Nowadays, books are everywhere. Everyone is reading them, and what's kind of worse is that everyone writes them, too. We're not saying that writers shouldn't have access to publishing, but some books are really not as good as literature should be. In this case, it's a challenge to discover writers and poets that are truly quality-centered and not obsessed with sales numbers. If you're still into real quality, here are our top ten ways to know that the book is absolutely the one!
10. Read Reviews on Google
According to a Clockwork Reader, these books don't deserve the hype
Nothing can replace the natural feel when you find a book in a library and read more about it on its last page. However, in the Google era, everything is at your fingertips already, and you don't have to search for more! One-click will help you find out everything about the book you'd like to get.
Moreover, Google also has its own reviews and stars for every book, movie, or any form of art. In this way, you can read people's opinions and get further insight. If you'd like to find out if a book is worth reading in your opinion, you have to see others' comments as well!
9. On Goodreads, the Reviews Are Even Better
Not all sides of Goodreads are good, but you'll love many positive moments
Goodreads is an excellent website for bookworms that are always searching for better and better books. This presentation is basically the online library of critics, reviews, and plot overviews. Google is an average source, but Goodreads is that platform that lets you know it all!
There are almost no books that don't exist on Goodreads, and you can see how many stars they got according to the public opinion. Moreover, you can also read brief and lengthy reviews, as people using Goodreads usually dedicate themselves to it passionately, so you can rely on their arguments. After all, that's how you see if there's quality or not.
8. Find Magazines and Sites with Real Critics
Young critics hopefully actually exist today
Ordinary people's reviews are ideal for knowing what the audience thinks about the writing and seeing the positive and negative sides. However, accurate reviews are written by literary critics, who used to be a crucial part of this art. There are some fantastic magazines today as well!
Unfortunately, the authentic literary critic died decades ago, so it takes a lot of research to reach the real ones. Once you find reliable magazines and sites, you'll discover talented new artists much easier. Even music has so many great but underrated singers and composers – with literature, it's even more prominent!
7. Pay Attention to Who Is Reading the Book
Here's how to find your own target audience if you write
In other words, look for the target group that the writer focuses on. If you see that primarily teenagers read the novel that you've spotted, you probably won't define it as "worth reading." This is because it won't be appropriate for your age and preferences.
The same thing goes with your own target audience if you're about to release your piece of writing. You have to choose your audience because it's natural that not everyone will love it. Not the whole world will think that it's pure quality, too, but someone will.
6. Know the Author
These writers are so influential that their books have to be great, or at least some of them are
The name on the top of the book says a lot, to be honest. Writers and poets should, in general, have much better treatment, and they deserve more respect. Still, some of the names obviously have a reputation that's bigger than the others. It's a cruel world, but that's how it is.
However, not even an author's popularity can say a lot about the quality. So, this is just a warning that a name tells some things about your expectations. For example, suppose you see that Shakespeare wrote a play. In that case, you'll presumably be attracted, while books by controversial authors can be considered a "cliché."
5. Is There a Character Development?
These are just some of the fantastic characters
Not many writers can deliver strong characters, so it's quite an essential part of that "perfection" moment. That's why one of the first questions that should come to your mind is how these personas are developed, do they change throughout the story, and in which way is it shown/described.
Characters are also the first thing we get attached to, as we experience them as real people and relate to them. Most bookworms also get obsessed with them quickly, and it's a natural process. More people will respect a book if the characters are moving and captivating; that's just a fact!
4. Is the Plot Consistent?
Thrillers are usually praised for their excellent stories and even greater plot twists
Another question that's worth discussing if we want to take care of a novel's quality is its plot, of course. With pointful digressions and clever plot twists, a consistent story is preferred. It's essential to understand what the writer wanted to represent, but that's something you have to master!
In that way, look for books that are praised for their plot. Those long stories with scenarios that blew people's minds are always a huge thing, as they discuss clever points all the time. Moreover, not everyone can create a scheme long and constant enough, so you'll recognize quality! These are the books that will help you break your reader's block.
3. Lend Books from Your Friend's "Old" Library
Cameron Chaney has a collection to be jealous of
Public libraries are a perfect place if you don't want to own or can't afford books, but you want to read them anyway. There are many ways of finding old, rare books in those places, much more than in popular bookstores. As soon as a store becomes well-known, its quality kind of decreases.
Meanwhile, maybe some of your friends have a private library in their living room or anywhere – that's a gold mine you should discover! First of all, your friend probably won't need the book you'd take home immediately, because they have a literal library. Actually, you should have that habit of lending books to each other, so what are you waiting for?
2. Ask a Close Friend or Someone Professional
Since we've mentioned friendships… Here are some books about them!
Who is the first person you ask for help? Probably your family or friends! Friends can significantly help with book and art recommendations in general, especially if their style is similar to yours, just like we said with the library. You probably have some friends with a completely different taste. Still, they may even get you some other quality stuff to discover!
Besides your friends and close people, you can ask librarians and the guys in the bookstores for help. Don't hesitate because they are here to help you, especially friendly librarians willing to speak with their clients. We know many of them that give constructive recommendations. They are wise people with good intentions only!
1. The Taste Plays the Role, Too
Find out what genre is the fundamental quality in your own opinion
Honestly, there are more than fifty book genres, and they all have their pros and cons. One man's trash is another man's treasure, so the "low-quality" books are someone's perfection. No one is allowed to judge that, too. Art is there to enable everyone to feel enjoyment.
You don't have to stress over rules to enjoy art, and literature is indeed a part of artistic experience. That's why you should probably just chill when it comes to genres and stop drawing the lines – life is about endless possibilities!
After all, maybe you don't even have to stress about the quality. The absolute truth is that we lost a lot of it throughout the years, and the literature is not the way it used to be. Still, there'll always be good ways to acknowledge someone's incredible talent and staying consistent and accurate in times of fake news, people and books! Our top ten list should give you clues where to look.
Is it crucial for you that a book resembles pure quality? Or, you simply read what feels good at the moment? Let us know in the comments section!
Photo: Olesia Buyar on Unsplash