by Joe Walters & the IBR Staff

Read a series, experience a world.

Some stories can’t be told in one book. Some need time to develop. Some need context. Some characters are just too good to say goodbye to.

Writing a great fictional book series is its own dedicated art form. You’ve got to enthrall readers so much that they don’t want to leave for 1,000 pages. Even if you’re Leo Tolstoy, that’s a tough thing to convince a modern reader.

My team and I have reviewed over 2,000 indie books since 2018, so at this point, we know what you want.

We know it’s these books.

Here are some of the best book series of the last few years!

1. The Pinter P.I. Series

Author: Lisa Boyle

Subgenre: Crime

Series Length: 3 Books

Reviewed by: Erin Britton

Bookshop

Amazon

A rip-roaring crime series with complex, evolving characters and even better plot twists and curveballs

This series ticks all the boxes for modern crime fiction. It’s got unlikely heroes solving genuinely surprising mysteries with enough well-paced action to make the thriller aspects come to life. The Navajo setting also adds cultural richness to the storyline.

Both of the first two books received starred reviews at Independent Book Review, and good news for all involved: the third book is on its way out in July. So read the first two stars now, so you’re ready for The Pusher Man.

2. Moonshiner Mysteries

Author: Sherilyn Decter

Subgenre: Historical Fiction / Women’s

Series Length: 4 Books

Reviewed by: Joelene Pynnonen

Amazon

A historical mystery series that just keeps getting better

Set in Montana’s gold fields during prohibition, the Moonshiner Mysteries series follows Delores Bailey, a resilient young woman who flees a dangerous, abusive, crime-infested family in Philadelphia to make a home (and a moonshine still) in the middle of the Big Sky state.

Every single book in this series has been named to our best of the year book list in the year it was published. Decter’s recipe for this moonshining series is infused with sweetness, charm, good friends, historical clout, and backstabbing enemies.

If you’re looking for an authentic historical atmosphere and a lovable leading lady, you’ve struck gold with the Moonshiners Mysteries.

Here are my tips on how to develop a healthy reading habit!

3. Detective Hiroshi Series

Author: Michael Pronko

Subgenre: Crime / Japan

Series Length: 6 books

Reviewed by: Joe Walters & Peggy Kurkowski

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Amazon

First-rate detective fiction; non-stop mystery

I was blown away by Azabu Getaway, the first novel we reviewed of Pronko’s. It’s not every day I encounter a thriller with as many mysteries as that one. It keeps you constantly asking questions, zipping around from perspective to perspective to complicate each situation and to develop the chase-down, but it always makes sure you don’t skip a beat at the same time.

Peggy Kurkowski says that Shitamachi Scam, the series’ most recent novel is, “a superb and timely plot with old school sleuthing and witty, compelling characters.”

It takes a deft writer to pull off prose and mysteries like these. Luckily there are 6!

4. The Lykanos Chronicles

Author: Joseph Stone

Subgenre: Dark Fantasy

Series Length: 3 books

Reviewed by: Joe Walters & Alexandria Ducksworth

Amazon

Addictive dark fantasy where the author always remains one step ahead

Werewolves traipse down the dark streets of 1920s France in The Lykanos Chronicles. It begins with Criminal Beware, “a dark web of paranormal mystery… that’ll give you more than you bargained for.”

Stone’s wolves are smart, sophisticated, and insanely powerful. Like reading Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire—but with werewolves—the world of this series is beyond intriguing. Alexandria Ducksworth says, “Stone has the magical touch with worldbuilding.”

5. The Phoenix Elite

Author: C.T. Clark

Subgenre: Science Fiction / Action & Adventure

Series Length: 2 books

Reviewed by: Chelsey Tucker

Amazon

Fascinating technology, crazy schemes, a bit of freaky science, and a spectacular collision of historical people

Each one of The Phoenix Elite, a technically discontinued experiment made up of seven individuals from around the world, is 99.5% related to a prominent historical figure. A creative, eccentric genius; a devoutly religious teenager of the 15th century; a ground-breaking leader from Ancient Egypt; and a controversial revolutionary guerilla.

Cloning historical figures to create a super team to save the world against nuclear destruction is wild and worth the ride. 

6. Just In Time

Author: Howard Wetsman

Subgenre: Science Fiction / Time Travel

Series Length: 2 books

Reviewed by: Joelene Pynnonen

Amazon

Time traveling with a Roman Emperor gets even better as this enthralling series goes on.

When Joe Schwartz, a Late Roman and Byzantine professor at Tulane University, is approached by a young man after one of his lectures, he’s not prepared for how drastically his worldview will change. 

It turns out—this man, Jules, is actually Flavius Claudius Julianus, the eventual emperor of Rome. The Jules that Joe meets is a much younger man, nowhere near the age where he will take the crown and the realm. And he needs help.

This series explores time travel through a contemplative, thoughtful lens, which gives the distinct feeling of burrowing down for a bit of cozy sci-fi when you settle in to read it.

Many of the aspects that made the first book, House on Constantinople, such a phenomenal read return in Just in Time Service, only bigger and better. The fusion of real history and fiction is just as vital, and as more time travelers are introduced, we’re exposed to a far wider range of historical events and periods. 

Get yourself one of the best e-readers for reading at night and on the go!

7. The Ferren Trilogy

Author: Richard Harland

Subgenre: Fantasy / Angels & Demons

Series Length: 3 books

Reviewed by: Alexandria Ducksworth

Amazon

Science and religion battle it out in this fast-paced dystopian fantasy with loads of fascinating lore.

In Richard Harland’s hands, the future contains humans, angels, wandering spirits, and technological monstrosities. And they’re constantly fighting for dominance of our post-apocalyptic world.

One of the most rewarding parts of this series is that you get to watch Ferren, a young man who watches an angel fall from Heaven, transform from a humdrum follower to a brave leader just as the conversation about science and religion really comes to a head.

This series is a non-stop thrill-ride that takes place in a cleverly crafted world where you can bet the characters will get their rightful endings.

8. The Adventures of the Flash Gang

Author: M.M. Downing & S.J. Waugh

Subgenre: Middle Grade Fiction / Historical

Series Length: 3 books

Reviewed by: Warren Maxwell

Bookshop

Amazon

A rollicking series of crooked schemes and youthful hijinks set in the gritty underworld of Depression-era Pittsburgh

Book one, Exploding Experiment, is a gripping story of two young children who foil a vast international conspiracy. Book two, Treasonous Tycoon, is an emotional, noir-tinged sequel that has street orphans investigating a Nazi plot, and it’s all splashed with humor and playful dialogue. The third…well, we can’t wait for that one either!

