly bought from a bookshop. I’d keep it like new.

Do you write in your books?

I used to when I was a little girl. But now, I prefer to keep a notebook and a pen nearby.

Your top 5 favourite books

I really do not like answering questions like this, because there are several books I have read that deserve to be part of the top 5. I am also yet to read more interesting books but for the sake of this, here are my top five books:

Tell Me Your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon

Hidden Rainbow by Christmas Carol Kauffman

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

A Promise for Ellie by Lauraine Snelling

Christmas After All by Kathryn Lasky

Next time, don’t ask me this question, hahaha xx.

Favourite genre

Mystery. Suspense

What made you love reading?

My parents put the reading spirit in me. I started reading when I was a little girl, and now it’s a part of me.

Any other materials you love to read?

Comic books!

Now I tag you to answer these questions. Anywhere on social media. If you have a blog, that would be cool. Do not forget to tag me!

Currently reading: The Artist Way by Julia Cameron

Christmas Books on the Shelf

Hello world, and happy Friday!

As an avid reader, I read Christmas-themed novels/books too. I love the description and the feeling you get when some authors talk about Christmas, and the inner peace the characters experience. I love that. Janet Tronstad is good at writing festive scenes and books. I want to learn how to write such festive scenes, so that I can write Christmas-themed books one day.

I think Janet Tronstad’s books are in my Christmas wish lists. I will share my Christmas wish list one of these days.

So, let’s talk about Christmas books that are lying on our bookshelf at home. I started reading them again somewhere in November. I read

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

It is a very funny book. I could imagine Luther’s character. I would like to live in a neighbourhood like his. They live the Christmas lifestyle. The ending of the book was unpredictable. I mean, this is John Grisham, people! He is the Law man we all grew up with. Well done, John Grisham. You deviated this time.😂😂😂

Christmas After All by Kathryn Lasky is another novel that gets read by me every Christmas. I bought it exactly four years ago at the Methodist Bookstore in Accra. I had little money on me and wanted to buy three books that day, but I had to take one. It was a difficult thing to do to choose among three books. (I hope not to do that again in this life; to choose between books), and I chose Christmas After All. I do not ever regret choosing that book. It has taught me a lot.

Cowboy Christmas by Carol Finch, Elizabeth Lane and Pam Crooks.

This book has three different short stories and was written by three authors. The second story was my favourite. The Home Coming by Elizabeth Lane

A Treasury of Christmas Classics is one of a kind. It has poems, quotations, hymns, legends and stories from long ago and now. It even has the classic story, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It is a perfect book to read with a cup of hot chocolate.

Sleigh Bells in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad is one of my favourite Christmas novel. It is about forgiveness, peace and love. I do not have this book anymore because I borrowed it from a school’s library, but I get the chance, I will buy it.

The Substitute Guest by grace Livingston Hill is another book on the shelf. This is one I have not read yet.

New Testament Holy Bible in English Standard Version (ESV) was a gift. It is a Christmas study Bible, and we added it to our Christmas Books collection.

I am yet to buy more Christmas-themed books soon.

What is your favourite Christmas-themed book?

The Other Side of a Writer

I recently finished reading one of Roald Dahl’s books; The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More and it made me fall in love with his writings more. The first Roald Dahl book I read was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I was amazed at how he could make our imaginations travel.

In Lucky Break (How I Became a Writer), which is part of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, he described a writer he met; C.S. Forester. He wrote

………..there are two distinct sides to a writer of fiction. First, there is the side he displays to the public, that of an ordinary person like anyone else, a person who does ordinary things and speaks an ordinary language. Second, there is the secret side, which comes out in him only after he has closed the door of his workroom, and is completely alone. It is then that he slips into another world altogether, a world where his imagination takes over and he finds himself actually living in the places he is writing about at that moment. I myself, if you want to know, fall into a kind of trance, and everything around me disappears. I see only the point of my pencil moving over the paper, and quite often two hours go by as though they were a couple of seconds.

I wanted to scream at Roald Dahl and tell him YOU ARE SOOOOO RIGHT, ROALD!!!! Because what he wrote was very true. You see writers as ordinary people who wear ordinary clothes and live ordinary lives in an ordinary neighbourhood, in an ordinary house and speak an ordinary language.

But, let him be in his room alone. The room where he writes, and give him a pen and paper. He is completely in another world. Words are floating around his head, but you cannot see it.

I experience that a lot. When I get overdose of inspiration, I fall into that trance.

Any other writer who has experience that?

P.S. Don’t forget to vote (Details on the image below)

Book Talk: Women Who Run with the Wolves

 Hello world. How is your day?

Today, I have a book review to share with you. Before I write my review, let me tell you a story.

More than fifteen years ago, this book laid on the shelf, and it scared the heck out of me. The title of the book even frightened me. I mean, women running with wolves? They must be very powerful and wild.

I never attempted to read the book. How can I even hold it? Funnily enough, the book was used for so many things, as a support for TV antennas and other things.

Then, in the year 2016, I decided to read it, and I planned to read it during the long vacation. Then I fell in love with it. It is about women finding their wild soul. Within every woman, there is a creative soul, wisdom, powerful force, and a yearning for the wild. The book teaches women to connect with their fierce side, because it is a very important aspect of women.

And that’s how I got to appreciate the book. I used one month to read the book, the whole month of July, which is so unlike me. I had impromptu errands to run, and other tasks to perform, so I never had enough time for the book. Later on, I realized the book is to be studied, not just read, so I am okay with using a month to read the book.

The word, wild here is not used in its modern pejorative sense, meaning out of control, but in its original sense, which means to live a natural life, one in which the creature has innate integrity and healthy boundaries.

The book is so poetic, I love the words, and phrases. I dream of writing a book like this, with such poetic words. There are so many quotes in this book, I could not journal all. I wanted to highlight my favourite lines, but it belongs to the family, so I am not allowed to do that. If it was personally mine, I would have changed the inside into a rainbow.

I learnt a lot from the book. Before I read it, mummy and I were talking about how women are so strong in everything and are very important in the society, and the book talked about that. Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D. talked about women and compared us to the lifestyle of wolves, in a very amusing way.

I do not know why I did not read this book a year or two ago, but it is worth it. 

The book taught me

• Never to give up
• Addiction is not good
• Be proud of your body
• Build upon your creativity
• Get rid of negativity
• Patience and forgiveness are very important.

We should write a book like this about African women. That would be so cool. If you plan on starting to write a book like this and you need help, you can call me. I’ll help you write it.

I have uploaded a video on my YouTube channel (Yes, I have a YouTube Channel now at long last) I am talking a lot about the book, so head over there to watch it.

P.S GENERAL WOLF RULES FOR LIFE

Eat

Rest

Rove in between

Render loyalty

Love the children

Cavil in moonlight

Tune your ears

Attend to the bones

Make love

Howl often

Have you read the book before? Please let’s talk about it.

Novel Talk: The Redemption of Sarah Cain

Hello world!

I had a good weekend. It was good. Last week was kind of a mixed situation, both good and unpleasant. I am grateful for such a wonderful weekend to get away from the city and go back to Winneba to hide a little (just for a few hours).

I am done reading The Redemption of Sarah Cain. It is a religious novel about a group of Christians I am hearing for the first time; The Amish. I don’t know of anyone in Ghana would belongs to a group like that. I have done online research of them because of this. They have interesting customs and traditions.

Anyway, since I have finished reading the book, I wanted to go on ahead and write the review, but I want to do something different. I want to write eleven quotes/ sentences I liked from the book. Here are five quotes I liked from the book (in no particular order)

Choose only the perfect ones, and your collection will become more important. Remember, there is only one sun and moon in the sky. Think how trivial a harvest moon would be if there were three.

Things done by halves are never done right.

In shedding nonessentials, one sheds vanity

Nary a promise for the morrow. Live ev’ryday as if it’s your last

Sarah had come to her relationship with Bryan a mere silhouette of a woman, hungry for acceptance, but too apprehensive to embrace it wholeheartedly.

There’s a healing that often comes from creating an heirloom.

The outside of one’s life is their shell. It can guide one to find the ultimate answer….within.  A person is always free to change his shell at any time.

God is sovereign, in all, over all, and above all. I do put my faith and hope in him.

Human beings often despite aloneness. We avoid isolation at all costs. Yet we must reconcile with solitude, learn to embrace it, so that we can hear God’s voice.

Treasures from the sea teaches us heavenly lessons.

A single powerful bolt of lightning split the sky, silver and sizzlin’.

Have you read the book? What do you think of the Amish culture? Maybe, you can tell me more about them.

Lunch Time Is For Reading

I have been trying to read more than 5 novels before the Long Vacation is over. Reading is one of my favourite hobbies, so it is not difficult at all to achieve this goal.

Reading novels takes me to another world. I feel I am part of their life. I cry with them, I rejoice with them, I get angry with them, I cringe with them. That’s what also happens when I create characters in my stories and poems. I cry with them and cry for them. Is that weird???

Anyway, lunch time is for reading. I am currently reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I must say, it is a good book to read during lunch time. I have read only a few books by Charles Dickens. My favourite one so far is A Christmas Carol, and I am enjoying David Copperfield too.

I have about 4 or more books on the shelf waiting for me to read them and I can’t wait to get them in my hands and have no mercy on them.

What are you currently reading?