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Book reviews are for all of us.
Readers need to know whether books with the best covers are worth the time they’re about to put into it. They find it helpful (and fun!) to check out reviews after reading the books, too, so they can see what other real-life humans had to say about it.
Librarians & booksellers need to hear from trusted sources that the book they are about to buy for their collection has the capability to get picked up & to satisfy. Authors & publishers need to get and use book reviews to build buzz and credibility for their product.
Book review sites have transformed the book-recommending landscape.
We can write reviews on product pages, on social media apps, and some of us, for publications that have been around since before the internet. Book reviewing has changed. But maybe it also hasn’t.
What kind of book review sites are you looking for? Chances are, this list has you covered.
Here are 30+ book review sites to read, write, and bookmark.
Does this logo look familiar? (Hint: You’re sitting on it).
IBR, the website you’re on RIGHT NOW, is all about indie books. There are so many books in the world right now, but if you feel like you keep seeing the same ones recommended over and over, start reading indie!
Independent presses & self-published authors are doing some incredible work right now. IBR reviews books, curates lists, does indie bookstore round-ups, and uses starred reviews & best-of-the-year lists to show which books are going to blow your mind.
2. Book Marks
Lit Hub rules. You already knew this.
But do you know about Book Marks? They’re a branch of the Lit Hub network, and they are an excellent way for booksellers and librarians to get shorter recaps from multiple sources and voices.
Their staff peruses book review sites and shares pull-quotes from them in book lists & more. By reading all of these sites, they can give the book a rating based on the average: “Rave, Positive, Mixed, or Pan.”
My favorite book-buying platform, Bookshop, uses Book Marks’ scale for their books’ ratings, and I love getting access to that.
Publishers Weekly has been around since 1872. By now, they’re a review churning machine. They cover so much of the book industry in so many different ways, reviewing nearly 9,000 books per year and providing publication announcements, agency announcements, industry job listings, bestseller lists, industry stats, a self-publishing partner, and more.
Another one that’s been around since before the internet! 1933 to be exact. Kirkus is a widely recognized publication that book buyers & librarians follow carefully. I dare you to find a bookstore or library that doesn’t have multiple books with Kirkus Reviews plastered on their front and back covers.
5. Booklist
The American Library Association runs Booklist, a platform dedicated to helping libraries, educators, and booksellers choose books. They’ve got a magazine (since 1905!), book reviews, lists, awards, and one of my favorite bookish podcasts out there: Shelf Care.
6. Library Journal & School Library Journal
As you might be able to guess, Library Journal & School Library Journal focus on librarians too! They review a ton of books, and they write often about library-related news, collection management, technology, programs, and more. If you’re an author hoping to land your book in libraries, these are essential targets.
7. BookPage
You may have seen BookPage in your local library or bookstore. Some shops provide it for free so that patrons can look through it to find which books to buy in-store. Their website is clean and intriguing and always full of the most up-to-date releases and bestsellers.
Speaking of libraries! Have you seen our gifts for librarians?
8. Foreword
Foreword is such an enthusiastic and dedicated champion of indie books, and they’ve been doing it since the 90s! I love how much attention university presses get here too. Their reviews are well-written & thorough, in both print & digital, and I always find something to speed-purchase once the Foreword Indie winners come out.
9. LoveReading
LoveReading is a top book-recommendation website in the UK. They’ve got starred reviews, lists, staff picks, a LitFest, eBooks, and they even donate 25% of the cover price of their books to schools of your choice. It’s reader-friendly and apparent how much they appreciate the wonder of books.
10. Washington Independent Review of Books
What’s not to love about The Independent?
Back in 2011, a group of writers & editors were frustrated by newspapers dropping book review sections and decided to do something about it. The Washington Independent Review of Books is quite a lovely something! This nonprofit posts every day: from reviews to interviews to essays and podcasts. They host events too!
11. Book Riot
Try being a reader and not finding something you love on Book Riot. Book lists, podcasts, personalized recommendations, newsletters, book deals—this site is a haven.
It doesn’t post solo book reviews like other sites, but they do share mini-reviews in book lists and talk about reading in unique & passionate ways. The Book Riot Podcast is such a winner too! I love listening to Jeff & Rebecca laugh about the latest in books & reading.
12. Electric Lit
From novel excerpts to original short fiction & poetry, they might not only be a book review site, but they do offer a lot in the world of book recommendations. Their Recommended Reading lit mag features unique staff picks and short, insightful book reviews.
13. The Millions
The writing in The Millions is something to behold. They are an artful source for all things book reviews & recommendations. They write stunning essays about books & reading and long reviews of new and old books. They’ve got some of my favorite Most Anticipated lists too.
What are the biggest benefits of reading? 
