I want to start reading, recommend me a book

“I want to pick up reading as a hobby, recommend me a book to read.”

You post this on your favorite social media platform and get hundreds of book recommendations. So, you pick the book with the most likes or comments. Go to the bookstore to spend the money, get home, open the book and one chapter in realize that this book is just horrible.  You toss the book aside and walk by it every day, until you either try again, or get rid of the book. How could anyone like this? Maybe you think I am just not meant to be a reader.

Imagine you and a friend are getting together to watch a movie, your friend is into romantic comedies, you are into gritty action anime, she wants to watch Love Actually, you want to watch Akira. So, you compromise, she gets a few laughs, you get some grit, but neither one is satisfied.  You go home and watch a few episodes of Full Metal Alchemist; she goes home and watches The Manny. Neither is wrong, you are just different people.

How do you find a book to read that you are interested in? This part takes work - all you must do is answer the question “what do I like?”

So, what do you like? Sports, nature, rom-coms, science fiction, fantasy, true crime, mysteries, this list goes on and on. After some reflection, now you know what you like. This is where my recommendation comes into play.

Go to the library, get a card and ask the librarian for an anthology in what you like.  Yes, they are thick, but here is the thing about anthologies. They are a collection of short stories written by different authors. Perfect, you will find stories and authors that you like and do not like. If you don’t like one story skip it and go to the next. If you find one that you like you can Google them to see if they have other works or find comparable authors.

Here is a list of anthologies to get you started on your search.

Out There Screaming edited by Jordan Peele (horror)

Truly Criminal edited by Martin Edwards (true crime)

2025 Years Best Sports Writing edited by Jane McManus (sports)

The Years Best Science Fiction edited by Gardner Dozois (science fiction)

Going to Ground edited by Jon Woolcott (nature)

Color Outside The Lines edited by Sangu Mandanna (romance)