Lately I’ve been obsessed with how we find new books.
It feels like a lot of people I know get their recommendations from influencers on instagram/tiktok, so chain bookshops have begun to stock for this. As a result the culture of bestsellers and reading has become more homogeneous than it was before. I swear I couldn't escape the relentless advertising and promo for Butter by Asako Yuzuki.
Reading books you know that you'll like is comforting, but I’m wondering if we're missing out. I tried stepping outside my bubble by picking books off the shelf of an older relative and found some amazing surprises.
I’m curious—how do you all discover books that aren’t just recommended because they’re similar to what you already like?
- Do you judge by the cover or blurb?
- Random bookstore finds?
- Reddit threads like this?
- Serendipitous mentions in podcasts or conversations?
(I’ve been tinkering with a side project around book discovery—but mostly I just like hearing about people’s reading habits.)
Any weird or wonderful books you never would’ve found if you hadn’t gone off the beaten path?
by The-Why-Matters