14. Bookforum
Did you hear? Bookforum is back! This book review magazine announced in December 2022 that they were closing, and my heart sank a little bit. This company means so much to the publishing industry and has for 20+ years, so when I saw (last week!) that they are returning, I did more than a few jumps for joy.
Welcome back, Bookforum! Can’t wait to see what you’ve got coming for us in book world coverage.
15. BOMB
BOMB is in it for the art. Art, literature, film, music, theater, architecture, and dance. There are reviews and interviews, and the literature section is a real delight. The reviews are like poignant essays, and the author interviews are in-depth and feature some fascinating minds.
The only dedicated pan-Asian book review publication! It’s widely cited and features some of the best in Asian books and art, so booksellers and librarians have a source to trust to stock their collections with high-quality pan-Asian lit.
Have you seen our gifts for book lovers yet?
I love so much of what Chicago Review of Books does. They have a clean & sleek design that features some of the buzziest books as well as plenty of hidden gems from our favorite indie presses. I’m a particularly big fan of the spotlight they put on books in translation.
18. Rain Taxi
I love Rain Taxi’s style! They champion unique books, publish their own fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, and put a real emphasis on art for their magazine covers. It’s a beautiful print magazine to subscribe to, but they also share free online editions & digital archives. They even run the Rain Taxi Reading Series & Twin Cities Book Festival if you’re a real-lifer in Minnesota!
19. The Rumpus
Oh, The Rumpus! This mostly volunteer-run online magazine publishes reviews, interviews, essays, fiction, and poetry. The reviews are in-depth and personal and heart-melting, and in addition to the site, they’ve got cool perks like the Poetry Book Club and Letters in the Mail. The book club is where you get a pre-release book and meet the poet via Slack with other club members at the end of the month, and Letters in the Mail are actual postcards sent in the mail to you twice a month from your favorite authors.
20. Book Reporter
The selection in Book Reporter is carefully curated & enticing: hot new releases, forthcoming books, major presses, & indies. And there are plenty of unique ways to learn about them, like video interviews and monthly lists & picks. It launched in 1996 and is in The Book Report Network, which includes Reading Group Guides, a super useful resource for book clubs.
21. BookTrib.
BookTrib does such a great job of making their site browsable. The different ways you can enjoy what they offer—from book lists to giveaways to ebook deals—are difficult to keep your purchase finger off of.
23. Lit Reactor
Writers & readers—where bookish people meet! LitReactor’s book reviews are in the magazine portion of their website, and they’ve got plenty of them! Reviews, interviews, lists, introspectives, writing tips, and reading discussions. I’ve found some really unique content on Lit Reactor, like this ranking of literary parents. The website is a haven for writers especially, as there are workshops, writing blog posts, and even a forum to participate in.
Dark alleys. Stray bullets. Hard-boiled detectives. Runaway thrills. If you’re a mystery-thriller reader, you’ve got to know about Crime Fiction Lover. They’ve got a passionate group of readers and writers talking about the best books in the genre and the ones that are soon to come out too.
25. SF Book Reviews
Speculative fiction fans unite! SF Book Reviews has been reviewing sci-fi and fantasy books since 1999, and while they’re a relatively small staff, they publish regularly, feature books of the month, and work wonders for their fantastical community.
For all you historical fiction fans out there, the Historical Novel Society has reviewed more than 20,000 books in its twenty years. This one works like a membership for “writers and readers who love exploring the past.” You get a quarterly print magazine as a member, and if you’re a writer, you can join critique groups and ask for book reviews.
The Poetry Question writes about poetry published by indie presses and indie authors. They are a small passionate team dedicated to showing the world why indie presses continue to be a leading source for award-winning poetry.
28. Goodreads
Did you know that there are over 125 million members on Goodreads? When users review books, they can have conversations with fellow readers and follow reviewers too. If you’re looking for the biggest community, there’s no doubt Goodreads is the one. I like using sites like this because it helps you catalog books, one of my favorite ways to build a strong reading habit.
29. The Storygraph
A big community of active users that’s Amazon free! Come review books, use half & quarter stars (!), and complete reading challenges. You got this.
29. Bookwyrm
Bookwyrm is small (around 5,000 members at the time of this writing), but doesn’t that sound kind of nice? There are active members and a genuine collective goal in talking books. Grow with it. I think you’ll be comfy here. There are other communities within the Bookwyrm umbrella too, like Bookrastinating.
30. Reedsy Discovery
I hold a special place in my heart for book review sites dedicated to helping writers! I got into this business as a book marketer, and I experienced first-hand, through hundreds of books, how hard it was to get exposure & validation for small press and self-published authors.
