The national average number of books read per year is 12, reports the Pew Research Center. The most popular literary genres include Young Adult, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Thrillers, and Romance but these represent just a handful of the many genres available. If you are wishing to expand your personal booklist, here are a few easy strategies to help you build a more varied book or e-reader shelf?
Turning Insecurities into Strengths
It is interesting how, since childhood, human beings often pigeonhole themselves according to perceived talents or abilities. For instance, people often say they are good at either humanities or STEM subjects; few see themselves as ‘jacks of all trades’. Your choice of study is also determinative of how confident you might be with subjects such as Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, or Law. However, all these subjects are fascinating once you hone the basics. To learn more about a subject you have always felt a bit insecure about, start with authors known for explaining complex matters in graspable, everyday language. For Economics, for instance, Thomas Sowell Books are known for making complex topics easy to understand. For a subject like Science, on the other hand, C.L. Stong books are a great introduction to subjects like Biology, Earth Sciences, and Nuclear Physics.
Solving Problems
If you are a bookworm, then reading is probably already a big stress reliever for you. However, if you find that you are sticking to a specific author or subject, consider making your next book non-fiction. Think of an area of your life you may need help with—it could be cooking, car mechanics, or drawing. Go to a popular book site and check out their list of best-sellers on this subject. Make sure you choose a book that suits the niche you are looking for and read a few reviews to see if the book is up your street.
Connecting with Friends on Social Media
Friends and family with similar tastes in books and film are a great place from which to obtain recommendations for new books. This is especially true with respect to those living in other countries and continents since their experiences and learning will have presented them with works you may never have heard of (and vice-versa). Influencers you trust are another good source of recommendations. Some influencers review books almost as a ‘side hobby’. For instance, PewDiePie, with a 111 million following, is known for covering current events on social media. However, he is an avid reader whose video, whose recommendation for Mishima’s Spring Snow tetralogy has 4.2 million views.
It is easy to get stuck reading specific book genres, be they thrillers, westerns, or young adult works. However, each book is a world and experimenting with your reading list can open your mind and extend your range of interests just like travel can. Start out by reading books you think you need or those you think can solve personal dilemmas. Turn to friends, family, and your favorite influencers for recommendations of books you may never have heard of but, thanks to them, you start to find intriguing.
