How To Find Books

There’s a guy I’ve known for most of my life I refer to as my Music Guy. No matter how bored I am with the tunes in my head I can ask him what to listen to next and he’s got something for me. His favorite advice is, “If you can’t go new, go old.” I love that.

The best books find you at the right time. I believe this and I’m definitely not the first guy to say it. The process is, let’s not say magical because that’s weak, how about psychedelic? Yes, that’s better. But sometimes you get in a rut and the next step isn’t clear. So here are some techniques that have worked for me. Maybe this list can be your Music Guy.

Your Writer’s Writers.
Everyone has influences. Most modern, I mean living authors, get interviewed pretty regularly and they are always asked who they read on their way. This is the standard interview question. When you check up on some of the names they mention and find your next great book then wow, you’ve really got something. Don’t stick to the current guys either. I’ve found that no matter how far back in the day a writer was alive, someone came before him. Keep digging. Charles Bukowski was obsessed with a guy named John Fante. He visited him on his deathbed. I would not have found Fante without Hank. Pay homage, find something great.

Stop Watching Porn.
Gotcha. I mean use the internet. I’m sure there are endless resources here so I’ll just name the ones that have given me solid finds.

For modern, brand new fiction our culture’s obsession with listing isn’t such a bad thing. Plenty of online resources will tweet the current month’s top reads or next season’s big releases. I really like Flavorwire’s twitter feed for this. They have some old school lists on there, too.

I love most things about New York magazine and they do have a Book page but the trusty “Approval Matrix” feature regularly has some good literary items in the top right corner. And it helps when you are studying up to be a better New York Dick.

The idea might overlap with the suggestion up top but some writers Tweet a lot and talk about or with other authors they like. Actually, following your favorite writers this way unconditionally can break your heart as well so be careful. But trust me on Bret Easton Ellis. What could be more Bro? His works are polarizing sometimes but his book suggestions are anything but. I’m serious, it’s uncanny, everything this guy suggests has been solid. And it’s not just new stuff, there are classics in there too.

Get Your Lighters Up
A writer I had not heard of sort of “opened” for one I had at a reading in Central Park once. He really was into the rock thing and asked the crowd to hold their phones up to seem like we were at a concert back in his day, and mine, when the lighter salute was standard. I liked the move. Plus I had never heard of him before. I know it’s not easy to go see readings all the time but if you are unfamiliar with someone or if there are a few folks on the bill, check it out with an open mind. I’ve gone to KGB bar in the East Village for their writer features but I am sure there are tons more.

Walk the Stacks
The best way. I love the library. There is no better place in the world where my Dad isn’t screaming at the television. The public library can reserve books for you and it’s rare when they don’t have or can’t find something you want if you are willing to be patient. But going in cold and blank is okay too. Walking along the rows of books can really tell you what your true tastes are. Judge a book by its cover, go for it, that’s why it’s there. The sort of zen state I hope you fall into while passing all those books can help dig up some name or title you have in your head but may have forgotten. I think this is what happened to me when I found my favorite author of all time. Or maybe it wasn’t the case, and I had never heard of him before and the title was purely delivered to my brain by voices from beyond. What could be better than that?

So what works for you? In New York we can leave our books out near the garbage when they are too heavy to move and let them pass on to their next deserving owner. Half Price Books in Pittsburgh rocks. Let me know what you’ve got.