---
title: Picking books to read
date: "2023-01-11T03:20:39Z"
lastmod: "2023-01-11T03:20:40Z"
categories:
  - how-i-do-things
  - top-10-lists
tags:
  - book
wp_id: 3398
description: "The author expands his usual Goodreads-driven book selection method with algorithms, serendipity, awards, and reading challenges to deliberately escape his own taste bubble."
keywords: ["books", "reading strategy", "Goodreads", "book selection", "algorithms", "serendipity"]
---

![Picking books to read](/blog/assets/book-hunter-1.webp)

I add book recommendations to my [GoodReads – To-read list](https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/39713492-s-anand?order=d&ref=nav_mybooks&shelf=to-read&sort=avg_rating). Then I sort by rating and pick the first one I like to read.

In 2023, I'm [reshaping my environment](/blog/my-year-in-2022/). Picking books I usually won't pick. (Read [The Unknown Unknown: Bookshops and the Delight of Not Getting What You Wanted](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21913640-the-unknown-unknown) if you want to be similarly inspired.)

So here are 4 approaches I'm adding to my process.

1. **Algorithmic**. Sort [Kaggle books](https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/bahramjannesarr/goodreads-book-datasets-10m) based on popularity, rating, and age. Pick the top 10 (or 50)
2. **Serendipitous**. Go to bookstores and libraries. Pick the most popular books
3. **Award-winning**. Pick from the [Pulitzer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize), [Booker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_Prize), [Nobel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Literature), [Hugo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award), and other [award](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_literary_awards) winners
4. **Challenges**. Pick from [Popsugar](https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/reading-challenge-2023-49013480), [Book Riot](https://bookriot.com/read-harder-2023/), [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/genres/reading-challenge-2023), [The 52 Book Club](https://www.the52book.club/2023-reading-challenge/), and other [challenges](https://www.girlxoxo.com/the-2023-master-list-of-reading-challenges/)

FYI, here are algorithmic results (for books with 100+ ratings and a 4+ average on Goodreads):

**Top rated books**

- [The Complete Calvin and Hobbes](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24812)
- [Harry Potter Boxed Set, Books 1-5 (Harry Potter, #1-5)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8)
- [Mark of the Lion Trilogy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95602)
- [It's a Magical World (Calvin and Hobbes, #11)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24814)
- [Toda Mafalda](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54741)
- [The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165068)
- [There's Treasure Everywhere (Calvin and Hobbes #10)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/70489)
- [Harry Potter Series Box Set (Harry Potter, #1-7)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/862041)
- [The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59715)
- [Harry Potter Collection (Harry Potter, #1-6)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10)

**Most popular books**

- [The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767052)
- [The Book Thief](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19063)
- [The Help](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4667024)
- [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3)
- [The Giver (The Giver, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3636)
- [Water for Elephants](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43641)
- [The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2429135)
- [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136251)
- [The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28187)
- [Looking for Alaska](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/99561)

**Oldest books**

- [Reminiscences of a Stock Operator](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100779)
- [The Story of Ferdinand](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/773951)
- [The Story of Babar (Babar, #1)](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/356321)
- [Ten Little Niggers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/105097)
- [Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153542)
- [The Little House](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153540)
- [Christianity and Liberalism](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156871)
- [McElligot's Pool](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7777)
- [Blueberries for Sal](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133526)
- [A Tear and a Smile](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2549)