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Leisure Reading: Tips for Finding Leisure Reading Books

This guide will help you find popular books to read for your own personal enjoyment.

Types of Literacy

A stack of books with different types of literacy listed.

What do you want to read?

Would you like to find books to read just like a librarian would? This is how librarians find books to recommend for leisure reading.

Check the New York Times Best Sellers

The New York Times Best Sellers lists are a great way to find a variety of books from different genres that are popular among readers right now. When you select a list, you will see 15 books that are ranked by which one sold the most copies in the previous week. The list will also show the title, author, cover image, a brief synopsis, and how long it has been on the best seller list.

Visit Goodreads

Gooodreads is a database for books with a social media component. Logged in users can save books to various lists, track what they're currently reading, join groups for different genres, follow their favorite authors, and more. If you are looking for books that are similar to ones you already know and love, Goodreads is a great way to find related recommendations.

View Awards Lists

There are many awards out there for leisure reading of different genres. Browsing the winners of these awards is a great way to find critically-acclaimed leisure reading. Here are a few awards that may be of interest.

  • National Book Awards (Literary Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry)
  • Hugo Awards (Science Fiction and Fantasy)
  • Pulitzer Prize (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Histories, and Biographies)
  • Edgar Awards (Mystery)
  • YALSA Book Awards (Young Adult)

Ask a Librarian

Librarians love recommending leisure reading books to readers and will often ask other librarians for recommendations themselves. You can reach a librarian by phone, email, or in-person for recommendations. The Library also regularly has recommended leisure reading books on display that you are welcome to check out.

Searching eBooks

Searching eBooks through the Library's digital collection is very similar to searching for physical books. First, visit the Library's website. Then enter your search terms in the "Search Reinhardt University and beyond" box.

After you enter your search terms, make sure to select the "Ebook" checkbox. This will filter your search results to make sure they don't include other information such as book reviews or Interlibrary Loan recommendations.

Once you've found your eBook, you will then see a Full Text option, depending on the source of the book. The exact language of the link may vary. Click the link to visit the book's page and to choose your viewing experience.