You close the cover of a book or turn off an audiobook, smile in satisfaction at what you just read, and then that creeping feeling hits you at the top of your spine. That tingle of uncertainty. That shot of adrenaline, pushing you to ask the question that comes for us all-"What am I going to read next?!"
Take a deep breath and let this guide...guide you. Hopefully, these tips can keep you from falling into your next book hole.
- Ask your friends- This is an easy one, ask your friends what they're reading. Maybe you have similar tastes, and you can swap book suggestions. Or if you read different types of books, then their suggestions can expand your reading list even more! If your friends don't read, get new friends! Just kidding...unless. No, if your friends don't read, then get them to the library quick!
- Book challenges- We're all pretty familiar with the Summer Reading Program book challenge, right? Read a certain number of minutes and get a prize! But did you know there are book challenges all year long? Apps like Libby, Hoopla, and Beanstack run different challenges beyond summer. And if you sign up for Beanstack now, you'll be ready for the Summer Reading Program in a couple months! Beanstack: Reading Challenges and Personalized Recommendations
3. Novelist read-alike lists- Your library card grants you access to our whole Virtual Library, which includes tons (we counted) of databases! One database is Novelist and it's a really great tool to find books and authors that you like. Of course, you can search by title and author, but Novelist also has filters for genre, theme, and story elements. If you can't get enough "hating-to-dating" books, then Novelist is a great resource to try.
4. Awards lists- There are tons of awards lists out there for books from New York Times Bestsellers to the Caldecott Medal to the Printz Awards. There are genre specific awards, like the Hugo awards for science fiction and fantasy stories. Or the Eisner awards that honor amazing work being done in comic books. Those apps running book challenges also usually put out their own lists of awards, voted on by readers like you! Take some time to find a list that speaks to you and your interests.
5. Ask a librarian- We love this one! Walk right up and ask us for book recommendations! Be prepared to answer questions about your favorite books, movies, authors, and more. Our goal is not to necessarily recommend a specific book to you but to present you with a few options to get your wheels turning. We're good, but even we don't know every single book that's been published.
If, after all your searching, you still have not found your next favorite read then there's always the old standard: go back to one of your favorite books or authors and dive back into it. No matter how you get to it, your next favorite is just around the corner!
Find Your Next Read
When you're searching for your next great read, but you simply cannot make it out the door because gestures to everything, then have no fear! Bookmatch is here! Simply fill out the form about what kind of experience you're looking for and one of our librarians will do their best to match you with 5-8 new titles to try!
