5 Ways to Create a Reading List

If you enjoy reading, but have a hard time finding books you enjoy, you may need to find a few new ways to get book recommendations. With a very little research, you can create a fine list of books to look forward to reading. In no time, you will be overwhelmed with exciting titles

1. Ask Friends or Family

Find people you know who enjoy reading and look for recommendations. If you love science fiction and have friends who do too, find out what they are reading. However, don't be afraid to branch out to different genres. The beauty of asking friends and family is that you can find out what they liked about the book and decide if you might like it too.

2. Check out Reading Group Web Sites

There are several reading group web sites where you can read synopses of popular reading group book picks. You can find out what the top books are, or search alphabetically. Many of these sites also feature different books every few days. A few sites to check out include: readinggroupguides.com, harpercollins.com and randomhouse.com.

3. Browse Book Catalogs

You can sign up to receive book catalogs to find out about different books that might not make the best seller's list's but are still worthy reads. There are catalogs for every kind of book genre you can imagine and some that even cover many genres. Basbleu.com boasts that it's the "champion of the odd little book and your source for inspired gifts and accessories for readers." This catalog is free and is a great resource for learning about books that might otherwise slide under the radar. The reviews are often written by customers and are mostly intriguing.

4. Take Advice from On-Line Bookseller Customers

One of the best features at on-line retailers like Amazon.com is the "customers who bought this book also bought..." feature. This is an excellent way to find similar books you may be interested in. Take a moment to check out a recent book you read and enjoyed. Look and see what Amazon recommends and follow the links. The great part is that you don't have to rely on the bookseller's description of the book alone: you have actual customer reviews to read and consider.

Often a review will have other recommendations with in it. For example, one reviewer might write, "Dick and Jane was ok, but Sam and Diane was much better."

5. Keep Track of Information

Once your list of books to read begins to grow, figure out a way to keep track of it. One way to do this is with an Excel spreadsheet. A simple column of title and author is all that is needed, but if you want to get fancy, add a column where you can make an "x mark" after you've read the book. Sharing a booklist created on Excel is a cinch. Most of the times you can e-mail your file, but you could also quickly print your list out.

Some people like to keep a notebook or journal to write down names of books to read. A small spiral bound note pad is inexpensive and fits in a purse, pocket or car glove box. However, sharing the book might be a little more of a risk and it is harder to search and copy.

6. Bonus-How to Read for Free

Once you have your list of books to read, take out your trusty library card. If you don't have one, go and get one. It will be your new best friend. Simply log on to your library's web site and search the catalog for the book you want to read. Request a copy of the book and in a few days, your library will call and let you know the book is ready to pick up. You won't have to write down a Dewy decimal number on a little piece of scrap paper or search the stacks. It's easy.

The library's web site will let you know if the book has any other requests. Popular books may have a long waiting list, but don't worry. Request the book, then request another to read while you're waiting for it.