Simple Steps to Discover Your Next Favorite Book

Carl Sagan once explained on the PBS series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage that if we were to read a book a week for our entire adult lifetime, we would read no more than maybe a few thousand books. And while our first instinct is to clutch our pearls, this information really puts into perspective just how important it is to know which books to read.

Why Genre Matters

Knowing what to read is arguably the most important factor to know before you begin your reading journey or begin working toward any literary goals you might have. Once you know what you like to read, everything else tends to (mostly) take care of itself. Here are just a few reasons why we recommend knowing what genre you enjoy reading:

• For learning purposes: choosing books or articles that are related to your field of interest will help you gain relevant, focused knowledge that you’ll be able to use in your day-to-day life.
• Develop critical thinking: reading diverse viewpoints on a topic you’re interested in or want to learn more about encourages you to analyze information and form your own opinions on that topic.
• Reduce stress: reading a genre you enjoy is a relaxing and personally our favorite way to destress.
• To know you’re not alone: regardless of what you may be facing, there is probably a book on that topic because someone has been in the same spot before. Books have the power to provide insight as well as strategies to help improve your situation.

Choose Your Genre

While there is no agreed-upon number of book genres, some say there are as many as 50 – 110+. You’ve got your fantasy books, romances, thrillers, memoirs, not to mention poetry, autobiographies, graphic novels, and so many more. With so many genres to choose from, narrowing it down for your next read may seem impossible, but we promise it’s not – you just need a little guidance. Here are a few steps you can take to figure out your genre of preference:

• Look at your current reading habits: think about the last few books you read or even books that sounded interesting to you and ask yourself which aspects you liked best – the plot? The character development? The setting?
• Identify any recurring elements there may be: some examples of this would include complex relationships, unreliable narrators, or solving mysteries.
• Consider the vibe you’re going for: do you want to laugh? Cry? Be on the edge of your seat?
• If you’re having trouble pinpointing what you’re looking for exactly, try reading books from various genres and see what speaks to you.

Finding Book Recs 101

Okay, so far, we’ve established that our time here is sacred and we can only get so many books in so what we’re reading matters very much, and we’ve discussed the steps you can take to figure out what your preferred genre is. Now what? Now comes the fun part – finding books. If this part of the process has ever felt daunting to you, we promise it’s a little easier when you know what you’re looking for and a whole lot easier when you know where to look. Here are a few ways to seek out new titles:

• Book Subscription Boxes: Book subscription boxes are a beautiful thing – not only is this guaranteed book mail, but these subscriptions either allow you to choose the title/genre you most want to read or their specifically designed for lovers of your preferred genre. Book of the Month, The Literary Book Club, Banned Books Box, and The Letterbox Crime Subscription are just a few of our favorites.
• BookTok: The algorithm has your back when it comes to BookTok. Search your preferred genre or author on the app and TikTok will do the rest of the work for you.
• Goodreads: All you have to do for book recs on Goodreads is simply search for a title you enjoy, go to that book’s page, scroll down to see “lists featuring this book” and get busy adding books to your shelves.
• And the Winner Is…: From Booker Prize Winners and Edgar Award Winners to National Book Award Winners and Shirley Jackson award winners, if you want to read something that has received a major literary prize, just check out the websites for current and previous winners.
• Literary Hub: Literary Hub is the ultimate site for bibliophiles. Here, you can find literary news, reviews, endless articles about all things books, and of course, curated reading lists organized by theme.

How to Read More

Okay, you know what you like to read and what you want to read, now let’s talk about ways you can begin reading more. As Carl Sagan pointed out, we can only read so many books in our lifetime.

• Set a daily goal: If you’re someone who thrives when you have a benchmark goal, aim to read X amount of pages per day. If a number of pages won’t encourage you, just aim to spend a specific part of the day reading, such as 15 minutes each morning with your coffee or 10 minutes before bed each night.
• Give Different Formats a Chance: Even if you’re a hardcore physical copy reader, we implore you to consider an audiobook or e-book. Being open to different formats is a great way to squeeze in more reading time.
• Find Some Kind of Literary Community: Whether it’s Bookstagram, BookTok, Goodreads, or patrons and/or librarians at your local library, a social connection for an otherwise solitary experience is a beautiful thing.
• Adopt That Quitter Mentality: Stuck in a book you just can’t get into? Quit it. Give yourself permission to call it quits and make space for books you would enjoy more. Because, as we learned, life is too short and there are simply too many books.