The worst feeling is running out of fantasy books to read.
This is the sort of hell I used to suffer in my teens, but now, I do not really have that problem. Not only do I always have a book to read, but it is often the exact type of book that I like. Almost like it is tailored to my preferences.
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Which is what we will be teaching here. Just where can a person find new fantasy books to read that are perfect for them, and not awkward?
The best place to find new fantasy books that are tailored for your individual reading experiences is by looking for the agent of the book, and finding other books the literary agent of the book worked on. The next 3 best places are reviews, where you can find comparisons of the books, fantasy awards, where you can find other books that won the same award as your book, and social media, where you can see the books other readers compare your favorite with.
With these techniques you will find that you literally never run out of books to read. However, other people may need more detailed places, and steps on just how to find these books.
If that is you, fellow friend, read along.
1. Find Fantasy Books In Reddit
The first place to look for great, complementary fantasy books to read is reddit.
Reddit is an open platform that allows writers, and readers access without any sort of barrier to entry.
This is perfect.
Most other reading spaces, even the ones we will discuss here, have a barrier to entry. For example, only readers look at review sites. Also, only writers may visit publishing magazines. However, when it comes to reddit, everyone chimes in.
In this way it means that reddit becomes the most democratic place for book recommendations.
Both book readers, and writers go to reddit to go into deep conversations about books that they know. They discuss all things, from theories, reviews, and predictions, to disappointments, wishes, and what they hope to see next.
Action step: If you are looking for a fantasy book to read, go to google, and search whichever fantasy book you have read, and ask similar books to it, then end with reddit. For example, “Books similar to Harry Potter reddit”.
Copy that template, and paste to your search bar, and just rewrite the book you are searching, and you will get interesting results.
2. Comment Sections Is Where You Can Find Fantasy Books
The second place your can look for complementary fantasy books from is comment sections.
Comment sections also feature a wider range of access, but with the additional benefit of being laser focused on the specific book you are interested in.
There is a main advantage with this one, and a main disadvantage. So let us discuss those before we get into how you can use comment sections to find the books that you want.
The main advantage is that comment sections exist directly under the book that you are interested in. Whether in YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram, comment sections always exist directly under the property you are interested in. This means that you get people discussing the property you are interested in.
The main disadvantage though is that this means they are not necessarily speaking about complementary books, they are only speaking about the books that they are speaking about at that moment. In a comment section about A Little Hatred, you will find people talking about the characters, and plot points. Not about which books are similar to that one.
So how can you use these comment sections to find complementary books?
Action steps: The first step is to decide which comment section works best for you. Social media, or a place like YouTube. I advise you go to social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, then search the book you are interested in.
The second step is to browse. Usually, you may get someone saying that this story reminds them of another.
If that does not work, try step three: Just ask. Say something like “Hey, do you guys know any books like this one?” or “Which books would you say best resemble this one?”
3. Meetnewbooks
The third ways of finding contemporary fantasy books is to look for them in meetnewbooks.
Meetnewbooks.com is a website that helps you discover the books that you are interested in which have the exact tastes that you are interested in.
This one is probably one of the best ways of finding a new book that you are interested in. It has a website that you can visit to try and find the book that you are interested in. On top of that, they even have an app that you could use in your search for a new book.
Action steps: You just go to the website. On the home page, there is a search bar, with the header ‘What Would You Like To Read’.
All you need to do is type in the book that you want, the themes that you are interested or the genres that you are interested in. You can even mix those if you want and search for things that you find interested in e.g. Romance Fantasy.
On top of all these features, meetnewbooks has some other interesting features, such as a personalized recommendations section. The ore books that you rate, and add to your shelves, the more they will start giving books just like that one. So, a win win situation.
4. Storygraph Is Where You Can Find Fantasy Books
The fourth way you can find fantasy books that are tailored for your reading experience is by using storygraph.
Storygraph is a website, and app that provides you with books that are tailored to your needs. Their slogan says it all, “Because Life’s Too Short For A Book You’re Not In The Mood For”.
