Finding Your Next Book

Use read-alikes, library tools, and recommendations to keep your reading going.

The hardest part of reading for fun can be choosing what's next. Instead of wandering the shelves, use strategies. Read-alikes: when you love a book, look for others with a similar feature, such as the same author, setting, theme, tone, or structure. Ask yourself what exactly you loved. Was it the humor, the survival plot, the friendship?

Library catalogs let you search by subject and genre, and many have lists like 'If you liked…' Librarians are expert matchmakers: tell them two books you loved and one you didn't, and why. Friends and book clubs offer trusted suggestions. You can also follow an author's other books or try the books an author recommends in interviews. For example: 'I loved a funny realistic novel about a kid who starts a dog-walking business. I'll look for funny books about kids with big plans, and ask the librarian for more.

' Keep a 'to read' list so good ideas never get lost.

• 1Identify exactly what you loved about a book
• 2Use read-alikes, catalogs, and librarians
• 3Keep a to-read list