This middle grade series is a special one. It has a deep sense of history, especially in book two, and its characters are alive and vital and stand in the way of being young and overlooked. They are important; our younger ones are too.

What are your favorite book series of all time? Let us know in the comments!

Thank you for reading “8 of the Best Book Series of the Last Few Years!” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post 8 of the Best Book Series of the Last Few Years appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Jaylynn Korrell

Poetry quotes: little golden nuggets of wisdom to send you sprinting to the bookstore

Poetry is unlike any other form of language. It’s not speech. Not prose. It’s not even always natural. Sometimes it rhymes even though we don’t rhyme. But one thing it does do? It lasts.

Oh, poetry, how I love you!

How you break down doors, traverse barriers, say things that haven’t been said in ways that haven’t been done before. There’s nothing like you. And yet you encompass everything.

Reading quotes about poetry can change the game for so many readers. Why else do you think I’m putting this list together? I want you to read more poetry. There’s something special in there for you, I know it. And once you start, there’s no turning back. You’ll be a poetry lover in no time.

Here are some of our favorite poetry quotes!

1. “To find beauty in ugliness is the province of the poet.” ― Thomas Hardy

2. “Poetry is the one place where people can speak their original human mind. It is the outlet for people to say in public what is known in private.” — Allen Ginsberg

3. “Always be a poet, even in prose.” — Charles Baudelaire

4. “The genesis of a poem for me is usually a cluster of words. The only good metaphor I can think of is a scientific one: dipping a thread into a supersaturated solution to induce crystal formation. I don’t think I solve problems in my poetry; I think I uncover the problems.” — Margaret Atwood

5.“Poetry comes from the highest happiness or the deepest sorrow.” — A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

6. “Poetry is a way of taking life by the throat.” — Robert Frost

7.“Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.” — Virginia Woolf

Love Jane Austen? You’ll love these Jane Austen gifts!

8. “Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” — Plato

9. “There is no money in poetry, but then there is no poetry in money, either.” — Robert Graves

10. “You can find poetry in your everyday life, your memory, in what people say on the bus, in the news, or just what’s in your heart.” — Carol Ann Duffy

11. “A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.” — W. H. Auden

12. “Writing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.” — Don Marquis

13. “If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry.” — Emily Dickinson

14. “The fate of poetry is to fall in love with the world in spite of History.” — Derek Walcott

15. “A poem is never finished, only abandoned.” — Paul Valéry

16. “The crown of literature is poetry.” — W. Somerset Maugham

17. “In poetry and in eloquence the beautiful and grand must spring from the commonplace…. All that remains for us is to be new while repeating the old, and to be ourselves in becoming the echo of the whole world.” — Alexandre Vinet

18. “When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — John F. Kennedy

19. “Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal.” – T.S. Eliot

What are you getting for Mr. Feeney this year? We’ve got some great ideas for English teacher gifts!

20. “There is often as much poetry between the lines of a poem as in those lines.” — Alexandre Vinet

21. “Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it begins as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth.” — Mary Oliver

22. “It is the job of poetry to clean up our word-clogged reality by creating silences around things.” — Stephane Mallarme

23. “If you know what you are going to write when you’re writing a poem, it’s going to be average.” – Derek Walcott

24. “A good poem is a contribution to reality. The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it. A good poem helps to change the shape of the universe, helps to extend everyone’s knowledge of himself and the world around him.” — Dylan Thomas

25. “I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.” — Socrates

26. “Reality only reveals itself when it is illuminated by a ray of poetry.” — Georges Brague

27. “Poetry, I feel, is a tyrannical discipline. You’ve got to go so far so fast in such a small space; you’ve got to burn away all the peripherals.” — Sylvia Plath

28. “Poets are masters of us ordinary men, in knowledge of the mind, because they drink at streams which we have not yet made accessible to science.” — Sigmund Freud

29. “The world is full of poetry. The air is living with its spirit; and the waves dance to the music of its melodies, and sparkle in its brightness.” — James Gates Percival

30. “I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything.” —Steven Wright

31. “Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry.” — Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

32. “Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.” — T.S. Eliot

33. “Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It’s that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that’s what the poet does.” — Allen Ginsburg

34. “A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.” — Robert Frost

35. “Poetry is not always words.” – Terri Guillemets

Which poetry quotes speak to you most? Let me know in the comments!

About the Author

Jaylynn Korrell is a nomadic writer currently based out of Pennsylvania. In addition to her writing and reading for Independent Book Review, she curates lists at GoodGiftLists.com.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s “35 Scintillating Poetry Quotes” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post 35 Scintillating Poetry Quotes appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Jaylynn Korrell

Get inspired (& inspire!) with these brilliant quotes about books & reading.

People have loved books for centuries. And I don’t blame them! These things are portals, mind-reading devices, time-traveling phone booths, and information troves. You can fall in and out of love with books throughout your life, but, as long as you don’t live with Montag and Clarisse McClellan, they’ll always be there waiting to blow your mind.

And just as long as books have been around, people have been expressing their love for them. Authors, experts, world leaders, and beyond, people have been using their own love of the written word to inspire others to dive into the deep, wonderful world of them. The more book lovers, the better.

So whether you’re just looking to get inspired, to find new content for your Bookstagram, to include them in your essays for your English class, or to use them for your classroom as an English teacher, you’ve got options with these quotes about reading.

Here are some of our favorite reading quotes!

