- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Library
- Programs & Services
- Adults
- Readers' Resources
Readers' Resources
There are many ways to discover books that you might enjoy, including browsing bookstores and libraries, reading reviews in magazines and newspapers, and talking to other readers.
Below are some options to help you discover your next great read at the library!
- Come and talk to us at the Adult Reference Desk. We’d be happy to help you find a book you’ll enjoy!
- Fill out our Book Match survey to get personalized reading suggestions. A library staff member will suggest 1-2 titles they think you’ll enjoy, based on your answers, then place them on hold for you. You’ll be notified when they’re ready for you to collect. You can fill out the Book Match survey online or pick up a printed copy from the Adult Reference Desk. (Please note that we are currently only able to provide this service for English language books.)
- Browse the shelves or look at our displays for inspiration.
- Use our list of websites and online resources (below) to find book reviews, recommendations and more.
Below is a list of websites and other online resources that can help you find reading suggestions.
- The Library Catalog: The catalog does more than simply tell you if a book is in the library: if you scroll down to the “What’s Hot” section, you can see what’s popular and what’s new, as well as access booklists for all ages. Another good tip is to search for a book that you’ve enjoyed: at the bottom of the catalog entry for the title, you’ll find a “You May Also Like” section which suggests other books you might enjoy.
- Libby: You may already use the Libby app to access library audiobooks and ebooks. However, it’s also a good way of getting book suggestions, with curated reading lists based around genres, current events and more. If you like a book, you can borrow or reserve it right away through your Libby account. Note that to use Libby, you’ll need to create an account with your library card.
- Book Browse: BookBrowse provides a curated resource for discovering the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction. Their resources include in-depth reviews, hand-selected read-alikes, previews of notable upcoming books and resources for book clubs.
- BookRiot: Book Riot is the largest independent editorial book site in North America. It houses a range of resources, including podcasts, newsletters and articles, designed around diverse readers and extending across all genres.
- Gnods: Gnods is a self-adapting search engine for literature that asks you which authors you like and then suggests other books you might like based on your choices.
- Goodreads: Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. You can see what your friends are reading; track the books you're reading, have read, and want to read; get personalized recommendations and find out if a book is a good fit for you based on community reviews. Note that you’ll need to create an account to get access to all the features.
- Indiebound: Indiebound contains book reviews and recommendations from independent bookseller across the US.
- Kirkus Reviews: One of the most reputable review sites around, Kirkus Reviews provides short reviews written by experts, as well as book lists, bestseller lists, news from the world of books and more.
- Most Recommended Books: Want to know the books Taylor Swift, Obama or Mark Zuckerberg are reading? Then this is the site for you! As well as showing you the books that some of the most influential people in the world have mentioned or are reading, it provides lists of series and best books by category.
- Which Book: Which Book allows you to search for a new books by considering things like mood and emotion, with sliders that indicate how much weight to put on a certain quality. e.g. short vs. long, easy vs. demanding. The world map feature enables you to search by where books are set. You can also search by type of character (race, age, gender, sexual orientation etc.), plot elements (quest, conflict, success against odds etc.), or by clicking on a bestseller you enjoyed.
Book awards can be a helpful way of discovering titles that have been judged the best of their type.
- Alex Awards
Given annually to ten books written for adults that have a particular appeal to young adults. - Audie Awards
Awards recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association. - Booker Prize for Fiction
Annual fiction award to writers from the British Commonwealth and Ireland. - Bram Stoker Awards
Awarded by the Horror Writers Association to authors of horror and dark fantasy. - Dagger Awards
Literary awards for best crime writing and thrillers as judged by the Crime Writers Association. - Edgar Awards
Literary awards given by the Mystery Writers of America. - Goodreads Choice Awards
People’s choice awards given to the most popular titles in a range of genres, as voted by Goodreads users. - Hugo Awards
Annual awards for science fiction. - Indie Awards
The Next Generation Indie Book Awards are international awards for independent authors and publishers. - Los Angeles Times Book Prizes
A set of annual book prizes currently awarded across nine categories. - Michael L. Printz Awards
Given to books that exemplify excellence in Young Adult literature. - National Book Awards
American literary prizes that honor the best fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translated literature and young people’s literature published each year. - National Book Critics Circle Awards
Critics honor the best literature published in English in six categories: autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction and poetry. - Nebula Awards
Annual awards for science fiction and fantasy writing as selected by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. - Nobel Prize in Literature
Presented annually to an international author who has "conferred the greatest benefit on mankind”. - PEN America Literary Awards
Awards include fiction, poetry, translation, science writing, sports writing and essays. Decisions are made by PEN America and their partners. - Pulitzer Prizes
Awarded in a range of categories to recognize excellence in journalism, literature, drama and music. - Stonewall Award
The first and most enduring award for LGBTQIA+ books. - Women’s Prize
Recognizes the best fiction and non-fiction written by women from around the world, as selected by a panel of female judges.
Things to consider when you’re choosing a book
Below are some of the questions a library staff member might ask when they’re helping you choose a book to read. They can also be helpful to consider when you’re trying to choose a book for yourself.
- What books or authors have you read recently and enjoyed? If you haven’t read a book you liked, is there a movie or TV show that you’ve enjoyed?
- What did you like most about it? For example, you might enjoy a particular type of character, setting, plot-line, mood, writing style or theme. (Tip: If you enjoy a particular genre such as romance or science fiction, you can look for genre labels on the spines of books in the Adult Fiction section!)
- What type of book are you in the mood to read now?
- Are there any things that you don’t like in books?
- Would you prefer to read a print book, ebook or audiobook?
- Do you have any other preferences for the format of the book e.g. page length, paperback or hardback, print size? (Don’t forget, the library has a Large Print section!)