Goodreads Asked Authors for Curated Reading Lists and Now You Have a Great Sure Bet Resource

Since April, Goodreads has been asking authors, from across the literary landscape, for curated reading lists. Click here to see them all. But, here is the page where they explained the project and an excerpt from that page:

Have more reading time these days, but don't know where to begin?

We're here to help! We've asked some of your favorite authors to suggest a list of books on a variety of topics to suit every mood. So whether you need a good laugh, a good cry, or an absorbing story to make you put down your phone, take a peek at their recommendations linked above each author's latest book.

We'll be updating this page occasionally, so don't forget to check back now and then for even more reading lists!

This type of resource is similar to what I describe in my 5 Resources You Cannot Live Without list on my 10 Rules of Basic RA page when I list the following as an essential resource:

Authors recs of other authors: There isn't a single place you can go per se, but do not forget that many patrons will love trying an author or book that one of their favorite authors recommends. Try searching for a patron's favorite author on Twitter [don't need an account to view] and then see what authors they are promoting there. Most established authors do this. Also the back of a book a patron liked-- does it have blurbs by other authors? Those can be readalike author options. And Fantastic Fiction tries to catalog as many of an author's blurbs or recs that they can. Search an author in the site and scroll to bottom of record for examples. Then use Novelist or Goodreads to find out more about any titles or authors you find.The point here is you are using resources and need to know nothing about any of the authors involved, just that the patron in front of you likes them.

If a patron has a book or an author they really love, handing them something that same author suggested or blurbed is usually a sure bet, even when the books do not share much in common.

Now, many of you are probably confused because I spend a lot of time writing and talking about how we have to match book's based on their appeal. But hear me out. 

For many readers enjoying a specific author and wanting more by them or, if that is not possible, more books that they also enjoyed, is an appeal. It is enough that this reader will be predisposed to enjoying the title suggested by a favorite author. 

I have seen it work hundreds of times especially with the more "picky" patrons. If you suggest an outside of the box title to them, they will refuse to read it or hate read it. But if  their favorite author suggest the same book, they almost always love it because they want to like it. Even if it  is  very different from said author.

This is an especially good way to find a suggestion you would never think of yourself. If the patron comes back and likes this very different book, you are in luck because now an entirely new lane of suggestions has just opened up right in front of you. 

You  can use the Goodreads list or my more general guidelines and let authors suggest the books to their fans through you.