Ever feel like you’re just stuck in a reading rut? you may have a few shelves’ worth of unread books, yet none of them are calling to you. Not a single synopsis sounds like exactly what you want to read at this very moment. But how do you find something new to dive into? Bestseller lists don’t always help, and sometimes the popular books that are most talked about online aren’t really in the wheelhouse of what you’re in the mood for.

So what do you do? Surely there’s got to be a better way than trial and error, right? As someone who’s always searching for good new additions to my TBR list, here are some ways that I find my next great read.

1. Sign Up for BookBub Emails

No, this isn’t a sponsored post. I just really like my daily BookBub emails! All you have to do is sign up with an email address, take a short questionnaire, and from then on, you’ll get daily emails recommending books in your preferred genres that are discounted that day by e-book vendors online, like Amazon or Apple Books. You’ll also get emails once a week with a list of new releases in the genres you selected in your original questionnaire! I’ve been signed up for a couple of years, and I’ve definitely found some great, cheap reads this way.

Sign up for BookBub here.

2. CHECK OUT INDIVIDUAL BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GOODREADS

Admittedly, Goodreads’ general recommendations features aren’t always particularly helpful. I usually don’t have much luck with the books listed on my home page or in the “recommendations” tab. However, I have had decent luck looking at the recommended titles on the page for individual books! I’ve found that the best way to go about this is to go to a goodreads page for a book you really love, then check out the “Readers Also Enjoyed” section on the right side of the page.

If you’re on Goodreads for mobile, this section should be near the bottom of the page instead. Just scroll through and check them out — you might find your next favorite title!

3. FIND BOOKTUBERS THAT MATCH YOUR TASTE

Look, I get it. BookTube can be hard to navigate sometimes. I myself often fall victim to the issue of getting into a BookTuber’s videos on YouTube, only to find out that, *gasp*, one of their favorite books of all time is one that I absolutely hated! How can I ever trust their opinions again, right? But the good thing is, it’s a community that’s always growing.

A lot of popular BookTubers focus on YA novels, and that’s perfectly okay; that being said, if that’s not a genre you enjoy, it can feel a bit alienating sometimes if you’re trying to get into the community. But don’t worry! There’s an ever-increasing variety of channels out there. For example, if you’re not really into YA, but love Sci-Fi and Fantasy, I definitely recommend checking out channels like Books With Emily Fox or Merphy Naphier, as they feature those genres quite a bit!

One way to find a BookTuber that matches your reading preferences is to just start picking channels, scroll through their videos to see if they have a “Favorite Books of All Time” video (they probably do), and watch a handful of those until you come across a channel that has similar taste to you! That way, you can watch their reviews with a little more confidence that you’ll find books that are for you, as opposed to just going in blind.

4. SIGN UP FOR PUBLISHING HOUSE EMAILS

Signing up for emails straight from the publishing houses themselves can be a great way to learn about new releases, especially if you don’t visit a physical bookstore particularly often. While some of the bigger publishing houses publish in multiple genres and will have more general lists of new releases in their emails, there are some more niche publishing houses, such as Tor, that stick primarily to Sci-Fi and Fantasy, or Harlequin, if you prefer the romance genre.

• Multi-Genre Presses
  • Penguin Random House (you can customize their new releases newsletter by genre!)
  • Simon & Schuster (you get a free ebook for signing up!)
  • HarperCollins (this email newsletter is also customizable by genre)
  • Bloomsbury
• Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  • Tor
  • Harper Voyager
• Romance
  • Harlequin (signing up gives you 20% off a purchase!)
  • Avon Books
• Classic Literature
  • Oxford University Press (great for scholarly editions)
  • Broadview Press (a relatively new press, with very well-done editions — they’re a personal favorite)

Enjoy your new inbox full of discounts and reading recommendations!

Disclaimer: I do live in America, so I might have missed some international publishing houses. Feel free to search for more than the ones I’ve listed here!

5. BROWSE THE REDDIT R/BOOKSUGGESTIONS PAGE

I know, I know. This option seems a little obscure. However. I’ve found it’s a really, really great option for when you have a very specific and particular craving for your next read. For example, are you craving a European-set time-travel romance, but you don’t want to re-read Outlander for the third time? R/booksuggestions might lead you to the exact sort of thing you’re looking for. All you need to do is use the search bar within the subreddit. If no one has asked for what you’re looking for in a previous post, you can sign up for reddit quite easily and ask for a recommendation yourself. I’ve done this several times, and I’ve found some great books to add to my TBR list this way.

Find the subreddit here: r/booksuggestions

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And that’s all I’ve got! Hopefully at least one of these suggestions will have you well on your way to a replenished reading list, and maybe even help you find your next 5-star read. Happy hunting!

Have any other tricks for finding new reads that I didn’t mention here? Leave a comment down below, or @ me on any of my social media handles that are linked on the top right corner of every blog page!