Five Steps to Help You Choose Books You'll Love

Make your reading time count

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

I’m relaxing and enjoying time with family for the rest of 2023, so I’m recycling some posts from my former blog, Andrea Is Reading. My website is still up, so if you like the content I make here, you’ll probably enjoy the reviews and book lists I shared over there.

---

I’ve been doing library work for a long time. Something I see a lot is a patron wandering around, completely lost. Sometimes, a student needs a book for a class, but they tell me they don’t know what they want or where to find something they might like. When I worked in public libraries, someone might ask me where a brand new, popular novel was located without realizing the waiting list was 100 people long and that it would take months for the book to appear on the shelves. Even devoted readers sometimes struggle to find a book they’re excited to pick up.

In today’s post, I want to share some strategies for choosing books you’ll enjoy. Of course, you’ll never love every book you read, but you can learn to select books that will most likely be satisfying. Let’s dive in!

Ask Yourself These Three Questions

If you’re struggling to choose good books, it helps to know yourself as a reader. For example, I used to purchase classic books I thought I should read, but they collected dust on my shelves. Other times, I picked up the latest bestseller and didn’t understand the hype. Now that I know who I am as a reader, most of the books I choose end up working for me. Here are some questions to ask yourself. Jot down your answers so you can refer back to them later. 

1. How do I want to feel when I read?

   • Do you want to feel engrossed or relaxed? Would you like to be swept away or planted in reality? Our feelings have a lot to do with how we enjoy and experience books, so it benefits us as readers to consider how we feel and want to feel when selecting a book.

2. What do I need right now? 

   • I can’t handle a biography or 700-page novel when I feel overwhelmed. I tend to like lighter books in the summer and weightier books in the winter. Pay attention to what you need when you choose a book. If you need some escapism, choose a book focused on plot. If you need a vacation, try a book set somewhere you’d like to travel. Reading is fun, but it can also be an act of self-care when we consider what we need out of our books.

3. What are my book words?

   • Book words are an idea from Kendra Adachi (a.k.a. the Lazy Genius). She says, “Book Words are words in book descriptions that make you go ‘Oooohhhh, I think I’ll really love this.'” Some of my words are dark, mysterious, atmospheric, enlightening, complex, well-developed, literary, and poetic. The words that are NOT for me include speculative, fantastical, inspirational, scary, and saga. 

After answering these questions, you can start to think in specifics like this: 

“I want to feel relaxed, so I need a short, lighthearted book that is funny, sweet, and touching.”

That type of specificity will help you (or a bookseller/librarian) find a title that’s sure to be a good fit

Pay Attention to Blurbs

Cover blurbs can be helpful if you think about who rather than what. Blurbs are valuable when I think about the author writing them and not so much about what they actually say (because who knows if the author even read the book they’re blurbing). When I see a book that has a blurb by Celeste Ng or Roxane Gay on the cover, I know that book might be similar to their work. If I’m skimming a book cover and see a blurb by an author whose work I don’t like, that tells me the book I’m looking at might not be for me. 

Judge the Book by Its Cover

Through the years, I’ve discovered many excellent books because of their beautiful cover designs. Sure, you can’t always judge a book by its cover, but the cover art can often give you clues about what the book is like with just a glance. If I see a spaceship or a dragon on a book cover, I know that’s not a book I’ll enjoy. Consider what book covers draw you in and search for similar designs.

Be a Quitter

DON’T TORTURE YOURSELF BY READING A BOOK YOU DON’T LIKE. (That statement is worthy of being in all caps.) It’s easy to fall into the trap of reading things we feel like we should read, but that tends to make reading a chore rather than a life-giving activity. Unless you need to finish a book for a class or other commitment, put down books you’re not enjoying so you can find a title you’ll genuinely want to read. 

Find Your Book People

There are several people I know whose book recommendations I take seriously. They understand me well, and we tend to enjoy the same type of writing, so when they tell me to check out a particular title, I prioritize it. My local indie bookstore has a Staff Picks section, and I’ve discovered a couple of employees whose recommendations are always spot-on for me, so I scan the shelves for their names every time I’m there. Your book person might be someone on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok. They might be your neighborhood librarian, a podcast host, or your best friend. To find your book people, search on social media for books you enjoy and find accounts that have recommended those and other similar titles. Librarians and booksellers love giving recommendations, so feel free to ask next time you browse. Your bookish soul mates are out there somewhere, I promise.

---

What advice would you give readers searching for their next book? What advice has been helpful in your own reading journey? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading!