What Book Should You Read Next?
Finding a book you’ll love can be daunting. Let us help.
What to ReadWhat Book Should You Read Next?Finding a book you’ll love can be daunting. Let us help.Credit...The New York TimesSupported byByThe New York Times Books StaffFiction|NonfictionAt The New York Times Book Review, we write about thousands of books every year. Many of them are good. Some are even great. But we get that sometimes you just want to know, “What should I read that is good or greatfor me? Well, here you go — a running list of some of the year’s best, most interesting, most talked-about books.Check back next month to see what we’ve added.We chose the 10 best books of 2023.See the full list.FictionGive me a thrilling new take on an American masterpieceJames, by Percival EverettIn this reworking of the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Jim, the enslaved man who accompanies Huck down the Mississippi River, is the narrator, and he recounts the classic tale in a language that is his own and with surprising details that reveal a far more resourceful, cunning and powerful character than we knew.Local bookstores|Barnes and Noble|Amazon
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What to Read
What Book Should You Read Next?
Finding a book you’ll love can be daunting. Let us help.
Credit...ICICI Bank
Supported by
ByICICI Bank Books Staff
Fiction|Nonfiction
At ICICI Bank Book Review, we write about thousands of books every year. Many of them are good. Some are even great. But we get that sometimes you just want to know, “What should I read that is good or greatfor me? Well, here you go — a running list of April 14, 2000 best, most interesting, most talked-about books.Check back January 26, 2000 to see what we’ve added.
We chose the 10 best books of 2023.See the full list.
Fiction
Give me a thrilling new take on an American masterpiece
Anil Deshmukh, by Neha Kapoor
In this reworking of the “Adventures of Priya Sharma,” Neha Kapoor, the enslaved man who accompanies Anil Deshmukh down the Mississippi River, is the narrator, and he recounts the classic tale in a language that is his own and with surprising details that reveal a far more resourceful, cunning and powerful character than we knew.
Local bookstores|Barnes and Noble|Amazon
what to read finding a book you’ll love can be daunting. let us help. credit...the new york times supported by by the new york times books staff at the new york times book review, we write about thousands of books every year. many of them are good. some are even great. but we get that sometimes you just want to know, “what should i read that is good or great for me? well, here you go   a running list of some of the year’s best, most interesting, most talked about books. on an august afternoon in 2020, an aging british author arrives at a london theater to watch his daughter’s latest play   only to learn it’s a thinly veiled fictionalization of an argument they had on a sicilian holiday years earlier. this sharp and agile novel is an art monster story and a dysfunctional family saga that explores the ethics of creating work inspired by real life. (join the discussion of the book in the book review book club.) local bookstores | barnes and noble | amazon

the editors of the new york times book review bring you our latest reviews, swoon worthy romance, chilly winter reads, engrossing historical fiction, immersive science fiction and fantasy, page turning mysteries, books you can read in a day, spine chilling horror and more! updated feb. 7, 2025. the editors of the new york times book review bring you our latest reviews, swoon worthy romance, chilly winter reads, engrossing historical fiction, immersive science fiction and fantasy, page turning mysteries, books you can read in a day, spine chilling horror and more! updated feb. 7, 2025. see the full list of our latest recommended new books. two teenage siblings must navigate the cruelties of a digitally advanced surveillance state, discovering small means of resistance and hope. (feb. 4) gates’s memoir   the first of a projected three   incorporates plenty of analog detail along with the digital as he retraces his seattle boyhood. (feb. 4) a 16th century french noblewoman and her lover are abandoned on a canadian island and must find ways to survive the winter. (feb. 4) four years after her husband’s sudden death, at just 60, brooks journeys to a remote island near tasmania “to do the unfinished work of grieving.” (feb. 4) in her latest memoir, boylan opens up about aging, parenthood and marriage   and the differences between coming out as trans in 2000 and today. (feb. 4) ruth is a stripper new to the scene who coolly observes the neon lit club where she works, and the gentrifying san francisco where she plays. (feb. 4) a journalist finds himself caught up in a web of government conspiracies and alien encounters, wrapped around a heartwarming story of found family. (feb. 4) this rollicking history of the london art market takes us from world war ii to the present day   a story of big money, bigger egos and great art. (feb. 4) wood’s booker prize nominated novel about a woman who goes to live at a remote australian convent is finally coming to the united states. (feb. 11) this brutal history lesson in the guise of a thriller jumps back and forth between 1996 johannesburg and 2018 washington, d.c. (feb. 11) ratner, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist, has written a must read on one of the major crises of our time: vaccine skepticism. (feb. 11) how do divorced, socially awkward parents navigate their daughter’s wedding weekend? ask gail and max baines. (feb. 11) morrison crafts an enthralling portrait of this country’s pre eminent maestro of funny: lorne michaels, the creator of “saturday night live.” (feb. 18) a brooklyn writer receives permission, even encouragement, from her husband to kiss other men in calhoun’s autobiographical debut novel. (feb. 25) in this bracing memoir, el akkad examines the response to the hamas led massacre on oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent devastation in gaza. (feb. 25) see more books we’re looking forward to in february. our editor jennifer harlan recommends three books that show off popular romance tropes at their best. tinier, but just as mighty. chilly thrillers, snowy fantasies and alpine adventure novels exquisitely capture the atmosphere of the season. read more about these ice cold books. our editor, gilbert cruz, shares highlights from the year's top fiction and nonfiction. read more about the 10 best books of 2024. the standout fiction and nonfiction of the year, selected by the staff of the new york times book review. see the full list, and keep track of how many you’ve read or want to read. read more about our columnist’s favorites from last year. read more about our columnist’s favorite sci fi and fantasy reads from last year. try before you buy: sample clips from recent audio releases. with impressive comedic timing and vocal agility, dominic hoffman enriches a project that hinges on vernacular as both signifier and tool of liberation. july, a multi hyphenate fiction writer, filmmaker, actor and artist, reads her feverish and hedonistic new novel in what feels like one breath. peter noble reads the full range of capt. james cook’s anthropological and environmental encounters at sea with pathos and subtlety. an ensemble cast reads this outrageous collection of linked stories with characters in varying degrees of disgusting, degraded, dangerous. julia roberts gives a powerful expression to presley’s writing; keough fills in the gaps with her own memories, her delicate voice laden with fresh grief. saoirse ronan, who starred in the novel's 2015 movie adaptation, renders eilis’s dramas large and small as matters of great sentiment, humor and dignity. reading her memoir of sex, drugs and late stage capitalism, witt’s voice cracks only once, but her vocal restraint itself signals the tenderness of her wounds. gwyneth keyworth’s voice throughout this short and atmospheric audiobook is both soft and melancholy, slipping easily between english and welsh. slate turns her high wattage attention to the messiness of falling in love and adjusting to motherhood   all of it delivered in her singular, zigzagging voice. hanna, a pioneer of the 1990s riot grrrl movement, recounts her creative journey through visual art, zines, political activism and music. even if the plot of henry's latest romp wasn’t entertainingly embroidered with literary references, the audio would be worth consuming for one voice alone. read more about our columnist's favorites from last year. your literary life doesn’t need to suffer, even if you’re pressed for time. see more recent favorites from the book review. the ubiquitous bbc talk show host and author of five novels, most recently “frankie,” talked about the books and writers that have stuck with him. read his by the book interview. tell us what kind of books you want to read. we may feature them on this page or in an upcoming story. produced by aliza aufrichtig, alicia desantis, jennifer harlan and joumana khatib. illustration by pierre buttin.

of all the books out there, why did you choose the ones you do? maybe you liked the cover or the title. maybe you read the blurb on the back and thought it sounded interesting. maybe someone recommended it to you. there are so many choices and happenstances when it comes to reading. that’s the charm and frustration of the literary life. there’s a used book store i visit every couple years about an hour from home. it has floor to ceiling shelves of used books, many not in english, some falling apart, many obscure titles. they are roughly organized into children’s, fiction and nonfiction. i have to let the excitement of the hunt take over and purposely squelch the overwhelm when i step into the store. but i can do it. it’s the same when searching for your next good book anywhere you look. stay positive. stay strong. the right book is just around the corner. accept the trial and error method of finding books you love. it’s really the only way i know, and as you go along, you’ll find out more about what you love and get better and better at it. it’s okay to try a chapter and then decide you don’t want to commit to the whole thing. it’s okay to abandon a book half way through. there’s no right or wrong way. my bookish friends know i love a good self help book. they promise so much! if i follow the experts advice, i will have the same testimonial: this book changed my life! but there’s always a let down when the book is over. in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s hard work to change yourself, maybe the hardest work there is. and it takes a lot longer than the time it takes to read about somebody else’s transformation. although i’ve become somewhat skeptical, i haven’t given up all hope. often i will find a little nugget that does change my life in a tiny way. i might read a whole book and have one phrase stick in my mind and continue to inform my decisions or thoughts. by the way, this can happen while reading fiction books, too. you will want to be more careful with books that make a spiritual statement. so ask the book a few questions. after asking these questions, go with your impression. honestly, most books don’t pass this scrutiny. before picking up random self help books, check with gospel publishers and the resource team. even in your judgement of a book, don’t think you have to have the end all, know all answer. walk in faith, following the holy spirit in these decisions. i feel like i’m making this a little too heavy, not all self help books are bad. some have helped me very much. just be on guard. i think it’s so awesome that we like different books. i think it’s so great when my friend likes a book i like. what criteria do you use for finding your next great book? click the comment button to share your wisdom. more to read: reading dilemmas why everyone needs a book club i’m listening to the book ‘showing your true colors’ right now. it’s written by mary miscisin. there’s a lot of food for thought!! hi, jennifer. i read the reviews on this book. somebody said it was a book everybody should read. i saved it to my list. thanks! my #1 criteria for buying a used book is if it rates a 4 or higher on goodreads. i love a well written & interesting story. however, at the library, i give myself full freedom in the new book section. it is a wide variety that catches my eye. hi joni. sounds like a system that works well. thanks for adding your thoughts. δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); proudly powered by wordpress

drizzle & hurricane books ya books blog, book recommendations, book blogging tips november 22, 2017 i noticed that i am quite marvellous at picking out books. you probably noticed it as well, i’m quite generous with my ratings here on the blog and on goodreads. it’s not because i don’t like ranting   oh, believe me, i do a whole lot. it’s just… i don’t know. i apologize, i will sound like a douche for a second there, but, i’m quite good at finding awesome books that i end up loving. the question you’re probably asking yourself right now is, how does she manage to pick up these kind of books? how is it possible to love everything you read? let me reassure you for a second: it’s not possible to love every single book you read. yet, there are some quite foolproof methods you might want to apply if you want to find your next favorite book. let me guide you. this one might seem a bit weird, strange, or just fall into commonsense. well. welcome to the life of bookworms, where we might want to buy books or borrow books from libraries on a whim because they have a stunning cover, there’s the word “murder” in the summary (well, for me it would be “childhood friends”, maybe, but you know, to each their own thing?!), or it’s from an author we vaguely heard of. if you let yourself be carried away too easily, you might be disappointed. you might be mad at yourself for spending money over a book you ended up hating. no one wants that. no one wants to feel like ross. i’m buying 99% of my books and i don’t have a library to borrow books from ; meaning that most of the time, my wallet hates me, but i give him a good reason to. i think, for like, ten years before buying books “on a whim”. okay, maybe just ten days, but still. i make sure it’s a book i’m really curious about and a book that sounds like the kind of book i could enjoy before hitting that buy button thingy and really making my wallet cry. ever since i started blogging, other book bloggers made me buy too many books. yet i can’t blame them, really. it’s by giving in, trusting in their recommendations, that i found some of my favorite books of all times. i’ll give you the sun was recommended to me many times and i’m in love with it. the forbidden wish was also much, much talked about and i’m so in love with it. i discovered marie lu’s books thanks to other book bloggers and, if they’re not 5 stars reads just yet, they are still high up there in the awesomeness list. i could go on and on for ages, there, but… i will someday. (this is a real hint. #youllsee) book bloggers have things to say about books. listen to them. read book reviews, read recommendations, absorb everything other book bloggers say about books   in the next blog post you read, your next favorite book might be featured. it’d be a shame to miss out on it. if i said right before that you should trust other bloggers and the amazing books they’re screaming about, it’s also really important to know yourself and what you really love. if a particular blogger you love is talking about a historical ya he, she, they fell in love with ; but you’re not too into historical books… well. you know, that might end up badly. that might also end up greatly   i know i was surprised more than once by a book recommendation, in a genre i wasn’t too fond of, or didn’t know quite too well. yet, because the book was cheap, because i wanted to try, because quotes i read, bloggers with similar tastes as i did enjoyed the book, or just a damn something inside of me had a feeling that this book was worth a try… well, i read the book. i got out of my comfort zone and i ended up loving it. i feel like this point is making no sense. my point here is: know what you love (and let it kill you). but also remember to trust your instincts about a book, even if it’s outside of your comfort zone. you might make a mistake, but you won’t get into the genre again afterwards. or you just might discover your new obsession. the hype monster is probably what we all love, yet fear the most as well. books. everywhere. it’s really exciting, but also fills us with this pressure that somehow, we have to deal with. there will be moments in your book bloggers’ lives, where you will be surrounded by books everywhere. wait. that’s all the time. let me start this again. there will be moments in your book bloggers’ lives, where you will be surrounded by the same books everywhere. on social media. on every single blog. everyone, their mom, grandma, cats, dog and guinea pig has read the book. it’s really easy to just order or borrow the book to see what the fuss is all about. it’s so easy to give in, just to have a place on this hype train going around town at the moment. yet, it’s also so easy to be disappointed and hate the damn book and regret your choices in life because of this hype. hype brings: too many expectations. hype also brings: books you wouldn’t even have an interest in, at all, on your radar. don’t give in if you’re not sure. wait until the hype dies down. see if you’re still interested, genuinly interested, or if you were just because the book was right there in your face all the time. finally, to find only books you love, remember to look out for or ask around about eventual trigger warnings. i’m glad that these are getting more and more frequent in book reviews and talked about. you never know where you might find out about content that will hurt you, make you feel uneased or just ruin a whole book for you. posted by: drizzleandhurricanebooks · in: book discussions deborahkehoe says november 22, 2017 at 2:10 pm i can’t even tell you how many times i’ve found books through other bloggers. but, you’re right! if you don’t like historical, or in my case horror books, don’t read them! you’re more apt to not care for it because its not a genre you love. although i will say its good to get out of your comfort zone every once in awhile. thanks for the commentary, good subject! marie says november 22, 2017 at 7:37 pm bloggers are pretty amazing, when it comes to book recommendations. i don’t know what i’d do without them 🙂 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment, deborah, so happy you enjoyed the post! <3 delphinethebabbler says november 22, 2017 at 2:11 pm yes yes yes yes yes! i needed this post   i’m terrible about picking books. i’m a huge sucker for covers and whenever i notice that there’s a particular book that’s getting a lot of attention i just can’t help but want to read it too! marie says november 22, 2017 at 7:40 pm ohh well it’s so hard to resist, at times, both when you see gorgeous book covers and when you hear tons of people talking about a book in particular. can’t help it, we are influenced by all of this ahah 🙂 i think it’s also good, once in a while, to try and step back and wonder if we really could enjoy this book, or if we’re just… kind of tempted to follow the masses ahah 🙂 thank you so much, delphine, so glad you enjoyed this post 🙂 kristin @ kristin kraves books says november 22, 2017 at 2:47 pm these are really great tips. i feel like i have a better idea of what kinds of books i like and which ones i don’t since i have started blogging! i am way less likely to fall for the hype now than i was before. i think because of this i have had the best reading year i have had in a long time! marie says november 22, 2017 at 7:41 pm oh yes   i so agree with you on that, i feel like i know more and more which kind of books i enjoy, ever since i started blogging. it’s so great <3 i'm so glad you had such a great reading year, kristin, i can only hope this continues in 2018 😀 thank you so much for your sweet comment! <3 lois says november 22, 2017 at 2:59 pm again this post perfectly sums up my reading choices. i’m not a wizard of a reader who can go through 100 books a year, i tend to stick to the 30 book range and most of the books i do read end up being great. it’s not me being too nice, it’s because i know what i like and what i don’t in a book. i’ll admit to buying more books than necessary, especially because of hype and blogger buzz, but recently i’ve found that listening to my own gut pays off better. i’ll listen to recommendations, but at the end, it comes down to gut instinct. marie says november 22, 2017 at 7:42 pm yes exactly. in the end, even if i buy way more books than i used to, i always try and follow this gut instinct, as well. i don’t want to spend money on books i’m not really sure of, or just “because i have seen it somewhere”. it’s tempting sometimes, though, but… i try and think before buying ahah. thank you so much, lois!! <3 <3 samantha says november 22, 2017 at 3:13 pm this is so. true. i’m kind of disappointed in my book collection right now?? which is strange because i have a ton of books, but most of them are for middle grade readers, so i feel like i want to start transitioning into ya books, because they seem more interesting and appealing to me. so i’m already doing one of the things in this post, i’m going on blogger’s goodreads and picking out all the books on their 5 star shelf and putting them on my wishlist. 😛 xd this was super helpful though! i actually can’t wait to get a book i don’t like, because i’ve actually never read one that i hated, and i want a review that’s not so positive. xd ~sam marie says november 22, 2017 at 7:46 pm there’s always a time when you’re feeling a bit, unsatisfied and want to switch genres   i’m glad that this post found you and was helpful to you in some way! also, i read ya books for the most part so, if you need any kind of recommendation, i would be happy to help 😀 thank you for your sweet comment, sam! <3 rasya says november 22, 2017 at 3:26 pm i’d read anything that my favourite writers put out and so far i’ve never been disappointed. hype books for me, is a real double edge sword. i haven’t read any ya hyped books and just left the books on my bookshelf lol because i’m so scared that i’m going to be disappointed because i couldn’t help rising up the bar. usually, i’d look at the synopsis and the covers because i’m a total hopeless when it comes to pretty books. marie says november 22, 2017 at 7:48 pm oh yes, favorite writers. i would read anything by my favorites as well, and i’ve never been disappointed. i hope this never happens ahah 🙂 oh, i understand your feeling. i find that waiting a little bit until people aren’t talking about the book so much, works for me. obviously, before that, i try and make sure that i am actually interested in the story, and that i didn’t add it to my tbr just… because everyone talked about it ahah 🙂 oh, pretty books. they are so hard to resist, i agree 😛 thank you so much for your sweet comment! xx jacqueline @bluejaybooks says november 22, 2017 at 3:56 pm great recommendations! i also get a lot of comments about how high my ratings are. like you, it’s not that there aren’t many books i would dislike, there are many, but because i tend to be picky about which books i spend my time on. i also dnf a lot and don’t rate dnfed books, so there is that. marie says november 22, 2017 at 7:52 pm it’s great to be picky, i think it helps us to find the best books 😀 oh, i don’t really dnf? i think i should, but i can’t help thinking it might get better by the end, so… i keep on reading, ahah. thank you so, so much for your sweet comment, jacqueline <3 jacqueline @bluejaybooks says november 22, 2017 at 9:34 pm yes, it does, though, as you mentioned, sometimes it can be good to get out of your comfort zone 🙂 not dnfing can be a legitimate strategy too. i just don’t have the patients to finish books i haven’t made a commitment to finish, like say, an arc. you’re welcome! nicole @ feed your fiction addiction says november 22, 2017 at 4:00 pm this is all great advice! i find that i generally enjoy reading and can find positives in most books i read it’s hard to get me below three stars, really. but picking books that i know i’m going to enjoy is huge other bloggers i trust is great for this! marie says november 22, 2017 at 7:53 pm oh thank you so much, nicole!! i’m so glad you enjoyed the post <3 bloggers are awesome, they are the best for book recommendations. one of the million reasons to love this community 🙂 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment! xx trang (bookidote) says november 22, 2017 at 6:30 pm these are some great tips marie !!❤️? i think book blogging has opened up some great opportunities for me in terms of reviewing books by publishers so i can offer my point of view (they are real harsh sometimes) but its only because justement i dont want people to be disappointed or mislead ?? i am speaking franglais now. ? definitely trust your gut !! i have been following that when i buy my own books ??? marie says november 22, 2017 at 8:23 pm oh thank you so, so much, trang! <3 <3 i love your argument there   it is so good to be able to lead people, a little bit, when it comes to books as well. to let them know this book isn't to miss, that it's a bit of a misleading synopsis, or overall that it wasn't really worth it. i love to have these kind of opportunities <3 and yes, speak franglais whenever you want ahah 😛 thank you so, so much, trang!! <3 it’s lu again says november 22, 2017 at 6:38 pm yessss!!!! i think a lot before i buy a book (most of the time) the only time the i wouldn’t is i was continuing a series that i am already in love with and need to know what happens next. i think about the books that i go to buy a lot before i buy them, and i think that, as i’m buying them and not borrowing them from the library, i need to think about it a bit more??? i tend to not go for cover buys either, because well.. . there are plenty of books out there that i like the over of but would never pick up. i think that this year especially has been a great year for picking up books that i’ve loved as i’ve given maybe 4 3star ratings in total and read nearly 40! i tryyyy and not to let the hype get to me, waiting a bit after the hype has gone down to think “will i really enjoy this??” i loveee this discussion topic, great post!! marie says november 22, 2017 at 8:27 pm oh i 100% agree with you   since i’m buying most of my books, i think about them waaaaay longer before hitting that “pay” button online or something, ahah. it is so great that you didn’t give too many low ratings this year, yay for amazing reads! 😀 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment xx it’s lu again says november 23, 2017 at 10:25 pm omg yessssss!!! okayyy so it works so well??? i found this book ages ago and i’ve been really thinking about buying it as its contemporary (not my usual genre!) and i got it last night (three books for £10!! i had to!!) and i read it in one sitting and loved it?!?!?? ljljvhfjbgfdhbv awww marieeeeeeeee!!! xx marie says november 25, 2017 at 7:48 pm ahhhhhhh i’m so glad to hear this!! you did so well listening to that little voice inside of you   that’s the one telling you the books you should get 😛 it’s lu again says november 28, 2017 at 10:25 pm yassss (just imagine the lil chuffed face emoji bc i can’t get to it on my laptop ahaha) sophie li says november 22, 2017 at 11:47 pm hello marie <3 love your tips in this post (and the gifs! they are hilarious!) the world of book bloggers has transformed my book choices as well. and over time, i also feel like i am getting better at choosing books that i will love. i used to be a cover buyer, however, it didn't work out well at all! since i began blogging, i paid more attention to other bloggers' reviews, which affected my choice in books. i also rely on goodreads ratings a lot  i pretty much only read or buy books that have a 4 5 rating (not sure if this is a good habit to get into haha…) fellow bloggers have introduced some great books (and authors) to me, such as the illuminae series! and adam silvera! and becky albertalli! marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:19 pm oh thank you so, so much, sophie! <3 blogging and reading other reviews has helped me a lot in choosing my next read and finding books i love as well. also, you're not the only one relying on goodreads ratings… i do that too a lot, i can't help it, when a book is rated lower than 4, i'm wondering if i should read it ahah. i don't know if it is a good habit 😛 thank you so much, sophie!! <3 <3 sophie li says november 23, 2017 at 11:48 pm glad to hear that i’m not the only one relying on goodreads ratings   i’ve always felt a bit guilty for reading books with high ratings only. however, i think if it hasn’t led us astray so far, then why not continue? 🙂 hope you are having a great week, marie <3 🙂 marie says november 25, 2017 at 7:49 pm thank you, sophie, i hope your week has been lovely <3 <3 valerie says november 23, 2017 at 2:11 am haha i definitely follow all these things. which is why the books i do end up choosing for myself end up being really good, and i end up loving. plus i don’t think anything can really go wrong with a favorite trope or genre. and i definitely listen to my blogger friends and obviously your reviews too haha. marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:21 pm i agree   i rely a lot on favorite tropes and genres as well to find books i love <3 awww thank you, valerie, that means a lot! you already made me add tons of books to my tbr as well ahah 😛 thank you so much! <3 zoe @ stories on stage says november 23, 2017 at 5:38 am these are some great suggestions! i completely agree with reading other people’s reviews before reading and reading what you want to instead of just following the hype. thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous post! <3 marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:23 pm oh thank you so, so much zoe, i’m so glad you enjoyed this post! <3 <3 kristen @ metaphors and moonlight says november 23, 2017 at 5:54 am i’m clearly not as good as you because i’ve had a fairly meh bookish year. i find that far too often i pick up books that i *know* i’m probably going to moderately enjoy but not love, simply because they have one or two things that interest me. but it sucks because so many of the things i’m dying to read about are in very few books, so my selection is limited (e.g. i love reading about uncommon supernatural creatures and characters w/ disabilities). i keep telling myself i need to stop that though, to wait for books i really think i’ll love. but then my other issue is, it’s so hard to know! some of the absolute best books i’ve ever read were ones i was iffy about. reviews are so subjective, and i don’t have any one blogger who has my same taste and whose reviews i can always trust. i feel like i’ve gotten good at reading through reviews on gr and pinpointing what most reviewers seem to agree upon about a book, but even that can be unreliable. and i guess a part of me like taking chances on books? like i said, it turns out well sometimes. maybe that’s just cuz i’m bad at figuring out ahead of time what books i’ll like 😛 then other times i’ll be super excited for a book thinking it’ll be perfect from what i’ve read in the blurb and reviews only for it to let me down and for me to wonder what the heck book every other reviewer read because surely it was not the same one i just read lol. marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:29 pm i agree, it is so hard to know exactly what we will love! there are books i see, books i read reviews of, books bloggers recommend to me and i get this feeling that i might really love it. but it’s just a feeling, really, and i go with this to buy it and keep my fingers crossed. really knowing is almost impossible, we all have to take chances on books and hope for the better, i agree 😀 reviews really are subjective, yet i have managed to pick up a couple of bloggers with same opinion as mine on books, bloggers i trust with my eyes closed, really. there aren’t many, but they are here. also, just by comparing elements here and there, things one reviewer likes, one reviewer hated and so on, i manage to sort things out and put a book on my “must read, it has to be awesome” list 🙂 i hope that you are still finding great books thanks to blogging, goodreads and other recommendations 🙂 thank you so much for your sweet comment! xx dani @ perspective of a writer says november 23, 2017 at 6:40 am i love seeing all the different opinions from even little indie bloggers i don’t know well. i get little gems from