How readers select book to read

This is the moment of careful and calculated selection, or else there may just be a purchase spree of the entire stock of letters speaking on numerous bounded papers. Here, what may be aroma for one may shockingly be odour to another. Bookshelf visited some bookshops in Abuja to sample the opinion of readers. A […]

This is the moment of careful and calculated selection, or else there may just be a purchase spree of the entire stock of letters speaking on numerous bounded papers. Here, what may be aroma for one may shockingly be odour to another. Bookshelf visited some bookshops in Abuja to sample the opinion of readers.

A reader prances into a bookshop and one can almost visualise the sudden speedy movement of a shop keeper’s heartbeat, hear the thumping sound, perceive the heated anticipation, all triggered by the desire to quench the book lover’s desire. But how, is the question. What does this reader want? What would he or she need? And amongst the variety of books, what kind would appeal more? But the reader may already have a particular book in mind and quickly walk away to the chagrin of the eager pleaser who may have reluctantly replied “sorry sir, or sorry madam, we do not have the book you are requesting for. This was the exact scenario that played out when a lady walked into one of the bookshops on the third floor of a plaza in Utako and asked for a book on sewing or Jewellery and not getting her ‘yes’ quickly walked away in disappointment. But for Mr. Femi Esan who purchased a book with illustrations, the hunt was a treat for his children. “I chose to buy this book because I want it to aid their reading. They are between the ages of three and five. It would aid their learning of English at home,” he said. “I interact with them and ask questions during bed time stories. Questions such as what is in the middle? How did this happen? Also, they have to describe what they see.” Thus, for Mr. Esan, picture books that would spur the imagination of his children and stories to polish their spoken English are the focus.      
Yet another reader may have a particular book in mind but end up buying more than the pre-planned copy. Sometimes the book sought after may be because of a friend’s recommendation or if bought on impulse, meet a present need for information or just entertainment. One of these was the case with Somachi Kachikwu when she stepped into a book shop in the National Council for Arts and Culture. One book was in this young lady’s mind, and it was The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, written by Lola Shoneyin. It turned out that the hunt for multiple copies of the book was actually the result of a general consensus among a small group of her friends who found it ideal for women and their newly founded two-month-old book club. “I specifically chose this book because ours is a women’s club and the book talks about deceit among women. It merges old times with the contemporary, and Baba Segi’s is a polygamous home. A few of us that read it voted for it for our book reading.”
For her personal read, Kachikwu bought Helon Habila’s fiction novel, titled Measuring Time, a book she has neither heard about nor read. This is her reason for choosing the book of the Winner of the Caine Prize in 2001, the Commonwealth Writers Prize for New Writing in the African region, 2003 and the Muson Poetry Prize in 2000: “I like it because it is about Northern Nigeria, a part of the country I know nothing about. When I read the summary, I saw that it is set in Northern Nigeria, and as an Igbo from the east who has just returned to Nigeria, I want to know Northern Nigeria, especially the positive side. I find books to be an innocent way of getting a positive perspective and so I am excited to read this and see. You know that Boko Haram is not synonymous with Muslims,” she said.
In making a book choice for her children, Kachikwu dumped an illustrated story book and opted for a novel written by a young writer, A.H. Muhammed, titled The Last Days at Forcados High School. “My children are too advanced for the picture books and need a novel,” she said.             
A trio of teenagers had sauntered into a store loaded with a variety of items at the Silver bird plaza and headed straight for the book section. One of them suddenly stated emphatically; “I want this book. I am going to buy this book,” and picked it off the shelf without a moment’s hesitation. Her reason was simple: “The book cover,” she said in a matter of fact manner. “I have never read it and have not even gone through the back cover synopsis yet. It is just the cover. “Look at this book,” she said and picked another with just a black cover and bold title. “I cannot go for this.” Thus this youngster’s choice of a novel with a bright cover and an arresting picture of a blond girl written by Maritte Wolffe, titled, Whistle stop suggests that some children and teenagers are probably more moved to pick a book with a striking cover that speaks their taste and age while grown-ups may need several factors that include taste, mood, the want of certain information or pressing need of the moment    all jumbled together to push their choices.