Voracious readers, reluctant readers, and readers in general have the same problem. "I've just finished my book, what in the heck do I read next?" An age old problem indeed. Most avid readers keep a TBR (to be read) list, my own only has 2,983 books on it (as of today) and it continues to grow - yeesh! I have decided the only way I will even get close to reading the unread books I already own is to become a vampire - yeah cause that's so gonna happen!
Some readers, especially new or reluctant readers, truly have no idea what to do after finishing a book. I watch my students every year finish a book, turn it in to me, and then go stand in front of the bookshelves of the classroom library and promptly slip into a book induced coma. They literally have no clue how to decide what to read next. I have taken to doing book talks at least once a week and now require my students to keep a TBR list, but what happens when they leave my class? Or what if you are not one of my students?
Personally, I am a bookclubaholic; as of today, I have whittled the number of book clubs I belong to down to four. I also subscribe to various magazines (The New York Review of Books and Poets & Writers), as well as peruse a variety of websites on a regular basis. I have also become addicted to various book podcasts, which I find to be a never ending source of books to add to my TBR list.
In an effort to be helpful I am including below a list of websites and podcast titles I have found useful in helping me, and my students, discover what to read next. Please feel free to comment and add your own discoveries to my list.
Some of the websites I have found to be useful include: Readers Corner (a shameless plug for my own blog - sorry); Teenreads; YA Books Central; YALSA; Young Adult Book Reviews; Kirkus Reviews; Booklist Online; Nerdy Book Club; The Booklist Reader; Read It Forward; BookRiot; and Goodreads.
Here is a list of podcasts you might try, all of them are free on Itunes (some on other platforms as well). Some of the podcasters can occasionally have potty mouths and these podcasts are marked explicit (E). The list includes: Adventures with Books (E); All the Books; The Avid Reader; Book Club Appetizer; Book Club Girl; Book Fight (E); Booked (E); Get Booked; KCRW Bookworm; Literary Disco; MashReads; Overdue; Reading Envy; The Readers; So Many Damn Books (E); That Stack of Books; Vintage Podcast; and (my personal favorite) What Should I Read Next.
I always recommend joining a book club as well, although perhaps not four at a time. A book club forces you to pick up books that you would never choose if left to your own devices. I can't tell you how many of my now favorite books, I would never have picked up without book club assistance. It is just a fact that sometimes covers and blurbs on jackets just don't do a book justice. A great way to find a book club near you is Meetup. Most of the groups are free to join and there are so many you shouldn't have trouble finding one that suits your area and tastes; this is where I found three of the four clubs I belong to at present. Book clubs are also a great way to meet other readers.
I hope you have found this post helpful. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you do to decide what to read next.