Quotes About Reading

1. “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” – James Baldwin

2. “What I love most about reading: It gives you the ability to reach higher ground. And keep climbing.” ― Oprah

3. Maybe this is why we read, and why in moments of darkness we return to books: to find words for what we already know. — Alberto Manguel

4. “The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.” – Descartes

5. “You will learn most things by looking, but reading gives understanding. Reading will make you free.” ― Paul Rand

6. “Read a lot. Expect something big, something exalting or deepening from a book. No book is worth reading that isn’t worth re-reading.” – Susan Sontag

7. “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

8. “Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading.” – Lena Dunham

9. “Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.” ― Henry David Thoreau

10. “For my whole life, my favorite activity was reading. It’s not the most social pastime.” ― Audrey Hepburn

11. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” — George R.R. Martin 

12. “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird

13. “Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.” – Malorie Blackman

14. “I guess a big part of serious fiction’s purpose is to give the reader, who like all of us is sort of marooned in her own skull, to give her imaginative access to other selves.” – David Foster Wallace

15. “Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere.” – Jean Rhys

16. “Reading is essential for those who seek to rise about the ordinary.” — Jim Rohn

17. “Once you’ve read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you.” — Louis L’Amour

18. “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ― C.S. Lewis

19. “You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend” — Paul Sweeney

20. “Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”― Voltaire

21. “You get a little moody sometimes but I think that’s because you like to read. People that like to read are always a little fucked up.”― Pat Conroy

22. “The world was hers for the reading.” ― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

23. “My alma mater was books, a good library…. I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity.”— Malcolm X

Guess what? We’ve got a killer list of gifts for English teachers too!

24. “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

25. “Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.”― Fernando Pessoa

26. “Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.”― John Locke

27. “If you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he rereads.”― Francois Mauriac

28. “To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.”― W. Somerset Maugham

29. “The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.” =―Mary McLeod Bethune

30. “I love the solitude of reading. I love the deep dive into someone else’s story, the delicious ache of a last page.”―Naomi Shihab Nye

31. “Reading is an active, imaginative act; it takes work.”― Khaled Hosseini

32. “A well-read woman is a dangerous creature.”―Lisa Kleypas, A Wallflower Christmas

33. “Woke up this morning with a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read.”— Raymond Carver

34. “The ability to read awoke inside of me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.” ―Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X

35. “Reading well is one of the great pleasures that solitude can afford you.”— Harold Bloom

36. “Just because you’re a slow reader doesn’t mean you’re a bad one.” — Joe Walters, founder of Independent Book Review

37. “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”―Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

38. “No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.” — Mary Wortley Montagu

39. “Reading is a conversation. All books talk. But a good book listens as well.”— Mark Haddon

40. “It is not true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.” – S.I. Hayakawa

Quotes About Books

41. “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”― Ray Bradbury

42. That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” — Jhumpa Lahiri

43.“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” — Lemony Snicket, Horseradish 

44. “Wear the old coat and buy the new book.” — Austin Phelp

45. “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”― Ernest Hemingway

46. “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” ― Mortimer J. Adler

47. “Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled ‘This could change your life.’”― Helen Exley

48. “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” — J.K. Rowling

49. “That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

50. “One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time.” — Carl Sagan

51. “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” ― Cicero

52. “All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened, and after you are finished reading one, you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was.” ― Ernest Hemingway 

Don’t forget gifts for librarians this year!

53. “She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.” — Annie Dillard

54. “So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.” — Roald Dahl

55. “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King

56. “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” — Joan Didion

57. “The best books… are those that tell you what you know already.” — George Orwell, 1984

58. “Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” — Sir Francis Bacon

59. “Books may well be the only true magic.” — Alice Hoffman, Magic Lessons

60. “Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” ― John Green

61. “The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.”― Joseph Joubert

62. “Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.” – Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

63. “The problem with books is that they end.”― Caroline Kepnes, You

64. “I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson

65. “Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.”― Diane Duane

66. “Despite the enormous quantity of books, how few people read! And if one reads profitably, one would realize how much stupid stuff the vulgar herd is content to swallow every day.” ― Voltaire

67. “Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.” ― Abraham Lincoln

68. “We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read.” ― Jules Verne

69. “Classic’ – a book which people praise and don’t read.” ― Mark Twain

70. “Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book.”― Stéphane Mallarmé

71. “Books are a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind.” ― Toni Morrison

72. “Books have a unique way of stopping time in a particular moment and saying: Let’s not forget this.” ― Dave Eggers

73. “I feel the need of reading. It is a loss to a man not to have grown up among books.” ― Abraham Lincoln

74. “Reality doesn’t always give us the life that we desire, but we can always find what we desire between the pages of books.” ― Adelise M. Cullens

75. “Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.” ―Carlos Ruiz Zafón

76. “I love the sound of the pages flicking against my fingers. Print against fingerprints. Books make people quiet, yet they are so loud.” ― Nnedi Okorafor

77. “A thing about books is that they take the same amount of time to read whether you don’t like them at all or if they change your life forever.” — Joe Walters, founder of Independent Book Review

78.  “There are many little ways to enlarge your world. Love of books is the best of all.” — Jacqueline Kennedy

79. “What kind of life can you have in a house without books?” — Sherman Alexie

80. “I guess there are never enough books.” — John Steinbeck

81. “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” — Charles W. Eliot

82. “Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.” — George R.R. Martin

Geared Toward Kids

83. “Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them.“ ― Judy Blume

84. “Reading aloud to your children is a gift that will last a lifetime.” ― Maya Angelou

85. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ― Dr. Seuss

86. “Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.” ― Napoléon Bonaparte

87. There is no substitute for books in the life of a child. — May Ellen Chase

88.“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” ― C.S. Lewis

89. “I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” ​​― Maya Angelou

90. “Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” — Kate DiCamillo

91. “Children know perfectly well that unicorns aren’t real, but they also know that books about unicorns, if they are good books, are true books.” — Ursula K. LeGuin

92. “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”— Victor Hugo

93. “It is a great thing to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own.” — Arthur Conan Doyle

94. “There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” – Frank Serafini

95. “Reading is the gateway for children that makes all other learning possible.” ― Barack Obama

96. “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”― Maya Angelou

97. “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” ― Walt Disney

98. “Luckily, I always travel with a book, just in case I have to wait in line for Santa, or some such inconvenience.” ― David Levithan

99. “Books break the shackles of time―proof that humans can work magic.” – Carl Sagan

100. “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ― Albert Einstein

Have you heard these quotes about reading before? Some are old favorites, and some are new. What are your favorites?

About the Author

Jaylynn Korrell is a nomadic writer currently based out of Pennsylvania. In addition to her writing and reading for Independent Book Review, she curates lists at GoodGiftLists.com.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s “100 Unforgettable Quotes About Reading” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post 100 Unforgettable Quotes About Reading appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Jaylynn Korrell

Technology and books: Friends or enemies?

