I probably read more than most folks. I average a couple of fiction books per week, along with technical journals. The thought crossed my mind that if you like what I write, you might also like what I read. Maybe. Maybe not. You never know.
I get an email everyday from Bookbub with their recommendations. They send out a list of on sale books that fit a profile I give them. The goal is to get you to try new authors and most books are $1.99 or less.
I also use Libby which is a library app so I can check out digital books for free. I can afford to buy books but why should I if I can get the books I'm interested in for free.
Here's a few books I read this last year that I thought were exceptional in one way or the other.
Lost Birds by Anne Hillerman. Anne took over the Chee/Leaphorn series when her father died and she's done a wonderful job. Mysteries on the reservation.
You Never Know by Tom Selleck. I like Selleck and his partial autobiography was well written and entertaining.
From the Horse's Point of View by Debbie Steglic. Really helpful for the equestrian.
The Only Woman in the Room, by Marie Benedict. This was a wonderful biographical novel about Hedy Lamar. Well written and very interesting.
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell. This wasn't particularly well written but the life was definitely worth reading about. It's the true story of an American woman who, against all odds, became a leader in the French underground during WWII. Incredible courage.
Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom. This is probably the best book I've read in the last 10 years. Absolutely fascinating (mostly) true story about a Crow woman named Goes First, who marries a white fur trader. I should have read this on a Saturday. It kept me up all night. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
I read a lot of average books and abandoned some real dogs. The books I mentioned above were pretty good, and some were great.
Here's a tool you might be interested in: www.literature-map.com
Go to the website and type in your favorite author. It will generate a "map" of authors that other readers liked. If you type in Ernest Hemingway, authors like JD Salinger, John Steinbeck, and F. Scott Fitgerald are close. It's not that they write about the same things or in the same way. It's that people who like Papa, also like those authors. Don't know who to read next? Go to that website and give it a try.
Let me know what you think.