Reedsy Discovery is a branch of Reedsy (the author resource company) that connects authors & reviewers so that people can read free books, sometimes receive tips for it, and authors can get more reviews in the process. Readers can choose from the latest books as well as the ones that are getting the best reviews.
31. Netgalley
Netgalley is a book review site for pre-released books. Reviewers sign up for a free account, request galleys from publishers and indie authors, and get to read them before they’re published so that they can leave reviews for the book, preferably on Amazon, Goodreads, or their blog. They also run Bookish, the editorial arm of Netgalley, which has book recommendations, interviews, and more.
32. Online Book Club
This review site combines a bunch of cool things! The 4-million member community gives me a lot of Goodreads vibes, especially with the Bookshelves app. But Online Book Club is a place for you to get eBook deals and talk about books in reviews and forums.
What are your favorite book review sites to follow? Let us know in the comments!
Thank you for reading “Top-Notch Book Review Sites for Readers & Writers!” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.
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]]>The post 10 Easy Ways to Read More Books appeared first on Independent Book Review.
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What tips & tricks can you use to read more books?
With each book you read, your mind expands, your vocabulary grows, and your imagination gets a good exercise. But many people find themselves reading less books per year than they’d like, or they don’t read one at all. Actually, over 50% of American adults haven’t read a book in the past year. But many of them want to read more.
So…give yourself a break.
You’re not alone. And hey, there’s room to grow! And what better way to grow than through books?
There are so many benefits of reading, and I’d love to help you reap them.
Reading more can change your life, but it’s not easy.
Luckily, there are ways to double, triple, and quadruple your reading goals for the year. As someone who is averaging 9 books per month right now, I can tell you that reading a lot might be more possible than you thought.
Here are a few tips to help you read more books this year.
#1. Read Multiple Books at a Time
I used to have a strict rule about reading only one book at a time. I had to completely finish one before I even considered picking up another. Reading two or more books would be too distracting–could hinder my reading experience of that particular book.
I was wrong.
There is a way to read multiple books at a time in a way that isn’t confusing or unsatisfying.
My first tip: choose to read books that have absolutely nothing to do with the other.
For instance, I’m currently reading Mars, which is a short fiction collection, The Hidden Life of Trees which is a nonfiction book about (you guessed it) trees, and Montessori Baby which is a nonfiction parenting book. It’s almost like taking different classes during the same semester. I don’t think about one while I’m reading the other. I also don’t have to keep track of different main characters. Making each book I’m reading completely different from the others has done wonders for increasing my books-finished count each year.
#2. Give Yourself Plenty of Options
Not every novice reader has a library full of books at home, and that’s okay! But giving yourself a wide variety of books to choose from could help you find a book that’s perfect for you at every moment you choose to read.
This doesn’t mean you have to run to your favorite indie bookstore and purchase everything that catches your eye. On the contrary, there are plenty of ways to gain access to a wide variety of books without breaking the bank.
The library is your friend! Used bookstores & thrift stores are too. So is Hoopla, Libby, and Kindle Unlimited. If you like reading on an e-reader, you’ll likely benefit from the million+ titles found in their database. You can even try a 30 day Kindle Unlimited membership for free just to see if you like their selection.
#3. Read Before You Go to Sleep
If you have a smartphone, there’s a pretty good chance that you use it before bed. And if you use it before bed, you know how easy it is to accidentally scroll for an hour. Two.
Let’s repurpose those hours. Let’s make reading a habit.
I’m a big fan of eBooks before bed instead of reading a physical book, just because it’s easier and it helps me to fall asleep. I particularly like nonfiction at this time too, because it’s usually easier to stop in the middle of a chapter.
If you’re not the only one sleeping in your bed, you may need to find ways to keep it quiet or dark in your room. That’s not exactly possible if you’re flipping through a print book and using a night lamp to see it. To keep down the noise and the brightness, try using a Kindle! Ereaders let you press the screen to turn your page and have a night-mode light setting that can be adjusted to your liking. It’s also better on your eyes than a smartphone.
#4. Keep a Book on You
One of the best ways to make sure you’re reading as much as possible is to have a book on you at most (or all!) times. Eschew excuses for why you’re not reading more by just being prepared.
And believe me, there are usually times where you’ll have the opportunity to read. Maybe it’s while you wait in line to get a coffee or while you wait for your Uber or the bus. Basically any time you would pull your phone out and scroll, you’ll also have the opportunity to pull your book out and read it.
And if you don’t like the bulkiness of a book you can always pull out that Kindle, which is slimmer and can hold thousands of books on it. Some of these devices can even fit in your pocket, and strangers don’t peer at you as much as they do with a book with a catchy cover.
#5. Set a Daily Goal
Making a daily goal is a great way to create a reading habit. How much you should read a day is up to you in the end, but I like a sweet-spot of 20 minutes per day.