Storygraph analyzes, and tracks your reading, then they offer you your next book depending on your mood. They even start to offer the books that are taoilred to your favorite themes, and topics.
So obviously, they will give your fantasy books that are just your type.
So then, how can you go about using this website?
Action steps: You need to sign up to StoryGraphs and begin reading. Or you can just go over books you read before, and the rating that you gave them. Now, rate those books on Storygraphs, and they will analyze your tastes for you. When they are done, they will tell you just where to find your next book.
5. Libby
The fifth step that you could to to find fantasy books tailored to your taste is to use Libby.
Libby is a reading library that is owned by Overdrive.
Libby obviously allows you to store books, and to then be able to read these books. But what’s even more interesting to us is that it analyzes your reading patterns. After doing that, it then begins to provide you with similar books to the ones you read.
Obviously, this can help you tons.
Action steps: Here the action steps are pretty simple. Get Libby, and sign up. Then, begin reading the books you already read from there. Or you could use the technique we taught you earlier with Storygraph.
6. Instagram book covers Is Where You Can Find Fantasy Books
The sixth step to finding fantasy books that are tailored to your reading is to try and discover their cover artists, and see if they have worked on any other covers.
Most cover artists tend to draw for a specific genre, and they tend to have similar drawing styles, so they are hired by marketing agencies that have similar work amongst them.
This is worse for fantasy.
Fantasy stories tend to have super heroes, powers, and all other sorts of mystical things that require a specific drawing ability to get right. So the same artists tend to be used to draw fantasy books, and also the artists themselves tend to choose specific books. Artists may want to draw for a book that they’ve read and liked, and reject ones they do not like. So that’s where you can win.
Action steps: Look for a draw cover art for the book you like. Search that artists name online, and see their other works. Then, check out those books, and you should be good.
7. Locus Magazine Site
The seventh place you can find fantasy books to draw is at Locus Magazine Site.
The other place to find similar fantasy books to read is in fantasy publishing magazines, and one of the best in this sphere would be Locus Magazine.
Locus Magazine is a fantasy and sci-fi book publishing magazine that has been around since 1968. It has won a number of awards, including Hugo awards. The main point here being that people can use this magazine to find fantasy books that they like. If that is you, then learn just how you can use this.
Action Steps: Subscribe to the magazine. The publish on a monthly basis, allowing you to be able to read anything that they give you.
8. The World Fantasy Awards
Additionally, the eight place that you can find fantasy books to read is by watching fantasy awards.
Fantasy award have a line of books that are nominated for an award before they win said award. You could read the runner up books in order to find books that are too your preferences. This one is perfect. An organization of professional readers reads these books.
Action step: Go online and search “Fantasy book awards for this year”. Then go to those award shows, and you will find yourself something to read that will help satisfy your needs.
9. Google Search
The ninth place to find the best place to read fantasy books is ironically enough with a simple good search.
Google has a number of results it shows you for your search, such as images, and websites.
However, there is more to it than that. There is the news results, the images, and even the book results. These are perfect for finding fantasy books that fit your taste.
Action step: Go to google, and search the book you want. Now, go to the images, and follow the images. Eventually, you will see images of other books that are not this one.
The second trick is to go to the news, and you can search and find news that are similar to the one that you want.
10. Find comparisons of the books you’ve read (or inspirations)
The tenth trick that you could use to find fantasy books that are similar to your tastes is to find comparisons, and inspirations.
Simply put, you could just find what the author compares the book to, or what they say was the influence for the books. Then you will know what to read next.
Action steps: Search interviews of the author. Then, you may find what the author says inspired them.
Bonus point for Writers: Same literary agents
The last trick that you could use is to look for the works of literary agents.
Literary agents usually are the first fans of the book.
Additionally, literary agents tend to work with a number of different books. Thus you may find that they have worked on other books that tickle your fancy, so you do not have to search much further anymore. Meaning you are sorted.
Once you have mastered finding the books that you want to read, you will be that much closer to mastering mastery.