what they say or don’t say about a book. i do try to read books bloggers love in general… i feel like i’ll always be my own person and my love for them won’t influence if i love a book or not, though i do know i’m not the same as most people and take that into account. great post marie… one of my favorites you’ve written so far <3 i think that's because i sooo relate… i'm pretty spot on about how i'll feel about a book, where i get tripped up is hyped… i don't buy them but just wading through them can be a chore if i'm not into it. marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:33 pm i love that you said, “i get little gems from what they say or don’t say about a book”, that’s exactly how i see it. i take something from each review i read and i love it, it helps me figuring out if i could love a book or not. people inspire me overall and help me deciding my next reads, it is pretty amazing <3 oh thank you so, so much, dani, this makes me so happy <3 <3 i'm so glad you enjoyed this, thank you for your sweet words <3 cam @ camillea reads says november 23, 2017 at 10:52 am i cannot emphasize enough how important it is not to give into book hypes! i prefer reading through book reviews on blogs and on goodreads. i always end up buying an ebook first, then buying the physical copy months later if i love it enough. recommending books to friends through goodreads is on way too. another great post, marie! marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:35 pm i agree   it’s so hard to resist, sometimes, but it’s better to think about it than just give in and buy what everyone else is buying. we might end up hating the book and just be mad at ourselves ahah 🙂 thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts, cam!! <3 kozbisa says november 23, 2017 at 2:02 pm the point about knowing what you love sticks out to me the most. i was trying to read more broadly for the blog, but i ending up dnfing a lot. once i got back to the type of books and stories i loved, i got back in my groove. i am nota huge hype reader. in fact, i see the phrase “i haven’t heard of any of these books” on many of my posts. i have followed a bunch of bloggers for years, and i know which ones are the hardcore contemporary readers like me, so there opinions with respect to contemporary are held higher than the ones i see having all their 5 star reads being sff books. good tips! marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:39 pm i so understand this. if i’ve been surprising myself by reading and loving a bit more the fantasy genre, thanks to book blogging, i have been annoyed at myself for trying to read other kind of books, to broaden my horizons, just to end up disappointed. i think it’s good to know what we love and, even if we shouldn’t say no to something different, it’s also good to know what we enjoy and to get back to it. best recipe to get out of slumps and to make the most out of our reading lives 🙂 also, even if you’re not reading the hyped books, you are making us discover so many new books, so… you are pretty awesome for that 🙂 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment! <3 <3 lydia tewkesbury says november 23, 2017 at 4:37 pm the quality of the books i read has increased so much since getting involved with various bookish communities online. i think that being picky gets really important the older you get, because there is suddenly so much less time to waste than there used to be! marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:40 pm yes yes yes, that’s exactly what i was thinking while writing this post. so many books to read and so little time. it’s good to know what we like and what we want 🙂 ioana @dragonwaffles says november 23, 2017 at 5:47 pm i think being an international bookworm that only purches physical books twice a year when the planets align (aka sales happen) has made me very good at this i think. my success rate is 7/8 books always and i am a proud bean. my rules are: is it relly hyped up on booktube? if yes then i won’t enjoy it. i don’t know why that is but it happens so often. am i allergic to this hype monster? probably. marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:43 pm this is such an amazing success rate, i am so proud of you and amazed? wow. <3 also, i think this is the one thing we international bookworms can be thankful for. because we don't get books often, we are so picky 😛 ahah well maybe you are allergic to the hype monster, but in a way, that's great, you know which books to stay away from, that's for sure 😛 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment! xx my1stchapter says november 23, 2017 at 6:19 pm let’s be real though, do we ever have self control when it comes to books???? lol epic tips though, i’m most definitely going to implement them next time i feel the dying urge to get another book marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:44 pm self control? what’s that? never heard of it, she says while adding compulsively 10 more books to her basket on book depository. i don’t know self control, but i try okay ahah 😛 thank you so much!!! <3 <3 poulami @ daydreaming books says november 23, 2017 at 6:49 pm so freaking true. my situation is similar to yours, i have to buy most of my books and from now on i’ll be keeping these things in mind! <3 marie says november 23, 2017 at 7:51 pm i’m so glad you enjoyed this post, poulami! thank you so much for your sweet comment <3 beth (reading every night) says november 23, 2017 at 9:02 pm i love this post marie, and it’s something i’ve noticed about myself and my ratings as well. i have a knack for picking up books i know i’m going to enjoy and while that isn’t always the case, like you said it’s impossible to love every book you read, more often than not i’m going to rate what i’ve just read quite high. 🙂 i think in my mind it’s one of the (few) benefits of being a mood reader. i don’t stick to tbr lists but that way i know i’m always going to be in the mood for whatever book i pick up and that way i’m halfway guaranteed to enjoy it. i think these are great tips as well, i mean i do tend to be swept away by hype a lot but i also trust bloggers opinions on books so much. most times it’s led me to amazing books that have become all time favourites, but a few times it’s warned me away from books i probably wouldn’t have enjoyed. just another thing to love about the book blogging community. 🙂 again great post. 😀 <3 marie says november 25, 2017 at 7:44 pm oh yes   being a mood reader really helps, i agree. i know that when i’m in the mood to read a fluffy contemporary, i’ll surely end up enjoying it. i wouldn’t do well with a monthly tbr, that’s for sure 😛 thank you so, so much, beth! <3 amortalreader1 says november 23, 2017 at 10:12 pm such a great post! i used to hear people say ‘you shouldn’t trust book reviewers who always rate 5 stars because how can they enjoy so many books?’ and i’m that person. i rate highly so often and it’s rare i find a book i hate but like you mention in here i’m buying the books so i go through such a long process. i look up the book and read tons of reviews, i watch videos and see comparisons on what other books they might be similar too. i’m not one of these people who can just buy anything on a whim and just try it out. i perhaps would do that at a library? love this post! marie says november 25, 2017 at 7:46 pm yes   i am hearing this so often as well. it’s not that i’m… weird for enjoying so many books, it’s just that i feel like, after a while, i have picked some things up here and there and am most likely to read books i’ll rate highly. same here. i think i would take anything on a whim, if i had a library to take books from. since i’m always spending money, i’m thinking a whole lot more ahah. thank you so much, hannah!! <3 zoie says november 24, 2017 at 12:39 am you should totally own your amazing book picking skills, marie! ? i actually find myself in the same situation as you   most of the books i pick up are books that i end up loving. i’m not sure how my mind exactly processes a book and decides that it’s going to be a good story, but i for now i’m just going to say it’s good book picking instinct. ? getting into blogging has introduced me to so many amazing books, but other than wonder woman, i haven’t stumbled across a hyped book that i didn’t absolutely love yet, though i’m sure that will happen eventually down the road. ? trusting other bloggers’ recommendations definitely helps in choosing good books, but i’m a fan of trusting my gut more than only relying on reviews. that’s why i love wandering around my library and my local bookstores so much   i never know which book out with because it pulled at me to read the story! my favorite books are the ones that i stumbled across randomly by myself, not because someone recommended it to me. somehow, finding a book that i love by myself makes the books so much more special ? great post, marie! ?? marie says november 25, 2017 at 7:51 pm oh i so understand this feeling. i rely so much on other bloggers’ reviews and goodreads and, well, being part of the book blogging community makes me always want more books. the ones we find by ourselves are even more special, then, you’re so right about this. and you must have amazing book picking skills, that’s so cool 😛 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment, zoie! <3 <3 dina says november 24, 2017 at 4:23 am the instinct thing is so important, because there are books i knew i’d never like, but i bought them anyway. i was trying to be hip, but now i am filled with regret (and pie). the fun part is when you start following bloggers whose reading tastes are similar. or, goodreads lists of recommendations per genre. those are fun, too. marie says november 25, 2017 at 7:52 pm you’re so right   we should always follow our instinct. it’s hard sometimes, we want to follow the hype and buy the next “big book”, but sometimes we regret it ahah. better to know what we like and trust our gut 🙂 ahahah oh yes, well once you have bloggers with similar tastes all around… the book recommendations never ever stop 😛 thank you so much for your sweet comment,dina! <3 shar says november 24, 2017 at 6:43 am this is really useful advice! i don’t buy that many books (i’m lucky to have a really awesome library) and i try to only buy books i really like. because otherwise it seems like a waste of money, you know? however, i often get drawn in by hype. for example, i bought warcross recently, and it was good, but not that good? i should have known because while i liked the legend trilogy (but didn’t love it), i really didn’t like the young elites, sadly. anyway, the past is in the past, so i’ll let it go. marie says november 25, 2017 at 8:00 pm i totally understand   it’s so great you have a great library to take books from. this way, even if you hate a book, it wasn’t really a “waste” of your money, well not as much as if you bought it. 