Recommending the Right Book to the Right Friend

Match books to friends by thinking about what they enjoy.

One of the joys of reading is passing a great book to a friend. But a book you loved isn't automatically right for everyone. Good recommenders think about the other person first. What genres do they enjoy? Do they like funny books or serious ones? Long series or quick reads? Lots of action or lots of feelings? Then they match a book to those interests and explain why.

Example: Sam loves soccer and funny stories but finds long books tiring. You loved a 400-page fantasy epic, but it's probably not his best match. Instead, you might recommend a short, funny novel about a goalie who keeps getting hit by the ball: 'You'd like this one. It's about soccer, it made me laugh, and the chapters are short.

' Matching the book to the reader makes it far more likely they'll love it too.

• 1Think about your friend's interests first.
• 2Match genre, length, and tone to what they enjoy.
• 3Explain why the book fits them.