Cure the Book Hangover: How to Find Your Next Read

“Do you know of a book that is similar to this one?”  

As a former bookseller, I get asked this question a lot. People love a book or series so much (because of its epic world-building or that loveable side character) that they just need to read another like it ASAP. I find myself falling victim to this predicament as well. I just can’t let go of the worlds or characters I have fallen in love with and need something similar to fill the void. Book hangovers are real — but there is a cure. I will give advice on how to find that perfect next read and give you an example of how to relate books to one another. (Keep in mind that this is for fiction readers, whereas nonfiction is very different!)

But before you head off to your local bookstore for your next read, there are some things to consider. First, ask yourself, “Why did I love this book so much?” Many factors make up that literary masterpiece you’ve just read, including but not limited to: 

• The genre or subgenre: Did you like the thrill of solving a mystery or the fantasy world with endless possibilities? Genre is a broad classification system, so identifying the subgenres will help narrow down the options. 

  • Some subgenre examples: high & low fantasy, gothic horror, historical romance, cozy mysteries, and speculative fiction. If you’re on Goodreads (a highly recommended social media platform for readers), there are plenty of genres listed for each book.

• The writing style: Did the author’s writing style really hit the spot? I recommend searching for other titles by that same author first. If that doesn’t yield results, identify what you liked about it. Is it the quick, funny dialogue? Or the poetic verse that makes you cry like a waterfall? 

• The characters: Personally, character dynamics make or break the story. Sure, the plot is important; but if you don’t have any emotional investments for the characters, anything that happens is just consequential. 

• The tropes: The most popular reason, at least from my experience. Tropes describe the essence of a book. From character dynamics (the “grumpy/sunshine” trope) to certain situations in the plot (the “there’s only one-bed” trope), we all have at least one that we can reread over and over again. I’ve bought books based on one specific trope before… and I would do it again. 

Now that you’ve identified what exactly you like about the book, social media is the best place to start. There are book communities for any type of reader and in any genre. “BookTok” or “Bookstagram” are great places to get recommendations and find inspiration, but be cautious. There’s an overwhelming amount of content on both, and sometimes the marketing for a book doesn’t match the actual book’s content. Always read the book summary before you start putting in the time. I’ve been caught up in the popular book whirlwind, but some end up falling flat in the end. 

According to Goodreads, Fourth Wing was the most popular book published in 2023. I will give you some recommendations that share an aspect of this book. 

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1) by Rebecca Yarrows 

One of the most hyped books of 2023, this fantasy romance took BookTok by storm. Its key aspects are enemies-to-lovers, war college, and, of course, DRAGONS. Here are some other books that share one or more of the aspects that people loved:

Fireborne (The Aurelian Cycle, #1) by Rosaria Munda

If you liked the dragons, check out this YA fantasy set in a post-revolution country:

• Dragon riders

• Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers

• War

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2) by Sarah J. Maas 

If you liked the tense enemies-to-lovers, check out this New Adult book set in a world of Fae and humans alike. (Should read A Court of Thorns and Roses first!)

• Enemies-to-lovers, with that morally-gray MMC 

• Magic

• War

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, #1) by Naomi Novik 

If you liked the war-college environment, here's another YA fantasy where failure at this magical school means certain death.

• War-college

• Dark magical powers

• Dark academia vibes

When you’re on the hunt for that next book, be mindful that every book is different (for the most part). You may not find a book that is a carbon copy of the one you just read. That’s OK. Find the type of book you love, and explore within that genre. There is something for everyone. 

Happy reading!