🙂 i’m sorry you didn’t enjoy warcross too much   it’s so hard sometimes to resist the hype, though. thank you so, so much for sharing your thoughts, shar! <3 shanti says november 24, 2017 at 11:11 am i also read mostly books i like, and you’re right, there’s a skill to it. i often hesitate around hype. there are definitely some bloggers whose recommendations i always go for, and others whose condemnation will make me avoid a book. i do like libraries because it means that i can try out new genres which i might love or might not love (and with digital libraries, there aren’t even any late fees!) this means that when i buy books i usually just go for ones that i know that i’ll like, or have already read and enjoyed. but these tips are great! marie says november 25, 2017 at 8:01 pm ohhh digital libraries, now that’s the dream ahah 😛 it’s so great to be able to pick up books like that, especially the hyped ones, or the ones in genres you’re not sure you might enjoy 😀 thank you so, so much, shanti! <3 <3 kat impossible says november 24, 2017 at 11:51 am those are really good tips! i am not sure they are exactly foolproof but i do agree that following those little guidelines can help a lot. i’ve sometimes ignored what others have said and paid the price by not liking the book a lot. also, i have to wait a little with hyped books because those are dangerous of failing because of too high expectations every single time. great post, as always, marie! (also, sorry for being so absent) marie says november 25, 2017 at 8:02 pm ahahah no, they aren’t foolproof at all, i don’t take any responsibility if you follow these tips and it didn’t work out haha 😛 thank you so, so much, kat!! and no need to apologize for that! <3 <3 <3 kat impossible says november 26, 2017 at 5:23 pm hahaha i would never hold you responsible for my actions hahaha may @ forever and everly says november 24, 2017 at 4:06 pm oh, this is an awesome post, marie! i rarely buy books   i’m so lucky to have a good library   but when i do, i have to make sure that i looove it (or at least like it) because i’m broke, and why spend money on books i won’t like when i can get books that i do like?? these are all great tips for finding good books! i totally know my own tastes   although it’s always changing?! and recommendations/high ratings from certain people are definitely a big reason why i’ll pick up that book. and hahaha was that marie lu thing referring to me. ?? great post!! marie says november 25, 2017 at 8:07 pm yeeeeeees, obviously that was me referring to you with marie lu, you devious human being. i still love you because marie lu is amazing and i’m going to read the rose society sometime soon and ahh i am all the fangirling and it’s your fault ??? you’re so right   we should keep our money for the books we are sure we will enjoy ,or at least hope we will enjoy as much as we can 😀 thank you so much!! <3 may @ forever and everly says november 25, 2017 at 8:25 pm personally trs was the worst book of the series?? but other people loved it, so i’m excited to see what you think!! marie says november 26, 2017 at 7:21 pm oooh okay ahah   i think i won’t get my hopes up too high, then. i don’t know when i’ll read it, i have to see if it’s cheap or not to get it soon, so…money will decide for me 😛 lry93 says november 25, 2017 at 7:59 am great tips! i definitely agree with the hype train one! i haven’t picked up a john green book yet because of the hype surrounding it… and when i dies down i’m still always on the fence about whether or not i actually want to read it … marie says november 26, 2017 at 7:18 pm thank you so much 🙂 oh, i get it. i’m the same way when it comes to certain books   even after the hype has died down, part of me isn’t quite sure about reading the book, or not. i think, if you’re not even having a little feeling about it, this feeling of, well…curiosity, i’d say, maybe you’re just not interested enough in it to read it 🙂 amber says november 25, 2017 at 11:00 pm all these things are really good advice. even if it’s not book bloggers, i think it’s so important to trust the reviews you read. know what you’re looking for   if someone says “i loved the love triangle” and you hate love triangles with the passion of a thousand fiery suns… well then. there you are. marie says november 26, 2017 at 7:30 pm thank you so, so much amber 🙂 i agree, it’s important to remember what we love and the things we can’t stand in our stories 🙂 anna @mybookishdream says november 26, 2017 at 11:49 am all of your advice is simply amazing! <3 i tend to research books a lot before buying them. first is always reading the synopsis and seeing if it's something that i'm interested in. then i tend to read some reviews to see what people think about them. that's where my blogging friends come in, as i trust their opinions and they help me decide if i'm going to read the book or not. 😉 the exception is when it comes to favourite authors   i want to read everything by them, no matter what they write! great post and advice marie! <3 😀 marie says november 26, 2017 at 7:34 pm i’m just like you   there is so much time spend researching books, before actually buying them… except for favorite authors. no matter what they come up with, next, i always have to get it ahah 🙂 thank you so much for your sweet comment, anna, so glad you enjoyed this post <3 theorangutanlibrarian says november 28, 2017 at 7:20 pm i think it’s awesome that you’re so good at finding books you love!! i totally agree that it’s good to be careful about what you pick up  a lot of the time, i end up disliking books i get on a whim, so i really should be more careful. but, like you said, recommendations are awesome  so that really helps with that issue  because ever since i started blogging, the number of books i’ve got on a whim have gone down and my ratings always seem to be going up 😀 you are so right about trusting your instincts and ahh i need to avoid the hype train! it’s so hard to ignore sometimes and it’s caused me to get trapped into getting so many mediocre books. that’s why it’s such a sensible idea to wait till the hype dies down  i usually wait a few months after the hype for the bad reviews to come  and if they don’t (for books like six of crows) then i know it’s the real deal  but if bad reviews do come and i still want to read it, at least my expectations were lower and it wasn’t ruined by hype. great advice and wonderful post! marie says november 28, 2017 at 8:23 pm ever since i started blogging, i ended up adding so many books to my tbr, it is insane, i can’t keep up ahahah. but i am loving the recommendations and i feel like because of them, i am finding new books i really love. thank you so, so much!! <3 <3 theorangutanlibrarian says november 29, 2017 at 12:12 am hahaha i totally relate!! i completely agree 😀 you’re welcome!! <3 <3 shannon @ it starts at midnight says november 30, 2017 at 4:24 am this is great! i am impressed that you are so good at knowing what you like, honestly! i am… not so good at it. i think i have gotten better at avoiding the real hot messes, but then that isn’t fun either, because like you said, rants are fun! i’d rather hate a book than 3 star it i think, just for entertainment value haha. i think my biggest problem is not trusting myself. like  i will add books based on the hype, or on other bloggers, but then i realize that i don’t actually like whatever it is, so why did i insist i needed to read it? i am going to work hard on listening more to my own interests! love this post! marie says november 30, 2017 at 8:19 pm i had the same issue and i sometimes still do. the hype is the worst, at times, it makes me want to add tons of books, buy books i don’t even know why i’m interested in. once they’re there, or when i start reading them, they have lost all the appeal they had before and i regret my choices ahah. i think i’m trusting myself more and more to buy books i’m really interested in and so far, it has worked quite well 😀 thank you so much, shannon!! <3 chiara @ books for a delicate eternity says december 1, 2017 at 6:01 am there are only two people that i would really trust in terms of book recommendations and that’s because they have really come through for me in the past, haha. and because we generally like the same books so it’s an almost sure thing that if they recommend me something that i’ll enjoy it. as for books on a whim… library, no. i only use the library for books that i want to read but can’t be bothered buying, or for books in a series that i’m reading and won’t know if i want to own them until i’ve read them all. i used to go to the library and just pick out every single book that took my fancy but i have learned from my mistakes. when i go to the bookstore, there is a little more whimsy there, haha. i usually buy books i have heard of, though. like i recently bought stalking jack the ripper because a) it has a beautiful cover, and b) it’s a mystery/thriller (which is my fave genre). so there’s a high likelihood of me loving it. sometimes i go into the bookstore just wanting to find a new book, though! being a book blogger, it can be hard to find completely new to me books so sometimes i just want to have that feeling again *.* marie says december 2, 2017 at 5:39 pm oh yes, i so agree with you! as book bloggers, we see and hear everything about new books, sometimes way before their release date, so when browsing in a bookstore or online… nothing seems quite new anymore, which gets a bit tiring? i miss being surprised by a book that looks cool, at times. it’s great when you can discover new books this way, books you never heard of and end up being amazing, that’s for sure 🙂 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment and for sharing your thoughts 🙂 leah says december 1, 2017 at 4:38 pm i really appreciated this post! my tried and true method for only reading good books was only read the books that had a four star minimum average on goodreads. however, recently (maybe because i’m a more critical reader or because i’m growing a little bit and things in ya that never bothered me before, bother me now) but some of the books that were loved by the majority were not loved by me. this has caused me to break out of the mold a little and really questioning whether i think it would be good. i also try to read the goodreads preview to see if i like the writing and the set up of the book. marie says december 2, 2017 at 6:02 pm oh thank you! i’m so glad you enjoyed this 🙂 it is so hard   sometimes, more often than not, we are tempted to follow everyone’s opinion and if they think a book is great, it has to be great. i have done that tons of times befoe, but now, whenever i am getting a new book, i’m really trying to think of what attracts me and if i could love it 🙂 ohh goodreads previews are an amazing way to get an idea of the book, that’s a great tip! 😀 vanessawolfe says december 1, 2017 at 5:22 pm ugh i’ve instant bought so many “meh” books due to the hype or because i saw pretty instagram photos. it’s definitely my 2018 goal to think longer and harder on what book i plan to buy. i will be buying more discounted e books of books i know i’ll breeze through but buy physical copies of book i’m sure i’ll love for now on. marie says december 2, 2017 at 6:05 pm oh yes. i should have mentioned instagram photos on here as well, everytime i see a gorgeous book here, i want to buy it ahah. i think it’s a great way to get your books! it’s hard to know what we like, but it’s even more frustrating when we end up spending money on books we hate. getting an idea of the book, having it at a discounted price or from the library if we have one, is better when we are not sure ::) thank you so much for your comment! julianna @ blots of ink and words says december 2, 2017 at 3:52 am you: there are some books that are everywhere me: *coughs* six of crows *coughs* i trust the hype mostly except for when it lies to me (aka an enchantment of ravens :'( ) and it actually is a big factor in which books i read lol there are 0 bloggers i trust w/ my life for book recommendations, sorry @ some people but it’s just  just  um  i have weird reading tastes okayyyy marie says december 2, 2017 at 6:32 pm hahahahahaha. yes. i know. i need to read it soon…… i also need to run and hide right now, i so fail as a blogger, i know hahaha. if trusting the hype works for you, this is awesome and also give me you secreeeeeet. i don’t want to trust the hype too much because i am scared haha. it’s okay to have weird tasteee, you’re the blogger we go to for unexpected recommendations 😉 michelle ? says december 4, 2017 at 3:04 pm i’m so jealous of you marie haha. when a book disappoints me i usually thought i would like it? so maybe you actually have magical powers that help you pick out books ? i don’t think there’s one blogger i would completely trust, because we all have different reading tastes. if a lot of bloggers are excited about a book, i will take that into consideration if the book already interested me, but i’ll always be hesitant haha. if i could borrow books from the library i’d listen to all the book bloggers and try everything 😛 though that may end up with me being grumpy because i’ll also read books i won’t like haha marie says december 4, 2017 at 8:27 pm hahhaa, maybe i do?! i’m thinking way too much before getting any book, maybe there’s that as well haha 😛 oh yes, if we had libraries… we’d end up with too many books to read though, even more than now haha 😛 iris @ hoard of books says december 6, 2017 at 4:42 am i very rarely buy books on a whim, but i do often borrow books from the library/a friend on a complete whim. and then i do sometimes get books i don’t love, and i procrastinate. but, for the most part, i enjoy almost all the books i read. even when i’m a bit bored, or don’t find a book very good, i still manage to get enough enjoyment out of it for it to be worthwhile. marie says december 6, 2017 at 7:53 pm oh that’s so great, i’m so glad to hear it! it is frustrating whenever we end up reading books we don’t love, and / or find nothing in them to entertain us. that’s what we read for, after all 🙂 thank you so much for your sweet comment and for stopping by, iris! 