Sure, you may be able to read more during the day. And if you can, you should definitely go for it, but giving yourself a small daily goal will help you keep your new habit during busier days.
#6. Don’t Be Afraid to Quit
It’s happened to the best of us. We pick up a book with the intent of finishing it in no time, but the story is just not for us. The main character may be unlikable, or the pace could be too slow. Whatever the reason, we just don’t want to keep reading it. And that’s okay.
When you just aren’t into a book, you should 100% quit reading it.
Often times a bad book can hold us back from achieving our ultimate reading goals. And while the point isn’t exactly to speed through books to achieve a higher read count, it helps to move through them at a reasonable pace.
A bad book (or one that you’re just not vibing with) can make you stop wanting to pick it up when it’s time to read. If you only like to read one book at a time, a bad book can also prevent you from reading the next book.
You shouldn’t quit every book that doesn’t grab your attention right away, but knowing when to move on is a great way to help you read more books.
#7. Listen to Your Books
If you have a hard time following sentences on a page, you’re not alone. Plenty of people don’t like reading physical books, but they still like the experience of exploring new subjects and styles of storytelling.
Thankfully, audiobooks exist.
You can listen to an audiobook like you listen to a podcast. Do it while you’re running, while you’re traveling to work, while you’re doing the dishes, cleaning–the list goes on.
Apps like Audible allow you to keep a library of audiobooks in one place. Their membership options also give you access to a ton of free audiobooks in your Audible Membership. Audible is another one that gives you the option to try a 30 day free trial!
Or, or, or, or, don’t forget about Hoopla or Libby! Most public libraries come with a digital platform where you can listen to audiobooks for free.
#8. Read as Soon as You Wake Up
Everybody reads differently! I know that I already advised you to read before bed, but not everyone is a night person. If you find that you are most in the mood in the mornings, start your day with reading instead of ending it that way.
Mornings are often a time for clear thinking and coffee. What a romantic mood to set for the right book.
Even just a few pages could help you get closer to your goals to read more. You can break up your goal of 20 minutes a day into 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night to ensure that you’re not ever racing the clock to finish your pages.
#9. Track Your Reading
Give yourself a goal of how many books you want to read for the year, then track your results is a visible way. Every time you finish a book write down the title on a numbered piece of paper.
Keep this paper in a visible place, one that you walk by each day. Being constantly reminded of the number of books you’ve read and have to read can help to motivate you to keep reading more. It’s also nice to see your progress and what you’ve accomplished so far.
#10. Find a Reading Community
It can help to have other people holding you accountable for reading more often, which is why finding a reading community can be so helpful. Things like book clubs are a great way to encourage you to keep up with your reading commitments while also allowing you a space to dive deeper into what you’re reading about. Someone else will likely catch something in the book that you missed completely.
Finding a reading community is easier than you think. Aside from the countless reading groups on the internet, many local bookstores and libraries host book clubs of their own. It’s a great way to get involved in your community while also finding people who enjoy the same hobbies as you.
And that’s all I got for you for now! I’m glad you’re reading this and all, but…it’s time to go read more books.
About the Author
Jaylynn Korrell has been writing reviews and blog posts for IBR since the very beginning. She takes the photographs and manages the IBR Instagram page. In her spare time, she likes to play board games and take road trips around America. She is the founder of Good Gift Lists.
Thank you for reading “10 Easy Ways to Read More Books” by Jaylynn Korrell! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.
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]]>The post 50 Best Gifts for Book Lovers appeared first on Independent Book Review.
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Buying gifts for book lovers ain’t easy.
You’ve already tried to buy the books they like or the best books of the year, but it turns out they have oscillating interests. It’s not easy to cater to another person’s current reading tastes and even availability. So you got them coffee mugs. And then you did it again and again and questioned if there are any good gifts for book lovers left.
Now here you are, ready to go beyond your usual choices and find a unique & awesome bookish gift to buy for them.
I’ve been dating a book lover for over a decade now and can tell you firsthand how difficult it has been to keep coming up with ideas over the years. It may be even harder to find gifts for writers! But I found some absolute winners and have seen how often they went to use.
So, I’m sharing them with you.
Here are 50 of the best gifts for book lovers that the reader in your life will actually love.
(Everything on IBR lists has been independently selected by a very picky group of people. We may earn a commission on items you purchase through our links.)
#1. Literary Candle
Having a candle burning while you’re reading creates the ultimate ambiance, and it’s so much better when the scent is book related. It used to be impossible to recreate the amazing book smell that book lovers can’t get enough of. But now, with this awesome candle, you can have that scent wafting in your room whenever you want.
