Finding your next book can be a daunting task, especially if you have many choices. It is hard to walk into a book store, pick a book and start reading, and as a reader, you want to read a book you can finish. Therefore, I decided to develop a system to help me pick my next book.
10 Ways to find good books to read
See book score
It is the easiest way to see if you are on to something. Just Google search the name, you will find Scores for Amazon, GoodReads, Audible or other accredited book stores. Those reviews are made by the people who read the book, so they are good measuring tools. Usually, anything above 4 or 3.8 is considered to be good.
Watch Youtube reviews
You can find many good book reviews on Youtube. You can find videos within 10-5 min. Usually, those reviews can tell you how easy it is to read this book, what they have learned from it and how much they recommend it. If you have not found any reviews on Youtube, it is okay, not everything has a review.
If you are interested in learning a specific topic, you can find top list books on Youtube. It is a good way to find new books to read.
Read the E-book sample table of content
It does not matter if you have an iPhone or an Android Phone, there has to be a book app that you can download an E-book sample for free. This is the best way to decide if this book is for you. Read the book contents and see if they answer the questions you are looking for. It works perfectly for non-fiction and self-development books.
Read Bloggers book reviews
For these steps avoid Amazon and other book stores and look for review sites. You are looking for raw reviews of this Many bloggers post book reviews. If you google book name + book review, you can usually find in-depth book reviews, pros and cons, and the blogger opinion. This one also works perfectly with non-fiction books.
Learn about the author
You can learn a lot from searching the author name. Usually, best-selling books do not mean they are useful. It may be because the author is famous, and that is why many people bought that book. You can also find if he has written similar books around the same topic. It is common with Business and Self-development book writers to write several books on one topic.
Read online bookstores review
There is good reviews, bad reviews, and sometimes no reviews, so do not take them literally. But if you find many reviews on one book, you can get an average of what people think of that book. It is best not to base your opinion on those reviews, especially if you are getting mixed reviews. Based on your life experiences and who you are as an individual, you can find many books that you think are useful that others do not.
Check Goodreads
There are few good websites for book reviews, but in my opinion, BookReads is the best. You can make an account, make a read list and find many reviews. Throughout the years, I found that people on BookReads are a much more mature audience than people on Amazon and any other book store.
Read the book introduction
The introduction gives you a quick preview of what to expect from this book. If you are getting mixed book reviews or you are not sure if this is the book for you, then reading the beginning of the book is the best you can do. It will tell you the objective of the book, the author writing style and how easy it is to understand this book.
Read Book Summary
You can find many book summaries on Youtube and online. Although reading a book summary will give you an overview of the book, it is not as good as the book itself. You are getting notes on the book from someone else other than the writer. The information you get from reading the book yourself stays with you more than getting it from someone else. Therefore, only take summaries as an overview of what to expect when reading the book, not a replacement for reading the book.
I would also not recommend paying for book summaries since they are not as comprehensive sources as the original book.
Make friend who like to read books
Friends can recommend books that are useful to you and tell you why they think so. They can also recommend books that you never know about or never considered reading, that can be life-changing for you.
Should I finish a book I do not like?
You should not finish a book you are not enjoying. If you are getting frustrated or counting the pages until you finish the chapter, then you should put the book down. Your time is worth more than reading a book you feel that you are not getting anything from it. There are always other books to read, so do not feel resentment when you put the book down. Here is a list of things you should ask yourself before stop reading a book you do not like:
- Am I learning something new from this book?
- I this book challenges me to learn a new skill?
- Am I not enjoying this book because it is difficult, or the book does not interest me?
If you find the book you are reading challenging and advanced for your level, then consider giving this book more time to learn the basics or look for another book that can match your level of skills.
Is it better to read or listen to books?
It does depend on the individual and their ability to consume information. For some, it is better to read books because they are visual learners who need to see the text for the information to stay longer in their memories. Others, listening can be the best option because they are Auditory learners who learn faster by listening. You can try both and see which one fit your learning style. But do not pick one over the other for convenience, such as reading audiobooks because it is easier when you go to work. The idea is to learn from the book, not finishing it.