If there’s one thing that book lovers love, it’s books! More of them. No matter how they find them. Ebooks, audiobooks, paperbacks. The more chances to read the better. And with the right book apps, they can be totally free!

You don’t have to worry about feeling like you’re betraying your beloved paperbacks! Think of these apps as an extension of your love of literature or a portal into even more literary engagement!

But not all of these book apps are simply for reading books.

There are apps that allow you to browse & buy brand new titles, read reviews, log your reading, track your patterns, and even keep your kid reading. The options are all endless so long as you have the right digital resources.

So check out these awesome book apps!

(Everything on Independent Book Review has been selected by a very picky group of people. As affiliates we may earn a commission on items you purchase through our links.)

1. BookBub

There’s no better place to start than my absolute favorite cheap & free eBook app! BookBub’s got unbeatable deals with author updates, handpicked recommendations, and truly some of the best indie & big-five books available. If you haven’t tried BookBub yet…you’re welcome.

2. Amazon Kindle

The Kindle is definitely one of my favorite e-readers, but it’s also a great app to have on your phone or iPad. Not only can you find & download nearly every eBook on the internet, but it’s extremely readable as well. You’ll always have access to your favorite books with the Kindle app, and the app will keep track of where you left off on a different device and save it in the cloud so you’ll never lose your place.

3. Goodreads

Ummm…you’ve heard of Goodreads already? No surprise! This is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. Readers can search their database of books to find people’s honest reviews before buying anything. Or, they can join the conversation and write their own reviews!

4. Serial Reader

Classic books are classics for a reason. People have loved reading them forever. But a lot of people find them difficult to get through, even if they end up loving them. Serial Reader gives readers a more digestible way to read Classic books by dividing them up into 20 minute sessions. You can read an unabridged 20 minute portion of these books daily with this free book app, and slowly but continuously check some classics off of your “to be read” list.

5. Scribd

Find yourself too busy (or homebound) to take a trip to the library? Check out this extensive digital document library! Book apps like Scribd provide readers with access to over 170 million documents, while also allowing people to upload their your own documents. It allows readers to keep a number of useful audiobooks and ebooks in one place: a truly great learning and sharing resource for readers and writers.

6. Hoopla

Finding this app was a game-changer for me. If you’ve got a library card, you’ve probably got access to Hoopla (or Libby). Hoopla allows you to access books found in your library’s database, as well as audiobooks, comic books, and even movies. So much free content!

7. Wattpad

Looking for somewhere to read original works of fiction? Wattpad has over 90 million subscribers who are reading and uploading fiction works and connecting with other readers and writers. This may just be the place to find your next favorite author before their writing career takes off. These are not always published books like you’d find on Kindle, so you’re finding some real hidden gems here.

Love poetry? Check out these gifts for poets & poetry lovers!

8. Audible

There are ways to read books without opening your eyelids or flipping a page. Audible the dominant force in audiobooks. This app offers monthly membership subscriptions or individual purchases so that you can listen to new, old, and bestselling audiobooks while doing household chores. Try a free trial!

9. Bookly

How long does it take you to read? This book app is a valuable tool in helping you reach your reading goals by tracking your reading progress, maintaining an organized catalog of your completed books, and helping you set monthly or even yearly reading goals. It even provides you with personalized stats in real-time so you can track your progress. People who are trying to develop a good reading habit will like this!

10. Blinkist

Blinkist caters to those who don’t have the time or maybe even the interest to read an entire book. With this book app, you can get a summary of thousands popular nonfiction books in 15 minutes or less. So if reading isn’t your thing but you want the information from some of the best nonfiction books, Blinkist is the way to go.

11. StoryGraph

Have you ever wished for a better way to pick the perfect next book? StoryGraph might be the way to do it. This app takes tracking to the next level by taking into account your mood and the mood of the books you’re usually reading (emotional, lighthearted, relaxing, etc). You can also view how your stats progress overtime to give you more insight on what books you should pick up next.

12. Summary Z

Unlike Blinkist, Summary Z provides a short summary of fiction books as well as nonfiction. So if you’ve got work to do for class and could use a refresher on a novel, check this one out! Summary Z is a great reference.

13. Poetizer

Poetry lovers, unite! Apps like Poetizer allow people to read, write, publish, and buy poetry. Poetry collections can be delivered to your doorstep and then promoted on your personal Poetizer platform. It’s an excellent app for writers & poets.

14. Litsy

After you read a really great book, it’s hard to not want to talk about it with everyone you come in contact with. Having the community to do that with is rare. But it doesn’t have to be! Litsy is a place to share blurbs, reviews, your favorite quotes, and more. It’s my preferred social media account for book lovers!

15. BookClub by Book Movement

Make your book club experience a lot easier by downloading this essential bookclub app. This app is excellent for those looking to simplify every aspect of being in a book club, from setting up meetings to picking your next book club book. Look up top book club books of the week or use their discover tool, and don’t forget to ask good book club questions!

16. Epic

Book apps aren’t just for adults. Kids book apps like Epic exist just to engage readers 12 and under. Epic is the largest digital library just for kids who love to read. It has over 40,000 kids titles to choose from, and they have audiobooks and learning videos available too. This app is free for educators and students to use during the school day.

17. Aardvark Book Club

A book subscription box is a great way to gain access to new releases easily. Aardvark Book Club’s app allows subscribers to choose three new released books from a curated list of 4-5 newly published books to have delivered to their doorstep each month. Then you can discuss your favorites on their app in their discussion community. It’s just like having a bookstore and a book club in your pocket!

So which of these book apps will you be downloading? Let us know in the comments, and tell us if there are any you think we missed!

About the Author

Jaylynn Korrell is a nomadic writer currently based out of Pennsylvania. In addition to her writing and reading for Independent Book Review, she curates lists at GoodGiftLists.com.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s “17 Best Book Apps for Avid Readers” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post The 17 Best Book Apps for Every Kind of Reader appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Jaylynn Korrell

Transform your reading experience with the best e-reader.

What would Matilda do?

Still go to the library. Definitely.

But she’d also put one in her backpack. E-readers are gamechangers for avid readers. It’s not a breakup with physical books; it’s an opportunity to read more.

It’s dark, and you don’t want to turn on the light. Or you want to read in public without drawing attention to yourself. Or you want convenient access to your favorite books you already bought as well as brand new, cheaper ones. These are the reasons why you need the best e-reader.

