• Jane, I saw your ask for book recommenders. Though a figure that draws mixed reviews, Bill Gates’ book recommendations on the non-fiction side are often worth reading (though unclear how many of them are quid pro quo with his publisher). An example is Bad Blood, which I read after he recommended it and which turned out to be an engaging read. —Allie
• There are two bookstores in Toronto, Type Books and Queen Books, that are so well curated that I trust what they stock. I think that carries over to many independent booksellers. They love books and they have so many gems to recommend. —Sandy Reynolds
• (1) I’m currently making my way through NYT 100 Best Books of the 21st century. (2) I subscribe to the Booker Prizes newsletter—my tastes seem to align with Booker contenders. (3) As for Social Media influencers, there’s a “young man” (I’m 67, everyone’s looking young) I follow on IG who I find fascinating. I have no affiliation to him, but find him to be thoughtful and I like his more intellectual approach—A Life on Books. (4) I think Parnassus Books IG account is excellent—I particularly love the Ann Patchett segments. —Diana M. Wilson
• I adore Ann Patchett’s Parnassus Books Instagram. She posts a reel every Monday with recommendations and sometimes a special guest. —Ellen Mulholland
• In response to your book recommendation question, the Currently Reading podcast is my absolute 100% go-to for honest, clear and varied book recommendations. The ladies offer "spicy opinions" in an honest and well-read manner that allows listeners to think about the books according to their own preferences. The podcast is free, but they also have a Patreon with a WEALTH of bookish supports and resources. —Libby Broadbent
• Every six or eight weeks, the writers at Jungle Red Writers chat about what they're reading. A lot of crime fiction gets mentioned as you might expect, but the writers are omnivorous readers too. Don't skip the comments section where regular consumers of the blog pile on with their recommendations. Here's an example. —Roberta Isleib
• My favorite book recommendation person is my friend (and Boston Globe book critic) Rebecca Steinitz! She used to have a blog that we all relied on but then she posted to Facebook and we all complained when Facebook hid her posts so she finally moved to Substack. It's not just book recommendations; it's also Becca's meandering thoughts about movies, pop culture, the death of her oldest friend and whatever else crosses her mind. The thing about Becca is that she is always right about books. The ones she says I'd like, I do like. The ones she says are a slog but worth it, are a slog but worth it. She's never a snob—she loves trashy books and sophisticated books and big books and small books. She's also a gossip but in the best way, making you feel like an insider even when you don't know any of the people (and she doesn't either). —Dawn Friedman
• I no longer live in Seattle, WA, but I continue to subscribe to the Phinney Books Newsletter. It always includes book recommendations—e.g., New Book of the Week; Old Book of the Week; Kids’ Book of the Week—by Tom Nissley, the bookstore owner (and eight-time champion on Jeopardy!), and others who work there. Highly recommend wherever you live! (Also the New in Store section gives me a heads up about newly published books.) —Angela J. Fountas
• For the question about book recommendations, I can't recommend Elise Loehnan highly enough. She is a writer herself and has a newsletter and podcast focusing on authors writing about psychology and some more woo-woo topics. I wasn't really into the woo-woo topics before I began reading some of her suggestions, but she is extremely intelligent, discerning, and clearly respects the art and integrity of writing. Her suggestions have broadened my perspective immensely and for that I am truly grateful to her. —Jessica Kiesler
• I’m probably not alone in this answer. My favorite book recommendations come from Ann Patchett, author and owner of Parnassus Books. I especially like the New to You feature that reviews books that were released in the past. —Barbara Boyd
• My favorite place to get recommendations for books is Literary Hub, especially when they publish lists, like "50 Best Contemporary Novels Under 200 Pages.” —Melissa Gardner
• For nonfiction books, I like the Next Big Idea Book Club. If you subscribe to the free version of their Substack you still get titles and blurbs of the recommendations, even if you can’t read the deep dives. —Julie Golick
• Hi, Jane! I enjoy Amanda Litman’s Substack newsletter for her book recommendations. I always read it with Libby open next to me. Amanda’s book, When We’re in Charge, comes out this week. —Tricia Miller Klapheke
• I always love the book recommendations from literary agents CeCe Lyra and Carly Watters on their podcast, *The Shit No One Tells You About Writing.* They have incredible taste! —Elizabeth M. Wood
• Daniel Immerwahr is a favorite reviewer of mine. I've read and heard him speak about his fascinating book How to Hide An Empire, a broad perspective look at a wonky-ish topic, perfect for a history professor. His reviews in the New Yorker, where he recently became a Contributing Writer, and other outlets tend to focus on similar books—a thing. —Sarah Wimer
• Ron Charles at the Washington Post has a terrific Friday newsletter—offers some political commentary (as it pertains to books, which is unfortunately common these days), but also so much about books, books to screen each week, reviews, etc., and he always ends with a poem. Also, it’s free. His reviews are on Goodreads too, though most link to his column. —Kathy Cowie
• The Talking Scared podcast. Over the last few years I have found more fabulous writers/books through this podcast than any other source. It is much broader than horror, lots of other sorts of speculative fiction. Neil has had everyone from Marianna Enriquez to Margaret Atwood to Stephen King on the show. Great discussions and recommendations. —Tealmc
• I’m a homeschool mom and love Read Aloud Revival with Sarah Mackenzie for book recommendations. She has booklists for everything from picture books to young adult and even books moms will love. She is so enthusiastic on her podcast, Read Aloud Revival, that she makes me want to pick up a book every time she talks about reading. —Diane Newcomer
• I have followed for The Book Club Mom for many years and subscribe to her newsletter. Thanks to her book reviews (I only know her as “book club mom”) I have been introduced to books I may never have encountered and  expanded my tastes in reading. Like you, she has stayed focused and been amazing with giving of her time for those of us who love to read and write. Hope you can feature her in your Electric Speed newsletter. She really deserves recognition. —Christine Wenzel
• I get a lot of book recommendations through The Book Case podcast with Kate and Charlie Gibson. It also helps me get 'familiar' with books (especially ones I might not read myself but want to know about). Episodes are only about 30 min long. A feature I really like is when they ask a bookstore owner what they are hand-selling to customers. This is an excellent way to get 'wildcard' recommendations that wouldn't come to me otherwise. Another source is the Comps Title Segments of The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing podcast. Emilie Sommer from East City Bookshop in DC suggests comp titles for people who call in with their pitch. I can't tell if they're still doing these in 2025, but I chased down several of her recommendations in 2024. —Kelly Turner