Resources to Elevate Your Reading Life
Where to find great books and thoughtful commentary
A lot of people have been asking me what resources I use to find new books and strengthen my reading life. (Okay, no one has actually asked that, but I'm sure someone was about to.) I rely on many different websites, readers, and newsletters for my high school library job, but I also use a lot of that same stuff to help develop my personal reading life.
I love the act of reading, of course, but I also enjoy it more broadly. I love learning about books, making and viewing book lists, checking out book reviews, listening to bookish podcasts, and watching videos featuring other passionate readers or authors. I never get tired of books and reading, and if you're reading this, I'm guessing you relate. There's always more to discover in literature, so here are some resources I use professionally and personally to find great books.
NoveList
NoveList is a subscription database I access through my public library. I use this site multiple times a week for work and often for myself. I love it so much because you can do super-specific searches. My school district recently added African American and Native American literature classes to the curriculum, so my district has been working on purchasing more books from those authors. I can search for books on NoveList by the author's nationality and cultural identity. I can filter my search by Dewey decimal number if we need more books for a specific nonfiction section or limit my searches to books that won a prize, like the National Book Award. NoveList also lets you search by reading level, author's gender identity, and even places the book has been mentioned in the media, like newspapers or talk shows. For the past few months, I've been helping assemble an extensive DEI book list for my schools to purchase, and NoveList has been indispensable.
I also use it for myself. If I like a book and want something similar, I can enter the title of the book I enjoyed and get suggested read-alikes. NoveList even tells me why those books were recommended, which I love. If you're an avid reader, see if your local library offers NoveList access. Play around with the site for a while, and I bet you'll come to love it as much as I do.Â
Literary Hub / Book Marks
If you read my Wednesday posts in which I share links that have caught my eye throughout the week, you know I often link to things I read from Lit Hub. They offer insightful essays, book reviews, and book lists, such as their Most Anticipated lists, in which editors share upcoming releases they're excited about.Â
Book Marks is under the Lit Hub umbrella, and I look forward to their weekly email. Each Friday, I get a newsletter recapping six new books that have been well-reviewed that week, three fiction and three nonfiction. Book Marks is the Rotten Tomatoes of book reviews. It's a lot of fun to browse and helps me stay on top of new releases.
The Millions
Like Lit Hub, The Millions posts all kinds of great bookish content, my favorite being their version of the Most Anticipated lists. I like to sit down with my book journal at the beginning of the year, explore the list, and write down all the books I'm excited to read. Toward the end of the year, the site has various authors share what they read throughout the year in their Year in Review series. It’s always interesting to see what books writers love.
Book Riot
Of all the sites I'm sharing today, I don't think any posts as much content in as many different formats as Book Riot does. Book Riot is dedicated to diverse reading, so you'll find book lists for all ages highlighting all kinds of viewpoints. The site shares a lot of great YA content, which helps me know what students might be interested in reading.
I subscribe to three of Book Riot's fantastic newsletters, some of which are sent through Substack. I read Today in Books, Check Your Shelf, and Literary Activism. (You can learn more on their newsletter page.) I work in five schools, so I get a lot of emails. I’m extremely choosy about what newsletters I get, but I find that Book Riot’s are consistently informative and worth my time. They also have several podcasts if you prefer listening to your bookish content.Â
Social Justice Books
Having an equitable library collection is of utmost importance to me. I want all students to see themselves reflected in their school library. Over the past several years, I've applied for and been given several grants to purchase diverse books. As I mentioned earlier, I'm helping build a DEI collection for my entire district. Social Justice Books has been a valuable resource for these projects. They offer a "critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators." I like knowing their book lists and reviews are put together with care and a discerning eye toward equity. They also have a helpful guide on their page for selecting anti-bias children's books.Â
Fantastic Fiction
One of the most challenging parts of my job is keeping up with book series. Many students love reading series, but it can be difficult to keep up with what book goes in which series and what number this or that book might be. Enter Fantastic Fiction. When I worked at a public library, I asked my coworkers what site they used to check series books for patrons, and they said it was that one. It's a very basic site that does exactly what I need it to do. It's especially useful for tracking series from authors who write several different ones, such as Rick Riordan.
NetGalley
NetGalley is the site for you if you're interested in reading and reviewing copies of upcoming books. Anyone is eligible to join, not just bloggers or librarians. You can browse the site to see upcoming books and request a review copy, and if you're approved, you can download an ebook or audiobook. NetGalley also sends helpful emails highlighting new releases and giving you pre-approved access to certain titles.
Kirkus Reviews
There are many excellent book review sites and journals out there, but Kirkus Reviews is one of my favorites. Their YA reviews always include information about the book's diversity, which has been helpful for my recent work. I also appreciate their clean and well-organized website. It's easy to find what I'm looking for, whether that's a review, book list, or article. Following along with their annual Kirkus Prize is always fun, too.Â
Talpa Search
Have you read that one book about a girl growing up in Alabama whose father is a lawyer? Or maybe you read that thriller about the wife who went missing in Missouri? If you’re trying to find a book, but you just can’t remember the title or author, try Talpa Search, a tool introduced to me by one of the wonderful librarians I work with. The search engine uses AI and several different sources of book data to help readers find those mysterious books we can’t quite remember.
Shelf Awareness
Shelf Awareness covers books, bookstores, and publishing. They offer two newsletters; one is for readers and it highlights the 25 best books published that week, while the other caters to those in the book trade. Even though I work in libraries, I’m fascinated by the state of bookstores and what’s trending in them.
Social Media
Social media can sometimes be a dumpster fire, but some genuinely outstanding and thoughtful creators are doing good work by recommending great books and offering insight into what they're reading. Here are some of my favorite bookish follows:
Instagram:
@lonesomereader
@shelfbyshelf
@thebooksatchel
YouTube:
Substack:
I’m curious about what resources you use to find books. What should I add to my list? Whose work should I be following? I welcome your thoughts. Thanks for reading!
Thanks so much for the shout out, Andrea! You introduced me to some great new resources for work ~ I so appreciate finding new librarian hacks :-)
Thanks for sharing such a comprehensive list! I’m glad something I suggested is actually helpful 😊You are amazing at your job, and your knowledge is invaluable!