A Quick & Easy Tip for Choosing the Right Book

August 12, 2010

How do you decide what book you want to read? Do you choose it by the cover? Do you rely on recommendations from others? Do you stand in front of the library shelves and wait for divine intervention to overtake you? I actually have tried all of these methods! I’d like to share a little tip that will provide you with a quick method to learn what the book is about. 

Most novels have a short catalog record called CIP (Cataloging in Publication). To locate this, look for the most ‘boring-looking’ page in the book with just numbers, dates, and company names.  This is the copyright page and is often located on the back of the title page near the beginning of the book. The CIP provides you with a one-line summary of the book and the main subject topics. In that one line, you can determine the key issues in the book like sports, history, or fantasy, etc. At a quick glance you can determine if this is right selection for you!

Laura C.
Liberty Branch