By Joslyn Dechant, UPMC Health Plan (and avid reader)
The nights are getting longer, the air is getting colder, and the need for a cozy escape can be found in a book, but how do you pick the right one? Luckily, whether you’re a bookworm or a casual reader, there are plenty of resources available to you.
Library Resources
One of the best resources is local libraries. If you choose to visit your library, there are often new books displayed prominently on shelves which can help narrow down your choices and keep you up to speed with the latest reading trends. If nothing catches your eye, ask a librarian for recommendations based on your interests.
If you prefer ebooks and audiobooks, the Oil Region Library Association has a great collection of free online resources including Overdrive and Libby, all you need is a library card. The Overdrive homepage provides rotating recommendations. As a Pennsylvania resident, you can maximize your Overdrive potential by getting a Philadelphia Free Library card online and accessing their catalogue as well. Overdrive and Libby are both available in the app store so you can always have a book with you.
Online Resources
Keeping with online book browsing and recommendations, some of my favorite places to seek out recommendations are on social media. There are entire YouTube and Instagram accounts run by book lovers who share books they’ve read. If you’re looking for more of a social network all about books, try Goodreads, where you can track and rate books and see what books friends and family are picking up. You can curate your own reading lists and search for those created by others. It’s by far one of the best resources online for finding your next great read.
Bookstores
Bookstores are still my favorite way to find a book. Aside from browsing stacks, booksellers curate shelves of best sellers and new releases which is a great place to start. Often there are tables throughout the store featuring books by genre or books on sale. There’s something for everyone and it helps narrow down options.
I can’t write this article without a some recommendations of my own. See below and happy reading!
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
• Beartown by Fredrik Backman
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
• The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
• The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
• Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
• Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
• 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
WEBSITES:
• ORLA Overdrive – oilcreek.overdrive.com/
• Philadelphia Overdrive – freelibrary.overdrive.com
• Philadelphia Free Library Card – catalog.freelibrary.org/MyResearch/register
• Goodreads – www.goodreads.com
This article was published in the Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange’s (FLEX) December 2021 edition of the FLEX Your Ideas (FYI) Newsletter.