A NEW WAY TO FIND GREAT BOOKS

Do you read books…sometimes?

Or do you love books? Devour books?

’Cause if you’re the devouring kind, the process of finding your next great book to read is pretty limited. Friends recommending books to each other can go a long way, but we don’t all have the same tastes. Bestseller lists and the top offerings on the landing pages of sites like Amazon just channel us all toward the same few dozen choices that a lot of strangers have been led to (by the same lists and headers). Even book awards are pretty limiting—there are always biases toward certain kinds of books (I’m not talking about “wokeness” or race, but just trendiness in general—that’s inevitable). And don’t get me started about search engines like Amazon’s or even Google’s. If you haven’t noticed by now that most of your top search results are “sponsored”, then you haven’t been paying attention. I mean, in theory Amazon’s “also bought” recommendations are supposed to be a way to say, “because you liked this you might also like this.” But I find they work about as well as those algorithms on Netflix. The ones that make me think, “are you kidding?”

So what to do?

Well, I was recently made aware of a new website that at least offers a different way of approaching the hunt for books we’ll enjoy. An “if you liked this, you might like this” method that doesn’t use algorithms but suggestions by actual humans. In fact, by authors themselves.

The site is called Shepherd.com, and their approach is that they ask authors to post about one of their own books and then recommend five other books that kind of match. By “match” I mean they might fit into a similar topic, theme, or category. And the categories can be broad or quirkily specific.

Here’s my list of “The best thriller books that combine medicine with technology.” (Pretty specific, right?)

The idea is that if you like my SF thriller The Primus Labyrinth about using nanotechnology to travel through the bloodstream of a VIP facing death, you should check out these other five books, or vice versa. The books on my list aren’t new. Some are really old. But a great book is a great book. Maybe the pleasure you’ll get isn’t from discovering something new but remembering a classic you loved.

Sure, it’s a way for authors to promote their own books, as well, but the recommendations are sincere. We loved these books, you might too, especially if the topic or theme is one that really grabs you. The site even offers links to previews and retailers where you can buy the recommended books (especially Bookshop.org, which supports smaller independent bookstores).

Shepherd.com is a work in progress but growing quickly. It already has searchable separate topic pages featuring, for example, the best books about technology or medicine or dinosaurs, all recommended by other authors. You have to admit that, as a group, authors are pretty discerning and committed to books, so their recommendations ought to be worth something. But don’t just view my list, take the search engine out for a spin. Just plan to spend some time—it can be addictive.

And there’s a really good chance you’ll find your next favourite book.