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I think one of my favorite topics of conversation with others has always been about what we’ve been reading lately. I’ve been recommending books since grade school. Sure, back in the day, I could get generic recommendations from CosmoGirl magazine, but personal book recs from friends were always my favorite. I’ll never forget that day in sixth grade when I recommended Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted to one of my friends. The next day at school, my friend told me she’d stayed up until 2 am to finish reading it. As a sixth grader, I was aghast at this hour of night, but simultaneously so smug that she’d loved the book that much too. Perhaps I’ll count that as my first book recommendation win.
Since then, I’ve gone on to work in a public library, as well as a bibliologist for Book Riot’s Tailored Book Recommendations service, so my days are filled with recommending books now. It feels as good as that first time recommending Ella Enchanted.
If you’d like to learn some tips on how to recommend books like an expert, I’ve got you covered below. This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but it does include a general outline of my process. I hope it helps you gain more confidence in your own book recommendations. What tips would you add to this list?
How to Recommend Books Like an Expert
1. Preliminary Questions: Favorite Books, Authors, Genres, Moods, & Pacing
Now this one may seem obvious, but it’s a good place to start. Asking about their favorite books, authors, and genres can point you in the right direction for recommendations. Finding out their favorite books of all time versus some of their more recent favorites can also help you distinguish what kinds of books they’re looking for in the present moment, too.
Another related question I’ve found helpful is what kind of mood they’re looking for in their books. I often ask people whether they’d like darker and suspenseful reads or more light-hearted ones.
Books can also range in pacing, from plot-driven to more character-driven stories. Fans of plot-driven reads often like fast-paced action. Character-driven readers (like me), on the other hand, like to dig into their characters more and watch how they change over the course of the novel. If they’re not sure, you can reflect on whether their favorite books and authors fall into one of those categories.
2. Secondary Questions: Expand to Hobbies, Interests, & Media
While inquiring about favorite books and genres can open up the conversation, expanding your questions to include things like hobbies, interests, movies, TV shows, and podcasts is a great next step. Thinking outside the box about which questions you ask can give you a broader picture of the kinds of books they may like.
These questions can be especially helpful for reluctant readers. I’ve talked to plenty of people who aren’t fans of reading but want to start reading more. Even if they don’t have any favorite books, everyone has interests. I used to tutor a student in reading, and while he couldn’t name any books he liked, he did love airplanes. This sent us on a great rabbit hole into airplane reads.
Podcasts, shows, films, and other media can give you a good sense of the genres they enjoy, too. Fans of The Last of Us will be getting some apocalyptic and horror recommendations from me, while someone who loves the show Shrinking will get moody, funny, and uplifting book suggestions. Those who like watching sports might dig a sports memoir, while history podcast buffs could get hooked on a compelling new biography.
3. Start With Books You’ve Personally Loved, Or Ones You’ve Received Personal Recs For
Now I know what you’re thinking: What if they don’t share similar interests to me? I caveat this by saying to start with books or authors you’ve loved only if you know they match the genres and interests they’re looking for.
If they don’t, consider the books people you know have personally recommended to you. One of my library coworkers is a voracious reader, and she gives the best literary fiction and thriller recommendations. If I’ve been in a recent fantasy kick, and my mind’s blanking on a good literary or thriller option, I think about what my friend has read recently in those genres.
At the library, I also make it a habit to tell people to let me know what they think of the books they check out. If I hear from someone that they liked a book, I’ll keep it in mind next time I recommend books in that genre. Nurturing a reading community like this helps grow your awareness of good personal book recs.
I feel that personal recommendations, whether they’re coming from you or someone you know, make for stronger recommendations. This is always what I gravitate towards first. However, if someone’s interests don’t overlap with any of yours or those of the people you know, it’s time to expand your recommendations with some research. I’ve got a couple more steps to dig into this.
4. Follow Bookish Accounts Online
While I’ve listed this as step 4, it can be considered a preliminary step too. Extending your sphere to bookish accounts online can put a lot of great reads on your radar. I visualize this as the next level of personal recommendations. First, there are the ones you’ve read, then there are the ones people you know told you about. Finally, there are ones people we don’t know personally are recommending.
Follow a diverse array of bookish accounts on whatever media platforms you prefer. For example, I like following authors, publishers, librarians, and bookish influencers on Instagram. I’m also in a Silent Book Club Facebook group that often shares the books they’re reading, and I get a librarian’s monthly email newsletter about her favorite graphic novel and manga recommendations. Book Riot has some great newsletters, too, in a range of genres.
5. Utilize Recommendation Tools Like NoveList & Literature Map
If you’re feeling stuck, there are also tools and databases that can help with book recommendations. NoveList is an EBSCO database that many public libraries purchase subscriptions for, so you can often get access to it with your public library card. With NoveList, you can search a book, author, or series and get readalike recommendations for them. You can also search various genres, sub-genres, and moods to get books that fall into those categories.
Literature Map is another neat tool a library coworker showed me. You can search an author’s name in the database, and it’ll populate a graphic that includes similar authors. The closer the authors’ names are to each other, the more likely readers are to enjoy reading both of them.
6. Keep Track of Your Recommendations
As I’ve been recommending books over the years, creating a spreadsheet has become another tool I implement. It’s evolved into a mini database of my book recommendations. I add columns for elements in the book, like genres, tropes, and setting locations. That way, as I get asked for book suggestions, I can search all of the books I’ve referenced with those terms. It’s a great way to remember what I’ve been recommending. There are other online options for tracking books, too, like LibraryThing, The StoryGraph, and Goodreads.
A Few Final Thoughts…
My final piece of advice for expert book recommending is to read widely. Read lots of books you know you’ll love, but also read books that are outside your comfort level. Challenge yourself to read books in different genres or formats than you’ve tried before. Check out new authors. It may seem obvious, but the more widely and diversely you read, the more likely you are to give successful book recommendations. Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge is a perfect example of how you can stretch your usual reading habits. You may surprise yourself by how much you fall in love with books outside your usual realm.
I hope these suggestions help you feel a little more ready to become an expert book recommender. There’s nothing quite like talking books with people, and I wish you as much joy in your endeavors as I have found!
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