With the library building open to the public again and with curbside pickup underway, you might be wondering how to find books to put on hold if you can’t browse the shelves. Luckily, the library has several online solutions to the question every reader inevitably faces: “what should I read next?”
FTPL Staff Blog Recommendations
Our website has a section that is filtered to specifically show blog posts relating to book reviews and recommendations done by our staff! Click here to starting browsing.
Goodreads.com
Goodreads.com is a free social media site designed specifically for readers! Here, you can find reading lists of all kinds, search for books by genre, interact with other readers through comments and recommendations, stay up-to-date with your favorite authors, and more. Each user has a number of “shelves,” which are lists that you add titles to as you find them. If you find something you’d like to read, just add it to your “Want to Read” shelf and browse it later when you are stumped on what book to start next. Taken together, all of these features make it incredibly easy and fun to find books!
NovelList
NoveList is a database that is designed to help readers find books based on matching terms (genre, writing style, pacing, tone, etc.) and related authors. There is a bit of a learning curve using the database to its full potential, but fortunately there are a few quick and easy things you can do to find a new book you will like. You will need your library card number to sign in to NoveList.
1. Browse Recommended Reading Lists: Once you sign in to NovelList, the section on the page’s left contains reading lists put together by NoveList staff. Here, you can find bestsellers, trending books, genre classics, and much more in no time.
2. Use Read-Alikes: On the same page, you can enter a book title or author you enjoy into the search bar. On the right side of the search results page, you will find the “Read-alikes” section, which lists books that are similar in style. This is one of NoveLists most popular and useful features.
Perfect Picks
Perfect Picks is an FTPL service designed to help connect you with books you’ll love. Just fill out the online form found here, tell us a little about your reading preferences, and let us do the rest! We’ll select three titles from our collection we think you’ll enjoy.
Questions about what to read next? Leave a comment below or send us a message on our new online chat service, found on the bottom right of our home page. If you know what you’d like to read, click here to begin searching the library’s catalog, where you can also place holds on items.
Thanks for reading!
-George, FTPL