#2. Novel Teas
Check out these punny book lover tea blends featuring quotes from famous authors! If you’re like most people and have been buying book lovers mugs for all these years, it’d be nice of you to switch it up and buy them something to put in the mug. The perfect drink to read with is tea, and there’s a lot of delicious and creative tea out there.
Snag them a bag of loose leaf with a cute little strainer and they’ll finally be able to put those mugs to work.
#3. A reading journal
Whether they know it or not, the reader in your life could love an opportunity to track the books they read. This one offers readers spaces to fill out their favorite bits about the books they’ve read as well as writing prompts.
#4. Neck Reading Light
One of the benefits of reading is that it can put you to sleep.
Habitual readers love to read in bed at the end of the day. It’s a great way to resist the eternal phone scroll and learn/feel entertained as their eyelids start to flutter. If they read physical books to go to sleep, they have to turn off the light (which risks them waking from such a close slumber!) or creating too much light for a sleeping partner.
They can read in the dark with a flexible book light. They just curve the light to face the pages, illuminating every word they need to see, and they can straight up go to sleep if they want to. Let go of that book and snooze. I love the gifts for book lovers that help them read. This is definitely one of them.
Another way to read in the dark is an ereader, which I’ll talk about soon!
#5. Essential Novel Scratch-Off Poster
Keeping track of the classics you read has never been more fun. This poster features 100 spaces with book titles around them. Each time you read one, you scratch off the space and a unique icon for that book will appear.
#6. A Small Bookshelf
Any book lover will be glad to have more space to put their beloved books. This little bookshelf is a great gift option that they can put on their nightstand or a small side table to help give it some literary flare. And if you love small book cases like this check out our small bookshelf idea blog post!
#7. “The Book Was Better” T-Shirt
Sometimes a good literary t-shirt says exactly what you need it to, and that will be the case for most book lovers when they see this shirt. To often the book is much better than whatever show or movie it gets turned into, and this shirt plainly states that in a stylish way.
#8. Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores
It can be difficult to buy books for book lovers! No doubt.
But…
Buying a book about books is always exciting to open as a reader! And this one? It is an awesome (and even pretty inexpensive!) coffee table book with paintings, stories, and anecdotes from booksellers around the world. As a coffee table book, it means they don’t have to free up their reading schedule to enjoy it! It gives readers a small adventure from the comfort of their living room and can even give them places to visit in the future.
#9. Audible Subscription
Listening to audiobooks is an awesome way to branch out as a reader. I love listening to nonfiction books while doing the dishes or cleaning. It can make getting things done around the house feel not quite as arduou, time-consuming, or temporary.
An audible subscription is a gift for book lovers that will give them access to thousands of audiobooks to enjoy at their leisure. They can even start with a 30 day free trial!
#10. Personal Library Kit
If you know someone who is always willing to lend you a book, we’ve found the perfect gift for them. This personal library kit contains everything they’d need to start lending in a more organized way. It’ll make borrowing their books more fun, and help to ensure they always get them back!
#11. Personalized Bookmark
Everyone who reads needs bookmarks. This is about as close to a fact as I can get. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I’ve started a new book only to realize I’ve lost my old bookmark AGAIN.
Whether it’s an old piece of string or a delicately created work of art, so long as there are books, there will be bookmarks. So why not buy a bookmark with their favorite author on it? Or a cool quote? These can be perfect, inexpensive little gifts for book lovers.
#12. Wooden Page Holder
Book lovers run into this problem all the time—especially with brand new books. How do you read when you’re busy straining to keep the book fully open the whole time?
This tool will help your book lover read with one hand, which they would probably prefer to do.
#13. Bookshop Gift Card
If you haven’t heard of Bookshop yet, you are in for a TREAT.
This bookselling e-commerce store has “a mission to financially support, local independent bookstores.” Since more people wanted to buy books online over the last decade, indie bookstores were hurting to compete with the shipping fees and delivery time that Amazon can work from. So bookstores needed an e-commerce site just to handle fulfillment.
That’s where Bookshop comes in. They are a non-profit that gives back to indie bookstores. You can send the reader in your life a gift card that allows them to choose whichever book they want to read while also supporting the industry they love so much. They can buy from their favorite indie booksellers like Independent Book Review (!), Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books, and A Novel Idea. Pretty cool, right?!
#14. Transparent Book Vase
If the book lover in your life also has a green thumb you may want to consider giving them this transparent book style vase. It’s a great way to showcase their love of books in the home without displaying an actual book (which we’re sure they’ve already done). If they like flowers, you could pair them with some of their favorites too.
If you like this list, you might also like gifts for writers!
#15. Literary Sweatshirt
This literary sweatshirt is a great gift to give the reader in your life that isn’t afraid to rep their favorite hobby through their clothing choices. If you like this shirt you might also like some of the tees on our our best book shirts post!