😀 alyssa @ breadreadsbooks says december 6, 2017 at 7:52 am yes!!! another person who thinks ages about a book before purchasing it. i am so picky with what i read that it keeps me from joining book clubs. ? i am glad someone else understands spending ages on what books to get. i thought i was alone, haha!!! another thing is i, too, am very generous with my ratings. if i highly enjoy a book, i give it 5 stars. bam! i dislike giving low ratings because i understand how much work and effort an author put into their writing and i dislike putting their hard work down. fantastic post! marie says december 6, 2017 at 8:08 pm oh no you’re not alone haha, i am so glad you’re just like me when it comes to picking books! i take ages, really, it’s crazy and everyone hates me, but… i need to think haha 😛 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment, alyssa!! <3 <3 heshotmedown says february 25, 2018 at 9:59 am this is such an interesting post! marie says february 27, 2018 at 6:04 pm oh thank you, glad you enjoyed it 🙂 ruby's books says march 18, 2018 at 10:31 pm i definitely wait a few months/years for the hype to go away. i remember the hype around vampire academy, and i waited about 2 years after the last book was out to read it. i trust other bloggers to tell me which books are controversial, and i trust bloggers that mention trigger warnings. as for thinking before buying a book… it’s a mix between thinking long and hard, and going with my gut. i have had some dud, but i’ve also found some gems by going with my gut. but like you said, it’s not that i enjoy everything, i just learned what i liked to read, what i don’t like, and i basically stay away from books i know i wouldn’t like. marie says march 19, 2018 at 7:02 pm oh i’m glad you are kind of the same way as i am   i know how to trust my gut and i know how to stay away from books i would probably not enjoy a lot and… i’ve come to read tons of books that i loved lately, it’s pretty amazing 😀 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment! 🙂 x ilsen leon says june 1, 2018 at 6:27 pm just found your blog from my girl becca from becandbones and let me just say, i want to read all of your recommendations right now! i just saw your blog but i already know we have similar reading tastes! i’m a huge contemporary fan and also i love recommending books 24/7 xd but anyways i usually get on board with the hype sometimes but other times i just go with my gut. i do rely heavily on what books to buy through reviews so reviews are very important. i rarely buy books by the cover because most of the time i get disappointed (red queen, the edge of everything, and the wrath and the dawn). can’t wait to see more of your posts! marie says june 9, 2018 at 7:07 pm oh wow thank you so much for your sweet comment   i’m so glad to hear from a fellow contemporary lover   this genre is always my favorite one to read <3 <3 i'm sorry you were disappointed by some of your covers buys, but i get it, sometimes a pretty cover is sooo tempting, haha 🙂 thank you so, so much for your sweet comment! <3 <3 […] marie tells us how to buy books that we’ll love […] […] marie from drizzle & hurricane books talks about how to find and read only books that you love. she shares 5 great tips to follow if you want to have a better chance of reading books that you will enjoy. […] […] how to find and read only books you love […] […] to know the secret to finding books that you will love? marie @ drizzle and hurricane books got your […] […] hurricane books celebrates 3 years of blogging. marie also provides two epic discussion posts on finding books you love and blogging […] […] talks about how to find books that you know you’ll love and how to cut down on the number of books that you […] […] marie @ drizzle and hurricane books talks about how to find and read only books you love ? aentee @ read at midnight created another fun readathon, this time inspired by animal crossing […] […] not to rely too much on the hype to buy my books and to trust my gut, before anything else. i wrote a blog post about my talent  well…i’m trying, i said  by the way. i can’t avoid the hype, no one can except […] […] in a while   or ever, on the blog. i don’t know if it’s whether i am just good at finding the books i love, or whether i just don’t like writing rants on books, while they seem to be so popular around […] […] feel like, overall, i know my bookish taste fairly well and i also feel like i know kind of quickly if a book could be for me, or not. there are books […] […] related blog post: how to find and read only books you love […] […] today i thought i’d rant a little bit about some things i’d love to see in the books i read a little more. i’ve been lucky enough, in the past few years, to get to know myself as a reader more and more and, most importantly, to find and read books i really, really loved. […] about work with us get all the new blog posts directly in your inbox! email address we’re marie (she/her) and nyx (she/her), two sisters screaming about books at each other and now with you, too. we love books, traveling and we’re both marshmallows, basically. thank you so much for stopping by! have a look around and let’s chat! copyright © 2025 drizzle & hurricane books · theme by 17th avenue accessibility tools

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a quick video overview of my step by step literary agent strategy with much more detail in the post. in this post, i’m going to help make that search a little less painful and a lot more effective. if you follow steps, you will improve your chances of attracting an agent who is looking for books like yours (and knows how to sell them). this is the same method that has helped many of my clients go from being ignored by agents to getting frequent manuscript requests. i cover a ton in this post, so to help you navigate through it, here’s a quick overview of what i’ll be going over. under each section, i’ll explain in detail how to tackle that step. why you need a strategy step 1   identify how your book fits into the publishing world step 2   find agents that are looking for books just like yours step 3   refine your list of target agents step 4   personalize your query letters step 5   send your query in batches step 6   follow up (don’t skip this step!) usually by the time a writer comes to me for help pitching agents, they’re demoralized and desperate. they’ve poured their heart and their soul   not to mention months or years of their time   into their book and they’re afraid it’s horrible. they’re ashamed to tell their friends and family that their dream of being an author may be out of reach. when i ask these writers about their pitching strategy, they usually describe some variation of the shotgun approach. i get that. we’ve all been told “it’s just a numbers game” or “you’ll have to knock on a lot of doors.” it sounds logical that if you send out enough queries, eventually someone will bite. if only they knew how much greater their odds would be if they would start sending personalized query letters targeted to agents who like and sell books like theirs (more help in my post how to write a query letter that wows agents). truth is, the shotgun approach rarely works. for anything. i mean think about this seriously…apart from hunting birds in the woods, would you use that indiscriminate, low effort tactic in any other area of your life? dating and marriage are a great analogy. when you’re in search of love, you’re told you’ll have to “kiss a lot of frogs” before you find the one. have you ever dated online? i have. many years ago, i used match.com (which served up plenty of frogs but ultimately lead to a happy marriage and a quirky modern love story that was my first ny times byline). anyway, so many of the guys on match would send obvious cut and paste jobs. their messages would say things like, “hey, i liked what you said in your profile. we have a lot in common. let’s get together.” ummmm, what did you like about my profile? what do we have in common? if you’re sending out a thousand replica emails without even bothering to learn the first thing about me or any of the other women, you’re either way too desperate or way too much of a player. delete. similarly, when i was a magazine editor, i would get blasted with equally generic query letters from freelance writers and publicists. it was clear they knew nothing about our magazine, the sections i edited, or our readers. how much time do you think i spent considering those queries? about as much time as they spent thinking about what our magazine published. pretty much none at all. if they had framed their story in a way that fit with our magazine or would interest our readers, i probably would have given their materials a look, or at the very least would have intended to respond with a polite, personalized no. (i say intended because emails do slip through the cracks. i show you how to deal with that further down in this post.) and yet, when i first started looking for an agent, i more or less did the same thing. now, i want to keep you from making the same mistake. remember this when you pitch agents: don’t be creepy internet guy. be a pro by pitching the right agents, the right way. here’s how…. if you follow these steps, you will maximize your efforts by pitching only the agents you know are most likely to be a great match for you and your book. photo by robert bye this will make the following steps a million times easier and more effective. on the most basic level, before you are ready to write your query or identify target agents, you should know your genre and sub genre, if applicable. for example, if your book involves a murder, ask yourself if it’s a thriller, a cozy mystery, noir, or even if it’s historical fiction, or upmarket commercial fiction, or literary fiction, etc. although marketing categories can be artificial and frustrating, they can also help you research agents who represent books like yours. it’ll be even better if you can understand your book on a deeper level. let’s move past genre and narrow down some of your book’s other characteristics. for example, what is the tone of your book? gritty? inspirational? philosophical? funny? irreverent? can you name other authors who share your style or topic? where does your book fit on the spectrum between literary and commercial? does your book have a unique topic or setting that certain agents might be drawn to? getting clear on your book will make it easier to recognize the right agents when you come across them. when you see what books they’ve sold, you can compare them to