Find Your Next Book

This guide is adapted from a variety of RA suggestion lists & guidelines:
Becky's Ten Rules of RA, Beyond The Desk RA, Choose Your Next Read, What to Read Next

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

First, let's celebrate something wonderful: there's no such thing as "guilty" reading pleasures. Whether you're diving into epic fantasy, breezing through romance novels, or exploring scholarly works, every book you choose is valid. This guide is here to help you discover your next favorite read, no judgment attached!

The "Ten Page Test"

When you're browsing books, grab three that catch your eye. Read the first ten pages of each, and stick with the one you can't put down. It's like sampling ice cream flavors, but with stories!

Reader's Advisory

Your librarians know quite a bit about their collection. They can sit down with you and work through questions about your favorite reads & watches - and use discovery tools to tailor recommendations for you! As an added bonus: you have someone to talk about that awesome (or terrible!) book you just read. Stop by the Senior Learning Commons during Kaleb's hours (Tuesday-Thursday 9am-4pm), or send him an email at kafseth@yorkhouse.ca. He'll be happy to help.

Search Engines

• The StoryGraph: Perfect for mood-based recommendations and finding books that match your current vibe

• Literature Map: Type in an author you love and discover similar writers in a fun, visual way

• Fantastic Fiction: Great for series tracking and finding complete lists of author works

• What Should I Read Next?: Quick recommendations based on books you've enjoyed

• Library Thing: Extensive user-created tags and lists for deep diving into specific themes or topics

• Whichbook: Emotion and mood sliders for finding books based on specific feelings or themes

• Read Up Next: Professional curator insights for literary fiction enthusiasts

• Shepherd: Author-recommended reading lists with "Books like..." feature for similar reads

• The Library Map: An interesting visual classifier of mainstream books

Mood Reading

Start by checking in with your current mood or energy level, then let it guide your genre choice. If you're feeling contemplative, grab literary fiction; need an escape? Try fantasy; want comfort? Reach for a cozy mystery. Think of it as matching your book to your emotional weather forecast! Many readers choose books based on their mood.

Selection Games

Make your reading journey more exciting with these fun activities:

• Book Bingo: Create a bingo card with different categories (mystery, biography, award winner, etc.) and try to complete a row or the whole card.

• TBR (To Be Read) Jar: Write down titles, genres, authors & topics you're interested in on slips of paper, put them in a jar, and pull one out when you're ready for your next read.

• Genre Challenge: Try reading one book from a new genre each month. This is a great way to broaden your reading palette.'

Artificial Selection

AI tools like ChatGPT and Flint can index the web and find pretty good mainstream suggestions. They may struggle with lesser known titles, or books published beyond their training data's end date, but they are a great way to search for a book solo or in private. If you're nervous about working with a librarian in person, this can be a great way to get used to the RA process, and know how to talk about your preferences.

Start your conversation with something like "Can you interview me about my favorite books and media, to recommend me a book?" or "Can you recommend me a book like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, with more Sci-Fi elements?"

Book-tok, Book-tube & Other Social Media

Many readers share and review their favorite reads and top ten lists for you to follow. It may take a bit of searching to find someone who has a similar taste in books, but you'll have a steady stream of interesting books once you do.

Remember...

• There's no "right" or "wrong" way to choose books

• It's okay to stop reading a book that isn't working for you

• Your reading preferences might change with time, and that's perfectly fine

• The library is your playground - explore, experiment, and enjoy!

• If you've found an awesome book to read, but we don't have it in the library, let us know! We're always looking for new books.

Need more help finding your next great read? Our librarians are here to chat about books and help you discover new favorites, online or in person. Just ask!