Finding Books

A guide for discovering new reads.

I've always loved books. I love the stories, the characters, the prose. But it wasn't until recently that I became an avid reader. This transition is due to my persistence in seeking out new reads.

“I like to read but I don’t know where to find any recommendations.”

I've heard this a lot from others. I have to admit, I used to have the same problem. But over the last few years, I've discovered a few resources that I wanted to share:

Goodreads

The first thing you should do is head over to Goodreads and set up an account. Goodreads is an online community/social media platform dedicated to books. You can sign-up through your Facebook account—making the process very easy. It also allows you to connect with your Facebook friends that are using Goodreads.

Rate Books You've Read

Got that profile all set up? Okay, good. Now start rating books that you've read. I know it’s tough to rate how much you enjoyed something on a 1-5 scale, but trust me it’s for the greater good.

Create Shelves

Goodreads lets you organize books you've read into groups they call “shelves”. After you've rated your books, create shelves and organize your books into the appropriate shelf.

Some examples of shelves: Favorite Books of All-time, 2014 Releases, Fiction, Non-Fiction, etc.

I promise there’s a reason for all of this. Goodreads provides recommendations based on books in the different shelves you've created. Ultimately, these shelves provide you with more recommendations.

Join Different Groups

Have a favorite author or genre? There’s probably a group of others on Goodreads that shares your affection. Join the group. See what other people are reading and discussing.

Listopia

Under the “Explore” tab on your homepage, there is section called “Listopia”. There are a TON of lists that will help you discover new reads.

Each book on Goodreads has it’s own unique page. You can view general information about the book, as well as comments and ratings from other users. There’s so much to offer from this site that it’s best if you just poke around. See what you’re friends are reading!

Review Sites

Just like music and film, there are review sites dedicated to books. This is a great way to keep up with current releases. Here’s a few I like:

Kirkus Reveiws

Kirkus Reviews is my favorite site for keeping up with new book releases. Click a category you’re interested in under the “Book Reviews” tab. I usually select “Fiction & Literature”. Then I filter the results by clicking “Stars Only”. These are books that Kirkus has rated highly. And just like that there are suggestions at your fingertips.

Shelf Awareness

Shelf Awareness is a free e-newsletter about books and the industry. Newsletters are published frequently and contain reviews and other news about books/authors.

You can also search books you’ve discovered through these sites on Goodreads and see what others are saying.