The scope of the issue is immediately apparent if you walk into any large bookstore on a Saturday afternoon. New releases were stacked on tables, staff selections were arranged along every wall that was available, and promotional displays near the entrance promoted whatever the algorithm determined was the topic of discussion this month. It’s quite a bit. It won’t be worth your time for the most part. There are more books being published now than at any other time in recorded history, so finding them is not a problem. Creating a method for identifying the ones that will truly resonate with you without having to endure three unsatisfactory readings first is the difficult part.
Despite its cultural authority, the bestseller list is arguably the least trustworthy place to start. It measures sales velocity rather than quality, and the two have never been the same. On the strength of a media cycle, a book can sell a huge number of copies, and by chapter six, the majority of readers feel somewhat deceived. There’s a reason why so many five-year-old bestsellers have entirely vanished from popular culture, while more subdued works from the same era are still being pushed into people’s hands through word-of-mouth. You can see what’s selling on the list. It doesn’t tell you what’s good.
People who have actually considered why a particular book merits attention typically send out better signals. This is precisely how The Browser, a curated recommendation service that functions as a hybrid of a newsletter and a reading guide, operates: experts select books and provide a thorough justification for their choices rather than merely stating that they are worthwhile. Similar to this, Five Books conducts interviews with experts and thinkers regarding the five books that influenced their comprehension of a particular topic. A general “best of” list is never as specific as the recommendations that emerge from those discussions. When a working historian explains why a specific account of the First World War altered her perspective on military decision-making, it’s not the same as being told a book is good.
Carefully applied community filtering can also break through the clutter. Due to its size and imperfections, Goodreads’ rating system is vulnerable to marketing campaigns and brigading, and a 4.2-star average tells you very little. However, the most helpful information is frequently found in the three-star reviews, which are written by readers who actually had reservations after finishing the book. Compared to a blurb, reading a few of those before deciding on a title provides a more accurate picture. The StoryGraph, which is smaller and more recent, adopts a completely different strategy by monitoring not only what you’ve read but also how you reacted to it. It then uses this information to recommend books that fit your real reading habits rather than those that are currently being advertised.
Though it’s rarely stated explicitly, there is a rule that seasoned readers almost always follow: never devote all of your attention to a book before finishing the first ten to fifteen percent of it. Get the sample here. Go to a bookstore and read the first chapter. First, check it out from the library or a friend. This is efficiency, not timidity. The first few pages show the writing style, voice, and pacing, all of which are very important. A book with a great idea and a grating prose style won’t get any better. You might be able to get used to it, but it will require effort, and reading shouldn’t be primarily an endurance exercise.
Recommendations have a different purpose than award longlists, such as the Pulitzer Prize for American readers and the Booker Prize in particular. They are not perfect, and being on a longlist does not ensure a good read, but the filtering process that creates them is rigorous and mostly free from commercial pressure. A consistent level of literary ambition that the bestseller list just cannot match can be found when looking through the Booker’s archive over the last ten years. When you’re in between books and unsure of what to try next, it’s a helpful place to peruse.
The library should be given more credit in this discussion because it is constantly underutilized. With a valid library card, you can check out e-books and audiobooks on any device for free using Libby, the digital lending platform linked to the majority of public library systems. There is no cost to sample a book you’re unsure about, and there is no hassle to return it if it doesn’t work. The fact that the most affordable option is also one of the best for quality filtering is noteworthy; the library doesn’t have everything, but what it does have is usually worthwhile.
It’s difficult to ignore the fact that readers who consistently discover books they adore have one thing in common: they no longer completely delegate the decision to the person with the loudest marketing this month. They sample before committing and have a small network of reliable recommenders, including friends, curators, and expert critics. It’s not a difficult process. All you have to do is be willing to be a little more deliberate than simply clicking whatever comes up first in the search results.
Chloe Olliver is senior editor at vclib.org, where she leads editorial coverage of literary criticism, political commentary, cultural analysis, and the evolving relationship between literature and public life across New York City and beyond. With a career spanning the intersection of literary journalism, political commentary, and educational publishing, Chloe brings both rigorous research discipline, in-depth knowledge, experience, and an accessible editorial voice to subjects that most readers find thought-provoking and culturally significant.