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I’m back on the blog today to talk about the little things that influence me to read a book, as a non book blogger!
OK… maybe I’m a part-time book blogger… anyway, moving on. For book bloggers, books are like falling right into your lap as you’re browsing your pairs’ blogs. For me, it’s not really that way that I discover new books that I want to read. You’re getting curious? Here’s how I discover books to add to my ever-growing TBR!
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☔️ Goodreads suggestions
Even though I don’t do the Goodreads challenge anymore, I still use that website. I like to follow my reading and add books to my ever-growing TBR. Maybe there are better platforms out there but for now I decided to stay put (Read: I’m too lazy to try another website and don’t want to have to add ALL my books on brand new shelves. Ugh!).
What I enjoy the most about Goodreads are the MANY book recommendations and that’s the number one way that I find new books that I want to read. I can see what my friends are currently reading and I get curious or I check the many lists that are availables. The best feature is definitely the fact that it recommends books based on what I read! I can see similar books to the ones I enjoyed and it makes me really really happy. If the cover is pretty (yeah I know I shouldn’t do that…), the blurb is intriguing, my friends loved it and it has a great rating, I add it, I buy it and I read it. Awesome, right?
☔️ My sister’s or friends’ recommendations
The next way I find new books is via my sister’s or friends’ recommendations. My sister, as a book blogger, is literally swimming in books. She has a fuck*** long list of books that she wants to read and what’s the best is that she knows exactly what I like so she makes super awesome suggestions. I don’t even have to search really hard and question if that book is really meant for me or not, I just know that all of her recommendations are going to be on point.
It’s the same thing with friends. If we have similar tastes, it’s easy to pick out a book they already read and liked. They can also surprise me with books that are a bit outside my comfort zone!
☔️ Authors’ or publishing houses’ recommendations on social media
I’m also really influenced by authors’ or publishing houses’ recommendations on social media. I follow some of my favorite ones and sometimes they talk about a book they enjoyed or a book that is going to come out soon. I’m always super intrigued so I check out the blurb and if it’s to my taste, I add it to my TBR.
What is awesome is that if I like this author I’m pretty sure I’m going to like what they’re recommending. With publishing houses it’s a bit different but following them allow me to discover all the new books that are going to come out and wouldn’t be aware if I wasn’t on social media.
☔️ Pretty cover and/or interesting blurb while browsing the library shelves
So… I live in France and there aren’t a lot of libraries with English books. Ugh, why??? There is ONE library in my town and there aren’t a lot of choices but I’m lucky it exists at all! So discovering new books in libraries doesn’t happen very often for me. It happens when I’m traveling. To Paris and London, most of the time. And when that happens… well, I spend A LOT of time browsing the shelves with my sister.
I check out ALL the shelves and pick out books I already have on my TBR and want to read but I also discover A LOT of new books I suddenly have to buy right this second. Since there are a lot of books and I can’t check them out all individually (I’m crying), it’s the title, the cover and then the blurb that’s going to make me pick out a book or not. If it’s an author I like, I may be more inclined to buy it.
Of course I can’t buy them all, it’s heavy in my suitcase and if I’m flying, I’ve got a baggage weight limit (crying again). So I buy my favorite ones (and the prettiest, yeah I know I know… but the covers that aren’t *really pretty* I prefer getting the e-book…) and add the others to my ever-growing TBR.
☔️ Book lists in magazines
I like reading magazines, sometimes in English but most of the time in French and there always are lists of recommended books. And you know what? Most of the time, those are the translations of English books! Jackpot!
I look for the author and the title in English on Goodreads and if it’s to my taste, I add it to my list! It’s never been easier to discover new books! If the book I want isn’t in my library and I’m not traveling any time soon, I order it online and bam it’s in my letter box in a few days! I try to restrain myself and not buy new books if my TBR or my budget is out of control…
Want to chat more? Check out these discussion posts:
- Blogging VS. Social Media: why having a book blog still matters
- Do YA books have too much romance?
