Seeking out reliable book recommendations is the strategy that has most transformed my reading habits in recent years. At some point between the first year of high school and the start of university, my interest in books seemed to drop off and I found myself reading a lot less. However, my problem wasn鈥檛 a disinterest in reading, but a lack of material that I was excited to read. My attempts to get back into reading would start with picking a random book off the library shelves, meaning that I often wound up slogging through stories that seemed cool at first but couldn鈥檛 hold my attention. However, once I started soliciting reading suggestions at every opportunity, I began finding books that aligned with my interests and made me intensely curious to see how the story played out. As my list of fascinating future reads grew longer, I found myself looking forward to my next reading session in a way I hadn鈥檛 for years. See below for three ways to find compelling recommendations and get hyped about reading!
Let an Algorithm Help
To begin with the least romantic option, I鈥檝e found that online recommendation engines do an incredible job of crunching data about your reading habits to output perfectly tailored book suggestions. , 鈥渢he world鈥檚 largest site for readers,鈥 is the most effective tool I鈥檝e found for generating quality recommendations. After you make an account on the site, you can rate books you鈥檝e read in the past and create a list of your favourite genres. Based on this information, the site鈥檚 algorithms create lists of books you might like. As you accept or reject recommendations, the suggestions get even more closely aligned with your preferences. Best of all, if a book catches your interest, you can add it to a 鈥榃ant to Read鈥 list so that you always have options available when you鈥檙e in the mood for a new story.
Draw Inspiration from Your Favourite Writers
Famous writers tend to be extremely valuable sources of reading material. Due to their appreciation for the written word and involvement in the publishing industry, authors often have extensive knowledge of brilliant classics as well as exciting new releases. Plus, if you love the work they produce, it鈥檚 likely that there鈥檚 some overlap in your preferences!
If you鈥檙e interested in picking up some recommendations from successful authors, there are plenty of round-up articles about the favourite books of both canonical and contemporary writers, such as these three from , , and . Alternatively, you can look up interviews with specific authors or check to see if they have a webpage where they connect with their fans.
Ask Friends and Family Members for Suggestions
I鈥檓 particularly fond of this technique because it鈥檚 not just a means of finding a compelling new book; it鈥檚 also a fantastic way to deepen your relationship with an important person in your life. One of the first things my now-girlfriend and I did after striking up a friendship was to read each other鈥檚 favourite books. Her book of choice was a quality read that I wouldn鈥檛 have stumbled on otherwise, and, more importantly, the exchange gave us insight into each other鈥檚 personalities and provided a jumping-off point for conversation.听
In addition to recommending books that are personally important to them, your friends and family can offer suggestions for books that they think you鈥檒l particularly enjoy. After all, not even the most advanced algorithm knows your tastes, interests, and sense of humour as well as the people you鈥檙e close to!
Whether you鈥檙e looking to revive a lapsed reading habit or just on the hunt for your next read, hopefully these suggestions will help you out. (And, of course, you can always check out our weekly to get recommendations straight from the Writing Centre鈥檚 current co-op team!)
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