It’s hard to find really great book recommendations. Not because nobody’s giving them. But because there are too many.
I’m personally subscribed to about fifty different book newsletters (a small slice of what’s available) and each newsletter typically comes with anywhere from 10-20 different book recommendations. Quick rough maths… Lets say 50 book recommendation newsletters subbed means receiving 200 a week, each one containing an average of 15 book recommendations…
Actually, I shudder to finish that sentence…
When you consider Sturgeon’s Law, which says that 90% of everything is crap… That’s a lot of bad book recommendations you’ve gotta wade through. And that’s not counting the books you hear about from friends, in magazine, on the TV, or scrolling through social media.
Where To Find Great Book Recommendations
What we need is better curation. A few reliable sources to find great book recommendations every time. If you’re looking for great book recommendations, I can tell where I like to go to find great reading material.
Ryan Holiday’s Reading List
Ryan’s got this great technique of finding his next book via the current book he’s enjoying. Whether that’s a footnote in a biography or a bibliography in a scientific study, he tries to make it a point of following literary breadcrumbs.
This makes for a real eclectic mix of book recommendations.
Ryan’s latest newsletter had recommendations ranging from the latest Robert Greene to books on building habits, books on modern medicine, stoicism, biographies of Johnny Cash, and a work from Maya Angelou.
You can check out Ryan Holiday’s Reading List newsletter here.
The Reddit Bookclub
Reddit’s not just a cesspool of gossiping teenagers. It actually has an excellent book club. The best one on the internet in my opinion.
The book recommendations at the Reddit Bookclub will never steer you wrong. They collectively vote for a couple of books a month. These are books that have some depth too them, but they range from all time periods and genres so you get a real mix. You also have a Big Read that takes place over many months where they try to tackle a Really Big Important Work.
You get the best kind of book discussion here – people being people, no wrong answers, and no armchair academics.
Previous book selections included Frankenstein, War and Peace, Murder on the Orient Express, Fahrenheit 451, His Dark Materials, Never Let Me Go, and Crime and Punishment.
Some of the best books I’ve ever read have been directly picked up thanks to the Reddit Bookclub. I just wish it was a bit more active.
You can check out the Reddit Bookclub here.
The Next Big Idea Club
This is a paid subscription book club that sends out 2 non-fiction books every 3 months. The books are curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, and Adam Grant, and 100% of profits are donated to give books to children in under resourced communities.
If you don’t want the subscription and the surprise of new books, you can just wait until the selections are announced and seek the books out yourself. The selections are the kind of stuff a Business Insider reader would enjoy.
I do think there’s a whiff of nepotism with these selections. Especially when past selections include the work of the curators themselves. But, to be fair, the book recommendations are still solid.
You can check out the Next Big Idea Club here.
Gates Notes
I love Bill Gates. I love everything he’s doing. And when I respect someone, I naturally want to know what they read. That’s not always possible with everyone I respect because not everyone is super open with their book selections. But Bill Gates is super open and you can find some phenomenal book recommendations over at his website.
Past books recommendations have included books about Leonardo Da Vinci, Booker Prize winners like Lincoln in the Bardo, books on history, and touching memoirs.
You can check out Gates Notes here.
100 Million Books
This is a Google Chrome plugin where every time you open your browser you get a new random book review. Sometimes the best kind of curation is the kind that comes completely randomly from a computer algorithm. It won’t be tailored to your unique interests, but if you really want a change of pace you’re more likely to find book recommendations that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. There’s also no self-interest, either financially or politically, in the books recommended here because there’s no human behind the recommendations.
You can check out 100 Million Books here.
Guardian Reading Group
Are traditional news outlets still relevant? Probably not. But The Guardian has a superb online reading group, where every month a new book is voted in and then readers can discuss with each other forum-style. There’s also articles based around the book throughout the month and even expert Q & As. The book this month is Agatha Christie’s Endless Night. It’s an absolute gem of a book recommendation. I’m loving it and the vibrant discussion taking place around it.
You can check out the Guardian Reading Group here.
What Should I Read Next?
This is a really cool book recommendation generator where you stick in your favourite author or book and get new authors plus a bunch of different book recommendations to pursue. I’ve found that this can be a really effective way to find new authors that you’ll love. Although it’s more effective for some searches than others.
You can check out What Should I Read Next here.
LeVar Burton Reads
Do you remember LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow? You’re showing your age if you do. So many adults today grew up with LeVar’s gorgeous voice reading them a story. And now you can relive that nostalgia with some adult tales read by the very same Mr. Burton!
This is easily one of my favourite podcasts of all time. You get a short story beautifully read by LeVar with tremendous production value (soundscapes, music, sound effects). Some of the works I’ve enjoyed listening to include short stories from Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, and Ray Bradbury.
This is a great place to get author recommendations because if you like the short story you’ll want to explore more of their other works.
You can check out LeVar Burton Reads here.
The Great Courses Plus
The Great Courses Plus is Netflix for nerds. You don’t need to go to university if you have a subscription to this awesome lecture service. And if you’re looking for great book recommendations, you can follow some of the literature lectures and dive into the excellent reading lists. Two courses that are particularly great for book recommendations are ‘Mystery and Suspense Fiction’ and ‘Life Lessons from Great Books’.
You can check out the Great Courses Plus here.
MasterClass
MasterClass is unparalleled when it comes to online education. I personally get the most benefit from the writing courses because that’s what’s most applicable to my life. Although I’ve definitely learnt a lot from every instructor. With the writing courses, you also get these awesome workbooks and reading lists. If you want fiction book recommendations and recommendations centred around the craft of writing, I highly recommend the Dan Brown Thriller MasterClass and James Patterson Bestseller MasterClass in particular.
You can check out MasterClass here.
Honourable Mentions
- Goodreads – I don’t really use Goodreads. It feels like a bottomless pit. Maybe I haven’t utilised it to its full potential. But that site stresses me out with the endless TBR dick-measuring lists. Having said that, the rare occasions I use that site, I have typically come away with a good book recommendation.
- Gnooks – I’ve just stumbled across this book recommendation machine and I like it. You teach the machine three authors you like and it will spit out another one that you’ll probably like too.
- BBC Radio 4 Book Club – The selections aren’t always to my taste, skirting into snobby territory, but I can’t deny that this is a decent book club and one that will be sure to introduce you to some great literature.
- Overdue Podcast – Another recent discovery. This is a podcast set up between two friends as a way to stay in touch and is centred around all the books you’ve been meaning to read but never got around to. I love the commentary and hilarious banter between the two hosts, and they give you a great eclectic mix of book recommendations.
And if all that still isn’t enough for you…
You can check out my Book Club newsletter here.
Let me know where YOU get YOUR book recommendations!