How It Works: Finding Your Next Great Read

Need to find a new favorite author, or looking to dive into a new genre?

By Nicole Goolishian, Assistant Director, Tewksbury Public Library 

Picture this: It’s a cold February evening and you are enthralled by a book. You just can’t put it down even as your clock reads “1:00 a.m.” Whether the story that has captured your attention and imagination is a mystery, thriller, romance, or biography, this book has whisked you away from the dreary cold of a New England winter. Not all that is gold can stay, however, and before you know it, this book that has held your attention through frigid winter nights, comes to an end. Say farewell to your beloved characters and plot twists and you may be left sitting at home wondering: “Well, now what?” That’s where the library comes in! 

TPL is not just home to thousands of books across all genres and for all age groups. Your local library is also home to a variety of resources that can help you jump from one great read to the next. Looking for more from the same author? Perhaps something in the same genre or even something entirely different? Want to read the book before it hits the big screen to become this summer’s next epic blockbuster?

These library resources can help you find all of that and so much more. 

• Novelist Plus: Use your TPL library card to find fiction similar to your favorite books, or find something completely new, using author, genre, or title searches with this search-able database. Click here to check it out. 

• Booklists: Across every department in the library you’ll find paper booklists that feature recommended read-a-likes based on a genre or author. Visit the library to check out the selection of booklists for adults, teens, and kids or visit the library’s “Booklists for Adults” webpage here to find some inspiration. This page is updated frequently as more booklists are created, so keep an eye out for more ideas on what to read next. 

• Book Groups: Some of the feedback I receive most often after a meeting of the library’s adult fiction book group, The Page-Turners, is that a member would not have read a book had it not been part of our monthly selections for book group. Although not every book is a winner, some folks have discovered meaningful reads that they may not have otherwise found and read. TPL has book groups from sci-fi to mystery and more with seven groups in total as of January 2024. The New Year is a great time to drop by a book group and read something you may not normally read. Learn more about all of the library’s current groups here. All are welcome to join a book group at any point in the year!  

• Just Ask! This suggestion may seem obvious, but trust a library worker when they say they are here to help! Not sure what to read next or where to start? Just ask a staff member! We love to talk about our favorite reads, new releases, and learn more about what you enjoy reading/listening to/watching to help guide you towards a story we hope you’ll enjoy. Patrons can also use TPL’s “Library to Go” service and fill out a form here to have a library staff member select books for you based on your form responses. 

Library hours are Monday through Wednesday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The digital library, including eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, TV, and films is available 24/7 with your library card here.