How to Find Books That are Actually Worth Your Time

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I get this question surprisingly often: "How can I avoid wasting my time on bad books?" In other words, how do you find and pick the BEST books? Where do you go to get great book recommendations?
In this video, I'll share some of the resources I use to find the books that I read.
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Links from the Video:
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com
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Derek Sivers: sivers.org/book
Nat Eliason: www.nateliason.com/lessons/
Bonus - my new book notes page: thomasjfrank.com/notes/
New Books in Brief: newbooksinbrief.com/
Blinkist: www.blinkist.com/
My book recommendation videos:
10 books every student should read: • 10 Books EVERY Student...
The 9 best books I read in 2017: • The 9 Best Books I Rea...
My favorite fiction books: • My Top 10 Favorite Fic...
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[@kritik4355]

I don't know who quoted this but here it goes - "Reading? It's not about how many books you go through, it's about how many books go through you"

[@ivanzouw]

i read that on medium.com that's really good line, i think.

[@increditoaster]

#deep

[@MZT4]

r/Im14anthisisdeeo

[@catedoge3206]

Imma steal this

[@eternity9691]

Thanks for this

[@astarte_silver]

"Don't finish a bad book" is the best advice when it comes to optimizing time and enjoy reading.

[@philipmeisterl]

Dan_GD thank you!! Also its ok to skip parts often you only really care for a few chapters

[@neilspector9221]

Yes, that is true but sometimes you may wish to power through a book to put another notch in belt. Books like War and Peace or Moby Dick come to mind.

[@tempestandacomputer6951]

@@neilspector9221 Those aren't bad books though. They are classics that you may not relate to because the prose has aged so much.

[@diviproduction173]

I agree but sometimes I feel guilty I'm not giving it a chance, once I hit page 100 if I'm not feeling it I'll ditch it.

[@theunexplainablecrumbs4387]

Could not agree more. When I've tried to power through a book I've outright disliked it just puts me into a reading slump. Why waste time reading something you don't like when you could be reading something that you do?

[@lesleywatts7798]

Also, ask a librarian. Helping people find books they will enjoy or discover information they need is a huge part of our job.

[@tempestandacomputer6951]

As someone who has been a reader since grade school and now in college, it never occurred to me librarians would have recommendations.

[@ryanfinnamore1309]

@@tempestandacomputer6951 have you since asked a librarian for a suggestion?

[@tempestandacomputer6951]

@@ryanfinnamore1309 Since then, i haven't read much so no, but ive asked for reccomende from people when applicable. I almost always ask the waiter for one when going to a new restaurant.

[@KashishShivnani]

My librarian does not read books, that is why I can't ask him

[@greatbookie]

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.” ― Mortimer J. Adler

[@AndyZaturno]

I stopped buying books for two reasons. I only like them in physical form and they are expensive most of the times, and second, public libraries have amazing books that you can actually borrow. If you really like it, then you can buy it then to store in your own library. Why you didn't mention libraries? Andy

[@Thomasfrank]

To be honest, I haven't checked a book out at a library in a long time (though I still work at the Boulder one sometimes), so it totally slipped my mind when I was writing this video. I definitely should have mentioned it, which is why I pinned someone else's comment that called me out on it :)

[@misspumpkin5427]

In my city local libraries don't even exist, so I have only one option which is buy books

[@Mianroca]

This is why I look up to this man. He has a good taste for books, and his videos are helpful and precise.

[@ranveersingh6954]

Mianroca true

[@ExtremeTalker-xw6cd]

Avoid books made by youtubers

[@ZamWeazle]

Why's that?

[@ZamWeazle]

@Alaskan Space Program lol Who the heck is that?

[@ZamWeazle]

@Alaskan Space Program You might as well be speaking greek? ...It's all greek to me!!

[@ZamWeazle]

@Alaskan Space ProgramWell, to quote Q*bert...@!#?@!