But which e-reader is right for you?

With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to find the very best e-reader. While some of you prefer to read in the middle of the night and need a screen that can accommodate that, others need something waterproof, a larger screen, or a game-playing, movie-watching, book-reading tablet.

Each e-reader comes with their own set of benefits and features, and new ones are coming out regularly. So, we…checked them out for you! And here we are, gathering the best, most popular, and up-to-date e-readers of 2024.

Here are a few of the best e-readers on the market.

(Everything on Independent Book Review has been selected by a very picky group of people. As affiliates we may earn a commission on items you purchase through our links.)

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

The reviews & ratings don’t lie. And I don’t either! I’ve had this e-reader for years and couldn’t be happier with it. Each year, thousands of people choose the Kindle Paperwhite, and they’re smart for doing so.

It is supremely easy on the eyes with a perfect-sized 6.8″ screen, a glare-free display, and a 10% brighter maximum setting than its previous models. Reading is easy in dark mode, and a full charge can also get you up to 10 weeks at a time.

It’s also a pretty distraction-less device! You’re using this thing to read, make notes, buy the best new books, and maybe even scroll Goodreads. So it’s all book content, all the time. Writers, reviewers, and publishing industry workers will also love that you can send galleys and unpublished books to this Kindle easily.

With this purchase, you can get the first 3 months of Kindle Unlimited free. KU subscriptions work much like a library card, giving you access to millions of titles. I especially like it for nonfiction. If I want to learn about a certain subject, I can read a ton of free literature on it quickly and without the need to actually purchase it to try. You don’t even have to read the full book with Kindle Unlimited. Just click on the chapter title and dig in.

• Screen size – 6.8″, 300ppi, Glare-free display
• Storage capacity – 16 GB
• Battery Storage – up to 10 weeks on a single charge
• Audiobook capability – Yes (via Bluetooth)

Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition

E-readers are AWESOME for kids. If you want them to keep reading, give them as many opportunities to do so as you can. That definitely means physical books, but this Kindle Paperwhite Kids allows them to read without lugging a big book around and to read without keeping the light on at lights-out time. Since there’s no blue light, it’ll be more natural for them to fall asleep without the lights on. And as you know, reading to sleep is one of the best benefits of reading.

You’re also gifting them a 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, and it comes with a 2-year worry-free warranty. It’s waterproof, too!

We’ve always included this product in our gifts for kids who love to read blog. There are no distractions like internet access or gaming apps, and it promotes focus by only giving them the option to read or think about books. The easy to use parental controls provide peace of mind with settings that can limit which reading options children have available to them.

• Screen size – 6.8″ display, 300 ppi
• Storage capacity – 8GB or 16GB
• Battery Life – up to 10 weeks on a single charge
• Audiobook capability – Yes (via Bluetooth)

What are you getting yourself for your birthday this year? Get inspiration from the best gifts for book lovers.

Kobo Libra 2

There are many perks to becoming a member of your local library; one is that it gives you access to a variety of free e-books & audiobooks. That’s right, you can download e-books when you have a library card and gain access to tons of titles at no cost to you.

My library, and most likely yours, can do this through sources like Hoopla and Libby. Unlike Kindle, Kobo allows you to read those library-downloaded ebooks & audiobooks. Kobo’s got great bluetooth capabilities so you can hook them up to your earphones and listen while you do the dishes.

If you’re looking for a great e-reader that isn’t associated with Amazon, you’ll enjoy the Kobo Libra 2. This option gives you a ton of storage: up to 24,000 e-books!

• Screen size – 7″
• Storage capacity – 32GB
• Battery Life – 21 Hours
• Audiobook capability – Yes (via Bluetooth)

Amazon Fire HD Tablet

You can read well on tablets too. With a Kindle Fire, you get a great, aesthetically-pleasing reading experience, access to Hoopla and Libby apps, and access to a browsable internet. Games, movies, social media, books–this thing’s got it all.

As far as reading on a tablet goes, we think the Amazon Fire HD Tablet gives you the best reading experience. It’s around the same size as typical e-readers and has built-in speakers.

• Screen size – 8″ display
• Storage capacity -32GB
• Battery Life – up to 13 hours of reading
• Audiobook capability – Yes (via Bluetooth, headphone jack, and built-in speakers)

With a Kindle purchase, you’ll get a few months of Kindle Unlimited for free. But what should you read with it? This list of hidden gem KU books!

Nook Glowlight 4 Plus

Barnes & Noble people! Those who have memberships or those who swear by the place, go with the Nook. It matches their aesthetic really well, and it’s well-functioning with perks for members. And your eyes will thank you! This GlowLight Illumination technology is the best for reading at night, and you can even go automatic with their Nightmode feature so that it mimics the sun’s natural progression throughout the day.

You can store your ebooks across a variety of platforms when you have a Nook. This means you can read your ebooks on your iPhone, tablet, or laptop if you choose, and you can pick up from where you left off on any other device with internet access.

One more thing that sets this option apart is your ability to receive in-person support at any Barnes and Noble store. This is the perfect opportunity for people who struggle with technology to meet with a real person to help them set their e-reader up, organize their library, or how to purchase books. Since these bookstores are so popular, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a store and start this process ASAP.

• Screen size – 7.8″ high-resolution, 300ppi glare-free display
• Storage capacity – 32GB
• Battery Life – up to 3 weeks of reading on a single charge
• Audiobook capability – Yes (via bluetooth or headphone jack)

Kindle Scribe

If you’re a writer, definitely check out the Kindle Scribe! You can send your latest work over to this device and read it as if your audience was reading it, and then you can use VoiceView screen reader to use text-to-speech to read it out loud. And you can take notes and scribble scenes and ideas with the pen instead of typing in the sometimes difficult-to-use keyboard feature on the reader-focused Kindles. It’s one of the best gifts for writers!

• Screen size – 10.2″ display
• Storage capacity – 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB options
• Battery Life – up to 12 weeks on a single charge
• Audiobook capability – Yes (via Bluetooth)

These are some of the best e-readers you’ll find on the internet. Which will you get?

About the Curator

Jaylynn Korrell is a nomadic writer currently based out of Pennsylvania. In addition to her writing and reading for Independent Book Review, she curates lists at GoodGiftLists.com.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s “The Best E-Reader to Buy This Year” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post The Best E-Reader to Buy This Year appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Toni Woodruff

Asking good, open-ended questions is the key to unlocking the best book club meeting.

