5 Ways To Choose Your Next Book
Article by Carter Cada - Written 7/13/2023
There’s no feeling quite as two-sided as finishing a book, or even worse; a series. You’ve fallen in love with the characters, been with them through all of their joy and grief, hardships and struggles, until the very end, where they heroically overcome.
And then what? You search for any other spin-offs from the series, and find every book by the author. Even then, you’ll run out of books to read eventually.
It’s a hard place to be in: wanting to find another book, but being sure that no other book will ever be as great as the one you just finished.
So what to do? Well, there are a few things that can get you pointed in the right direction.
Table of contents:
Find what inspires you
Learn something new
Try a classic
Delve into a work of fiction
Ask for a favorite
How to decide what to read next?
1) Discover what inspires you
What’s the magic ingredient in a book? Why is it that some books connect with us on such a deep level, while others leave us needing to read and re-read a page because we keep zoning out?
A large part of it has to do with how we connect with a book.
Each of us have core beliefs and values, and when a book synchronizes with those, we are going to have a much better reading experience than if we were reading something out of touch.
Simply put: we like books if we can relate to them.
For most of us, (myself included) a book about a billionaire losing 4% on a dividend isn’t exactly going to make our “Top 5 Summer Reads” list. But a book about someone escaping the from the drudgery of office life into the adventures of entrepreneurship? I’ll take one on pre-order.
While each of us have have a unique and wonderful story, there are some traditionally popular themes that can apply to a wide range of people. For example:
Rags-to-riches
Overcoming personal failures
The unlikely hero (one of my personal favorites)
Underdog
Zero to hero
Self-discovery
So how do I find a book in my category?
The trickier part of finding a book that speaks to you, of course, is finding which books belong in each category. To make your life easier, I have attached a link here to another article of mine which can hopefully take the hassle out of the search.
Otherwise, do a little bit of research of your own; and while you’re at it, feel free to browse our store here and see if we have anything you might like.
2) Learn something new
Stories make amazing books, but they aren’t the only kind out there. So many wonderful books get overlooked because they can seem a little…dry. And while, yes, we live in the internet age where you can find pretty much anything online (including the best in literature, right here!), there is something to be said about learning from a book.
Personally, if I am just looking for a quick answer, I’ll go to Google. But if I’m trying to learn more on a subject; when it’s something I really want to get into, I go with a book.
Why would you want to learn from a book? here are a few reasons:
Availability and convenience
You know the feeling. You’re trying to find a particular page, video, or article, and no matter what you try, its just not coming up. Maybe you can’t remember the name, or maybe its been taken down. Regardless, not being able to find what you are looking for is frustrating, at the least.
Even at home, it is best to limit your screen time. As someone who makes a living in a large part through looking at a screen, I am very conscientious of this.
Finding good information reliably can be difficult when a you can’t remember a link, or it expires.
A good solution? A paper book. No worries ever about charge, WiFi, connection, or blue light exposure. Further, unlike a tablet or computer, there is very little concern about damaging the product.
Whether laying in bed, or under a dripping pipe, a book, along with its helpful illustrations and examples, can be brought along.
Depth, details, and comprehension
The reality of online content is that most people don’t read it; they skim it instead. Most online publishers know this, and write articles accordingly.
This often means that simple, broad concepts are reiterated over and over again, while minute details are lost entirely.
Most experts in a field choose to publish their knowledge in book form, as opposed to an online article. This only makes sense: the average blog article is 2,000 words; about four pages of text.
Compare that to a book which contains…a lot more than four pages. The difference in depth should be clear.
“A home without books is a body without soul.”
Word for word, a book is always going to have the capacity to punch harder than an article. For that reason alone, a book should be the go-to option for learning. It isn’t the only reason, however.
Each writer has a unique style of writing. Many authors have multiple. For example, when I write an article, I use a down to earth, conversational-style writing style without a huge emphasis on being grammatically correct.
In the same way, many authors aren’t bound by the stringent stylistic rules that some blogs may require of their writers. They’re writing their own book, in their own way, at their own pace.
