How to choose what to read next

The problem with being a reader is that there are hundreds, if not countless, books out there that you are interested in reading, making it incredibly difficult for you to choose which one to pick up next. Do you refer to your TBR and pick the next one off the list? Do you ignore your TBR and decide to read a book a friend recommends? Do you pick a book from a different genre because you’re in the mood for it? Here are some ways you can go about choosing what to read next.

1. Refer to your TBR list

If you are someone who can stick to a TBR and make their way down the list, then huge props to you; this is one way you could choose what to read next. This method has only worked for me a few times, only because I’m a mood reader and prefer choosing books based on how I’m currently feeling and what I’m in the mood for!

2. Turn the activity of choosing a book into a game

This is a strategy I’m going to try the next time I finish a book and need to get through my TBR list. If you’re bored of selecting the next book to read from your TBR, why not spice it up by turning it into a game?

You could create a ‘TBR Jar’, where you write down the books on your TBR on small post-it notes or pieces of paper and stick them into a glass jar or container. When you need to select a new book to read, either you or someone else can pick one out of the jar blindly.

Another option is to randomly select a book from your TBR, but rather than doing it manually, you could opt for a randomiser to do it for you, such as a Picker Wheel or List Randomizer.

3. Choose a book based on a popular list

Take a look at books that have made it to some popular lists or won awards — there’s a reason why they earned a spot in them! Some of them include the Goodreads Choice Awards, Pulitzer Prize winners, and the New York Times Best Sellers. Explore a few of them and see if any of the books on there catch your eye.

4. Ask people for recommendations

Sometimes, if I don’t fancy anything from my TBR, I reach out to family and friends to help me decide what to read next. It’s always refreshing to hear a book title I’m not familiar with; it makes me intrigued and want to find out more. If you have a Bookstagram account, reach out to your followers through a post or story and ask what they think!

5. Search for recommendations

The internet is also your friend! There are millions of BookTube videos, BookTok reels, and Booksta-related posts out there that offer alternatives to what you have just read and enjoyed (usually titled ‘If you like x, check out y’, ‘Read these if you like x’, ‘If you enjoyed x, here are some books you might enjoy’ or something similar). Check out a few and give the recommended books a chance — you might fall in love with them too!

6. Read what you feel like

As a mood reader, I’m terrible at sticking to my TBR because I prefer reading what I’m in the mood for, whether it’s a certain series, book, or even genre. I tend to alternate between Fantasy and Thrillers if I need a break from the other, but it usually depends on whether I have the headspace to squeeze in more fantastical worldbuilding or not. In rare occurrences, I turn towards self-help or non-fiction books if I’m going through a rough time or need some motivation or direction in life. Finding what you feel like reading is another, albeit most intuitive, way of choosing what to read next.

If nothing tickles your fancy, you’re always allowed to re-read your favourite books or books from your favourite authors.

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Choosing what to read next can be frustrating and annoying if you can’t decide what to read next. I hope some of the strategies I’ve provided will help make your life a little easier.

What are your strategies for choosing what to read next? Are they the same as mine or different? I’d love to hear from you!