[@aarambhabhandari2486]

Best advive ever thanks

[@youstinanagi740]

Thomas, THANK YOU. You perfectly and quickly answered my questions. It is such a relief to know them . I respect your efforts so much. I'm also proud and happy to hear my own words in your video.

[@chandugatti]

You're such a great inspiration for me. Your videos have changed they way of my life. Keep posting great stuff, as always! :)

[@anabananana2326]

"A short history of nearly everything" is one of my favorite books as well, so surprised when someone else mentions it. Great video😊

[@TheNickChug]

I was JUST having this issue the other day! Thanks for another great video!

[@domjaniga6163]

Thank you for the tips. Awesomely edited as always, keep up with good work sir!

[@kyraocity]

I so appreciate your vlogs and this channel!! Still recommending it to my students. This is such a useful video. Commonsense that is so valuable.

[@charles_heres]

I second the Goodreads recommendation, it has been a pleasure following you these years! Cheers.

[@mq9413]

You were awesome, thanks for providing all your tips and links

[@JLchevz]

deleting the TBR list is great, if you really wanted to read something youd buy the book right away, instead the tbr list just gives you anxiety lol

[@whoareu-podcastaboutlifeat257]

I would recommend Goodreads as well. In my experience the reviews are quite reliable! Another way I passively find out about new/recommended books is through podcasts. The podcast Fresh Air is always interviewing authors. I've found so many great books that way.

[@richardbayer1559]

I just want to appreciate your high quality content - Thank You Thomas !

[@noodlepoodleoddle]

Also don't ever be afraid to start reading multiple books at once. You don't have to commit to everything, as long as one of them is enjoyable you already won.

[@yanniszachos6161]

Very smart video idea!!! Thanks a lot Thomas! Keep up the great work!!

[@russelllewis1190]

Great vid. I have been stuck and only finished 2 of the last 10books I started. Now I have a direction and some good recommendations. Thank you

[@asianassassin7227]

Thank you so much for this video! I lost my love for reading at the beginning of middle school, but recently regained it at the end of my freshman year of college a month ago and this question popped into my head. I’ll definitely have to check out Goodreads later.

[@AadidevSooknananNXS]

Thank you! I needed this video a while now, really enjoy your videos, they're incredibly helpful!

[@treeoflife7151]

Great video. I agree that reading a summary is like getting notes from friends. Even reading a book second time is a very different experience as you notice different things and make new connections. When it comes to reading lists, when I add a book to it, I also add a reference (where did I heard it, why it got me interested). That way (hopefully) I will be able to evaluate better when the time comes, if it's still relevant/a good reason to read the book.

[@dewanshashank]

I really needed this. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@hermionegranger9487]

Thanks for the video!!! 😄👍. I have read your book and that's really awesome🙌

[@kaloyanyotov3236]

I was re-watching another video of yours, the one for the bad morning habits, when I received the notification for this one :D Just wanna share my HUGE admiration for readin 1367 books and for all the well-shaped, motivating and helpful videos you make in general. You make me wanna have a chanel on my own. Maybe sth similar to this but also a bit different. Once again thank you for all the work you put on a daily basis!

[@johannojeda]

Since you improved the color correction, the videos look amazing. Great job!

[@lake6888]

Great video as always. Can you please make a video on how you take notes on the books you read? That'd be really helpful.

[@cassiaprior453]

I loved this video thank you so much for it. It really helped me place to perspective what reading really is. I love to read but always had the feelings I had to finish the book no matter what and felt disappointed if that goal was not achieved. Thanks to you I know I can take it easier and not read so aggressively, more like taking my time and focusing on what's important. Thanks for existing! (Also, liked that you ended the video in a kind of commercial way :P)

[@matthewmatherly3844]

I know everyone has different interests when it comes to reading, but a few books that I have enjoyed reading are as followed: • Ego Is The Enemy (Ryan Holiday) • The Obstacle Is The Way (Ryan Holiday) • The Second Mountain: The Quest For A Moral Life (David Brooks) • The Road To Character (David Brooks) • Rising Strong (Brene Brown) • Daring To Lead (Brene Brown) One might say that a more accurate assessment is three authors that changed my life as I listed a couple books by each author that I've come to enjoy reading and have learned to grow my perspective and personal self from what I've read and apply them to my own life and situations that happen within it. I've always been a strong believer that while reading is fundamentally important and essential to helping us learn and grow, it's all in how we apply it as well. I hope for those that see this comment and decided to read any of these books or if you've already read any of them you can share your experiences below. I hope you can experience as much joy from these books as I have come to know. Keep reading what you love and find interesting and grow as much as you can as a person.

