How to Find the Book for You

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The world of literature can be a very intimidating place, but it doesn’t have to be. Just like how the saying goes, there’s a person for everyone, there is a book for everyone, but to find the book for you, you must go through the following basics

1. Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry or Drama

When you think of genre, these are the main four types. Poetry is a text that follows a meter and rhythm with genres within itself that follows strict rules or is free-form; Drama is another way to describe plays that have the categories of comedy, tragedy and tragicomedy; Fiction are stories that is not real and compromises of the elements of plot, but unlike poetry, it follows grammar rules and mechanics; and lastly, non-fiction could venture from personal essays, to auto-biographies to memoirs, journals, romances and mysteries.

Deciding on what main genre to read will help narrow the pool of books that is out there: Are you interested in reading plays that were written for film, radio, theater or TV? Are you interested in the many poetic forms of poetry? Do stories of real events with real people that actually happened interest you? Or does the world of the unknown of stories conjured up by the author’s imaginative ideas grab your attention?

2. Does length intimidates you?

Not all books are 900+ pages. The shortest novel I ever read that I enjoyed a lot is 234 pages, The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone. Though I got this book about eight years ago, this is just an example of novels today can be short and a quick page turner. Fiction and Non-fiction can start from being as short as 50,000 words and if it makes it to 250,000 words, it gets entered into it’s own category known as War and Peace.

Poetry books can be relatively short depending on the writer and the theme of the book. Dramas have a variety of ranges, so there isn’t a set limit on how long or short it they are, but from my experience of reading Shakespearean drama, it’s right in the middle.

3. All Font Sizes in Books aren’t the Same

When you open a book, it won’t always be that intimidating 12 point Times New Roman font like the papers/essays you write for class. All books are formatted differently all the way down to the font. Not all books have block text running down the entire page, so that fear can easily go away. Open the book and skim through the pages to help make things easier.

4. Reading the Summary is VERY Essential

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, judge it by it’s summary. A way to find out what the books is about is to read the summary. These are either located on the back of the book, or inside the book once you open. Please read this because you will be surprise how the summary of the book will grab your attention. My advice for giving a book a chance after reading the summary, read the first chapter. The first chapter to readers is like a preview of what the overall story is going to be about.

5. Fiction/Non-Fiction: There are Different Genres within these categories

Unlike poetry with its many themes, fiction and non-fiction have different genres too that can help connect you to finding a book to read. Think of it like a movie. Do you want to read something that’s:

• Humorous
• Action-Adventure
• Romantic
• Sci-Fi
• Fantasy
• Dramatic
• Comedic
• Scary
• Historical
• Sports
• Realistic
• Auto/Biographical
• Fairytale
• Mysterious

Though the list above is just a couple of examples, try to narrow down your selection of themes/genres that you enjoy. And yes, technically a graphic novel is book that you can read if you are really fond of reading picture books. You got to grab the plot faster as sometimes the story and the action is faster. I hope these tips will help you find a book to read, especially during these times of quarantine and staying in doors. See you all next week!