#16. Bedside Wooden Book Stand
If your reader loves to read in bed, this beauty could come in handy! They can keep their page without having to dog-ear it or even always have a bookmark around. Not only does it have a place for their coffee/tea and reading glasses, it’s a classy good-looking bookish piece to have around.
#17. Book Pillow Stand
Free up your hands with this comfy book stand! It’s so soft that it even doubles as a travel pillow, but I like it most as a hands-free page holder. Imagine plopping this comfy thing down on your lap and not having to prop the book open the whole time you read two pages and then the next two pages and the next. Cozy gifts for readers are good gifts indeed.
#18. Literary Tote Bag
Most literary people have a small obsession with buying books. And that’s fine! It makes useful gifts for book lovers like this all the more exciting to receive! They’ll be glad to have a new bag to accompany them to their favorite indie bookstore!
#19. Creative bookends
This is a great gift for book lovers who enjoy adding to their bookshelves. (As if that even needs to be said). If the reader in your life feels this way, giving them a cool bookend can give their shelf a more polished look. It even helps the books avoid damage due to excessive leaning.
Bookends come in all shapes and sizes, and they can serve a good purpose. I’ve seen bookends in the shape of cats, people, cool objects, and even abstract art.
#20. Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Though some people can read no matter where they are, others are more easily distracted by the sound of others. Luckily, this no longer means you have to read alone in a room. Noise cancelling headphones can give readers the flexibility to read wherever they please, while avoiding having to hear the noisiness of their surroundings.
#21. Miniature Book Hair Clip
Spice up your book lover’s hair styles with this vintage inspired miniature book hair clip. It looks like something one of the Bronte sisters would make to wear, or one of the characters from Little Women. We love how unique it is and how it’s a cool nod to the hobby we all enjoy!
#22. Eyeglass Holder
It’s no fun to be ready to dive into a book and not be able to find your reading glasses. Neat eyeglass holders are great gifts for book lovers who are known to misplace their reading glasses from time to time.
#23. Book Tissue Dispenser
Liven up a common space with your love of great literature! This book tissue dispenser is a fun way to bring a literary element into an uncommon area of your home.
#24. Library Card Socks
Can you ever have too many socks? These comfy feet-companions pay tribute to the due date card often seen in the backs on library books, and they’re one of those special, “Guess what I’m wearing,” kind of quiet library surprises that book lovers love. They’d also make great gifts for librarians.
#25. Kindle Paperwhite
I LOVE my Kindle Paperwhite. I still love and adore holding a physical book, but I can’t always do it at night or on the road.
With this gift, book lovers can gain immediate access to thousands of books on one device, AND they’re often much cheaper than physical books. It even gives them the option to join subscription services like Kindle Unlimited and/or BookBub to make sure they don’t pay full price for a great new book ever again.
No blue light either, so it’s easy on the eyes!
#26. Kindle Unlimited Gift Subscription
Does your book lover read with a Kindle?
Give them thousands of books! Kindle Unlimited is a massive digital library where book lovers can download books, try them out, stop reading, and move on to the next; or they can do massive overhaul research by reading a bunch of free books on the same topic from the comfort of their bed. You can give them six free months, twelve free months, or even 24! A LOT of brand new books enter the library every day.
#27. “My Weekend is All Booked” Tote Bag
It can be difficult to make time for other activities when you’re an avid reader, which is what makes gifts for book lovers like this so great! They tell people you’re too busy to make plans without making you say it out loud. It is also a great way to haul your books to and from the library or bookstore.
#28. Bathtub Caddy for Reading
A bathtub caddy allows book lovers to safely place their book down in the tub and to rest their arms while they’re reading. And what a way to produce some ambiance! Light a candle, pour a glass of wine, and set it all on the bathtub caddy for a perfect night of reading.
#29. Literary Book Letters
Looking to create a more literary inspired space? These gifts for book lovers are a great way to help them add book inspiration to their home or office. Spell out any word you want, but I like it for “Read,” “Love,” or even their name.
#30. Library Candle
While you may not be able to sleep in an actual library, you can definitely help a home to smell more like one. Gifts for book lovers like this library candle can help to bring a similar aroma into their house and make them feel like they’re in one of their favorite places.
#31. Lit Chat: Conversation Starters about Books & Life
This little book holds 50 cards that act as conversation starters for people who love to talk about all things literary. This is also a cool gift for book clubs!
#32. Book Ring
It can be impractical to bring a book with you wherever you go, but that doesn’t mean you can’t always rep your love of reading. This lovely, unique, and quiet book ring both looks good and makes them feel good, reminding them that a book will be there for them.
