Advice for finding books at the library

Submitted by Remarkable_Home9243 t3_11by531 in books

I have been getting back into reading and love reading physical books. This past month my local library held an even called "blind date with a book". They gift wrapped books and wrote on notes about the themes of the book and books that are similar. I absolutely loved taking the recommendations and ended up reading 3 books from those recommendations. My problem is picking a book in the library with the overwhelming choices. I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to share their book choosing method?

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Sarcastic_Mama33 t1_ja0iu6n wrote

When I initially started using Goodreads it was great for recommending books similar to books I already enjoyed. Now I mostly read books my book club has picked, books by authors I already know and like, or other books suggested by friends or Reddit.

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Wolfidy t1_ja0j1v0 wrote

When I see a book I want to read I write it down in a little scratch notebook I keep with me, then when it’s time to pick my next book I choose from there.

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sc2212 t1_ja0jbpc wrote

I always recommend checking in with one of the librarians for any tips they might have. In addition to being amazing people, they’re also a great resource for suggestions and recommendations.

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Gmac513 t1_ja0jh90 wrote

I just tell the librarian the last couple of books I’ve enjoyed always get something interesting

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mkclark112 t1_ja0k1bs wrote

I felt the same way. What I do now is check out the "new" section first. I pretty much always find something there. If I don't see anything im interested in, I'll start going through my "to read" list on good reads and pick the first book that's available there.

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gravitydefiant t1_ja0k4td wrote

Honestly, I just wander the stacks and grab anything with an interesting-looking title, cover, and blurb. It's the library; if I end up not liking it, I don't finish and return it early and have lost absolutely nothing.

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jewishsuperhero t1_ja0kbgr wrote

Just pull random things off the shelf and check out whatever sounds interesting

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kdbooooks t1_ja0laed wrote

I get a list of books that I would like to read but would never pay for and just ask the librarian if they can order them in 😂

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bygollyollie t1_ja0laj5 wrote

My library picks usually go like this:

  1. A book from my TBR list. (I usually search the online catalog for this book before even walking in)
  2. A non-fiction book about whatever topic I’m obsessing over that week (I might just head to the topic’s bookstack and pick one at random or I might have a list of books in mind before heading in)
  3. An impulse book (like, maybe the book cover caught my eye) OR a book from a shelf I don’t usually go to just to expand my horizons (like poetry, or something)
  4. A graphic novel

Regarding my TBR list: I used to use Goodreads, but then I was just adding all the books. So, now I have a paper notebook where I record the book, who recommended it (or where I learned about the book), and a sentence on why I want to read it. (I would add books to my Goodreads list and then a year later I’d be like, “what is this? Why would I even add this?”)

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eleyezeeaye4287 t1_ja0qie3 wrote

I have a “want to read” list on Goodreads and then I go to the library and search their computer to see if they have it. Once I locate it I explore the shelves around and see if anything else in the area catches my fancy. Took home three books today with this technique.

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sulla76 t1_ja0rs8k wrote

Library staff here. What they did for you in the blind date book program is something they can do for you all the time. It's called readers advisory and all librarians learn it in their schooling. They'll help you find a book that you might like, and the more that librarian does it, the more they'll get to know your tastes and the better they'll be at it. Also, most librarians LOVE doing readers advisory and wish they could do more.

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mom_to_the_fuzzies t1_ja0wf83 wrote

I check Pinterest, BookBub, GoodReads, friends, etc for suggestions to add to my To Read list on GoodReads. When I go to the library I change the list to sort a different way (By author alphabetically starting with Z for for one visit, by title starting with A the next visit, etc) and then I wander the stacks in order and pick the first 2 or 3 I find. I call it my "semi-organized" scavenger hunt.

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BakeKnitCode t1_ja0x737 wrote

Sometimes I wander around and pick up whatever looks interesting, but often that gets overwhelming, and then I pick books out in advance, use the online catalog system to put them on hold, and pick them up from the hold shelf. That way I can consult my TBR list, check and see what's available, and choose a book from the comfort of my own couch.

