I’ve always loved browsing bookstores. I’d wander over to the new nonfiction releases and start thumbing through titles that interested me. Then Amazon came out with the Kindle, and physical books lost their allure. If I found a book online that I liked, I could have it downloaded to my device in a matter of seconds.
As much as I liked browsing bookstores, there were some downsides. For one, only a select few books from well-known authors were given shelf space. For every new book on the shelf, there were thousands more that never saw the light of day. I used to rely on book reviews in major publications like USA Today to find books that interest me. Then, book reviews started disappearing.
Amazon came up with the idea of showing a list of books similar to the one I was looking at. That helped. Then I learned about Goodreads. Every day, I get an email with a list of books in genres that interest me. I can honestly say that ninety percent of the books I read I first learned about on Goodreads. They are books that I would not have known about otherwise. Additionally, they are discounted.
I recently learned of another book discovery service called Shepherd.com. It’s similar to Goodreads but with the added ability to zero in on specific topics. Say, for example, you’re in the mood for an apocalypse story. Just type in the word “apocalypse,” and a list of books on that topic will appear. Looking for some true crime suggestions? Select that category from a dropdown list. The books that you will see have all been recommended by other authors.
The people behind Shepherd asked me if I would like to create a list of books similar to my book I Will Ruin You. So, I came up with the following list: The best books about wrongful convictions and their causes. You can learn more about the books I selected by clicking on the link. I have personally read each of these books and have reviewed all of them on my review site, everythingnonfiction.com. In return for creating the list, Shepherd included information about my book along with links where readers can learn more.
