Have you ever finished a book that touched your soul, only to be left with a feeling of emptiness once its over? This is way worse if its a stand-alone, or if you’ve just finish the final book in a series. What are you supposed to do next? Will there even be another book out there that compares to that one? The best way to get past this phase is to move onto a new book that’s just as gripping as the last. Here’s a few tips on finding a replacement book when going through book withdrawal.
Check the “Readers Also Enjoyed” section on Goodreads
Most avid readers have a Goodreads page, and the most passionate of readers will instantly flock to their Goodreads page to update their shelves and rate a book when finishing it. If a book has touched your soul to the point you need a replacement immediately, check the “Readers Also Enjoyed” section on the book’s page. This will give you an idea of similar books that are rated highly.
Similarly, you can check the “Customers who bought this item also bought” section on Amazon. I find that Amazon’s version gives better results, despite Goodreads being owned by Amazon. With any luck, you’ll be able to fill that empty feeling with something just as captivating.
Find BookTubers who also enjoyed the book
YouTube is full of BookTubers to suit even the most niche of genres. Look up some reviews of your beloved book on YouTube and find a BookTuber who’s just as enthusiastic about it as you are. Then, browse their channel (or Instagram page) to see which other books they praised highly.
BookTubers are useful for helping readers discover new and exciting books. I’ve bought so many books after seeing how BookTubers talk about them, and most of the time their suggestions are spot on. Find one that shares your taste and be ready to stock up on a new supply of addictive reads.
Recommend the book to a friend and relive it through them
One of the things that hits hard when finishing the book is knowing that you’ll never get to read it for the first time again. But you can recommend it to a friend so that you can relive the first-time experience through them.
Whenever my friends read the books that I recommended I enjoy discussing the twists and turns as they experience them for the first time. Sometimes it even forces me to re-read passages and its almost like falling in love with the book all over again. Sure, you could just re-read it in full instead of waiting on a friend, but nothing beats the experience of sharing reactions with a friend.
Talk about it on social media
I find Twitter and Instagram are the best places to do this, but Facebook can work too, especially if you join some book groups. Sometimes it feels good to just put your thoughts on the book out there, even if none of your friends or family reads it. What’s great about Twitter and Instagram is that you can use specific hashtags relating to the book, so that other users who are interested in the book might discover your thoughts and respond to them.
@SJMaas thank you, so much for your stories. They’ve touched my heart in a way you’ll never know. Thank you for sharing them with the world ⭐️ #kingdomofash
— Aimée Morrison (@amayj) 8 November 2018
Even if nobody reacts to your thoughts, putting them out there is surprisingly satisfying. I’ve even had occasions where the author of the book acknowledges my Tweet.
Goodreads reviews are also a fulfilling way to do this.
See what other books the author wrote
Speaking of the author, you might as well check their body of work to see if they have something else to fill the void. Chances are that you fell in love with the book because you loved the authors voice. An author’s voice is unique, and it’s something that gets even better over time. Reading your way through their entire catalogue is something that might keep you satisfied for some time.
But of course, this all depends on the author. There have been many cases where authors are one hit wonders. Or it could be that their other books are based on a genre that you don’t enjoy. Use your own judgement here.
Bonus: Take a break from reading
If you feel like you just read one of the best and most meaningful books that you’ve ever read, then there’s nothing wrong with letting the feeling savour for a while before you pick up another book. Take some time to enjoy other types of media, while you digest that excellent work of literature.
Another Bonus: Watch the movie or TV adaptation
All the popular books out there end up as movies or TV shows nowadays. So if the book touched you that much, you may as well go and check out its other adaptations to relieve the experience. As a self-confessed book snob, this doesn’t always work with me as I usually frown on anything that has been changed from the book.
Thankfully, most people are rational enough to accept the differences.
Share your own experiences of book withdrawal and how you cope with it in the comments below!
—Featured image from 7 Themes