That, and wine! 

Summon laughter, good conversation, and juicy surprises in your book club by asking the right questions. It doesn’t matter if you’re a host or a member, coming to your meetings with something to talk about can elevate everyone’s night.

But every book club is different. 

Each person in your group is coming with their own experiences, knowledge, and juicy tidbits, so not all the questions work in every group. Some hosts may find that they only need one question to get everyone going, while others need 10+.  Both are great! As long as you all are out there enjoying the benefits of reading (and each other’s company), you’re doing a great job in my eyes.

Here’s my best advice for asking good book club questions as a host:

• Read this entire list.
• Ask open-ended questions. Yes or no questions can be fine sometimes, but you have to be confident that they’ll respond with “Yes, because,” or “No, because.”
• Add the questions you like best into the notes app on your phone or computer.
• Add more questions than you think you’ll need. You should have backups for when certain topics gain more traction than others. (i.e. be prepared with critical questions when people aren’t liking the book).
• Bold the questions you like best. 
• Think of specific members of your group. (i.e. if Aunt Sue only reads romance, but this is a historical thriller, choose a question based on the genre like twists and predicting the ending).
• Let them talk! You want them having fun and interested in coming back. But also keep listening to clues for which questions on your list could be a follow-up to get things back on track.
• Ask both different and similar questions every meeting.
• Talk about the act of reading in addition to talking about the book specifically.
• Personalize the language in the questions so that it matches your group’s vibe.
• Ask broad AND specific questions. Keep the conversation changing!
• Recommend that people underline or use post-its for potential talking points before your first meeting. Or you can just buy them for those interested!
• Be flexible! Structure is great for book clubs, but everyone should be comfortable and fun is the #1 priority, so feel free to adjust and run in new unexpected directions. 

Another thing I invite my group members to do is experiment with different formats, like audiobooks and ebooks. Let them know about the Audible free trial and that nonfiction books can be the best intro to audiobooks. I’m definitely not the only one who enjoyed listening to Braiding Sweetgrass while doing the dishes. 

How can you get your book club talking? How can you get them laughing? 

Pick great books. Play games. Ask good questions. And remember the number one rule: What happens in book club stays in book club.

Here are 50+ book club questions that’ll get your group talking, laughing, and thinking.

1. Rate this book out of ten. (Everybody take a turn and say nothing else! Can also just do index cards to keep to yourself. See if it changes at the end.)

2. What’s the first thing you have to talk about after finishing this book?

3. What did you like about it?

4. What did you dislike?

5. How would you describe it in one sentence?

Nearing the holidays or just want to thank people? Give them one of these great book club gifts.

6. What is the best scene?

7. Were there any specific sentences or passages that particularly affected you? 

8. Read the first sentence aloud. Why do you think the author chose this as their first sentence? 

9. Read the last sentence aloud. Why do you think they choose the last sentence? 

10. Is there a small moment in the book that you feel could go under-appreciated?

11. How did you feel about the ending?

12. Did your opinion of this book change at a particular point? 

13. What would you say happens to [x character] after the book ends?

Use up your Audible 30-day free trial for your next nonfiction pick!

14. Do you like the cover now that you’ve finished the book? Why or why not? Any alternate ideas for it?

15. Do you think the title fits the book?

16. Do you feel like this is more of a bestselling book or an award-winning book?

17. Who is the best character?

18. If this book could follow a different character, who would you want it to be?

19. What would you say the most important point the author makes in this book?

20. Would you call this book loud, quiet, or in the middle?

21. For memoir & autobiography: Do you think the author was honest completely? Which parts are you not sure about?

22. If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?

Looking for new, refreshing book club picks? Read indie! Here are the best book club books you’ll read this year.

28. Why do you think a publisher would choose to publish this book?

Make a fun game out of it! For one meeting, have your members pick from this Tabletopics box!

30. Did you learn any factual information you didn’t know before?

31. Who is a character you’d like to have lunch with? What would you talk about?

32. Will you remember this book a year from now?

33. Would you fall for any of the leads?

34. Would you say the love connection is believable?

35. Would you sleep with any of the characters?

36. How did you feel about the sex scene(s)?

37. What books/movies/shows did this remind you of?

38. Would this make a better movie, tv show, or neither? Why?

39. Would you want to live in the setting in this book? Which character(s) would you be? What would your job be?

40. Who would you recommend this book to?

41. Did any of your personal views change because of the book?

42. Does anybody need a refill?

Buying too many books? (First, I disagree). Second, check out these cheap bookshelves!

43. Where did you read this most often?

44. When did you read this most often?

45. What drink would go with the mood of this book?

46. What song would go with the mood of this book? (Play it in the background while you’re chatting!)

47. Did reading this book put you to sleep or keep you up?

48. What emotions did it evoke in you?

49. Did anybody try a new format (ebook, audiobook, hardcover)? How did it affect you?

50. Did you Google anything while reading?

51. Were you drawn to pick up the book, or did you finish it because there was a deadline?

52. Did you look anything up about the author? What were you curious about? What did you learn?

53. Do you use book marks, dog ear your pages, use the book flap, or remember what page you were on like some kind of memory superhero?

54. Is anyone struggling to make time to read? Feeling like they’re not enjoying the process? Let them talk it out and ask others to give tips. 

Want your members to read after they leave your group? Talk about building reading habits!

55. Would you read any more books by this author?

56. Would you recommend this book? Remember, this is different from “Do you like it?” Some people won’t recommend books because of content warnings, spice levels, etc.

57. Did your rating change after this discussion?

What is the best question you’ve asked in your book club? Let me know in the comments! I’ll add my favorites.

Thank you for reading “50+ Book Club Questions for a Fun & Lively Discussion” by Toni Woodruff! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post 50+ Book Club Questions for a Fun & Lively Discussion appeared first on Independent Book Review.

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.

Authors & publishers need to get book reviews to build buzz and credibility for their product. 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. 

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. 

1. Independent Book Review

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.

3. Publishers Weekly

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. 

4. Kirkus Reviews

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.

16. The Asian Review of Books

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?

17. Chicago Review of Books

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.

24. Crime Fiction Lover

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.

26. Historical Novel Society

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.

27. The Poetry Question

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.