#33. Literary movie
A movie about books might just be the next best thing to reading them. Luckily there are a ton of literary movies to choose from. You can send them something that’s based off of a book or you can pick a movie that’s about a famous or fictional author. There’s a wide range of movies to pick from, so here are a few of my favorites:
- Paterson – A quiet life in Paterson, New Jersey (a rich literary history here!) featuring Adam Driver as a bus-driving poet.
- The Pieces I Am – Toni Morrison documentary
- The End of the Tour – Journalist (Jesse Eisenberg) interviews David Foster Wallace (Jason Segal) while on tour for Wallace’s Infinite Jest.
#34. Blue Light Blocking Glasses
If the book lover in your life likes to read on their iPad or LED-light tablet, they may be looking at the screen too much. That’s where blue light blocking glasses can be beneficial. They could help readers turn pages for a far longer time than they currently can because they’re no longer looking away from the screen with a headache.
#35. Literary socks
A book lover will love putting on these literary socks. Features typewriter text of some of the most popular novels ever written, this gift for book lovers is sure to go over well.
#36. Literary Postcards
Most readers can appreciate the art of writing, and what better way to put that to use than by writing to friends! Postcards are a nostalgic way to check in on people, letting them know what you’re up to, so why not make them a little more literary while you’re at it?
#37. Personalized Book Art
Personalized books just have a way of making a person feel special, and this personalized piece of book art is a great way to achieve that. Have a special word or your loved one’s name carved into a book to create a keepsake book that they’ll never get rid of!
#38. Book Themed Cross Body Purse
No matter if you’re a teacher or a coffee shop reader, getting a literary tote bag can be a great way to carry your books, notebooks, pens, and other necessities along with you. And luckily, there’s a design for almost every style, so book lovers who prefer subtle, funny, or eye-catching looks will all have something unique for them. It’s one of many perfect Jane Austen gifts you can choose from!
#39. Book Enamel Pins
Book pins are a great way to decorate a bags and clothing for all ages. They’re a small gift that will fit well into a stocking stuffer or go great when paired with a few more gifts from this list for an awesome literary gift basket!
#40. Book Shirt / Game of Thrones Fans
Who doesn’t love a good literary t-shirt to add to their wardrobe? This one is a play on words from a famous Game of Thrones quote, but we think it works perfectly when talking about book lovers!
#41. “Booksmarks are for Quitters” mug
Every reader enjoys having a beverage to go with their book. This cool literary mug is one of the more popular gifts for book lovers, and a safe choice with a good vibe.
#42. Mug Warmer
A good cup of tea or coffee goes great with your favorite book, but it often doesn’t keep warm for the length of your reading experience. For this reason, mug warmers make great gifts for book lovers. It allows them to keep their hot beverage warm long after it would be naturally, and give them more time to enjoy it while diving into a good story.
#43. “Just one more chapter” Throw Pillow
Casual book decor can be hard to come by, but this subtle throw pillow would make a great gift for someone looking to add some literary flare to their home. It’d look great on a bed or on a couch!
#44. Bookcase Ornament
The perfect gift for readers during the holiday season can be something as simple as an ornament. You can mark the year for your reader with a cute bookcase ornament to hang on the tree this Christmas.
#45. Bedside Book Lamp
Reading should be attainable at any time of the day, and a bedside table lamp helps to make that possible. This one is shaped just like a book and opens and shuts like the real thing!
#46. Book Themed Wine Glass
If your book lover has a good sense of humor they’ll likely enjoy this funny gift for book lovers!
Find more great gifts for kids who love to read!
#47. Jane Austen Jigsaw Puzzle
Few things challenge the mind like a jigsaw puzzle. This one in particular would be a fun choice for all those Jane Austen stans in your life. They’d also probably like something over at our Jane Austen gifts blog post!
#48. Floating Bookshelves
There are all sorts of different ways you can display your books. From book stands to traditional shelves to the IBR style of wooden crates, I thought I understood it all. But then I remembered…floating bookshelves! And, voila, this gifts for book lovers blog post was born.
I mean, just take a look at that picture. The reader in your life could use these floating bookshelves all throughout their house. But it’s not only about decoration. They’re also great for storing your books when you’re done reading them in bed. Here are some cheap bookshelves if we’ve got your brain churning.
#49. Literary Genius Playing Cards
A good deck of cards should be a staple in every home, and these ones will make perfect gifs for book lovers. They feature some of the most notable writers in history.
#50. Glass Cup
These cups have been all the rage lately, so we were pleasantly surprised to find one with such a funnily relevant book quote on them. Buy this for the book lover in your life so they can enjoy their favorite iced beverage while devouring their next novel.
About the Author
Jaylynn Korrell writes here and for GoodGiftLists.com .
Thank you for reading “50 Best Gifts for Book Lovers” by Jaylynn Korrell! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.
