Librarian Secrets to Finding Your Next Read

I asked several of my library co-workers how they find their next read. I'm sharing their answers with you! Of course we occasionally (okay, often) talk books at work and add to our to-be-read (TBR) lists that way. We also read each others' book recommendation articles and catalog booklists. But some of these other strategies might be new to you.

Available Now

The majority of my reading is audiobooks and my favorite strategy for finding my next read is Libby's "available now" search. You can filter the search anyway you like to find the type of book you want that you can check out immediately. For an example, see how I search below.

One Book or Author Leads to Another

Both LeAnn and Stephen often find their next reads based on what they are currently reading or researching. They are generally nonfiction readers. LeAnn said whatever book she is reading mentions other titles and she checks them out. Stephen is more digitally connected and finds books mentioned on subReddits, YouTube channels, Discord servers, Instagram, Substack or podcasts on topics he's currently interested in.

Perry and Andrew focus on authors they like. Perry looks at authors' websites where they frequently recommend other authors to read. Andrew uses Literature-Map, which maps authors. You type in an author you like and you'll get a screen full of authors, the names closest to the name you entered are the most similar. I played with Literature-Map a bit and it is a fun way to see authors I have missed.

Based on the Book

Laurel searches for the books the movies or TV shows she likes are based on. "So many movies and shows have books they're based on that are actually very different to the movie (but I end up loving the book more) or make the show make more sense than before!" said Laurel.

Book Characteristics

Several people mentioned NoveListPlus that's free through the library and connected to the catalog. When you open a book listing in the library catalog near the bottom of the page you will see a "You may also like" section. This pulls recommendations from NoveList.

You can also search directly in NoveList. In addition to read alikes, you can search by many many variables including mood, style, pace and storyline. Try a few different search strategies to see what you like best. I suggest you start your investigation in the "Start Browsing" section at the bottom of the NoveList homepage.

Meg, Laurel and Alex use StoryGraph's recommended lists to search by similar books (AKA read alikes), genre, similar users' choices or out of your comfort zone. I love StoryGraph's tag line: "Because life's too short for a book you're not in the mood for."

Alex said, "I have discovered so many fantastic books through this site!"

New Releases & More

Hayley browses new releases in the library catalog. The easiest way to do this is through the "Explore" dropdown menu on the catalog main page where you select "New Titles." From there you can filter by format, fiction or nonfiction, audience, and language. You can also use this Explore page to see award winners and bestsellers. At the bottom of the Explore page you can view new items by genre.

Haley (yes Hayley and Haley work at the library) uses Pinterest to see what titles people are posting.