[@THISisKROD13]

Thanks for uploading. I’ve been trying to read more recently but didn’t really know where to start

[@Gamer9A]

Lot of great info in this video. Love it 👌🏼

[@arock8586]

Tom, Ive been around for a long time and appreachiate every video you release. They really do help. Fam, the dislike percentage of basically all of your videos say something very good about you as a content creator.

[@anamzafar7379]

thank you so much thomas i was looking for books and couldn't really decide, moreover my exams just ended so a great time to read great books.

[@kidstagram354]

Great Video!! So helpful!!

[@thulasie2011]

This was fantastic! Thank you very much!!!

[@quriositysquared1028]

Thank you. I needed this.

[@limarymorales-morales6961]

another excellent video! very helpful, thank you!!!

[@Marneezyisshort]

Hey Thomas! Could you do a video on the helpful things to bring or not to bring to a new college dorm or housing situation? Thanks! Love your videos and studying playlists!

[@znavyu6307]

Glad this is here, had this problem for a while

[@BookMattic]

Hey Thomas! It's my first time watching your video and I love it. I'm an avid nonfiction/business book reader who has also happened to read The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear. I love your advice about what books to choose. To add another layer here for nonfiction book readers. I think it's important to pick a book topic in the area you need the most improvement on 'at that specific time' in your life. Best way to do that, like you said, is to check the book out on Goodreads, which btw I followed you. On another note, I just posted my first 'New Business BookTube Tag' video today which is something me and my fellow avid business book readers just started about 3 weeks ago. As you have mentioned, BookTube consists of mostly fictional book readers. It is our goal to get more fictional readers to start reading more nonfiction books through starting this 'New Business BookTube'. It was awesome watching your video and I'll be sure to stop by and watch some more. Thanks Thomas.

[@Yantotanjung]

And I enjoy your talk. Thanks Thomas for your great advice.

[@albertopascual749]

Great video Thomas! Any recomendations on how to motivate yourself into doing mundane tasks that have no deadline.

[@stevenwalter1255]

I love the way he speaks...he's great....keeps your attention...content is good and delivery of the info is crisp...a natural

[@nilslang5527]

Great video! I have a request for the podcast: Could you do a whole episode about the posture problems and every day solutions, mentioned in the prelast epiosde of the podcast? I think that's a topic that concerns a lot of people and could influence there lives in a positive way. Thanks for all the amazing content!

[@glenmattson3765]

Thank you for making this video. My wife is a writer of clean historical romance novels based on places we have traveled. Now that I have retired, I am helping her publish Mellyora Ashley books for others to enjoy. I appreciate your help in this video showing how she might get her books discovered by those looking for enjoyable reads about actual places and history in England.

[@brocktopus1801]

Thnx Tom, I'll surely read a book this summer!!!!!

[@dominican4life36]

Congrats on 1M subscribers!!!!!!!

[@hxd3620]

Thank you so much for this vedio, i was waiting for a vedio about this topic.

[@kamilkozlowski9765]

I've found this video very helpful thanks :D

[@parnikatyagi503]

Hi Thomas, Your channel is the most unique one out there and very educational and realistic too. Congrats, you are not feeding the egos of people by creating crap content. Good going!

[@HelloWifey]

great advice, thanks!

[@scottbrown7071]

You and your videos are wonderful. Thank you! :)

[@stoicfloor]

There are a lot of good ideas in your videos and this one particularly is worth watching again. I used to just pick up top books from Amazon but I just made an account on Goodreads. Thank you Thomas:)

[@williambartlett9917]

Excellent video!