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]]>The post How Can I Become a Better Reader? appeared first on Independent Book Review.
]]>by Usman Raza
Do you feel like you’re not a good reader?
You’re not alone.
Reading requires an active brain, and it’s not always easy to get there. Endless distractions, confusing sentences and syntax, noise–you name it, people who read have struggled with it.
But you can make it out of the struggle. You can be a reader if you want to be. It is one of the most powerful forms of independent education and an important aspect of human development; there are so many benefits of reading. Reading can open your eyes to new cultures, ideas, and ways of life. Reading as a habit can make you smarter, happier, and healthier.
But reading does take time, no matter how good you get at it. Still, you can make that time relaxing and enjoyable. So let’s transcend the reading frustration and get you to where you want to be.
Here are my recommendations for how to become a better reader.
1. Take notes as you read
I know, I know, I hear you. Reading is supposed to be relaxing, not homework.
But be patient. That part is coming.
Whether it’s for class, for work, or just for yourself, taking good notes when reading can actually go a long way in helping you remember what happened in the book and what’s important. You’ll start to recognize that you’re writing down the details that matter, and in that process, actually learning the details that matter–whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.
Take in all the information you possibly can. Write down the details of what happened, when it happened, and what was said. Write it all down, however you do it. Whether that means using a pen and paper, a digital notebook, or your phone. Then, before your next class or the next time you pick the book up, revisit your notes.
Taking the time to summarize key ideas can help you build on your knowledge, making for a richer learning experience. And I’m confident that you’ll be able to retain more when you’ve taken the time to take good notes.
And then, after a few books like this, maybe you won’t need to take notes anymore. Maybe you can just curl up next to the fire, enjoy yourself, and comprehend the important parts of what happened. But the only way you’ll get better is if you work at it–and those notes can go a long way in helping you get there.
#2. Schedule Time to Read
Even if it doesn’t feel like it now, reading can be one of the best ways to de-stress and unwind. Once you get into the groove of reading regularly–and really, all it takes to be a reader is to read–you’ll start to notice that you are spending less time away from stressful emails and more time in the pages of a book that could help you learn, escape, and think.
But reading can be hard to fit in your schedule. That’s why it’s important to put it in your schedule in advance.
Reading is good for you. It can have a positive effect on your mind and your mental health. But, like exercise, it could feel low on your priority list.
Once you start thinking of reading as less of a task and more of a way to unwind and unplug, you may start to notice the available minutes to read are piling up.
So, yes, you can schedule the time in stringently--“from 8 PM to 8:20 PM, I will read my book”–or just put in your schedule that you want to do it for twenty minutes. Then, throughout the day, when you feel tempted to pick that phone up, pick your book up instead. You’ll be glad you put it into your daily routine.
3. Monitor your comprehension
Reading comprehension refers to the ability to understand various words, phrases, and ideas in what you are reading.
A lot goes into exercising your comprehension skills, but the most important element is practice.
Practicing your comprehension skills daily will help make you a better reader. But how do you do it?
Well, as you read, just make sure you actually understand what’s going on. If you don’t, find the cause of the confusion in each sentence. Is it a word you don’t understand? A phrase? Look it up. Context clues are great and all, but nothing helps comprehension the way actual definitions do.
Note-taking is helpful in monitoring comprehension too. It’s easy as a beginning reader to just want to get the pages done (especially if you have a limited amount of time to do it), but if you don’t understand what you’ve read, you may as well have not read it at all.
4. Find your own reading strategy & style–and stick to it.
Every one reads differently. Their schedules are different, their preferences are different, their formats are different–it doesn’t matter. As long as you put the time in to read, you are a reader.
But remember: good readers don’t just read; they read actively. They decode for understanding, not to just get to the next page.
So don’t let book jerks get to you. Find the strategy that works best for you. Take notes, set yourself up in the most comfortable spot in the house, put wordless jazz on in the background, set a timer. Go paperback, eBook, audio–it doesn’t matter. Just choose to make reading a habit and start doing it.
If your goal is to improve your ability to read—and succeed academically—you will need to use a reading strategy that works best for you. Then you can focus on consuming the content you need when you need it–not how to get it done.
Happy reading to you! What stands in your way of becoming a better reader? Let me know in the comments!
About the Author
Usman Raza is a CEO and the co-founder of Faith-Based Advertising Company and a content marketing specialist at Church Marketing Agency, The Glory Candle, and Christian Store, Paradise Altar Church. He is devoted to helping small businesses bridge success gaps by providing in-depth, actionable advice on digital marketing, SEO, and small business growth. Follow him on Twitter @usmanintrotech.
Thank you for reading “How Do You Become a Better Reader?” by Usman Raza! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.
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