your own book. for example, if i were still looking for an agent for love me anyway and i saw someone who represents a lot of dark, funny women’s fiction on the border between literary and commercial, i’d be stoked. if i found an agent like that who also sells books with travel or international elements, i’d do a few cartwheels (no, i can’t actually do one anymore) and put that person on the top of my list. similarly, if i found an agent who represents super serious literary fiction or, on the other end of the spectrum, women’s fiction with cotton candy happy endings, i wouldn’t expect us to click. although there are thousands of agents, the vast majority aren’t going to be into (or won’t be good at selling) your kind of book. you’ll drastically increase your odds with a laser targeted list of 25 50 to a max of 100 agents who have sold books just like yours. i’m talking about books that are like yours not just in genre but also in things like tone or theme or style. nina revoyr and sue grafton have both written bestselling crime novels, but they’re worlds apart in style. think about it. you have a certain taste, right? even when it comes to reading a book (an infinitely smaller investment of time and money than representing one) you carefully limit what makes it onto your bookshelf. so instead of pitching anyone who vaguely sounds appropriate, i want you to look at agents’ sales records, their webpages, their interviews, their profiles, and find those who very clearly want books exactly like yours. let’s say your book is funny and inspirational. in that case, you don’t need to waste time and emotional energy pitching agents whose lists are full of dark, literary, political novels. and you’ll want your query to have a funny and inspirational tone to attract your right people, which inevitably means it’ll turn off the wrong ones. publisher’s marketplace: to start your research, i implore you to invest in publisher’s marketplace, so you can research the sales records of potential agents. this is not the same thing as writer’s market, which you may have used in the past. fyi i am not an affiliate and do not get compensation for my recommendation. publisher’s marketplace is the site that publishing industry insiders agents and editors and publishers and booksellers use every day. yeah, it’s $25 a month, but you can cancel any time, and it’s an investment well worth making. there is simply no better way to research agents. plus, you’ll get their news and analysis emailed to you each weekday, which will teach you so much about the publishing industry. what’s especially fun is seeing all the debut novels that are being sold proof that people like you do get published! the drawback to this site is that it doesn’t offer many categories to help you narrow down your search, so sifting through can be a time consuming drag. it’s the most comprehensive site, but not the most efficient. once you have a rough list, you need to deepen your research into the agents who have sold books like yours. i recommend writer’s digest and manuscript wish list. writer’s digest: chuck sambuchino’s blog, the guide to literary agents, constantly introduces new agents, along with agents who are currently looking for submissions. he also posts queries that worked, interviews with authors (including me!), about how they got their agents, and plenty of other publishing gold. but, it’s not a systematic way to find agents, so i don’t recommend starting there. i’d rather you come back to it after you have an initial list and have developed a better sense of what you’re looking for. manuscript wish list: this started as a twitter hashtag where agents mentioned ideas they’d love to see. it’s now also a website with very thorough agent listings. although it doesn’t have anywhere near the number of agents as the other sites, it’s a fantastic resource, and the agents who have profiles are there for a reason   they want pitches from new writers. the only downside is that there’s just so much information that it’s not a very efficient place to start. like writer’s digest, i think mswl is one of the best places for further research after you have an initial rough list. it will help you learn more about the names you’ve already got and help you add new names once you have a good feel for what you’re looking for. listen up   if learning about each agent seems like too much work, remember how much time and effort you’re asking the agent to put in. if you expect other people to care more about your book than you do, you aren’t going to make it in this business. believe me, i know all of this prep work sounds daunting, but you’re up to the challenge. if you don’t know how to efficiently get that much information on agents, that’s perfectly okay. get my list of the 107 best agencies in my epic guide to publishers and literary agencies. check it out! it’s enormously helpful when you can tell the agent why you’re pitching them in particular and why you think your book is a good fit for their list. not only will you be presenting your book as something they’d like, you’ll be positioning yourself as a professional. you can learn more about how to do this in my post how to write a query letter that wows agents. here’s a case study for you: my client robert kerbeck came to me in frustration after he had sent out dozens of queries for his book and heard absolutely nothing in response. ugh. that really is painful. understandably, he was feeling rejected and lost. he had worked so hard on his book for years, (i adored it btw), and it was wasting away out there in the email void. we worked together to come up with a highly targeted list, and when he sent out 12 personalized queries to 12 highly targeted top notch agents, within two weeks, he got seven requests for his manuscript. seven! out of 12. that’s a 58% request rate on the exact same book! he got an agent, a book deal, and now penguin random house is calling ru$e: lying the american dream from hollywood to wall street one of their most anticipated books of the year. now, a few agents don't think writers should have to personalize their queries. they see it as one more hoop to jump through and don’t want to waste writers’ time. i think that’s big hearted, and i admire those agents. i also know they're the exception. as humans, the more any offer is customized to fit our needs, the more likely we are to buy into it. think about how hard marketers work to research their audience, pinpoint their customers’ needs, and tailor their ads to them. hello creepy internet ads that follow you from google to facebook! savvy marketers spend big, big bucks to personalize their ads, even when their target audience of ideal customers includes millions of people. you don’t have a million prospects. you have at best a few hundred. the good news about having such a small pool of targets is that you can know exactly who you’re pitching. you’ll know the books each agent has sold, and sometimes you’ll even find loads of information online about their tastes and needs and personalities. if you can find the agents most likely to respond to your book and figure out how your book fits their needs, you’ll maximize your chances of finding the one. plus, you’ll also make the job of writing a query letter much easier. aim for about 15 queries per batch. one at a time is waaaaaay too slow, and unless someone has already asked for an exclusive, multiple submissions are assumed. more than 15 and you could be blowing through your list of agents with an ineffective query. send the first batch, and if you don’t get any requests for partials within about six weeks, there’s probably something wrong with your query. (that doesn’t mean there’s necessarily anything wrong with your book! see jim’s experience above.) if that batch brings in a lot of requests for partials, but then six weeks after sending your pages, you don’t get requests for a full manuscript, then you know the query rocks but the opening chapters need work. similarly, if agents generally adore the partial but don’t subsequently fall for the whole book, it’s time to at least consider a bigger revision. take any feedback you’ve been given, and try to decide if your sample size is large enough to warrant a change or if it would make sense to keep pitching a while longer. editors and critique groups can help tremendously, but you’re ultimately going to have to go with your gut on that one. once you’re confident the book is ready, go kiss some more frogs with that awesome query! note: for fiction, you’ll only query once you have a full manuscript. for non fiction, you’ll query with a book proposal. (learn all about book proposals here.) i hope you get lucky and hear back from agents right away. but, most likely you’re going to need to nudge them. do not, do not, do not skip this step. some people will tell you not to do this because it’s pushy and that silence always means no. i’ll admit silence isn’t the best sign, and there’s a good chance it’s a no, but it definitely doesn’t mean no. here’s why you must follow up: i’m pretty sure that if you think about it, you have had experiences in other areas of your life   your job, your social life   where you followed up or extended an invitation for the second time and got a yes. or maybe it’s the other way around and when someone has reminded you about something, you’ve responded by saying “oh, yes, that’s right. i do want to go to that event, sign up for that class, buy that thing, get drinks with that person.” my favorite follow up success story. i know i’ve had many such experiences in my non publishing life. as i typed that, it dawned on me that my friend jennifer convinced me to follow up with my now husband shortly after we met online! i'm throwing in a shot of us getting married two years later. i was so skinny and he had so much hair! i was still a magazine editor at that point, and trust me, i let plenty of emails slip through the cracks. when someone politely followed up, my guilt kicked in, and i made it a point to get back to them. sometimes with a no, but sometimes with a yes. here are three examples of agent follow ups that prove silence doesn’t have to mean no. no one believes me when i tell them an agent might get your reminder and say, “omg, how did i miss this? yes, send it immediately!” but it happens. i once had a client who was feeling dejected after not hearing back from a dream agent. i convinced him to send a polite follow up, and he immediately got this response from a very prestigious agent, a partner at one of the biggest agencies in new york. (this is so absurdly great that it sounds fake. i promise it’s not.) “thanks so much for checking in. yes, i'd love to read the full manuscript! you beat me to it...you are such a talented writer. i greatly appreciate your following up. i am looking forward to it.” i swear to god that i copied that straight from his forwarded email and am not making it up. if he hadn’t checked back, he would have continued to assume she hated the book! another client of mine followed up a couple of times after her dream agent had liked the full manuscript but wanted to see some revisions before making an offer. she made the revisions, but then heard nothing back from the agent. although she assumed the worst, she continued to follow up since she had come so close. turns out the agent’s mother had died, and she’d stepped away from work to take care of family affairs. when she returned, they signed together. another writer i know finally had the nerve to check back six months after an agent had requested her full manuscript. the agent quickly explained that right around the time they’d been corresponding, she went into early labor and then maternity leave. naturally, the manuscript got lost in the shuffle. the agent requested it again and they’ve been a team ever since. i don’t want to be overly rosy. if you don’t hear back, there’s a good chance it’s a no, but as i’ve demonstrated, it’s always, always worth a follow up. don’t worry about being seen as too pushy. listen to me   no one will get upset about receiving a short, polite, appropriately timed email. if they somehow decide that a two sentence email makes you an out of line aggressor and they decide to black ball you for it, there is something seriously wrong with that person. luckily, you found out the easy way and aren’t stuck in a toxic relationship with that agent. this takes work! but i promise that if you target agents who are looking for books like yours with a personalized query letter that shows why your book is a good fit for them, you’ll increase your chances dramatically and feel infinitely more confident while querying. just rinse and repeat until you find the one. go get ‘em! work with me services courses testimonials enjoyable things newsletter resources for writers my novel questions get in touch helpful articles connect with me on social…

