4 Ways to Find Your Next Favorite Book

Today, my good friend, Kim Kardash Graber (no not that one), is sharing her book knowledge with you. She always knows which ones are hot and has a running list of favorites. In case you weren’t sure if she is an expert, I submit the following evidence: she took her engagement photos in front of a bookcase.

I’m a huge book nerd. And unfortunately it’s led to some shameful behavior throughout my life:

-During pre-Kindle times in 2010, I once packed a suitcase for a Mexican getaway that held ONLY books. About 20 of them. Including hardcover. When I was singled out for a bag search, Cancun airport security was perplexed – “You like to like read senorita”? Me: “Si.”

-In elementary school, I brought books to school with me. I would sneak them up my shirt and go sit on the toilet during class, so I could catch up on the Sweet Valley High twins.

-I have a tendency to have too many drinks on weekend nights and fight my husband to let me read my Kindle in bed. He always claims I will never remember what I read. He is right.

-I once owed the KC public library $30+ in late fees. At 10 cents per book per day…you do the math.

That was all very painful for me to admit. But luckily, I’m going to use my love of reading to give you four great ways to find some awesome new reads. Just don’t stick them up your shirt.

#1 Subscribe to the right eNewsletters.
Let the books come to YOU! I’ve found some great eNewsletters over the years that deliver some hot takes straight to my email. They all hit the mark…except for the disaster of The Girl on the Train.* I am still perplexed by the hype surrounding that train wreck of a book (no pun intended). Here are my favorites:

PureWow: PureWow.com is “dedicated to making your life more interesting and beautiful.” They also have a great book eNewsletter called Pure Wow Books.

The Skimm – “I read the Skimm every morning while brushing my teeth and feel like a master of the news by the time the 2 minutes on my Sonicare are up” – a Skimm’r.
The Skimm is just as it sounds… bite size news chunks sent to your inbox every morning. Every once in awhile, they throw in some hot takes on new books. Even without the book recommendations, you should still subscribe to this and prepare yourself for their amazing headlines.

BuzzFeed Books – There’s more to BuzzFeed than just personality quizzes. They have a great book section with tempting headlines such as “Books to Read Before the Movie Comes Out.” Sign up here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/books.

#2 Use the “Customers Who Bought This…” feature on Amazon.
This is probably my number one go to. It’s essentially…”If you liked THIS, then you’ll LOVE THIS.” Think recommendations personalized for what YOU have liked in the past. Liked Gone Girl? Well, then you might like The Goldfinch or Everything I Never Told You. Liked Where’d You Go Bernadette? You might like The Vacationers, Crazy Rich Asians, or The Rosie Project. Some of my more favorite reads have been found using Amazon’s suggestions. The store on my Kindle also provides great recommendations, such as their “New and Noteworthy” and “Best of the Month” lists.

#3 Check out the Ashley Spivey Instagram account.
Book recommendations on Instagram? Oh yes. I may follow a reality TV star or two (or 200) on Instagram. One of my favorites is a past contestant from Bachelor Season 15…Ashley Spivey. Every few weeks, she posts a screen shot of what she has downloaded on her iPad. And let me tell you…she’s always on point and has the latest and greatest.

instagram

#4 Just follow me on Goodreads.
If all of this is too overwhelming, just follow me on Goodreads – my favorite way to keep track of what I’ve read and what I want to read. I update weekly.

So, what’s on my “to read” list right now? Here’s a preview of which tasty reads I have planned for the rest of 2015:

–Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (Currently reading)
–After You (the sequel to Me before You by JoJo Moyes)
–Asking for It
–The Admissions
–Fates and Furies
–South on Highland
–Little Pretty Things
–The Hand that Feeds You
–Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling
–The Status of All Things
–Everything You Ever Wanted
–Barbara The Slut and Other People