- How my reading changed in 10 years
📌 Pin What influenced me to read a book (as a non book blogger pov) on Pinterest!
What about you? How do you discover new books? And what makes you want to read them?
Do you always read books that were recommended to you in some sort of way? Or do you also let yourself be surprised and read a book that no one has ever heard of?
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We must think alike, I posted a blog about this at the end of April. I also compared all these points the popular marketing tactics to see how that compares to what influences people to read a book.
I get my recommendations from everywhere and I like a mix of having an idea of what I’m getting into and going into a book blind (depending on the genre.)
What marketing tactics do you this has most influenced you to read a book?
We must be in sync because I posted on this topic in the last week of April but also compared it to popular marketing techniques. I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition in seeing what marketing actually works.
I like to get my recommendations from all over. When I go into a new book I don’t mind knowing a little about it, but sometimes, depending on the genre I like to go in blind and get surprises.
What type of marketing has influenced you to read a book the most?
Oh, that’s interesting!!
Yes, surprises can be good I totaly agree! 😊
Thank you so much for sharing, happy reading 😘😘
Before I started blogging, book covers during visit to a book store is my go-to method lol. If the cover catches my eyes and the synopsis is interesting, then it’s going home with me lol. But since blogging I mainly buy books based on people’s recommendations or if it’s something I’ve never heard before, running it through a quick goodreads check 😀
Haha, same here!! 😁
Oh yes, recommendations are pretty awesome!
Thank you so much for sharing, happy reading 😘😘
As a non book blogger I go to used book sales pick up whatever book looks interesting. Usually I gog for the fantasy and sci-fic. Last week I pick up a few thrillers by Ruth Rendell.
Oh, that’s awesome! 😊
Thank you so much for sharing, happy reading 😘😘
The back cover info and the first 2 pages have to hook me or draw me into wanting to read the story. Then I go over to Goodreads, have a browse and if I’m still interested I see if it’s available in the library or I place it on my TBR list.
Oh yes, the first 2 pages! I should do that more often to see if I’m hooked already! 😊
Thank you so muh for sharing! 😘😘
This was a great list! I also use Goodreads as a way to get recommendations. I don’t even want to admit how many emails I have in my inbox that are Goodreads recommendation emails 😅 I just know that the number is going down… very slowly! 😂
Thanks! ☺️
😂😂 Same here!!
Thank you so much for stopping by, happy reading 😘😘
More often than not, the discovery of new books happens whilst browsing the library or bookstore shelves.
Yeees, that’s the ultimate best way to find out new books! 😊
Thanks for stopping by! 😘😘
Mostly Bookstagram is where I find most of my recommendations but also book blogs, friends, sibling and roaming around a local bookstore these are my go-to-ways to get recs.
I love reading recommended books but and for the most part I think they comprise of like 99% of my reading but I have definitely been pleasantly surprised by some books I read randomly after coming across them in secondhand book sales!
That’s so interesting, thank you so much for sharing!
Happy reading! 😘😘
I enjoyed the logical flow of ideas and how each paragraph seamlessly transitioned into the next.
Thanks! 😊
I am trash for a good cover. I am guilty of adding books to the TBR based on cover alone. I do a bit more research before buying or reading, but cover is a draw. I find a lot of books via Goodreads too. It’s still my favorite book site.
Same here! 🙈🙈
Thank you so much for sharing, happy reading 😘😘
I read book blogs, get suggestions from my mother, and other family. I also read book reviews. Overdrive had a read along with a book that look good a few months ago and so I got it. I’m reading it right now and it’s driving me crazy.
Thank you so much for sharing! 😊
Happy reading 😘😘
Before I began my blog I would pick up any books that caught my eye in the library or/and bookshop. Whilst I definitely still do that now, I also discover books via my close friends recs if we have similar tastes and also through reading blog posts. That’s been my other way since blogging. There is something nice though about walking in a bookshop/library and being able to just browse and pick books based on the cover/blurb that you think you’d love.
Yeees, there is nothing better than browsing through the library shelves! 😍
Thanks for stopping by, happy reading! 😘😘