There are no rules. You'll find that your friend’s list of favorite books includes your favorite book but also includes your least favorite book. A reviewer might applaud a book you couldn’t finish because it was so boring. You might love a book that has hardly any reviews online. It’s all a matter of taste.
To discover your personal taste in writing, you should test all the waters—read a few bestsellers, check out some of the classics, and pick up a couple of prizewinners. Explore different forms (essays, poetry, short stories, novels) and various genres (science fiction, mysteries, historical fiction).
And listen to the fans.
It's easy to go online and look through reviews to find out what others think of a piece of writing. Sites like Amazon and Goodreads allow users and consumers to rate and review books. The consumer reviews often reveal just how differently one piece of writing can affect different people. A single book will have a range of ratings from one star to five stars and reviews that range from utter distaste to complete satisfaction.
I have found that consumer reviews are reliable if you cast a wide net. I like to see a lot of five-star ratings on a book, but I also check the lower ratings to see what people are griping about. If they don't like a character or think the plot was too fantastical, I might decide to find out for myself. If they complain that the text was full of typos and poorly structured sentences, with a plot that had no clear conclusion, I might find something else to read.
Many online bookstores offer also-bought lists. When you visit a page for a book that you enjoyed, you can see which titles other people who read that book also bought. That’s a good way to get a lead on similar types of stories.
Another option for finding good reading material is to rely on reviews from critics. The Internet has given rise to critics who have not studied literature, which is something to keep in mind. If critics have read books only from their favorite genres or from the bestseller list, they are not widely read. That doesn't invalidate their opinions, but it limits their experience.
On the other hand, some critics are a little too well read. Their expectations are so high that only a scant few books earn their approval. There's nothing wrong with high standards, but often these critics forget that a book's strengths can more than make up for its weaknesses.
When looking at reviews, try to find critics who have similar tastes to your own. You should be able to peruse their past reviews to see what other books they did or didn’t like and determine whether their preferences match yours.
Magazines have always published “best” lists: “The Best Way to Lose Weight,” “The Ten Best Films of All Time,” “The Best Way to Save Money,” etc. With the Internet, these lists have exploded and now appear on almost every website. If you're looking for a good book or other reading material, be wary when you shop from these kinds of lists. Always check the source. Is it some unknown blogger who has posted his or her favorite books and labeled them as the best of the best? Is it a list of most profitable books? For what year? All time? Is it a list of books that have withstood the test of time or books that are popular in classrooms? Award winners? The word best is used for a variety of purposes, although another word would often be far more accurate. Still, these lists can be hugely helpful in finding books that will appeal to you.
If you are already a fan of a particular author, read other books by that author, and if you can find out which authors your favorite authors enjoy reading, then you will probably hit the jackpot and find a treasure trove of reading material that you’ll like. This is true for films and music as well. Find out what books, movies, and music your favorite artists love and then check them out. A fun part of this is seeing the source of inspiration for artists you admire.
Chapter One: Reading
Start from the beginning