The post 30+ Top-Notch Book Review Sites for Readers & Writers appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Jaylynn Korrell

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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by Joe Walters

Reading changes my life all the time.

It’s a way for me to see the world differently and to communicate differently and to kick my feet up and breathe and breathe and breathe all at the same time. Reading takes time. We’ve got to fill ours somehow. This relaxing, enriching, and productive hobby might just change your life too, if you let it.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t done it much lately or you never really have. All that matters is that you start and you keep going. If you develop a reading habit, you’ll see that the benefits of reading are plentiful.

Or, you could read this list.

Here are 11 benefits of reading that you’ll reap immediately and in the future.

1. Reading makes you smarter

“Smarter” might seem like a vague umbrella term–and it kind of is–but only when you overcomplicate it.

At a basic level, becoming smarter than your previous self means that you learn something you didn’t previously know. By reading and then continuing to read, you do this over and over. Some things will stick. Some will not. Over time, you’ll rake in new practical information (may I recommend some mushroom books?!) and use it to communicate better and analyze better in real life. Even if you stick strictly to fantasy books, you’re going to get smarter. But of course, if smarter is your goal, nonfiction books are about as practical as they come.

Don’t get frustrated if you can’t hop into reading and make your brain grow Jimmy Neutron-style right away. Reading and learning takes patience and resilience, but if you build the habit, it will come.

2. Reading is a form of guided meditation

You may experience this benefit immediately.

Something is happening in your body and mind. You are circulating. You are sitting still and breathing and engaging the parts of your brain that require focus and retention. If it feels difficult to read or stay in the same mental space, that’s because it is. Like meditation, it takes practice. Once achieved, it can feel like a continuation of breaths of fresh air.

Some people will tell you that reading reduces stress, but stress sucks and I can’t put pressure on the task of reading like that. But I can confirm that sitting quietly and breathing is a very good thing.

3. Tired of Netflix? Try a brain-movie!

There are so many ways to entertain yourself at home in the year 2023. Some are outside, some are inside, some are on screens, and yet…

We still get bored.

(Or most of us do).

When you read fiction and narrative nonfiction, you are watching a story unfold on the television screen of your imagination. The images are a combination of the things you know and the things the author is conveying to you, and it appears this way in this exact form only to you.

The benefits of reading stories are endless. Get lost in one; you’ll never know what you’ll find until you do.

Some top fiction & nonfiction book recommendations:

• Horror: Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova (Hardcover | eBook)
• Sci-Fi: I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane (Hardcover | eBook)
• Short Stories: Unshod, Cackling, and Naked by Tamika Thompson (Paperback | eBook)
• Romance: Mid-Flight by Lisa Wilkes (Paperback | eBook)
• Memoir: Laugh Cry Rewind by Judy Haveson (Paperback | eBook)

4. It can put you to sleep

Wait! How is a hobby that puts you to sleep anything but boring?

Hear me out…

Sometimes, you want to sleep.

You’re lying in bed and getting stuck in Youtube time-warps until it’s later than you wanted it to be and you have to get up in the morning. Even if you do put the phone down and surrender yourself to the act, it can be hard for your brain to slow down; the blue light from the phone can affect your sleep-wake cycle.

Any 10th grader in an 8 AM English will tell you: Reading can make you sleepy. Regardless of how good a book is, the act of scanning the text and processing what you’re reading is a natural way for your eyelids to start fluttering.

My favorite way to do this is reading nonfiction books (because I can stop midway!) with my Kindle and the bedroom light off. That way, I don’t need to do anything except lower my hand and eyes and I’m off to dreamland.

5. You can listen to books while doing chores & other mindless tasks

I do so many dishes. I live in the kitchen sink. While I’m doing them, I wear headphones. But I’m not always in the same mood. Sometimes it’s music, sometimes it’s basketball podcasts, and sometimes it’s audiobooks.

Ever since starting my Audible free trial, I’ve been hooked on audiobooks. I’ve read biographies while brushing baby bottles, bird books while scrubbing too-large pots. Instead of listening to the 24-hour news cycle concerning how the Sixers will let me down this year, I’m learning and giving myself a fun new hobby of looking in the sky in real life to try to figure out what that bird is.

Quick note: I’ve been listening to audiobooks for a couple years now, and I haven’t read a single fiction book! Nonfiction gives me opportunities to miss out on a paragraph or two while I get spacey, and yet I can still understand what in the world is going on. My recommendation is to dive into nonfiction audiobooks as an option for when you’re cleaning and don’t look back.

Here are some of my favorite indie audiobooks of the last couple years:

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall-Kimmerer
• Negative Space by Lilly Dancyger
• In the Company of Crows and Ravens by John M. Marzluff and Tony Angell

6. Books can give you a more complete picture than Google or social media

Want to learn something new? Google is an obvious place to start. Want to get bombarded with opinions and eye-catching graphics about real or not-real content? May I introduce you to [much of the internet]?

You can definitely learn from both Google and social media, but the best way to see the complete picture is by reading a book about it. Turn to experts for your information; read more books.

7. Reading is time-consuming and inexpensive (or it can be!)

Our lives are made up of time. We have to fill it somehow.

If you find yourself bored with your regular routine, inject 30 minutes of reading time into it, and you could feel productive and rested by the end of it. When you’re retired or on summer break, reading can fill those long empty days with excitement, enrichment, and meditation.

You can definitely spend a lot of money on books, but you can also get around that pretty easily. The library can be a generous best friend, and your local thrift store or used bookstore can supply you with hours of entertainment for actual quarters. Kindle Unlimited can be a good deal if you read a lot of eBooks.

8. Better understand other cultures

Reading promotes empathy. Take a walk in another person’s shoes for a while. Get inside the heads of those who aren’t like you. Understand their priorities. Recognize that you aren’t the only person with a history and a community on the planet. And change the way you view our shared world. Documentaries & films are great at helping you see this. Don’t stop watching them. Just add books too.

9. Improve your communication skills

Communication is vital to our relationships, whether fleeting or life-long. If you are a good speaker or writer, you can sustain relationships and achieve many goals along the way.

The more you read, the better you can communicate. I’m not saying you always will– hello, social anxiety!–but I am saying that your vocabulary will increase and you will know more ways to say things with more analogies to convey them. Here’s more on reading to improve communication.

