How To-3: "How to Read Good Books"

How to Read Good Books

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"A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read." Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Speech in New York, Nov. 20, 1900
Do you judge a book by its cover? If so, you may be overlooking a "good read". No matter how dull a book cover or how old, what really matters is what's inside. Here are some suggestions for unearthing some good books just for you.

Steps

1. Decide on what makes a book good for you. Do you like fiction, biographies, romance, adventure or tinkering books such as how-to's or craft manuals?
   
2. Visit the local library or second-hand bookstore. Browse through the areas that interest you. Pick up books that you might not normally choose because the cover appears unappealing or old.
   
3. Stop in at a major bookstore. If you usually search for a book under the heading of 'fiction' or 'non fiction', try checking out other headings. You might just find a book hidden there, that looks interesting when you pick it up.
   
4. Look for book reviews online, in newspapers or in magazines. There are often seasonal picks for vacation times and there are always regular reviews of new books. For older books, many online book stores have the comments of other readers for you to browse through.
   
5. Ask family members and friends what their favorite books are. This is a great way to build your knowledge about interesting books. Often the reasons given by a person who is explaining why a book matters to them will inspire you to want to read it too.
   

Tips

• If your book gets boring, you probably don't like it. Pick a new one.
  

Warnings

• Be careful, reading can be addicting!
  

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