People know I’m a Word Nerd, and they see my kids with books a lot, so I’m often asked:
Where do you find books to read?
The short answer: lots of places!
The Importance of Variety
In their podcast, Hank and John Green share that they consume content from a variety of sources so they expose themselves to opinions and culture and information that doesn’t always echo or validate their own mindset. This is good advice, and I try to apply it to my reading choices. Sure, I prefer young adult (because that’s what I’m learning to write) and happy stories, but reading a variety of books, including, non-fiction, gives me a wider perspective on my world.
Therefore, I seek out books in lots of different places.
For Adult Books
- My Book Club: Every year, we choose books based on friend recommendations and reviews we’ve seen in the media. Granted, we are a homogeneous group, very white, middle-class, and educated, but we read a decent variety. I’ve read books I never would have because of my book club. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone, so thanks ladies. 😉 Click My Book Club Books to see a list of my favorite book club reads.
Goodreads: This site is an excellent resource for book lovers
- The Goodreads Choice Awards highlight favorites of Goodreads users across several genres
- The Goodreads data base makes recommendations based on books on your shelves or the current book you’re searching.
- Your friends on Goodreads can recommend books to you.
- Bloggers: There are TONS of book bloggers out there, and many of them post several times a week – which can overwhelm me. I like the sites below because I know the people who write them, and they’ve given me great suggestions.
- Podcasts: I follow several word nerdy podcasts, but my favorites are:
Books on the Nightstand- Book Riot
- Social Media: on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram, I follow:
- Epic Reads
- Book Riot
- Publisher’s Feeds (Penguin/ Random House, HuffPost, etc.)
- Here’s a link to my Twitter “books” list
- Use #bookstagram to find bookish folks to follow on IG
For Kid Lit
- Common Sense Media: My go to site/ app to learn about the content of books (and movies, games, etc) and find reading ideas. They’ve got lists based on age, topic, genre. Common Sense Media is a great resource for families.
- Guys Read: A site geared to guys of all ages. They have book of the month selections and lists of suggestions like, “Scary”, “Funny”, and “At least one explosion”. They’ve also put out some great short story collections. Read my blog post on Guys Read here.
- Nerdy Book Club: a great site for book reviews and articles on how to promote reading with kids.
- Tweens Read Too: reviews and information on books that “middle schoolers will actually like”
Kid Lit Author Sites, including:
- Dianne K. Salerni, author of The Eighth Day series
- Jessica Lawson, author of Nooks and Crannies and The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher. Check out her monster list of middle grade favorites.
Word Nerd Note: One of my followers reminded me of these old fashioned places called libraries. Perhaps you’ve heard of them? You can actually get books for free at these places, as many as you want. They also offer free Internet access and play an important role in literacy and connection in local communities. Don’t forget to check them out!
Where do you go to learn about new books to read? Please add your favorite places in the comments. I’m going to turn this post into a resource page for the blog, and I’m happy to include your ideas!
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Oh my goodness, I was not expecting to see my blog in this post! I saw your title and was excited to get some ideas, and then that…thank you so much, Julia. It means a lot to me that you find my recommendations helpful. It makes taking the time to write them completely worth it.
I’ve been looking for some good sites to follow on social media, and I always love to add book bloggers to my must-read list. Thank you!
Your recommendations have been very helpful! Keep them up!
I just joined a Book Club and love the suggestions I’m getting~ I usually read MG and YA, so it’s neat to hear lots of enthusiasm for books geared toward an older audience! Thanks for the blog shout-out 🙂
Fabulous compilation! Thank you, Julia. I’m very interested in checking out those podcasts!
Oooh, there’s my cover! Thank you!
I’m almost ashamed to say this, but Amazon is an important resource for me. The last 3 really good books I read — all of them adult science fiction with theoretical physics themes — appeared on the recommendation carousel of my Kindle Fire. Because I had bought Book A, it suggested Books B, C, and D. Loved them all!
Where did Book A come from? My brother recommended it. 🙂
That’s a great point, Dianne. I admit, I always take a second look at something they recommend for me!
Another great suggestion, Dianne. Don’t be ashamed. A lot of us use Amazon.