I keep a list of interesting-sounding books that I want to read, which helps with this process. I use reviews, recommendations from friends, things I read on social media and hear about on podcasts, etc. to make my list. If the "blind date with a book" event worked well for you, I would see if the library has recommendations or book lists on their websites. Sometimes the individual library staff members recommend books, and you can figure out whose taste tends to jibe with yours.

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barbelly28 t1_ja1087j wrote

I get ideas from Goodreads and what has started with a few has grown to over 100 on my TBR list. Then I go pick them up from the library and browse for more random ones

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sdurflinger t1_ja13eps wrote

A lot of libraries have a kiosk t where you can put in keywords and it brings up book suggestions.

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vivahermione t1_ja19k78 wrote

I usually walk in with a short wish list from my Goodreads tbr. If I see something with an interesting-looking title or cover while I'm in the stacks, I might grab it to take home. Then I'll browse new fiction. I try not to borrow more than 3 books at once, but sometimes I can't help myself. 😊

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BernardFerguson1944 t1_ja1age9 wrote

I used to be a bookstore/library browser, but I don’t do that anymore. I read primarily nonfiction. Now days, I’ll read an article, hear a lecture, or see a TV show about a subject, and when it sparks my interest, I go to Wikipedia to find what books are used to support the article. Once I locate a title or titles, I go to Amazon to read the customer reviews on the selected book(s). If I don’t want to add the book to my personal library, I go on-line to see if it’s available at the local library. Usually, however, I’ll purchase the book.

The second method I use involves picking a book from the footnotes and bibliography of the book I am reading. For those, I skip Wikipedia and go directly to the reviews. If I think I’d like the book, I go ahead and order it: usually a used copy from an independent bookseller at AbeBooks. For example, a few years ago I determined I wanted to learn more about the Second World War in the China-Burma-India Theater. I bought Burma: The Longest War 1941-45 (1984) by Louis Allen. It sat on my shelf for about ten or fifteen years, but I started reading it at the end of this past December. As I was reading it, I became curious about three other books Allen cited as primary sources. I bought all three of them. I finished the third one last night. I received it from England last Monday. It was published in 1946, and it’s not available in my local library.

One area Allen didn’t cover well was China’s role in the war in Burma. So, by the first process I described above, I found and selected China at War: Triumph and Tragedy in the Emergence of the New China 1937-1952 by Hans van de Ven. I started it today.

One last thing. A couple of years ago I came across a title in a bibliography I was interested in. When I researched it, I found that it was out-of-print, and no one was selling new or used copies. On that occasion, I luckily WAS able to check it out of the local library.

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greatbabushka121619 t1_ja1fe6s wrote

You can also utilize Amazon’s Best Books of the month, Indie Next List, Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, and Bookpage to see what publishers/librarians/booksellers/etc are anticipating to be good and/or popular.

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tke494 t1_ja1jhcq wrote

When I was a kid, I browsed libraries and just read things that looked good. I was literally judging books by their covers.

When I got older, I started relying more upon people. I'd read based on talking to people. Someone would describe a book. If it sounded good, I'd either put it on my TO READ list or just read it. If it was good, I'd look for other books by the same author. I'd also look for similar books/authors.

Other ways of relying upon people are awards. People voted for those books to get the awards-they didn't win them based on some marketing push. Science Fiction/Fantasy has the Hugo and Nebula as the top awards. It's got other significant awards. Most genres have their own awards. There are also general awards for non-genre books. I've not been liked by some books that've won awards, but overall they have been a reliable source of suggestions.

When I was younger, I had clumsier TO READ lists. Now, I use goodreads. It's also good for keeping track of books you have already read. Like a book journal. I write reviews, but mostly for myself. However, goodreads is now owned by Amazon. Since you are starting a new TO READ list, I'd recommend starting a list with a website that is not owned by Amazon. Goodreads will try to sell the books Amazon wants to sell. The will probably restrict exporting your data-which will make changing your website difficult.

