Tips for choosing your next book

Avid readers are always looking for new material to whet their literary appetites. Reading can be an extremely enjoyable activity that brings tangible benefits. According to the reading tracking app Basmo, a couple hundred thousand books are published each year. The sheer volume of material to choose from can make it difficult to find a good book.

Readers can take advantage of many options when searching for new books. Below are just a few ways to find the next book you won’t want to put down.

Visit the library. With so much content at your fingertips, it can be tempting to turn to the internet in search of new reading. Instead, go back to where many people first fell in love with reading. Your local library has many great offerings and staff to help you find something that suits you.

Visit your local bookstore. If you’d rather buy a book, your local bookstore is the perfect place to get book reviews. Whether it’s a chain store or an independent retailer, many bookstores are staffed by people who are book lovers themselves. Ask for recommendations.

Try the app. Options like “Which Book” allow you to find your next book based on various criteria such as emotion, geography, or character type.

Choose the classics. Look through the classics list and find books you haven’t read yet, or even ones you might want to reread when you’re older. There are reasons why these books have stood the test of time.

Ask family and friends. Survey the people in your life who like to read and find out what they are reading. You might be introduced to an author you weren’t familiar with or a book series you like.

Join a book club. The Book Club will provide you with a rotation of new books for as long as you are a member. Since members tend to suggest books every time, you won’t fall into the trap of sticking to just one genre or the “safe” titles you’re used to.

Follow the authors’ recommendations. If you like a particular author, find out who he reads. Some authors recommend other industry professionals. While some of these recommendations may be for compensation or advertising, many are legitimate offers.

Let your reading history dictate. Reading services like Amazon’s Kindle will recommend new books based on your reading habits; otherwise, search for “books like (name, title)” online to find books that have a similar theme or style.