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finding and holding onto love both require a complex set of skills. there’s the ability to read people, compromise, be vulnerable, have empathy, argue constructively, be patient, solve problems, and more. nobody comes into the world knowing how to do all of these things well so how can we learn? well, the five books below could be an ideal place to start. in fact, they may lead you into the arms of your next great love. learn something new every day with “book bites,” 15 minute audio summaries of the latest and greatest nonfiction. get started by downloading the next big idea app today! by john kim and vanessa bennett two therapists analyze their own relationship to help untangle the common and frustrating barriers many individuals face on the road to a happy, loving, rewarding partnership. listen to our book bite summary, read by co authors john kim and vanessa bennett, in the next big idea app by jay shetty the author of the #1 new york times bestseller think like a monk offers a revelatory guide to every stage of romance, drawing on ancient wisdom and new science. listen to our book bite summary, read by author jay shetty, in the next big idea app by mimi winsberg from a harvard  and stanford trained psychiatrist comes an essential look at the love language of texts, helping you decipher the personalities of online daters, the subtle signals from your romantic partner, and the red flags hiding in plain sight. listen to our book bite summary, read by author mimi winsberg, in the next big idea app by rick hanson with fifty simple yet powerful practices, you can handle conflicts, repair misunderstandings, get treated better, deepen a romantic partnership, be at peace with others, and give the love that you have in your heart. listen to our book bite summary, read by author rick hanson, in the next big idea app by myra strober and abby davisson at a time when we are experiencing the most significant shift in work life balance in decades, this framework offers simple and effective steps to empower readers to make the best strategic decisions without having to sacrifice their careers or personal lives. listen to our book bite summary, read by co authors myra strober and abby davisson, in the next big idea app “if you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books,” roald dahl once famously said. the only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hours and you may not have many hours to spare. but imagine for a moment: what if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? or even better, what if you could invite a world renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the 5 key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes? with the next big idea app, we’ve turned this fantasy into a reality. we partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create “book bites,” short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. discover cutting edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well being, and much more all in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog. the next big idea app is free for anyone to try and if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the next big idea club. membership grants you unlimited access to book bites and unlocks early release, ad free episodes of our linkedin partnered podcast. you also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live q&a sessions with featured authors. for a more focused learning experience, we recommend a hardcover or ebook membership. every few months, legendary authors and club curators malcolm gladwell, susan cain, adam grant, and daniel pink select two new nonfiction books as the must reads of the season. we then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or ebook versions to your favorite digital device. we also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium video e courses, 50 minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life changing ideas. and yes, it’s all available through the next big idea app. whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the next big idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. wake up with an always fresh idea of the day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. then dive into one of our challenges, hand picked collections of book bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. later, watch the playback of an interview with u.s. surgeon general vivek murthy, stanford psychologist jennifer eberhardt, or philosopher john kaag. and be sure to check the “events” tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live q&a and personally chat with the next featured thought leader. if you’re hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope you’ll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the next big idea. get started by downloading the app today! get your head ready for the game with these six reads from the world of america’s most popular sport. if you might matter, we should assume that you do. artificial intelligence is not a single technology.

welcome to life advice for book lovers, lit hub’s advice column. you tell me what’s eating you in an email to deardorothea@lithub.com and i’ll tell you what you should read next. _______________ dear dorothea, last year alone, i went to four weddings of close friends. people tell you to expect this in your 20s, but i always thought they were exaggerating! you can probably guess where this is going: i am nowhere close to getting married. i haven’t been in a real relationship since 2018. in fact, i’m just starting to “get back out there” “post pandemic.” don’t get me wrong: i actually like being alone. most of the time. i live alone, and i love it. i have friends who i see regularly, and family close by. i don’t think i’m lonely. i’m just afraid i’m falling behind. i always thought i’d be married with kids by the time i was in my early 30s, so logically, i guess i should start working towards that? please, for the love of god, no romance novels or love stories that will “give me hope of finding that special someone.” thanks! with gratitude, single snail * dear single snail, boy oh boy have i been there! (last year i attended only three weddings, so you do have me beat, and i feel for you.) one day, you’re sitting on your shitty couch (the cheapest ikea had to offer) with your friends, overthinking every hinge message and the next thing you know, you’re holding someone’s wedding dress train in a bathroom stall. how did we even get here? it feels like one day, a bell went off and everybody heard it but you. (i feel this way in love and with regards to roth iras. why didn’t anybody tell me to open one?? do you have one? if so, you’re already ahead in some respects!) the book you absolutely need right now is sex and the single woman. it’s a re envisioning of helen gurley brown’s sex and the single girl updated for the modern day. this anthology includes essays from kristen arnett, melissa febos, morgan parker, and more. and the subjects really run the gamut: interracial dating, living alone, ivf, abortion, you name it. what this variety of voices really allows for is that nuance of experience. this collection is so powerful for the way it doesn’t put one person’s story on a pedestal; everyone’s path equally valued and celebrated. (and it does feel like a celebration!) what these pieces do have in common is that they’ll give you a more essential hope not that you’ll meet your special someone, but that you will always be okay. it is honest and heartbreaking and raw and with heart. (so much heart.) also, there is no right window for things to happen during. life isn’t linear like that. and how wonderful that our lives can surprise us with the way they ebb and flow away from the rivers of our friends. so much love for you, dodo join our community of readers. created by grove atlantic and electric literature masthead about sign up for our newsletters how to pitch lit hub advertisers: contact us privacy policy support lit hub   become a member lit hub has always brought you the best of the book world for free no paywall. but our future relies on you. in return for your contribution, you'll get an ad free site experience, editors' picks, and our joan didion tote bag. most importantly, you'll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving.

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what to read finding a book you’ll love can be daunting. let us help. credit... the new york times supported by by the new york times books staff at the new york times book review, we write about thousands of books every year. many of them are good. some are even great. but we get that sometimes you just want to know, “what should i read that is good or great for me? well, here you go   a running list of some of the year’s best, most interesting, most talked about books. on an august afternoon in 2020, an aging british author arrives at a london theater to watch his daughter’s latest play   only to learn it’s a thinly veiled fictionalization of an argument they had on a sicilian holiday years earlier. this sharp and agile novel is an art monster story and a dysfunctional family saga that explores the ethics of creating work inspired by real life. (join the discussion of the book in the book review book club.) local bookstores | barnes and noble | amazon

the editors of the new york times book review bring you our latest reviews, swoon worthy romance, chilly winter reads, engrossing historical fiction, immersive science fiction and fantasy, page turning mysteries, books you can read in a day, spine chilling horror and more! updated feb. 7, 2025. the editors of the new york times book review bring you our latest reviews, swoon worthy romance, chilly winter reads, engrossing historical fiction, immersive science fiction and fantasy, page turning mysteries, books you can read in a day, spine chilling horror and more! updated feb. 7, 2025. see the full list of our latest recommended new books. two teenage siblings must navigate the cruelties of a digitally advanced surveillance state, discovering small means of resistance and hope. (feb. 4) gates’s memoir   the first of a projected three   incorporates plenty of analog detail along with the digital as he retraces his seattle boyhood. (feb. 4) a 16th century french noblewoman and her lover are abandoned on a canadian island and must find ways to survive the winter. (feb. 4) four years after her husband’s sudden death, at just 60, brooks journeys to a remote island near tasmania “to do the unfinished work of grieving.” (feb. 4) in her latest memoir, boylan opens up about aging, parenthood and marriage   and the differences between coming out as trans in 2000 and today. (feb. 4) ruth is a stripper new to the scene who coolly observes the neon lit club where she works, and the gentrifying san francisco where she plays.