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sp220 t1_ja1yckq wrote

I use Goodreads and reddit for reccs. On this sub and /52books there's usually a weekly thread called "what are you reading?" It's either called that or has a similar name I forget. There I just see what other people are reading. Sometimes they write a short description of the book and I'll see what sounds interesting to me. Then I add them to my TBR list on Goodreads. When I go to the library I just pick a random few from the list and see if they're available.

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azzagh t1_ja26t3m wrote

First I choose the subject of the book that I would like to read (novel/history/philosophy/management...) , than I go to aisle that is suitable and begin to the read the title that intrigues me enough I pick it up and read sometimes I go back home with a book that I will 100% will enjoy but sometimes it won't be the case .

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leah7324 t1_ja2d858 wrote

I recommend trying a website called Novelist, if your library subscribes to it (you should be able to search for it on your library website or just ask someone who works there). It allows you to input the moods and feels you want from a book and it will make suggestions. You can also get suggestions for similar books to those titles or authors you liked and often these are suggested by librarians and will include a little description of why they are similar.

Seconding talking to library staff! They are excellent at providing book ideas and suggestions, and have gone through training to be able to do this.

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HazelMotes1 t1_ja2f5gt wrote

I always know what I want before I get there, I bring a list. I use good reads for recommendations

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Ineffable7980x t1_ja2k10b wrote

I have a book wish list on my Amazon account where I list all the books that I want to read that I don't already own. Before going to the library, I browse this list so I know what to look for. My library also has a recent releases shelf and I always browse through that as well

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minimalist_coach t1_ja2n9nk wrote

Trying to decide what to read next used to be a big problem for me. Now I join or create challenges for myself. I like to have a "theme" each year for reading. I get almost all of my books from the library, and I read an average of 10 books per month. I read/listen in all formats print, ebook, and audiobook. I tend to keep my hold queue pretty full since many of the books I'd like to read have long waitlists.

Last year I wanted to explore genres outside of my normal go-to books. I chose 6 fiction and 6 nonfiction genres with the goal of reading 2 books from each genre. I also joined an online community that had a Genre of the Month Challenge that gave me a new genre each month and 4 prompts to complete by reading books.

This year I want to explore authors from other countries. I created my own long-term challenge to read fiction and nonfiction books by authors from 195 countries. I expect this will take me several years to complete. I also started using StoryGraph and joined a few other challenges. One challenge has prompts to help me read books on my TBR list.

I keep a list of books that I notice on Reddit or other places on my phone and when I don't have a lot of books reserved I just open my list and add a few more books. I try to keep a mix of books in my queue, but if I feel I'm reading too many of a mood or genre I'll make more effort to add variety.

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Griffen_07 t1_ja314jb wrote

  1. Look at the displays. Libraries often are promoting a theme and have some displays out.
  2. Look at what is being returned. My local library is small so the to be re-shelved cart is accessible. Since this is a random mix of books you end up looking that things you never would have considered normally.
  3. Look at the new arrivals. This again is often a random mix across many genres.

At this point I then start sidestepping. Either I spend some time going deep into an author's back catalog or I see what is shelved nearby.

Also, a lot of imprints develop a certain style. If you notice that a handful of books you liked recently have the same publisher start looking for that publishers mark on books.

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Accomplished-Will359 t1_ja35sac wrote

The librarians can either make some recommendations themselves or show you some of the tools they have available. My library has printed lists, links on the catalog to Novelist and other online lists, curated displays and magazines like BookMarks or BookPage.

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celery66 t1_ja4r6wf wrote

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/

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Love this site. If you enter an author or book you like, click on one of their books, and below that are similar options. Its listed as visitor also like these books. Works great!

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