How to Find Great Books to Read [A Guide]

How to Find Great Books to Read

We all love that feeling of tearing through an awesome book and the bittersweet feeling when you finally reach the last page. It’s nice to have a queue of good books lined up, so you can sustain that reading momentum when you finish a great one. If you’re having trouble finding solid reads to add to your list, try these tips for finding good books.

Ask an Expert

There are people out there who dedicate their lives to books. Why not turn to one of these experts for a little inspiration? Your first stop should be your local library – yes that archaic temple to actual, physical books. Librarians possess degrees especially in literature and library science and are likely to have more than a few titles in mind based on your reading tastes. Check out www.librariandegree.org/ for more information about the skills librarians possess. You can also stop by your local independent bookshop. Most employees here are book lovers by nature and there’s likely someone on staff who likes similar titles as you do.

Read Book Blogs and Book Reviews

Besides Book & Movie Dimension a Blog, there are many other blogs and media sources that chronicle good book titles. Some blogs like Bookslut, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and “The New York Times’” ArtsBeat cover all types of books. Other blogs specialize in a particular area, such as fantasy or young adult.

Look for Author Influences

Since you’re a reader, you probably already have a few favorite authors that you love. A great way to find related books is to seek out the literary influences of these authors. Read interviews with the author and browse their Wikipedia page. This will likely lead you to a constellation of related writers to choose from.

Use Book Search Tools

Besides using serendipity and your own search skills to find good books, you can also use dedicated book search tools. Websites like What Should I Read Next?, Goodreads and Whichbook can point you to relevant books. These websites can suggest books by genre or your mood or they can select books that other readers have recommended based on what you already like.
There are also tech tools at your local library that can help you discover related books. Try keyword searches in your library’s electronic card catalog to get you started; you can search by genre or book subject. If you’re interested in turning your love of reading into a career, you may be interested in degree programs in library technology.

Sources

“Boston Globe” (2012)
The Huffington Post (2010)