Reading Resources: Read More Books

Leisure reading is a pastime enjoyed by many. There are countless benefits - both individual and social - of reading. We know from our own research, however, that Gusties don't have the time to read during their college years. We know many of you love to read, though. Here are ideas, tips and suggestions for connecting with books and authors. While many of these things may be especially applicable once you graduate - and hopefully have more time for reading - we also hope you're inspired to find ways to carve out reading time during your busy college years as well. 

Happy reading!

A great way to find new books is to connect with authors, reviewers and other readers on social media platforms. You can like author pages on Facebook and follow authors and bloggers on Twitter and Instagram. Here are some popular hashtags:

• #reading
• #books
• #booksofinstagram
• #amreading

You may wonder why bother reading for pleasure, especially when there are so many other demands on our time. Here are several articles and posts that delve into the benefits of reading. There's also one about the gendered nature of reading and what it means. Plus a few fun ones.

• Your Brain on Fiction
• How Could I Read More Books?
• When Women's Literary Tastes are Deemed Less Worthy
• 10 Reading Struggles that the Next Generation Will Never Have to Deal With
• 10 Signs You Should Give Up on a Book You're in the Middle Of
• For Better Social Skills, Scientists Recommend a Little Chekov

We have a fairly large collection of novels in our library. They get a little bit buried in the Library of Congress system, which intermingles novel and critical works about said novel or novelist. (Past library practices of removing the dust jackets make it less fun to browse our shelves for novels, alas.) Your best bet is to browse these areas:

• Any call number area staring with P (Languages and Literature). Call numbers P - PQ are on the third (top) floor. Call numbers PR - PS are on the main floor on the Chapel side of the library. 
• Browsing Collection - this collection features new & popular fiction and nonfiction selections. It's located by the couches near the main entrance.
• Young Adult - We have a new (and growing) Young Adult literature collection on the first (bottom) floor. It's all the way in the back of the library near the Children's Collection (Olin Hall side of the library).
• Children's Collection - find old and new favorites in the Children's Collection, bottom floor in the back (look for the bright blue paint).
• New Books - Every new book goes to the new book shelves located near the couches by the entrance. Check here for new fiction in the P section, as well as new Browsing, Young Adult and Children's books.
• Displays - We often highlight novels on various displays throughout the library.

Or see what our Gustavus community members have been reading by searching our LibraryThing account. You can also see what Library Thing's recommendation machine suggests based on what students and faculty have read. We do have general nonfiction books, too. See what we have in our Browsing collection (more info above) or try some catalog searches for popular titles.

Learn more about diversity in children's books, including the We Need Diverse Books campaign, at this online library guide.

There are a lot of book bloggers online, especially reviewers who get advanced copies of books and publish reviews before the books even hit the shelves. Bloggers often have specific genres they review, so if you like to read a certain kind of book, like young adult or crime fiction, search for bloggers to follow. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Book Riot - reviews, podcasts, newsletters, videos about books old and new (note, this is a for profit site)
• Teen Librarian Toolbox - while many resources are geared toward librarians, you'll find lots of YA reviews and news 
• Cuddlebuggery Book Blog - all YA (young adult) all the time
• Well-Read Black Girl - focuses on Black women writers
• The Broke and the Bookish - home of the Top Ten Tuesday meme, also lots of reviews in many genres
• Emily Reads Everything - she really does! especially if it's Young Adult

There are many, many book lists online. Try a Google search for a particular type of genre and see what's out there. Here are some of our favorites:

• 53 Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down - Buzzfeed
• Stop, You're Killing Me! (crime fiction)
• Smart Bitches, Trashy Books (romance)
• SF Site (science fiction and fantasy)
• We Need Diverse Books summer reading series

Minnesota boasts an incredibly rich literary tradition. From independent book stores to top-name authors to respected presses, Minnesota has it all. Here are some highlights.

Presses:

• Milkweed Editions
• Graywolf Press
• Coffee House Press

Independent Book Stores:

• Common Good Books
• Birchbark Books & Native Arts
• Red Balloon Bookshop
• Magers & Quinn

Awards:

• Minnesota Book Awards
• Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards

We have collected student reviews and recommendations (along with some faculty recommendations) at LibraryThing. This site also hosts the catalog of Eric Norelius, the college's founder, and an annotated list of zines in our collection. Check it out!

There are also several publications that contain book reviews. Here are some to check out, plus notes as to whether or not the library subscribes to them:

• Library Journal - lots of library news and tons of book reviews. Find copies on the lower level, although it does circulate to library employees first, so issues on the shelf may be a few weeks old
• Publishers Weekly - the weekly magazine of the publishing industry, lots of reviews and industry news. The library subscribes (although it circulates to our employees first) and it is shelved in the lower level.