[@sarasbissi5544]

I love your channel and this video came in time

[@mahmoodalam6980]

I've had these kinds of problems several times, Thanks Thomas

[@Sho-xt3bv]

Wow! I just saw Thinking Fast and Slow on the bookshelf and thought I need to read that but wasn’t too sure. But since you mentioned it, I’m definitely going to read it

[@MelissaClaasen]

I'm a huge fan of Stephen Fry. I can believe that it's a fantastic listen. 😊 Enjoyed this episode. Thanks so much for taking the pressure off my TBR list.

[@TheShamansQuestion]

I've been asking myself this for ages now and just yesterday too. Open KZbin; Thomas's solved my problem.

[@user-di3ng2bq8z]

People, here is the best content, search no more, Tom, I love the work that you do here and the new mail up-do that you did - it is truly a quality read! I literary cant point to a single video that i didn't enjoy

[@isiahfriedlander5559]

Спасибо, are you Russian? I would love to learn this language

[@crazygrace94]

Isiah, if you’re serious about learning Russian I recommend you check out Italki. It’s a language learning website through which you can find affordable tutors and/or language exchange partners. Удачи!

[@isiahfriedlander5559]

Grace Poet: thank you very much, it’s just great, many teachers at an affordable price, Крани вас боже

[@lynna.9772]

ooh that's so cool!!! I started reading The Complete collection last semester. I only finished 7 stories because of finals

[@MariamHalfNomad]

Didn’t know Stephen Fry had recorded Sherlock! Thanks for this tip 👍🏻

[@alexandersweeney6182]

It's so nice recognizing a book your bookshelf even in the blurry background

[@janamarji4056]

Oh my god Pat’s Goodreads profile is basically my book oracle; I scroll through it day in day out and The Name of the Wind is my favorite fantasy novel (still waiting on the third book...I’m looking at you Rothfus). I was so happy you like it 😁

[@ishitadas2332]

The part where you say "Don't forget to enjoy the process of reading and that it's about the journey", totally resonates with me. At the start of this year, I had set a goal to read 2 books per month to resume my love for reading. Eventually, I realised that I was really rushing through. And, my sister pointed out exactly the same thing - what's the point of such a goal if you are not enjoying it. So, I have slowed down and enjoying all the reading 😊. Thanks for the tips..

[@princessthyemis]

I really loved what you said about taking time to enjoy books, and that milestones don't really matter--you could have a goal to read 100 books in one year and finish feeling totally unfulfilled, or only read 10, at your own pace, and love each one. This is a lesson I need to learn! I set out at the beginning of this year wanting to read as many books as possible, but then began Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive--which is QUITE the undertaking! I am enjoying them, however, I don't know if they will end up becoming some of my favorites. I don't know why this is (I feel sort of sad about it for some reason; I want to like a book I spend 2 months reading)...I guess only time will tell. Regardless, this is such a fantastic reminder that readers should only read what matters to THEM!!

[@AndreaGonzalez-wu7dt]

Perfect timing! And great tips thank you very much. I have a quick question for you, on past videos you talk about taking notes / marking up / using post its on books to highlight whatever is important, well I assume on audible you can’t really do this so how do you really take advantage of audiobooks without being able to do this?

[@lucamolta]

this was great thankyou. Excited to check out good reads and those recommends. The idea of befriending someone for book recommendations cracked me. Your cadence is very similar to nerdwriter, so many people on youtube are sounding like this maybe your all from the same neck of the woods but sometimes its a little jarring especially in addition to the music for the uber audio sensitive like me. Something to think about or completely disregard.

[@sgs6991]

I love Stephen Fry! Thanks for the recommendation :)

[@alenawu5383]

yes! such a good reminder that not all books need to be completed, especially if it's just becoming a drain for you. so thank you! such a good video :)

[@bellagreenleaf26]

Yes! The video the world (or, at least, my world) needed!

