Picking the same books all the time can be hard. We get stuck in ruts. We have all made the same mistakes and choose the wrong books for ourselves. Sometimes we love to read the same books over and over again. And sometimes, we get stuck reading those same books. Even if you love to read about similar plotlines, characters, and more all the time, it can get difficult to find any new books that spark your interest. When you’ve been reading the same books, the surprises and plot twists start to get predictable. The books start to lose some of their magic.
As you probably don’t want to get stuck in a rut with the same kinds of books all the time, here are some of the mistakes you can avoid!
Only Choosing Books According to Their Popularity
You’ll never find any new books if you continue to choose them based on the ratings. Booktok, Goodreads, etc. It doesn’t matter where you get your book recommendations. Those ratings all result in the popular book list you’ve been looking at.
The problem here is that popular books are all pretty similar. They have very alike plotlines, themes, and characters. For instance, Throne of Glass and Shadow and Bone both include cool women (strong and capable of taking care of themselves). The Red Queen and The Mortal Instruments have main characters who discover they have a hidden power. But that’s simply what sells.
Popular books are created based on based previously bestsellers. Authors have to follow the trends to write these high-rating books. Therefore, a lot of the books out there end up being similar, especially the ones that get all the publicity.
If you are looking to branch out and find new horizons, the popular book list isn’t your friend. There are so many great books out there that have yet to be discovered. You are likely to find some different books when looking elsewhere. You just have to look for them!
Judging by the Cover
People always tell us not to judge a book by its cover. But they must not mean for books! Sure, you shouldn’t judge people by how they look. The saying still applies to that. Yet, are you ever gonna pick up a book with a cover that doesn’t call out to you? It’s hard to choose a book without first looking at the cover.
However, judging a book by its cover is another way you get stuck with the same books over and over again. You get drawn to books by their aesthetics. But books with similar plotlines, themes, and characters tend to have alike covers. When you have the same topics, they end up being reflected in the covers. It leads to you picking those same books again.
Judging a book by its cover is a problem. The only solution is to let go of those preferred aesthetics. Either try looking for a different aesthetics of covers than your usual ones or you could try finding books without looking at the covers. You might be able to ask a sales representative or a friend to read the synopses for you. It’ll be a fun adventure to try at least once!
Getting Stuck on the Same Plotline
We all do this! We find one plotline that we like and stick to it. It can be hard to find new ones when you’re old preferences are so dependable. But there are so many different plotlines out there that I am sure you would love if you gave them a chance.
Similar plotlines are hard to diverge from. I know it as well as the next person. My bookshelf is full of women who discover they have magical powers or that they are royalty. I just love those types of books where the heroine finds out that she is more special than she previously believed.
Despite my preferences, I have still managed to find some amazing books with different plotlines. If I had never branched out, I might not know that I like other plots too.
You will never get to explore new things and discover new preferences if you limit yourself. Yes, there are certain plots that you will like more than others but how are you supposed to grow as a reader if you never try anything new? You never know. You might find some new favourite books if you simply branch out of your comfort zone.
Sticking to the Same Genre
Lastly, picking the same books all the time has a lot to do with our chosen genre. As much as we all love to find a new and interesting book, when we stick to the same genre we end up picking the same books. It’s hard to avoid. Genres tend to stick with similar plotlines, characters, etc. By staying within your one genre, you aren’t allowing yourself to find anything new.
The books in a certain genre tend to have plenty of similarities, which is why you’ll have a hard time finding a super unique book if you stick to it. By branching out to other types of books, suddenly a whole new world is available to you! You won’t have to pick the same books anymore because your options will have expanded exponentially!
The simplest way to avoid picking the same books all the time would be to look where you wouldn’t normally look for books. A new genre is exactly what you need to get out of your reading rut!
(Don’t rush your genre choice! You wouldn’t like all genres but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a chance.)
Getting stuck with the same books all the time can be a nightmare! You’re already read this one. These two are almost word for word. It happens! Sometimes it can be hard to avoid, like watching Hallmark movies. (It’s the same movie with a different small town!). But that doesn’t mean you love them any less. It might just mean that it’s time for a change. You don’t have to limit yourself to one plotline or one genre. The world is available to you! Try some new things!
