How to Pick the Right Book to Read

The past couple of weeks I have shared the benefits of parents reading (CLICK HERE) and how to find time to read with a busy schedule (CLICK HERE).

You are encouraged to start reading, and you have even carved out time in your schedule to begin reading, but how do you pick out the right book to help you stay motivated to read?

This was hard for me to figure out because I wanted to read, but if I got a book that was too boring then I knew I would lose interest and my reading journey would come to an end. Here are some suggestions to pick out books to read:

How to Pick the Right Book

1.       Consider your Interests-What type of books do you like to read or what type of shows do you like to watch because your watching and reading interests might be the same—mystery, fiction, nonfiction, romance, sci-fi, politics, etc. Pick a book in the same genre as your interests. It doesn’t have to be from the Bestseller List.

2.       Consider your Goal-Do you have a goal in your reading journey? Your goal can be to read 6 books this year, learn how to cook, learn how to prepare for a baby, or build a strong marriage. I have multiple goals in mind when I pick a book, but they all stem from growth. I want to learn and practice how to be the best wife, mom, author, and me that I can be. You want to pick books that help you meet your goal.

3.       Consider Recommendations-Ask trusted friends with similar interests what they are reading. It’s also a good idea to take note of any books you hear mentioned on Podcasts that you listen to often. Sometimes bloggers or podcasters have book recommendation lists that you can check out.

4.       Search Online-Once you have a genre or goal in mind, then you can type that topic into your library search catalog to view many, many books on the topic. I also like to search the topic on Amazon so I can read the reviews from other readers. Being able to read through other readers views helps me to determine if the book is a good fit for me or not.

5.       Judge a Book by Its Cover-This is probably the opposite of what you’ve been taught, right? But I find that if the cover isn’t appealing then the inside isn’t going to be appealing either. This isn’t always the case, but a book should make a good first impression or we will likely lose interest in it. Read the description on the back, and maybe read the first few pages to see if it intrigues you. If it doesn’t, then put it down!

6.       Check out Books from the Library-If you are just starting your reading journey, don’t waste money on buying books. Go to your library and check them out for free! That way if you get a dud you can just return it and not feel obligated to keep reading it. The library offers SO many books and all for free, so take advantage of that resource. If I have a book in mind that I want to start reading, then I usually go to the library’s website, type in the title, and reserve the book online. Then when the library has pulled the book from the shelf or borrowed it from another library they set it aside, send me an email to let me know it’s ready, and I just walk in and pick it up—I don’t even have to search the shelves for it!

I hope these suggestions lead you to find an awesome book to read! However, not all books are going to be a winner, so if you are 50 pages into a book, and still have no interest in it then put it down and pick a new book—it won’t be offended.

Next week, I will share some of my personal book recommendations with you. These are books that I have enjoyed reading over the past couple of years. I will continue to add to it as I keep finding books I enjoy.