[@jorget684]

Author recommendations is a great source when looking for something new to get into. I don't know if most authors are active on Goodreads but what I do is go to their personal website if they have one and see if they have any book recommendations. Found some amazing stuff doing this!

[@mrtwitch965]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate Thomas (and his team) for his very well done job on creating personal brand. Well done good sir. You instill value into every damned video. For lack of better words, and my own personal favorite phrase. Fuck yeah man. Good work!

[@Usuario-rg8xt]

Nice video, greetings from Spain!

[@emrel75]

Keep up the good work thomas

[@MLauren35]

Currently listening to Sherlock Holmes collection, read by Stephen Fry, on my commute, the narration is amazing!

[@charliegoodson8247]

Thinking Fast and Slow is truly a life-changing book. It should be a required read before starting college. Great video thanks for the recommendations.

[@AnonyTests]

Charlie Goodson I read that book and yes it was beyond incredible. I think you will also enjoy reading The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy :)

[@mariahhassan6554]

Please do a video on books that greatly impacted you! Something besides the usual self-help books! Stories!!!

[@moritzschroder]

thanks for not being superficial with this topic! you could have made it easy for yourself, but you didnt, and i always appreciate that in youtubers! i, too, try to give my content as much depth as possible. thanks for raising the bar, thomas 😉

[@maryambraiber6460]

Your videos are QUALITY

[@IsaacBlencowe]

Thanks Tom you always create fantastic video's. I love reading and I love your insights and ideas on reading. I have very similiar thoughts about it :)

[@devsujit]

I have been pondering on this thought from a long time.

[@yashvaidya1221]

Well said and done

[@esbenandreasen6332]

Great video. I've always spent more time figuring out which books to read, and I read a lot.

[@AnonyTests]

Esben Andreasen Have you read The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy? It’s fascinating but not plenty of people know about it

[@mariaslm8]

I had picked up Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland because of Patrick Rothfuss too! His reviews are really cool

[@cmondya4919]

Nice video !

[@biancagonzalez4196]

The swerve is on your book shelf!!!!!! I love Lucretius omg

[@frankm.2850]

I enjoyed a short history as well, but my favorite Bryson atm is definitely at Home, a history of the things in ours houses like salt and pepper and why they’re always together on the dinner table, and why they’re there at all.

[@ishaantrivedi9968]

Thomas getting even more slick with his ad segways😂😊 8:38

[@abhishekar809]

I liked your attitude very much ,for most things you give an answer that it is RELATIVE ,which is always true ,because IN THIS WORLD NOTHING IS GOOD OR BAD EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE...

[@technosopher]

Thanks a lot Thomas for the audible free trial.

[@georgeevangel4292]

If ever we find a man with intellect we must know what books he reads-Emerson

[@Slyyvie]

good tips!

[@alfredoavila7262]

I love you videos Tomas, which is your mind set? do you make these videos for share your knowledge or for have more views or both? Thank you

[@mishapurser7542]

I noticed the Mary Beard book in the thumbnail. Seems we are both a fan of her. I bought her book Women and Power earlier today. I can't wait to buy S.P.Q.R. in the future.

[@TAHJBecomeYourBestSelf]

Reading is so important and knowledge boosting. I'll never stop reading, it's like my way of life now.

[@Rocket33r]

I like Naval Ravikan'ts approach to reading. He doesn't force himself to finish a book he started, he just reads whatever he's curious about. I haven't fully adopted his philosophy, but he do notice that at times I lose reading momentum if what I'm reading is not that interesting to me, and I skip reading for 1-2 days. Sometimes I also just need a break from a certain book, and then come back to it at a later point, or I don't. The only time I try to be consistent is with text books that I'm trying to study. But because of that I try to read 2-3 categories of books each day, so that I'm always reading something "interesting". The categories would be text-book/study-book (something that requires more focus), non-fiction (something I'm interested in) and fiction (the last book of the day and to balance my reading habits and create diversity in the topics I read).

[@popertop]

I loved Snow Crash! Really cool book!