When you read as much as we do, it can be hard to find a good new book. There are so many reads out there that it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all of the possibilities, often leading to a disappointing choice or wasted money and time. Avid readers have all kinds of tricks for picking out new books, from extensive to-be-read lists to spending hours and hours making stacks in the library. But we’re here to make the process just a little bit easier. Not only do we make sure to highlight new books we love and give you honest reviews on our site, but we’ve also rounded up some tips that we use personally in our search for books to fall in love with.

Here are 5 tips to find your next awesome read:

Bestseller Lists

If you’re looking for a popular current read, then bestseller lists are a great place to start. Usually there’s a reason that a book ends up on one of these lists, guaranteeing a high quality read (or at least an interesting experience!). There are always the classic lists to consult, like The New York Time’s Best Sellers or the USA Today Best-Selling Books, which are both reliable and steadfast. We also like to check out the Amazon Best Sellers regularly, too. Their lists are broken down into more specific genres, giving you even more options if you’re a picky reader, or if you’re looking for something more niche, like the current best sellers in “Medical Thrillers” or “Women’s Friendship Fiction.” Because it’s Amazon, there are always a lot of self-published and more affordable titles on there as well.

Book Clubs

Maybe you’re already part of a local book club, so you know how great they can be in terms of introducing you to new books you might not discover on your own. But there are also tons of online book clubs you can join, giving you an even wider access to some awesome reads. Some of these book clubs are celebrity run, like Oprah’s Book Club 2.0, or Emma Watson’s feminist book club, Our Shared Shelf. But you can also find clubs that are more genre-oriented, like the Romance Read of the Month Club, where you even get a free book to download every month.

Top 100 Lists

One of our old standbys for finding a good book is to consult a top 100 list. Sure, the titles usually aren’t new, but they are the best-of-the-best, inspiring us to go back and read those classics we may have overlooked in high school. There are also tons of them out there, from the traditional to the more quirky. If you’re looking for a lot of solid classics, then try Time’s All-Time 100 Novels, which includes books like On the Road and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If you want something a little more global, then head over to The Greatest Books for their Top 100 Works in World Literature. And then there are the more genre-oriented lists, like NPR’s Top 100 Teen Books. Seriously, there are so many lists out there to choose from. Just pick your genre of choice and start searching.

Goodreads

Considering the fact that part of Goodreads’ mission is to “help people find and share the books they love,” then there’s so surprise that it’s an awesome way to discover new reads. Fans, readers, and authors all connect on the site, sharing reviews and shelving books they’re interested in. But our favorite resource is their list section, which has hundreds and hundreds of lists rounding up similar titles. It doesn’t even matter how specific you get. Want to find a romance novel about surfing? Look no further. Or how about the best non-fiction books about books? They’ve got you covered. Because these lists are user submitted and updated, you always get a cool mishmash of different likes, dislikes, and opinions, making it very easy to find the right new book for you.

Amazon Discussion Boards

One of the lesser-known parts of Amazon is also one of the best resources to find a good read: the customer discussion boards. While at first glance, it might seem like they’re only about customer complaints or inquiries, a little digging will reveal a bunch of book-themed forums where readers offer suggestions, ask questions, and search for forgotten titles. These forums are a gold mine of likeminded readers coming together to share advice. The exact links can be a little hard to find (your best bet is to Google the genre you’re looking for), but we spend most of our time on the romance and the mystery forums. There are tons to choose from though, with each one more helpful than the last.

Where do you go to find new reads? Share your advice in the comments!