10. Get better at your job & make more money

There are nonfiction books out there to help you with most jobs. Business books can be incredibly rewarding and even easy to grapple with. Language can be straightforward and fun on the way to helping you get promoted and make more money. Don’t sleep on this one if you want to get ahead. It could change your life.

Some book recommendations about money:

• Own a Fraction, Earn a Fortune by (eBook | Audiobook)
• Not Your Job by Pierce Brantley (eBook | Audiobook)
• Host Coach by Cullin & Danielle Tate (eBook | Audiobook)
• Sports Betting Down the Bones by Manuel Angela (eBook | Audiobook)

11. Reading promotes art and imagination

I obviously like reading for a lot of different reasons, but this is among my favorites. Beyond literally supporting authors and their art with book purchases, readers exercise their creativity by imagining words on the page as images in their mind.

If you have kids, you are showing them that reading is cool too, so you’re promoting imagination that way. Never underestimate the power of monkey see, monkey do! Reading also can make you more creative.

Which benefits of reading did I leave off? Let me know in the comments!

About the Author

Joe Walters is the founder and editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review. He has been a book marketer for Sunbury Press, Paper Raven Books, and Inkwater Press. When he’s not doing editorial, promoting, or reviewing work, he’s working on his novel and trusting the process. Find him @joewalters13 on Twitter.

Thank you for reading “11 Benefits of Reading As a Hobby” by Joe Walters! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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by Jaylynn Korrell

These cheap bookshelves will save you money for what you need most: more books.

It doesn’t matter what kind of reader you are, if you’ve got books, you’re going to want to shelve them properly. Without good bookshelves, you’ll be swimming in stacks and feeling guilty for buying too many. Don’t let that happen.

Beyond being just an attractive & organized space to feature splashes of different spine colors, bookshelves are an absolute necessity for people who read a lot of books.

Yet, a quick Google search will show you that bookshelves aren’t always the most affordable items.

While expensive bookshelves can be real show-stoppers, there are so many more options available to you. There are plenty of cheap bookshelves to choose from that will look great in both home and office.

While everyone’s idea of cheap is different, I had to draw the line somewhere. $150 is the ceiling for this list, but most of the shelves on it are much less than that. Small bookshelves, tall bookshelves, bookshelves kids would like, and everything in between are featured here. They would make great gifts for book lovers or a nice gift for yourself & your home library. I’m sure you deserve it.

Here are 15 cheap bookshelves that’ll look great in your home or office.

(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. Classic Oak Finish Bookshelf

If you want classic bookshelf vibes on the cheap, you’ll love this one. It features five tiers, making it a great option for a large amount of books without taking up too much horizontal space.

#2. Modern 5 Tier Bookshelf

This cheap bookshelf has a more modern industrial vibe to it. The sides are a bit open so you might need some cool bookends, but that just sounds like a good excuse to get even more creative with your display.

#3. Tree Style Bookshelf

This tree style bookshelf is one of our favorites. So often people think they need to have a library-esque bookshelf in their home, but it can be just as satisfying to add bookish flare to multiple rooms in your house. Bookshelves like these would look great in a bedroom or guest room.

#4. Leaning Bookshelf

A leaning bookshelf is the best way to display your best books and not have it take up too much room. These types of bookshelves look great in living and dining rooms. Try shaking things up and devoting one genre to a shelf like this.

#5. Ladder Style Bookshelf

Few things go better together than books and plants, and this ladder bookshelf showcases that effortlessly. Try pairing a few succulents next to new books in a space that gets drenched in natural light. This bookshelf will definitely shine through.

#6. Boxy Bookshelf

There’s just something about these oddly shaped bookshelves that make a room pop. They’re great storage options for any space, but when you throw some eye-catching books in there, it kind of beckons you to check them out. We love cheap bookshelves like these because they demand that you get creative.

#7. Standard Vertical Bookshelf

If you’re looking to give your large book collection its own space to thrive, this is the one to go with. It is the most standard bookshelf there is and can hold a ton of books. I should know; I have a few of these in my home.

If you don’t have enough books to fill it, you can always display one or two of your best or most exciting books in a square at a time. In the end, this will look like a part of your wall, just like we want out of our home library.

#8. Midcentury Style Bookshelf

This cheap bookshelf is the best option for bedrooms. Sure you can put it anywhere, but it’s that cozy kind of shelf that you can use to quit stacking too many books on your nightstand.

#9. Modern Industrial Bookshelf

We’re bringing back the boxy bookshelf, but this time it’s jagged! Featuring a few steel pieces in its frame, cheap bookshelves like this one can become a real focal point in any room. Could be a good place to put books that guests would be excited to see, because this thing will catch their attention.

#10. Small Tree Bookshelf

A good bookshelf doesn’t have to hold 1,000 books. A good bookshelf has to hold books–however few. This bookshelf is the perfect option for small spaces like desks, nightside tables, kitchen counters, and coffee tables. It’s one of the best small bookshelves we’ve found.

#11. Classic Small Cube Bookshelf

This cube-style bookshelf doesn’t take up too much room either. It could double as a nightstand or a cute mini bookshelf in any room. With such little space you have to be sure you curate the titles in this shelf carefully, but that honestly just sounds like fun to me.

#12. Industrial Ladder Bookshelf

Have a lot of books and have to get skinny with it? This bookshelf has 5 tiers but fits nicely into tight spaces like between your couch and wall.

#13. Classic Cube Bookshelves

Oh, the classic cube bookshelf! People have been using this cube storage in a million different ways since it got here, but it works wonders as a bookshelf. It’s a nice way to fit a bunch of books in one space, and it looks great and clean when lined up side by side. Wall of books? Yes please.

#14. Short 3 Tier Bookshelf

Short bookshelves like this one can go anywhere in the house, but I think they look really great in office spaces. Teachers get a lot of use out of little bookshelves like this one too. It’s a great first cheap bookshelf to own if you don’t have enough books to fill something bigger yet.

#15. Floating Bookshelf

If you don’t want your bookshelf to take up ANY space on the ground, try out these neat floating bookshelves. They get mounted right into the wall and add some elevation and finality to a space.

About the Author

Jaylynn Korrell writes here and for GoodGiftLists.com . 

Thank you for reading 15 Cheap Bookshelves for Readers on a Budget by Jaylynn Korrell! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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