As an added benefit to this, many authors writing within their area of expertise are going to know not just the lingo, but the common expressions, and general sentiment as well. This type of expertise may be lacking in an online article written by a generalist.
The best part about books? You can take them anywhere, anytime, and any place.
So maybe you’re convinced: you want to learn something new, right? So…what should I choose?
Once again, I’ve provided a link to make the search easier here. If you’re still looking for something else, here are a few thoughts to get you started:
A book on business or entrepreneurship.
A beginners guide to a skill or trade, such as home improvement.
A book on engineering or design that covers the workings of anything from smartphones to spaceships.
A guide for beginning musicians
A cookbook covering dishes from a specific part of the world or country
A biography on a significant historical figure (like the one provided here)
Whether you’re looking to learn more about baking or bushcraft, a good book will not only provide you with a sound foundation, but a helpful resource that can be taken with you for as long as you need it.
3) Try a classic
Oof…classics. Don’t get me wrong; I mean, I do have an entire blog dedicated to studying them. That being said, I don’t blame you if you’ve never wanted to read one.
As a kid, I thought classics were more or less worthless. A bunch of old, musty books with yellowed pages and cover art that looked like it was from the early 1300’s. They were always the ones that grandma’s friends had read when they were, like, ten or twelve.
Old books. Yuck.
Now, if you never wanted to read one, I don’t blame you (that’s what my TL;DRs are for, by the way). It is a lot of dedication and time.
In the years since I was a kid, however, I’ve grown a lot. One of the things I learned along the way was that these musty old books are anything but boring. In fact, some of these can be life changing.
As any avid reader will tell you, if you take the time to read a classic, really understand it, your life and way of thinking won’t be left the same.
I haven’t attached another list here as far as classics I recommend, seeing as most of my posts for this blog do that already, but feel free to check out other blogs on books or writing, as many have their own lists of favorites.
4) Delve into a work of fiction
For most people, this is a no-brainer. For others, it can be a hard journey to start. For starters, according to a study by Stanford Literary Lab, as many as 10% of all books written are fiction. When you take into account things like textbooks, manuals, and research books, that 10% is a staggeringly large percentage.
With such a large volume of fiction, some of it is bound to be…not appropriate for all readers, shall we say?
Further, amongst fiction, there are all sorts of categories: historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy (big LOTR fan, personally), comics, manga, drama, and many, MANY more.
So how does one decide where to start?
Works of fiction are incredible things. Born from the heart of the author, they can take you to lands more amazing than you could ever dream to exist.
One easy way to start, if you are new to fiction entirely, is just to go with a fictional classic. Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The War of the Worlds, The Canterbury Tales, and Sherlock Holmes are all incredible reads, just to name a few.
If you’re looking for something newer, the same advice from the beginning of the article applies: we like books when we can relate to them.
Sometimes, we can relate to a work of fiction better than to a biography. Why? Because the story being told is often the author’s own.
You see, a work of fiction is rarely just that. It is a work narrating the author’s own passions, dreams, struggles, and victories.
Of course, if you’re looking for the very best in fiction, you’ll just have to wait until my own books are finished (and if you want to be a part of that process, your help would mean the world).
5) Ask for a favorite
Last but not least, my favorite suggestion of the bunch. While it may take a very, very long time, with enough determination, you may read every book within a certain category.
Moving into something completely new can be a real journey. Taking a friend (or their book) with you can make it a lot easier.
Many times, I’ve had a friend, teacher, or colleague recommend a book I thought I would have no interest in. The Canterbury Tales are a perfect example of this.
If you’re wanting a suggestion from me (I would be honored, by the way), check out my book recommendation of the week on our Facebook page!
Otherwise, I’d love to pass on one of my favorites. Only problem is, the information is on a page that can’t be found. Sorry.
At the end of the day, your options for choosing a new book are limitless. Whether you decide to try for a new skill, or steep your imagination in a land of wonder and fantasy, I can guarantee that whichever book you choose will add a little something to your life.
And a little inspiration.
About the author
Carter John Cada is the founder of and main author for Quips from the Quiver. In his free time, he loves to read, spend time with his 10 siblings, read, work out, read, work on his manuscript, read, and read.
He also enjoys eating.
